Ways to Spread Cheer and Spend Less this Holiday Season

The holidays are all about spending time with good friends and loved ones.  Whether you’re opening your Elite Built home in Louisville to guests or simply enjoying it with your family, there are a number of ways to surround yourself with the best parts of the season AND save money for more important things… like gifts!

Choosing a Bold Christmas Tree

You can get away with a smaller tree if it’s a less traditional color or tree type. The bolder the color, the more of an impact it makes, while costing less than a big evergreen. If your existing collection of Christmas ornaments isn’t enough, try a couple homemade ornaments for a personalized look. Also, stick to one vibrant color theme so they really pop!

Hanging a Festive Wreath

Wreaths can come in all different styles, sizes and materials, so it’s an easy do-it-yourself decoration. Gather natural elements from your yard or nearby park, or check out a sale at your local arts and crafts store. Hang it on your front door to spread the cheer with neighbors and passersby!

Getting a Head Start on Gifts

Wrapping gifts is already on your to-do list, so why not start early and use them in your festive décor! Some colorful wrapping paper, ribbon and ornaments are a special touch for the eventual receiver, but can also add some cheer placed under your tree in the mean time! The dollar store has all the materials you need, and will help you stay on budget if you choose to add a couple faux presents as well!

Using Colors of the Season

If you stick with certain color schemes, you’ve got the making of a festive home even if your décor isn’t specific to the holidays. Household items or natural elements in reds, greens, silvers, golds, blues and whites can help evoke the feeling of the holidays.  Create homemade vignettes with ribbon, candles, pinecones, berries and other cheap or free items. Cover mantles, tabletops, dressers and more with your favorite colors of the season.

Incorporating Holiday Scents

What aromas remind you of the holidays? Hot chocolate, freshly baked cookies, pine needles, cinnamon… whatever it is, fill your home with it! Bake cookies with your family or create a hot chocolate bar for any guests who stop by. Use scented candles and air fresheners as an affordable way to fill your home with a feeling of the holidays!

Other Tips:

·      If you’re planning a party, co-host with a friend to cut costs in half!

·      Prepare dinners and meals in bulk to cut costs on ingredients and save energy. Plus, you’ll have leftovers to enjoy!

·      When shopping online, look for promo codes and compare prices. Also, take it slow! Some sites give discounts if customers leave stuff in their cart overnight.

You CAN enjoy the holidays and turn your home into a winter wonderland without breaking the bank. Whether it’s some DIY decorations or a few sensory touches in your home, your family won’t want to spend the holidays anywhere else!

Louisville Offers a Low Cost of Living & High Quality of Life!

As was recently reported in ProBuilder.com, Louisville, Kentucky, has been ranked by the research website Niche as one ofthe most affordable cities in America! 

Niche, which ranks places to live, K-12 schools, and colleges, analyzed 223 U.S. cities with populations of more than 100,000 to find out which are the most inexpensive to live in relative to income.

They focused on criteria such as the ratio of home value to income, as well as median home values. The cost of other expenses, such as gas and groceries, was also taken into account.

Cities were ranked based on consumer price index and access to affordable housing, which is measured by the ratio of monthly housing cost to income. Louisville came out ranked 13^th out of 223 cities, with an overall grade of A-.

Traditionally, experts say that people should spend no more than about 30% of their income on housing per month, but it’s not uncommon for residents in pricier urban centers such as New York City or San Francisco to spend more than half of their income on housing. In Louisville:  

·      The median monthly household income spent on monthly housing costs is around 20%

·      The median home value is $140,400 vs the national average of $176,700

·      The median monthly housing costs for homeowners is $817

·      60.8 % of people own the property they live in

As far as quality of life goes, Louisville has great schools, and was named as one of Niche’s 2016 Best Cities to Raise a Family, too.  It has a diverse population, an easy commute, and a dynamic array of recreational opportunities available.

Unsurprisingly, Louisville comes out as one of the Best Places to Live in the U.S. – something we here at Elite Homes have known forever!

How to Move into Your Elite Home Like a Pro

Despite your excitement about your new Elite Built Home in Louisville, chances are you’re not as excited about the acutal moving part. The good news is that we have a few tips and tricks to help you get more involved without sacrificing the quality and efficiency of a professional mover.  As your big day starts approaching, here’s how you can be sure to move like a pro!

Ask Yourself these Questions:

• When is the official move out date?
• What can we live without and get rid of before the move?
• What packing supplies do we need?
• What needs to be canceled at current house and what needs to be set up at the new home: utilities, internet, address changes, doctors, etc.
• What will we need immediately after the move?

Know your Timeline.  Moving isn’t an overnight process, so make it easier by starting to gradually remove junk and pack up smaller items a couple months out.

Remove the Junk. No matter how long you’ve been in your current home, you’ve most likely acquired a lot of “stuff.” Start going through each room and figure out what you can live without. Toss old items, hold a garage sale or donate them to a local organization.  The less you have to move, the better.

Snap Some Photos. Take quick photos of various TV/cable wires and other complicated assembly items to reference when you’re setting them back up in the new place.

Use Other Household Items to Help Pack. There are a lot of different items that you plan to take with you that can be used to help transport others. Use blankets and sheets to wrap picture frames and vases, while throwing spices and other kitchen items into trashcans, baskets or even crock-pots. They’ve all got to get to the new place somehow so why not multi-purpose them!

Buy and Resell Packing Materials. A lot of home improvement stores will have boxes for purchase, but try asking friends or other stores if they have some they’ve saved or need to dispose of. Websites like Craigslist also have free or inexpensive moving boxes available. When the move is over, break everything down and use the same resources to resell everything.  

Color Coordinate Rooms with Duct Tape. Aside from labeling ALL sides of the boxes, assign each room a colored duct tape to mark the boxes so it’s even easier to identify and organize once you’re unloading.

Don’t Overpack Boxes. You may be able to stuff A LOT into your boxes, but try to plan ahead by weight. Fill smaller boxes with heavier items so they stay about 50 lbs. or less, while trying to keep similar items together.

Separate Your First Day Essentials. Plan an overnight bag for each person that contains his or her specific toiletries and change of clothing. This bag is also a great place for laptops and other important electronics.  Anything else that you may need in the first 24 hours (i.e. trashbags, cookware, toilet paper, etc.) should be packed in a clear storage box so it sticks out from other boxes in the truck. It’ll be easy to find, so you’re prepared for the first night in your new home!

It’s Almost Spring… Time To Spruce Things Up A Little!

It’s been a long, weird winter, so we’ve decided to spruce things up by getting some spring cleaning done.  (Did you ever notice how spring cleaning puts a smile on your face?  Maybe it’s because we know that summer is right around the corner.)

Anyway, here are a few helpful tips on cleaning your home up for Spring.

1. Safety first! Change the batteries in ALL of your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  And make sure the unit is free of dust.

2. Light fixtures can be full of dust. Take a minute or two to clean easily accessible light fixtures, lamps and ceiling fixtures. Don’t be surprised if everything looks a bit brighter when you’re finished!

3. Take your area rugs outside for a good shake down and maybe a few hours of airing out. Your wall-to-wall carpeting could probably use a good cleaning too, so break out the steam cleaner! It may help with those seasonal allergies, too.

4. While you’re in cleaning mode, wash down your walls. Dust and dirt sticks to vertical surfaces, too. The easiest way to clean your walls is with a good soft sponge and warm, mild, soapy water. On flat painted walls, try using a dry microfiber cloth. It will work well on removing dust.

5. Your windows and blinds could probably use a good scrubbing, too. Take down your heavy curtains/drapes and send them to the cleaner. Let the sun shine in!

6. What about your furniture? During the winter months, it collects dust, dirt, body oils, and germs. (And if you have a pet, it has also collected pet hair and dander.) Time to haul out the vacuum cleaner. You can steam clean furniture as well. Just make sure you test an unobtrusive spot to make sure that the detergent from the steam cleaner doesn’t fade the color or ruin your upholstery.

7. Head for the kitchen! When was the last time you gave your fridge a good scrub down? Go ahead and throw out those leftovers that you’ll never actually use. Check out your condiments. Bet you have a few that have expired. Now that your fridge looks like it has been raided by a horde of teenage boys, get cleaning. A magic eraser or a sponge and hot soapy water will get the stuck-on grime. Clean the outside too. And don’t forget a fresh box of baking soda to help absorb any odors that may be lingering.

8. While you’re in the kitchen, give the stove, cabinets, walls and counters a going over with a grease-cutting cleaner. You’ll be amazed at how nice they feel when they aren’t sticky anymore!

9. Embrace your OCD tendencies! Organize that closet that doesn’t close, or those shelves that have been making you twitch. Throw out, donate or repurpose as much as possible.

10. Don’t forget the outside chores! If you don’t have them, add extensions to your gutter downspouts to keep water flowing away from your foundation. Clean out the gutters in case there is debris leftover from fall. Blow out the air conditioning condenser with a leaf blower to clean the filter. Call your sprinkler installer to get your system set up for warm weather.

We hope that these helpful hints will get you started on your spring cleaning adventure.

How Millennials Are Changing The Rules Of Homebuying

As a demographic cohort, Millennials (aka Generation Y) have been confounding people for years. They simply don’t behave the way that people expect them to. Their response to the homebuying process is no different.

In a recent article on Forbes’ “Millennial Money” blog, the Millennial approach to homebuying was labeled “really weird”.  And what makes them so weird is a complex combination of economic and sociological factors that no previous generation has faced.

Thanks to the insecure job market and unprecedented student loan debt, Millennials (age early 20’s - early 30’s) have developed a rather unromantic approach to buying real estate. Couples aren’t getting married, but they are buying homes in cities. They aren’t putting down roots, instead fixing up their new homes and then selling them within a year or two.

Yup, it’s weird. And it’s the shape of things to come. Millennials represent the largest segment (32%) of homebuyers in America, and that number will only grow in the coming years.

20-somethings are using their first homes to increase their credit scores and build credibility with the bank – possibly offsetting the ponderous effect of student loan debt. While they are cash poor (which makes down payments a struggle), many Millennials are able to start their real estate ventures with special programs that financial institutions have established for first time buyers.

Financial advisors have some warnings though. While investing in real estate is more exciting and tangible than contributing to a 401k, Millennials should exercise a level of risk management. Owning real estate involves more fees and expenses – taxes, HOA fees, debt payments. Managing savings and investing in life insurance to offset the debt risk is one recommendation. A prenuptial agreement outlining the financial responsibilities of two unmarried people owning real estate is another.

If this all sounds terribly pragmatic, it is. The Millennials want the American Dream of owning a home. They’re just doing their way, as usual.