There are few things as a homeowner more frustrating than discovering, too late usually, that something in your home that you thought was covered by your homeowner’s insurance, well, is not. Home Warranty Plans provide coverage for the things in your home that you can’t get covered through homeowners insurance ie:  major home systems breakdowns  or breakdowns of major appliances. You might be surprised how many “breakable” components live within your home systems and appliances, until something goes wrong of course! With a home warranty plan you can lower your stress with regard to how you’ll pay for something if it breaks down. Below are what have been ranked on multiple online sites and in reviews as the top 5 reliable home warranty companies with the best offerings and customer service. That said, it is important to do your own research based on some of the following criteria and how it relates to your home and your needs.

CHECKLIST of Items to Research and Compare:

• Read several reviews both good and bad.
• Can your plan be transferred to your buyer if you are thinking about or are in the midst of selling your home?
• Do they offer 24/7 support at no additional cost?
• Do they offer a 24hr claims line to follow up on progress of your claim?
• Do they offer free quotes with no strings attached? In other words, if you choose to not purchase a plan, will they then bill you for coming out to give you a quote? Sounds silly but it does happen, so make sure and ask when you call.
• What is the length of their workmanship guarantee?
• Can you choose a service provider you already trust or does it have to be someone they provide?
• Do they offer local service providers from whom you can choose?
• Do they prescreen the providers they offer to service you?
• Do they require a home inspection before coverage? Yes, some will cover you without an inspection.
• Can they cover your roof as well as items inside your home?
• Will they cover pre-existing issues? Most will not so you may have to research several companies to find one that will.
• Do they offer an emergency alert network?
• What is the extent of the coverage? Again, delve into details before purchasing a plan.
• Will they replace items if they are not able to be repaired? If your home is more than 5 years old, this could be one of the most important features of your plan.

Highly Ranked Home Warranty Companies: (Received 4.5 to 5 Stars)

*American Home Shield      866-282-4071       ahs.com

*Select Home Warranty       888-388-7156       selecthomewarranty.com

*America’s 1st Choice Home Club     844-209-7912     afchomeclub.com

*First American Home Warranty      855-292-5824    fahw.com

*The Home Service Club       800-728-9003      hscwarranty.com

Something that is a part of every home from the tiniest to those found in mega-mansions are ceilings. If you want to change, enhance or upgrade your home, one way to do it is by adding dimension, depth, lighting and/or wood to your ceilings.

You can take an ordinary room and turn it into a showpiece that people will be inspired by and talk about when they leave.  Depending on the style of your home, you might choose wood to add a rustic ambiance.

Want something more elegant? Try coffered ceilings. Enhance them and your room even more by adding recessed lighting within the wood panels.

Custom lighting can add drama and an eclectic look to any room.

Kitchen ceilings made out of tin or with defined insets with lighting can create that dream gathering place where your guests will feel like they’ve stepped into a French villa or the pages of Architectural Digest.

One of the reasons many sellers fall back on using a traditional agent and paying a high commission is the fear of showing their home well enough to cause a buyer to want to make it their own. This is valid in that you don’t have professional training. BUT, you’ve shown friends, family, guests your home with pride and effectiveness so take a deep breath and realize that there is no need to fear walking your buyers through your home. You know your home better than anyone else, especially if you had your home built.  The following guideline will help you conduct the most effective tour of your home for your prospective buyer.

1) Take a walk through on your own prior to ever showing your home. Instead of thinking of your home like the seller you are, imagine that you are walking through for the very first time as a buyer.  Take notes of what you love as well as what you don’t.

2) Determine the best path to take with the buyer.  Since we read left to right, we look to the left then right then left again before we cross the street and we write left to right, the obvious choice is to move to the left first and then follow your natural floor plan. This will not always be the case depending on your home’s design BUT most homes do flow in this direction.  Example of a typical floor plan: Start in the foyer. Move left into the formal living room, then the formal dining room or dining area. The kitchen is traditionally adjacent to the dining room so the kitchen would be next which then often opens to the family room. There is often a hall then leading back to the foyer which may open to the main floor laundry and a powder room. Now back in the foyer, head up the stairs . Even if your master is at the end of the hall, lead them there first. This is the most important bedroom and the reality is, if they fall in love with the master, they really don’t care where the kids sleep (as long as the room will fit a bed!).  Showcase all the master’s best features especially the private bath and walk in closet if applicable.  (The key to walk in closets: make sure they can walk in….pick up stuff off the floor…your space only appears as large as the amount of floor that can be seen!) Continue the tour into the other bedrooms and hall bath. Then back downstairs and on to the basement (whether finished or unfinished, the buyer wants to see it so again, straighten up, wash the floor, organize and make it look spacious and usable). Last move out to the yard and garage. Note: if you have an amazing outdoor living space and it is off the kitchen or family room, show it when in that area. Always end up back in your kitchen so you can sit down at the table and chat or grab a cookie or cup of coffee that you have prepared before they arrived.

3) Create a sheet with room sizes that you can hand to the buyer before you walk through so they get a good sense of the spaces when on the tour. Most people do not really have a good sense of room sizes unless they are actually standing in the room. Reality: A 10 x 10 room may be more furniture friendly than a 12 x 12 room based on the entry door, closets and window placement and height.  Do not focus so much on actual room sizes but rather create the space to show off how well it can be used.

4) As you walk through, share with the buyer what will stay and what you might be replacing (lighting, window treatments, etc.).  It is not uncommon nowadays for people to be willing to include or sell their furniture with the home. If this is the case, let them know which items apply.

5) As you tour room by room, share any and all upgrades or improvements that you have recently made or made when you purchased the home. (ie: crown molding, new trim, fresh paint, new windows, new electrical and circuit board, etc.)

6) Share what you have loved about the location and the amenities that are offered. (close to transportation, walking distance to schools and parks, nearby shopping, etc)

7) Ask if they have any questions and if so, be specific with your answers as possible.

Be Friendly.  Be Forthcoming.  Be honest.

Remember everyone will not fall in love with your home and that’s ok. You only need one buyer. Get yourself maximum exposure and an amazing support structure through BuyOwner.com. Then follow these tips and others offered on this blog when showing your home and you will be soon the one saying “Thanks Buy Owner!”

Have projects you’ve been wanting to do around your home, either to make it more saleable or more livable for your family? DIY (aka Do It Yourself) options might be a great way for you to save money and enjoy a sense of self-accomplishment. With internet sites like Pinterest, BH&G, HGTV and many many more, you now have the ability to determine first what you might want to do and more importantly, can you do it? From creating a linen headboard, panel and crown molding all the way up to building a back deck, you can watch detailed instructions and benefit from verbal instructions and visuals of what it should look like along the way and at the end of your process.

BUT, in reality, DIY projects are not always as cost effective or easy as they may seem. This is especially true if things like plumbing, electrical or structural issues may be involved. It’s not good enough to watch a video and say “Yeah, I can do that” without really checking into not just what can go right but what might go wrong! Even professionals fall into dilemmas of discovering electrical, HVAC or plumbing in walls that they didn’t know were there and having to reset an entire project and the cost.

Here are some tips to review and consider before deciding DIY is the way to go:

1. Determine at the outset ALL the materials AND tools, which may include special ones that you don’t own, that will be needed to complete the task. You need to add in extra materials you may need to buy due to errors made simply because of your inexperience. You may be shocked to find that the cost you would incur + the time you would have to put in may help you determine using a professional might be the more effective and cost effective way to go.
2. Your level of stress to complete the work, deal with the possibly longer period of time your home might be in disarray (which could be a very important distinction if you have children), costs that increase along the way AND the realization that you just can’t do it and now have the added cost of bringing in someone who can.
3.  If you’re the type of person who gains great satisfaction from creating something for your home and having that personal touch as a part of your daily life and living space then absolutely you may be the perfect candidate to study, learn and go for creating your masterpiece. Typically, if you’re this type of person, perfection is not your end goal and that can make this a very satisfying adventure.
4. If you determine doing this project will not only give you the experience and results you desire then you will most likely truly enjoy the process and that is a huge plus no matter how perfect the result.

Ultimately, in the end, while saving money might be your initial reason for wanting to do a project yourself, it is just as important to determine your skill set, stress set and what kind of enjoyment and satisfaction such an undertaking will bring you. When analyzing these factors the key is to be honest with yourself and then be content with whatever option you decide.