Real Estate Information Archive

Technology surrounds us in every aspect of our lives, including this blog; it is always with us especially since it became handheld. Emails are sent and received, topics are searched for, books are written, video conferences are done, and listed homes are viewed online. Our kids aren’t just seeing us constantly be digital but they are becoming more tech-savvy at a younger age themselves, out of necessity in part. Even schools require students as young as lower elementary school to do projects involving computers. As parents we of course want nothing but the best for our children and always want them to be safe, keeping them safe in this digital age can be overwhelming to navigate. I want to help make this easier for both you and me.

Here are a few tips I think can be helpful in getting started to keep the kids safe.

Set Rules- Give them a set screen time when they can use digital devices and keep that time a constant. Decide what timeframe you are comfortable with beforehand. Create rules or actions if they break the amount of screen time they’re allowed or sites that are okay, e.g. losing the internet for a few days, not watching a show they enjoy, etc.

Be a part of their computer time- Know what sites your kids are visiting and check in on them to be sure they don’t need assistance and to be sure they are on ‘approved by you sites’.  Setting up an ad-blocker can be useful in aiding with younger children who are still navigating the web. Putting up the computer in a common family area like a dining room, living room or basement will make monitoring their online activity easier.

Make them aware- Let them know that things can happen online and to be careful of online encounters (e.g.- bullies, people talking to you that you don’t know, things that they know their parents wouldn’t want them to view, etc.). Telling your children, stressing how significant it is, on a regular basis the importance of protecting their privacy and always being aware and alert of what can go on in the digital world we live in.  Whether it is to understand there are cyber bullies around to the various cybercrimes, password strength and security importance and how identity theft works, or how to identify and handle it and being mindful of online profile.

Parent approved kid-friendly sites- There are sites out there that are parent approved yet kid- friendly and popular. Which still allows them to have fun online and gain experience with technology but they’re still child-safe. Options could include:

• YouTube Kids 
• Time for Kids  -this website is most likely best for the older ones
• BBC Kids 

As a parent it doesn’t matter where your child goes when it comes to anything digital, when it comes to aiding in keeping them safe remember these guidelines. Teach them information and awareness, give them guidance, and encourage them. 

A couple good websites for additional reading: SafeKids  & iKeepSafe. 

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtor Tucker Robbins.   

Many of us select plants for the garden at our New Castle County DE home based on their visual effect—color, height, size of blooms, etc. And so we should, as the sight of our plantings should be pleasing to our sense of sight. As we plan our garden, however, we should also be aware of the other four senses—and include plants which appeal to each of them.

SMELL: Aromatherapy is a powerful practice. With nothing more than a simple scent, the brain can be triggered to remember long forgotten memories, emotions, and feelings. With that being said, it is important to carefully select the flowers you want in the garden of your New Castle County DE home. With a few simple choices, you can create your own "memory lane' or relaxing oasis. In terms of fragrance, it’s hard to beat roses or lavender. Wisteria and jasmine are scented climbers which can really enhance the sensory pleasure of a garden, and amaryllis belladonna and spirea both add pleasant scents.

SOUND: Few of us associate the sense of sound with our garden, but the rustling of long grasses and the chirping of birds add a much-appreciated dimension. To attract songbirds, use fruit-bearing understory trees like dogwoods and service berries and shrubs such as viburnums and hollies and introduce low growing perennials and dwarf shrubs like creeping juniper and cotoneaster. You can also plant vines, ground covers, and sunflowers to increase chirping and tweeting.

TOUCH: Texture in garden design refers to the surface quality of the plant. Plant textures range from delicate and fine to coarse and bold. The feel of the foliage in your New Castle County DE home’s garden is not the only element of texture, however, as the texture can change with the play of light and shadow and even with viewing distance. Plants with thread-like leaves call out to be touched, so consider adding cosmos, baby's breath, asters, and grasses. In addition, iris and lamb’s ear will each provide softer tactile experiences.

TASTE: The world of herbs is nearly without limits. Think about basil, chives, rosemary, chamomile, cilantro, mint, and parsley, to name just a few tasty garden additions. Consider, too low bush blueberries or ligonberries. Lesser known, but equally valuable as salad additions are the flowers of the hibiscus shrub, columbine, and daylilies.

Some of the plants you have selected for your garden will serve more than one purpose and will appeal to more than one sense, so be sure to sniff, feel, taste, listen to, and view each of them!

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.   

1.  The first place to start when beginning to clean your grill is to clean the grates.  These can get quite dirty during the outdoor cooking season.  If you were smart when the last season ended you cleaned them and wiped them down with cooking oil, however if you didn’t, there is still hope. One good and easy way to clean your dirty grill grates is to place them into your self-cleaning oven and let it do the work for you.  Another way to get your grill grates clean is to simply put them in the dishwasher.   
    

2. Clean the burner tubes by simply brushing them and wiping them clean.   Be sure not to use any metal brushes as these have been deemed unsafe if the metal pieces come off and get into your food.   
    

3. Clean the grease collection tray by scrubbing it with a clean damp cloth.   
    

4. If you happen to have a charcoal grill, your cleaning process will be a bit simpler than with a gas grill.  Scrub the grill with a nylon brush and then clean the grates and that is it!  If you have old charcoal simply throw it out and buy some new for the season.  
    

If you are considering selling your home and moving into another one, you may want to consider doing so during the winter time.  There are several reasons for this and those reasons are listed below for your consideration. 

1.  If your plan is to hire a moving company to help you move then doing so in the winter can be a much cheaper time to do so.  Moving companies tend to be their busiest during the summer months, then slow down a bit in the fall and even more so during the winter months. The cheapest months to hire a moving company are typically January and February so now is the time to do so. 
2. Another reason to consider moving during the winter time  is because storage units are typically a bit cheaper during the winter.   Many times storage facilities will become less full during the winter as folks have already moved their stuff out during the warmer months.  Also the storage companies are known for running specials during the winter to attract business. 
3. If you choose to hire a moving company during the summertime you may find that you have a hard time hiring the one you really want because there are so many others trying to move during this time.  However, if you decide to move during the winter you are more likely to be able to hire the moving company of your choice due to less competition. 
4. Yet another reason you might want to consider hiring a moving company during the winter  is due to the fact that the summer can get really hot and your items run a greater risk of getting destroyed by being hauled in a moving truck for a long period of time.  Things can melt, warp or just get plain hot and damp when the days get so terribly hot. 

These are just a few reasons why, if moving is in your future,  that you may want to go ahead and do it during the winter time instead of waiting until spring or summer.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins.   

1. 1. In this day and time most of us have all of our photos either saved to our social media pages or saved on our cell phones.  However, some of us have boxes of photos from the past that we keep just in case we want to look at them some day.  There is nothing wrong with having some photos in a box to look at but if the boxes of photos are overtaking your closet space there might be a problem.  The best way to stop this hoarding problem   is to go through the pictures you have stored in boxes a little a time and pick out those you simply cannot live without.  Once you do this, use these photos to make a small scrapbook that can easily be stored in a bookshelf that is easily accessible to anyone whenever they want to take a trip down memory lane with photos.   

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2. 2. Another typical thing that many folks tend to hoard is magazines.  If you have a subscription to a magazine then you are getting these delivered in your mailbox once a month.  If you have more than one subscription it won’t take long before these magazines can begin to overtake your house.  The best way to stop hoarding  magazines is to throw them out as soon as you look through them.  There is no reason to keep holding on to magazines once the month has passed because no one wants to look at old outdated news.

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3. 3. If you have children then you are likely hoarding some of their artwork somewhere in your home.  If you have more than one child you probably have a lot of it.  The best way to stop this kind of hoarding is to go through the art work and pick out your favorites.  Put your favorites into a small container that can easily be stored and looked at anytime you feel like it.  No need for hundreds of art projects lying all over the house. 

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Make your outdoor space more inviting and fun for family and friends using the list below with ways in which you can accomplish this: 

1.  If you already have landscape lighting, why not purchase a few fun colored lights to use in them for different holidays.  This will defiantly make your outdoor space a lot more fun.
2. If you are getting tired of mowing your grass then you may want to replace your grass with a garden.  You might want to add a garden of flowers or a garden of vegetables or even put in a koi pond.  Any of these ideas will help to keep you from spending your summer evenings mowing the grass all the time, therefore making your outdoor space more fun.
3. If your patio furniture is old and outdated, now is the time to go out to purchase some that allows you to show your style more effectively.  Outdoor furniture always makes outdoor spaces more inviting and fun.
4. Adding a new doorbell to the outside of your home may seem like a small thing, however if you find a nice one that lights up the front door area it can do wonders towards making your home seem more inviting at night. 
5. If you don’t already have a swimming pool, summertime is a great time to add one.  Not much can make your outdoor space more fun than a swimming pool for all to enjoy. 
6. If you do add a swimming pool why not go out and make it really fun and cool by adding an outdoor shower to the mix.  This type of thing is pretty rare unless your home is at the beach, therefore your outdoor shower may quickly become the talk of the neighborhood.  

There are so many ways in which to make your outdoor space more inviting and fun; these are just a few of them that you may want to try.  

Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.   

1. 1. One fun indoor activity you can do with your small children is to have an indoor scavenger hunt.  Write down some clues to where you have hidden items in your house and set your children out on an indoor hunt to find them!  This can be fun for you as well as you watch your kids trying their best to find what you have hidden. 
    

2. 2. Another fun rainy day thing to-do inside your home  with your family is to go camping inside!  Get your tent out and set it up right in the middle of your family room.  You and your family can sleep in the tent together all night long!  If everyone doesn’t fit you can use sleeping bags to make it a full fledge family event.  A super fun way to make your indoor camping event even more real is to make smores in the microwave!   
    

3. 3. Yet another fun rainy day thing to do inside is to gather all of your board games and get the entire family involved in playing them together!  If you don’t have any board games you can likely find some type of game for all to play online.   
    

4. 4. If you don’t want to have to create something fun to do with your family, why not bake some cookies together!  It is always fun to get your little ones together in the kitchen to bake.  Have each child create their own cookie with the ingredients you have available, then let the rest of the family be judges to give the best cookie award! 

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1. 1. Many of you may have already seen or perhaps even tried the smart vacuum.  If you haven’t tried it you need to do so.  Just imagine pushing a few buttons and sitting down to relax while your vacuum cleaner does all the work for you.  What a revolution!  Be prepared to dish out $700 to $900, but it will likely be quite worth it in the end.  

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2. 2. Smart trash cans have perhaps not been as heard of as the vacuum cleaners but they are just as cool none the less.  If you are the type of person that cannot stand to touch the top of the trashcan due to the fact that it is loaded with germs, this may be just the thing for you!  Not only will you not have to touch the lid but some of these gadgets even tell you when the trash is full and needs to be taken out!  How do you like that for smart?! $150 to $200 will buy you this luxury item!  

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3. 3. Washers and dryers have had intelligent features for years but are beginning to add more and more as each year passes.  Some of them now have phone apps that let you remotely control them.  Some will sense when you are home and instantly begin using their quiet mode so as not to disturb you.  These types of machines will run you $1400-$1800 each but are well worth the money if you have it to spare.  

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4. 4. Even air purifiers have been added to the list of smart gadgets folks are buying these days.  These items puts your homes air through different filters, then analyzes the data and sends it to your phone to tell you what types of things are prevalent in your air such as pollen, dust, pet dander, etc.  These cost from $200 to $750.   

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Courtesy of New Castle County DE Realtors Tucker Robbins and Carol Arnott Robbins.