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Spring Cleaning the Natural Way

Wednesday, March 29, 2023
by Tucker Robbins

Spring has officially sprung and that means most of us are starting to get the itch to clean our homes.   Below are a few spring cleaning tips for those of you who might be interested in doing it the natural way!  These items are such that you likely already have them in your house so there will be no need to go out and purchase anything.   

 

 The number one item you likely already have in your house and that is perfect for spring cleaning  is baking soda!  Yes you read that right, baking soda!  It has many uses such as the following:   

  • Clean the toilet using a bit of baking soda and a scrub brush 

  • Clean the inside of your oven using some baking soda mixed with vinegar and a rag 

  • To brighten up your laundry use half a cup of baking soda mixed with each load 

  • 1 cup baking soda with 1 cup vinegar will help to unclog a clogged up drain in your sinks 

  • Sprinkle some baking soda on your rugs and carpets, wait 15 min, then vacuum to freshen them 
     

Another item that you likely already have on hand at home that can help make spring cleaning  easy is vinegar.  There are many uses for cleaning with vinegar such as the following: 

  • Mix vinegar with salt to get those pesky coffee stains out of your coffee mugs 

  • Spray vinegar in your bathroom for a good sanitization of each surface 

  • Believe it or not, let your socks soak in vinegar to freshen them.  This is done by adding 1 cup vinegar to a pot of water and letting them soak overnight 

  • Use a bit of distilled white vinegar on our toothbrush to make your smile brighter.  

  • If you want your windows to shine and you don’t want to use regular window cleaner, use white vinegar mixed with water in a spray bottle then wipe clean with a paper towel.   
     

Liquid dish soap is another great help in spring cleaning and my guess is you already have some of this too!  Here are a few uses for liquid dish soap: 

  • Mop your floors with it!  Mix a couple drops with a gallon of water 

  • Clean your granite countertops with some liquid dish soap mixed with warm water then dry with a towel. 

​​

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

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Tips to Reduce Moving Costs

Wednesday, March 22, 2023
by Tucker Robbins

As exciting as it is to be relocating to a new home or new city, very few actually look forward to the “moving” part! It can be as expensive as you choose, but as a new homeowner, the budget is always on your mind. Check out these ways you can cut costs when it comes time to move: 

 

  • Before you put the first item in a packing box, toss, sell, or give away as much as you can. You may have already decluttered when your current home was put on the market, but give everything one more look before you start packing. 
     

  • Moving.org has an up-to-date list of discounts and coupons offered to senior citizens, various occupations, and membership organizations. 
     

  • Rent a truck, then pack it and move everything yourself. It will be hard work, but get the family involved, have a plan in place, and save hundreds by DIYing your move. 
     

  • Portable storage can be more affordable than hiring a full mover. Reduce stress by having the container delivered a few weeks before the move, as you can pack it over several days, then have it sent to the new house once you are ready to go. 
     

  • If you choose to use a pro, contact at least three reputable moving companies at least a month in advance of the move. Ask if a fixed rate is available, and inquire about possible additional costs: charging more for a weekend move, or extra for wrapping furniture or moving items up and down stairs.  
     

  • Packing in advance when hiring a moving pro that charges by the hour will add to your savings. Have all containers ready in one convenient place, preferably in a garage or the room nearest the front door. 
     

  • Save on packing materials by getting boxes from grocery store produce departments, or ask in online forums for used packing items for free. Some containers are already in your home: suitcases, tote and duffel bags, as well as linens for packing material. 
     

  • Long-distance movers normally charge by weight, so taking items like a weight bench or furniture that you do not have room for in the new house will cost more. Consider selling them before the move. 

 

Probably the most important thing to remember is to plan at least a month ahead of the move, as it is not unusual to pay too much when in a rush. In one study, moving has been <span class="SpellingError SCXW231324750 BCX0" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; -webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-repeat: repeat-x; background-position: left bottom; background-image: url(" data:image="" gif;base64,r0lgodlhbqaeajecap="" 8aaaaaaaaaach5baeaaaialaaaaaafaaqaaaiilgaxcchrtcgaow="=&quot;);" border-bottom:="" 1px="" solid="" transparent;"="">found to be one of the top three stressors in life! Keeping costs down as much as possible during the move can help reduce some of that stress. 

 

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

 

Photo credit: deccanherald.com

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St. Patrick's Day in America

Wednesday, March 15, 2023
by Tucker Robbins

St. Patrick’s Day has become a highly celebrated holiday in the US.  When Irish immigrants came to America, they chose that day to celebrate home and all that was Irish.  It took until the 20th century for people of non-Irish descent to join in the festivities.  Many American cities turn green on March 17, even coloring waterways green, not to mention green food and drink, and shamrocks on every corner.   

 

  • - Boston, Massachusetts hosts the reportedly oldest St. Patrick’s Day parade, and has grown substantially since the first parade of Irish-Catholic Redcoats marching down the streets with “Fifes and Drums” to honor their home country’s saint.  The South Boston parade route is three miles long and is attended by a million spectators.   
     

  • - Green water isn’t a welcome sight for most people, except on St. Patrick’s Day.  Savannah, GA, and St. Louis, MI, celebrate with city fountains flowing green; in Chicago, a portion of the Chicago River is dyed green, and Tampa’s Hillsborough River becomes the River O’ Green.   
     

  • - For 245 years, the streets of Philadelphia have filled with marchers, and the parade has grown to approximately 20,000 participants, including bagpipes, floats honoring the patron saint, and, in 2018, will be led by Grand Marshall Sister Mary Scullion, a member of the Catholic Religious Sisters of Mercy.   
     

  • - O’Neill, Nebraska is home to the world’s largest shamrock, and they celebrate the special day with a parade that centers around the giant concrete leaf and includes a dodgeball tournament. 
     

  • - San Francisco boasts the largest celebration in the western part of the country, and not only has a parade and lots of Irish music, but a huge scavenger hunt.  Party-goers enjoy a unique dish for the holiday--Irish nachos made of fried sliced potatoes, of course, topped with cheese, bacon and jalapeños. 
     

  • - New London, Wisconsin becomes New Dublin on March 17 after residents dressed as leprechauns, with city officials’ approval, change the signs in the town. Their parade isn’t complete without a parody adaption of James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake,” using a green hearse. 
     

  • - Yes, Virginia, there is a Dublin in the US, and it’s located in Ohio!  The city hosts plenty of festivities for everyone, and the local Lions Club holds a pancake breakfast fundraiser with--you guessed it--green syrup! Before the parade begins, onlookers get to enjoy the Inflation Celebration, where the large inflatable parade entries are brought to life, and it’s a sight to see!  

 

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations can be as unique as the cities they are held in.  If your local festivities aren’t as different as these, every town and citizen can still be Irish on March 17.  Just be sure to wear your green to avoid a pinch from a leprechaun! 

 

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

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Should You Use Your Home Equity?

Wednesday, March 8, 2023
by Tucker Robbins


If you have a good amount of equity in your home, and would like to make some home improvements, or need money to help you pay for a child’s college tuition, you may be considering using the equity in your home to help pay for these things.  Let’s look at the difference between the two so you can make the right decision before you sign on the dotted line. 

 

Home Equity Loan 

  • - Basically speaking, a home equity loan is a second mortgage on your home, which is used as collateral by the lender.  

  • - The lender usually bases the loan amount on the difference between the homeowner's equity and the home's current market value.  Investopedia can help you determine how much equity you have in your home. 

  • - Most lenders allow homeowners to borrow up to 85% of the home’s total value, but only based on what portion you actually “own.” If you haven’t finished paying your original mortgage off, your equity will be less than someone who has paid off their home loan. 

  • - A home equity loan will be paid as a lump sum and comes with a fixed interest rate. You will know how much you must pay every month, in addition to your current mortgage payment. 

  • - Just like the initial purchase of the house, your credit needs to be in good standing, so have all your financial records in order when you meet with your lender. 

 

Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) 

  • - HELOC’s are a second mortgage as well, but instead of a lump sum, the homeowner typically has a five-to-ten-year “draw” period where they have access to the amount of the credit. 

  • - During the draw period, some lenders allow interest-only payments on the amount, while some require principle-plus-interest payments. Either way, pay more than the minimum so the principal can be paid off before the repayment period. 

  • - Once the draw period is over, repayment of what credit you have used will begin.  Keep in mind that these payments will be higher than the earlier amounts you’ve been paying. 

  • - Your line of credit can be used for anything, but if you’re thinking about an island getaway, or some other non-essential purchase, you are better off starting a savings fund.  If you can’t meet the payments once the draw period is over, you could lose your home to foreclosure.  

  • - In some cases, a lender will close your line of credit early if your circumstances change.  If you’re using that money to pay your child’s college tuition, you’ll no longer have access to it, creating financial strain. 

 

Before deciding to use either of these types of credit, find out if using the equity in your home is the right way to go.  If you’re already having a hard time paying the bills, a home equity loan or HELOC will only put your further in debt.  Contact a HUD-certified financial counselor to help you get your debt and other financial matters under control. 

 

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

Photo credit: washingtonpost.com

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Top Things To Purge From Your Kitchen

Wednesday, March 1, 2023
by Tucker Robbins

Let’s face it we all have stuff we need to get rid of in our homes, and typically the kitchen has a ton of stuff that doesn’t need to be there lying around in it.  Since we are currently in the cold of winter, there is no time like the present to start cleaning out your kitchen and making it look a bit more presentable.  Below is a list of the top things you should purge from your kitchen.

  • We all have one, a junk drawer and that junk drawer is many times located in the kitchen.  It’s where we put all the items we have no idea what to do with but aren’t; quite sure we want to get rid of just yet.  Take that junk drawer and go through it with a fine tooth comb and decide what you need and what you don’t need.  Throw away all that you don’t need.  Most times the things you don’t need are the items you haven’t used in the past 6 months.  I promise you won’t miss anything.
     
  • Another thing we all seem to have lying around our kitchens is all those restaurant sauce packets we feel the need to keep.  Sure you might use one once in a while but most times they just take up space either in the junk drawer or in the refrigerator.  Throw all the restaurant condiments out!  It will make your kitchen look much lovelier. 
     
  • Yet another thing we all need to purge from our kitchens is the dressings, sauces and other items that have long since expired.  There isn’t much worse than getting ready to put some sauce on your food only to find that it expired two years ago.  Clean out your fridge and only keep those things that you are going to use within the next week or so or at least make sure that all the dates are current. 
     
  • Most everyone has some sort of a stack of lids in their kitchen that they just can’t seem to find a container for.  If you have a bunch of lids that don’t have matching containers to secure them to, why not just throw them out.  They no longer serve a purpose. 

Hopefully this list of items you need to purge  from your kitchen will get you starting thinking in the right direction.  At least it will be a starting point for you.  

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

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Tucker Robbins
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
3838 Kennett Pike
Wilmington DE 19807
(302) 777-7744 (direct)
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