Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Clutter in the Kitchen

I am STILL working on clutter around my house. For some reason, just when I think I have it under control, it looks as if a bomb went off in my house. Does this happen to you too? 

My friend Sara Caputo, the completely organized owner of Radiant Organizing out of Santa Barbara. has a most excellent blog (http://www.radiantorganizing.com/blog/). Twice a week she posts something incredibly useful. She said that the reason we have clutter is that we have poor decision making skills. I agree completely! I do have poor decision making skills. I save things to deal with “later”. This results in putting things somewhere “for now”. Does this sound like you also? 

This month my poor decision making skills are going to be applied to my kitchen. Please join me! A clean, food-filled kitchen is the center of family life and a symbol of health and prosperity. Here are some key things you can do: 

Clean out your refrigerator and freezer. Toss anything ancient, mysterious, or "iffy," and refill or replace anything that's less than half-full (such as condiment bottles and jars). Defrost the freezer and get the inside of the fridge sparkling clean.

Clean off the outside of the refrigerator, too. If your fridge is covered with magnets, photos, take-out menus and grocery lists, clear them all off to create a clean slate. Put back only what is necessary (toss the expired coupons, already!)

De-clutter your pantry shelves, and use or toss anything that's been in there for months. Wipe down the shelves and clean the cabinet doors.

Clean your oven and stovetop, and replace burner pan liners if they're no longer shiny and new-looking. You can find these at various hardware or grocery stores. For the most part, they are universal - just remember if yours are square or round. Easy, right?! 

Replace worn and/or grubby oven mitts and dish towels with new ones. I just ordered some fabulous ones from Pampered Chef. 

Get out a broom and thoroughly sweep the kitchen, and then from the kitchen out the nearest door. This symbolically sweeps out the old energy and any lingering not-so-good luck, to make room for better luck to come in. Make sure your broom is hidden away in a closet out of sight. This will ensure that all the new luck (especially money luck!) that comes into your home stays in the home and is not swept back out.

Now you will feel better about being in the kitchen, and cooking for your family. 

Next month, who knows where our little clutter-busting adventure will take us. Does anybody have any particular rooms they would like to concentrate on? Email me at Hayley@CometRealty.com. 

San Luis Obispo Local Realtors - Comet Realty

Insider real estate knowledge is irreplaceable. No matter what charts, graphs, listings and blogs you find on-line, there's nothing more valuable than a well-informed opinion from a real estate professional with experience in your neighborhood or community.

Call one of Comet Realty's professionals today to get local knowledge on the local real estate market in San Luis Obispo & Santa Barbara counties.

Pictured from left to right in front of their 1965 Mercury Comet Station Wagon:

• Mike Copeland ®, 805.441.9021  Mike@CometRealty.com 
• Kristin Lachemann ®, 805.801.4653  Kristin@CometRealty.com
• Hayley Townley ®, 805.440.9194  Hayley@CometRealty.com
• Tim Townley ®, 805.440.8735  Tim@CometRealty.com
• Therese Cron ®,  805.878.1684  Therese@CometRealty.com  
• Keith Hoffmann ®, 805.801.6498  Keith@CometRealty.com
• Shannon Fitzpatrick ®, 805.801.5436  Shannon@CometRealty.com
• Erik Slayter ®, 805.476.3663  Erik@CometRealty.com

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Quote of the Day

The only difference between a cult and a religion is how much real estate they own. 

~ Frank Zappa

All this for $1,000,000.

The Ultimate Oasis. 

• No phone service. 
• No cable service. 
• No internet. 
• Trash burning area. 
• Big trees provide shade in the hot sun. 
• Security consists of 11-15 foot high fence, topped with barbed wire. 
• Located in Bilal Town, Abbottabad, Pakistan. 

Undoubtedly, the most talked about piece of real estate these days is the $1,000,000 compound where Osama Bin Laden was hiding out. Not quite the cave I pictured him in. 

Artistic rendering comes from the Department of Defense. 


All this for only $1,000,000.

Butter or Parkay? Photo of the Day

 The things you see when you are out and about. I tried to get my clients to buy it just for the sign. We found another place for them. Don't be surprised if you see the same sign at their new place when they close escrow on their new home! 

First impressions are lasting!

by Dian Hymer

Imagine walking into an important job interview looking like you just dragged yourself out of bed. You'd be unlikely to make a good impression and diminish your chance of securing the job. 

The same goes for selling a home. First impressions are lasting. Some buyers won't even look at the inside of a listing that doesn't have good curb appeal.

Today's buyers are picky. There is no sense of urgency in the market, so buyers are holding out for the best home they can find that will work for them for years to come. In some areas, there are a lot of homes for sale. It's important to make sure that buyers will be attracted to your home before they even walk through the front door.

Fortunately, exterior improvements needn't be expensive. The recent Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report 2010-2011 found that the improvements that yielded the highest return on the investment when sold were a new steel front door and a new garage door. 

The average cost nationally for a new front door was $1,218; the return was 102 percent. The average cost for a new garage door was $1,191; the return was 83.9 percent. The top nine of 10 most cost-effective improvements nationally were for exterior projects. Curb appeal is as important as ever, and may be more so in this market.

The Remodeling Cost vs. Value Report is a collaborative report done annually by Remodeling Magazine and the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. It compares construction costs with resale values, which are based on estimates from more than 3,000 REALTORS® and appraisers. 

Sprucing up the front yard for sale needn't be costly. Clean out weeds and dead plants. Add flowering plants for color and mulch to tidy up areas that aren't heavily planted. Replace a lawn that has seen better days with less lawn and a border bed of flowering shrubs. 

Do in-ground planting well in advance, if possible, so that plants have a chance to get established before your home goes on the market. If you have no choice and must plant at last minute, be sure to remove the ID tags from the nursery.

A deteriorated fence should be removed, repaired or replaced. Any peeling paint on the front walk and steps and house exterior and trim should be refreshed. The side of the house that gets the most exposure needs the most maintenance. If you've let it go, you'll be docked dollars by the buyers unless you repaint where needed before you sell.

HOUSE HUNTING TIP: The amount returned on home improvement investments varies from one location to the next. It's important to consult with your local real estate agent before you embark on an upgrade to make sure that you don't overpay on an improvement that won't generate the desired result.
Most homeowners assume they'll get their money back and more when they sell. In fact, most upgrade investments often don't return 100 percent of the amount invested, particularly in a down market.

A minor mid-range kitchen remodel returns 72.8 percent nationally, according to the 2010-11 Remodeling Cost vs. Value Index. In the Pacific region of the U.S., you're likely to recoup 84.1 percent.

However, a major upscale kitchen remodel pays back only 59.7 percent nationally and 66 percent in the Pacific region. It makes sense to take on a major remodel project only if you're staying in your home and can enjoy the use of the improvements before selling.

A deck addition ranked high on the list of popular exterior improvements. Although, nationally the cost recouped is only 72.8 percent, it may be an essential enhancement if your home has no outdoor living space and all the homes for sale in your neighborhood do.

THE CLOSING: Supply and demand in your local area will also impact how much you'll recoup from your fix-up investments. 


Give Comet Realty a shout today to find out how to improve the value of YOUR home! 805.546.9925

Hayley's FENG SHUI TIP: Clearing Clutter

It is not about having what we want, but wanting what we have.

~ Dalai Lama

It’s everywhere! Paper stacks, old clothes that don’t fit or need mending, broken furniture or appliances, collectibles, inherited items, gifts we didn’t like then, and still don’t like now. 

It accumulates little by little until it becomes overwhelming. Clutter affects your energy levels and general well being. It can weigh you down both physically and emotionally. 

One of the most important aspects of clutter clearing is loving what you have and letting go of all the other stuff. 

Everything you have that you do not LOVE or NEED, is officially clutter.

This is always easier said than done. I was hanging on to a pair of raggedy wool socks that were my Mom’s. I’m pretty sure she is okay that I finally got rid of them. She is still with me, and not just when I look at those old socks! 

Once the weight of the clutter is lifted, it will be easier for you to sort through your possessions. You will be able to tell which possessions you really love, in contrast to the ones that clutter your space and mind. 

Our mental, bodily and emotional states are all affected by our home. If we live in a cluttered environment, we will manifest the same in our mind and body and you will feel stuck in your life. Energy levels, decision-making, and even health could be affected. 

Letting go of that clutter must occur before more treasures can come into your life. You can clear your old life patterns and start fresh. 

What better time to do it than right now. Take a few minutes to go through that stack of papers on your desk. Chances are, you will get to throw half of it away, and then you can ask yourself if you really need what is left? 

I don’t mean get rid of things you truly care about. I’m talking about magazines that maybe had one good article in it - it would be easier to remove the article and save it in a folder (labeled correctly!), then recycle the magazine by taking it to the gym, library or a doctor’s office. Catalogs - if you haven’t already ordered whatever was in it that you meant to order, chances are that you won’t. And can’t you find it on-line if you really need it later? 

Let’s face it. Are we REALLY going to fit into that “other size” of clothes? Don’t they just make you feel bad that you don’t fit into them now? Off to Goodwill they go. If you find yourself needing another size next week, or next month, or next year, make it a plan to treat yourself to new clothes at that time! 

Spend 5-15 minutes per day on clutter. Go through your desk drawer. Clear out the pantry (if the tupperware doesn’t have a lid, off to Goodwill!) If you have one room that simply has too much in it to do anything with it, make it a goal to gather all the [insert item here] into one pile. Tomorrow, do another pile consisting of [insert item here].  

I am the first to admit that I am a packrat and love “my stuff”. 

My goal is to be in harmony with my home, my life, my friends and family, and not see clutter everywhere I look. 

So, clear your clutter with me. A little bit at a time. 

If you have any questions, please send them to Hayley@CometRealty.com.