Natural Weed Control Alternatives For Your Garden

Spring heralds the return of warmer weather, blossoming flowers, and, unfortunately, the unwelcome resurgence of unwanted weeds in your garden.

Keeping your garden free from these invasive guests requires a combination of vigilance, preventive measures, and sometimes the helping hand of professionals. Below are some effective strategies to keep your garden weed-free this spring.

Start With a Clean Slate
The first step in your weed management plan should be to clear any existing weeds from your garden. This can be physically demanding but rewarding work. Remove weeds by hand or use a hoe, ensuring you get as much of the root as possible to prevent them from quickly returning. For larger areas or more stubborn weeds, consider using a natural herbicide as a spot treatment, being mindful to protect your plants.

Mulching is Your Best Friend
After clearing the weeds, applying a thick layer of mulch is an excellent way to suppress new weed growth. Mulch blocks sunlight from reaching the soil, reducing the chances of weed seeds germinating. Organic mulches, such as wood chips or straw, offer the added benefit of enriching the soil as they decompose. Aim for a mulch layer of at least 2 to 3 inches thick for optimal effectiveness.

Prevent With Pre-Emergents
Pre-emergent herbicides can be a valuable tool in your weed prevention arsenal. When applied to the soil, these products prevent weed seeds from germinating. Timing is critical with pre-emergents; they should be applied in early spring before weed seeds have a chance to sprout. When using a herbicide, be sure to select a product that won't harm your existing plants and follow the application instructions carefully.

Hiring a Lawn Care Service
For many gardeners, maintaining a weed-free garden can be time-consuming and physically challenging. This is where hiring a professional lawn care service can be highly beneficial. A reputable lawn care service can provide regular maintenance, including weed removal and prevention strategies tailored to your specific garden and local conditions. They can also offer advice on the best products and techniques to use, saving you both time and effort in the long run.

Keep a Close Watch
Finally, regular monitoring of your garden is essential. Checking for and removing any new weeds weekly is of the utmost importance before their roots are established or begin to spread. Consistency is key when keeping your garden weed-free and ensuring its longevity. It may seem tedious at times, but the result of a well-maintained garden is worth it in the end.

By starting with a clean slate, utilizing mulch and pre-emergents, considering the help of a professional lawn care service, and maintaining vigilance, your garden can thrive weed-free this spring. Remember, a little effort goes a long way in keeping those pesky weeds at bay, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of your garden all season long.

Read more at Rismedia.com

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How Much Does It Cost to Stage a House—And How Much Will You Gain?

Home staging—where you decorate your house in an effort to entice buyers to bite—may seem counterintuitive at first blush: Why spend money on real estate if you’re moving out?

Simple answer: because home staging can get you more money for your home sale.

If your real estate agent has suggested staging, it’s because evidence shows staging real estate is usually well worth the effort. According to a 2023 report from the National Association of REALTORS®, twenty percent of buyers’ agents said that staging a home increased the dollar value offered between one and five percent, compared to other similar homes on the market that were not staged, which is nothing to sneeze at. But just how much does home staging really cost?

Here’s what to know about the cost to stage a home, so you can decide if paying a professional stager is worth the investment for you.

Inside the numbers: How much does it cost to stage a house?

File this one under “obvious”—but the pricier the staged home, the higher the potential home staging costs. As a general rule of thumb, the average cost for most stagers is $300 to $600 for an initial design consultation, and $500 to $600 per month per staged room.

Home staging might sound expensive, but if you own a vacant home, for example, you’re already paying lots of bills every month that your unstaged house sits empty. If a home stager can help buyers envision how fabulous your living room looks with a little classy furniture and tasteful decor, the costs of home staging may be some of the best money you have ever spent.

What makes the cost of staging a home more expensive?

Most home stagers work with the knickknacks and art that the homeowner already owns. But sometimes home stagers “need to purchase new accessories, fresh towels, flowers, and/or fruit, as these small touches make a big difference,” says Sheila Schostok with Your Home Matters Staging and Redesign, which serves Chicago and southeastern Wisconsin. This is especially true with a vacant house. The stagers’ new purchases will add to the overall cost of the project.

The layout of your home could also add a cha-ching to the home staging costs. Home stagers often use lightweight versions of basic furniture pieces. However, a home staging job that requires heavy lifting in a multistory house still usually means hiring additional help to move furniture, says Schostok.

And if you’re listing a vacant home because you’ve already moved out, you’re looking at home staging costs that include rental fees for every stick of furniture and all furnishing and decor items from a stager.

Conversely, if you inherited a ton of antiques (or have a One King’s Lane addiction), the stager may recommend you declutter by putting excess knickknacks into storage, tacking that monthly rental onto your overall staging costs. Staging services may also suggest that sellers declutter and depersonalize the home by removing unusual, religious or political, and personal items, so home buyers can more easily envision themselves living in the home.

A final expense, an important one that can help ensure staging success, is the price of painting a room. A fresh coat in a 12-by-12-foot room will cost a DIYer around $200, or $400 to $700 if left to the pros.

Saving tips: How to save on home staging

You don’t have to pay a home stager to transform the decor of your entire house from basement laundry room to attic storage.

“A great way to save money when staging is by only focusing on the main areas of a home,” says Schostok.

These are the rooms potential buyers would spend the most time in—the kitchen, living room, dining room, and master bedroom. You’ll also want to pay attention to what the buyers see when they first step in the front door. That first impression, whether it be a bare, unstaged home or an inviting, perfectly staged one, can make the difference in whether they decide to buy and how much they are willing to pay for your house.

Another cost-saving home staging option is to limit yourself to an initial consultation with a home stager, instead of full-service staging. When Schostok does a home staging walk-through with the homeowner, offering home staging tips to maximize the potential for each room, “the price is far less, $125 for 90 minutes.”

You may want to ask your real estate agent if she thinks your home would benefit from home staging. Your agent may also recommend a home staging service or even offer other cost-saving tips besides staging, based on her experience showing real estate to buyers. For example, your agent may recommend that you start by decluttering your home yourself, or spend the money on a specific home improvement task, instead of hiring a professional stager, depending on her own first-time impression of your home.

The biggest cost savings for home sellers who use home staging? Selling their home faster, at a better price, and without months of carrying costs—because their house was properly staged and buyer-ready.

Read more at Realtor.com

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Displaying art in your home? Here are some do’s and don’ts

There are two common mistakes people make when hanging art in their homes, according to art consultant Louisa Warfield.

“The first is, they hang work that is too small for the space. And often you’ll go in, and you’ll find a sofa [couch] with one tiny picture above it, and that looks lonely and bleak,” she said.

Instead, “Hang a wall… with as big a painting as you can fit.” This helps a room feel homey, Warfield said, while at the same time making the space appear larger. Don’t be afraid to hang large artworks in smaller spaces such as hallways, Warfield said.

The second mistake is hanging artworks too high, which makes pieces harder to “connect” with. “Whether it’s just the visual connection, you just like the look of it, or whether it’s an emotional connection, you feel something from it … if the work is hung too high it feels like it’s not really in the room,” she said.

A guideline is to hang the work so that its center is about 150cm above the floor, Warfield said. Alternatively, hang it so that your eye level is about a third of the way down from the top of the piece. “These are guides — there’s no hard and fast rule,” she said.

The ‘gallery wall’

Having a gallery wall, where several pieces of varying sizes are hung together, is a popular way to display art at home. Most people are not art collectors who buy work around a particular theme; instead, they might acquire pieces on vacation or receive art as gifts, Warfield said.

“As our lives grow and get bigger, [the artworks] often don’t match. But a gallery wall … allows you to draw together lots of quite disparate bits into one quite holistic look,” she said.

Warfield suggests giving the display cohesion. “This might be as simple as everything has a black frame. This might be simple as everything is a flower picture, or … everything is a black and white photo,” she said. She might add a quirk, such as having one picture that has a touch of red in it that stands out against a monochrome selection. 

In a large home, a gallery wall might be about 160cm in height and about the width of the couch the art will hang above, Warfield said. She said mixing larger pieces with smaller ones is acceptable and recommended laying out pictures on the floor in front of the couch to decide how to display them. Should you have the largest picture in the middle of the display? “There’s no ‘should,’” she said. “There are a million different ways of doing it.”

Warfield charges £175 ($222) plus taxes for two hours of advice on what to buy and how to display it. When it comes to the hang itself, it’s worth hiring a professional who understands the best fittings to use for the size of the artwork and the type of wall it will go on, Warfield said. Expect to pay a professional hanger around $100 an hour, she said.

To match or not

You might want artwork to fit with a color scheme you have chosen for your home, but this is something that the art world — which can be elitist — might look down on, Warfield said. Her approach is more inclusive: “You must do whatever you want in your home — it’s your sanctuary,” Warfield said.

“What I advise my clients is that you might want it to match now, but your sofa and your [color] palette is almost certainly going to change again in seven to 10 years,” Warfield said. If you are buying art and are keen on a matching approach, “be very aware of how much money are you spending, and will that picture have longevity after you have changed the color of your sitting room?”

If you’ve recently moved home and feel your existing artworks don’t fit your new space, consider reframing pieces or hanging them unframed to give them a new look, Warfield suggested, or have them glazed in non-reflective and UV-protective glass that will display work more clearly.

For Helen Sunderland Cohen, who collects modern and contemporary art and photography, balance is important. “I try to place works that feel good in a particular space, and that interact organically with one another. This could be through colour, style, or a motif. For example, I decided to hang black and white photography down one corridor,” she told CNBC by email.

An art collector’s approach

Sunderland-Cohen’s London home features an open-plan living area with large windows along its length that shed light on her collection.

A mask by British-Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare hangs next to a monoprint on fabric by British artist Aimee Parrott, followed by an oil on canvas by post-war British artist Prunella Clough. Meanwhile, a bright pink porcelain cone by Simon Bejer is displayed on a side table — Bejer is a graduate of the City & Guilds School of Art in London, where Sunderland Cohen is a trustee.

“I ... try to arrange the art in a way that works with the furniture, rugs, and light, so that everything feels harmonious,” Sunderland Cohen said.

Sunderland Cohen, who manages The Sunderland Collection, a collection of antique world maps and atlases, said she buys work for her home that she has a personal connection to, such as places she has lived. “I think a lot of displaying art comes down to confidence and intuition, rather than worrying about what other people will think or how trendy an artist is,” she said.

“I am fascinated by design, and like living with it: even simple objects like a well-designed lamp or a beautiful cushion, or a quirky vase. These items do not have to be expensive, just engaging and fun,” she said.

Read more at CNBC.com

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If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Why a Condo May Be a Great Option for Your First Home

Having a hard time finding a first home that’s right for you and your wallet?

Well, here’s a tip – think about condominiums, or condos for short.

They’re usually smaller than single-family homes, but that’s exactly why they can be easier on your budget. According to the latest data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), condos are typically less expensive than single-family homes (see graph below):

So, if you’re comfortable with a smaller space and want to buy your first home this year, adding condos to your search might be easier on your wallet.

Besides giving you more options for your home search and maybe fitting your budget better, living in a condo has a bunch of other perks, too. According to Rocket Mortgage:

“From community living to walkable urban areas, condos are great options for first-time home buyers and people looking to enjoy homeownership without extensive upkeep.”

Let’s dive into a few of the draws of condos for first-time buyers from Bankrate:

• They require less maintenance. Condos are great if you want to own your place but don’t want to mow the lawn, shovel snow, or fix the roof. Your real estate agent can help explain any associated fees and details for the condos you’re interested in.

• They allow you to start building equity. When you buy a condo, you build equity and your net worth as you make your mortgage payments and as your condo’s value goes up over time.

• They often come with added amenities. Your condo might come with access to amenities like a pool, dog park, or parking. And the best part? You don’t have to take care of any of them.

• They provide you with a sense of community. Buying a condo means you’ll be living close to other people, which is nice if you enjoy having neighbors around and making friends. Many condo communities hold fun events like barbecues and parties during holidays for everyone to enjoy.

Remember, your first home doesn’t have to be the one you stay in forever. The important thing is to get your foot in the door as a homeowner so you can start to gain home equity. Later on, that equity can help you buy another place if you need something different.

Ultimately, owning and living in a condo is a lifestyle choice. And if it’s one that appeals to you, they could provide the added options you need in today’s market.

Bottom Line

It might be a good idea to think about condos in your home search. If you're ready to see what's out there, get in touch with a local real estate agent today.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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Fun Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day in Oklahoma City

Mother's Day is a special day to honor and appreciate the women who have made an impact in our lives.

If you're looking for creative ideas to celebrate Mother's Day in Oklahoma City, you're in luck. There is no shortage of fun and unique experiences that you can enjoy to make this day even more special. 

 Visit a Local Brewery 

Take Mom on a beer-tasting tour of Oklahoma City's local breweries. Visit the taproom at Big Friendly and taste their signature craft beers or try out some new brews at Anthem Brewing Company.

 Take a Dessert Cruise 

Treat her to an afternoon of sweet treats and breathtaking views along the Oklahoma River. Oklahoma River Cruises offers two special Mother's Day cruises that feature freshly made desserts and a cash mimosa bar. 

 Visit a Local Garden 

Let Mom take a stroll through a local garden and admire the beauty of nature on her special day. The Myriad Botanical Gardens is one of the most popular gardens in the city, featuring lush plants, tranquil ponds and colorful flowers. The newly renovated Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory is also a great spot for some peaceful reflection. If you want to celebrate all weekend, the OKC Flower & Garden Festival takes places Saturday, May 13 at Myriad Botanical Gardens. 

 Go Shopping at Local Boutiques 

If your mother loves to shop, take her to one of Oklahoma City's local boutiques. The Plaza District is home to many unique boutiques and shops, as well as restaurants and bars. You can also visit the Paseo Arts District, which features over 20 galleries and studios or The National, located downtown, which offers high-end boutiques, restaurants and a cocktail bar in the basement's former bank vault. In Bricktown is local favorite Painted Door Gift Boutique, which has great jewelry and ladies' apparel.

 Brunch at a Local Restaurant 

Plan a brunch date at one of Oklahoma City's top brunch spots including Scratch Kitchen & Cocktails, Bradford House, Red Rooster and Frida Southwest. Many are offering a special Mother's Day menu including the Skirvin Hilton Hotel (brunch buffet) and Tellers Sunday Jazz Brunch. 

 Treat Her to a Spa Day 

Nothing says 'I love you' like treating Mom to an afternoon of pampering. From a full body massage to a relaxing facial, the spas in Oklahoma City offer special treatments to make her feel like royalty. 

 Plan a Picnic in a Park 

Enjoy the beautiful spring weather by planning a picnic in one of Oklahoma City's many parks. Pack a basket with her favorite foods and drinks and find a scenic spot to lay out a blanket. Some popular parks to visit include Myriad Botanical Gardens, Scissortail Park, Will Rogers Park and Martin Park Nature Center. 

 Visit a Museum 

If that special woman in your life is interested in art, history or science, take her to one of Oklahoma City's many museums. The Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center's "The Art of Food: From the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation" is also a great way to spend an afternoon. 

No matter how you celebrate Mother's Day in Oklahoma City, it's sure to be a memorable day for the special woman in your life! With these ideas, it's easy to plan an experience that will make her feel appreciated and loved. 

Read more at VisitOKC.com

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