No Soliciting

If you have ever questioned how to get rid of those annoying door to door sales people or the annoying flyers placed on your door daily you need to get a NO SOLICITING sign free from the city to post on your front door.  If the sales person ignores the sign, contact local authorities.

Specifics on no soliciting: ( the below could be different from city to city)

Door-to-door solicitation is the act of approaching a person or building in order to:

• canvass*
• sell or offer for sale, or attempt to take orders for the sale of goods or services of any kind
• request, directly or indirectly, contributions of funds
• advertise by the hanging of a flyer or handbill to any building or vehicle, regardless of whether a doorbell is rung or any physical or verbal contact is made

Are there any restrictions?
Certain restrictions apply to door-to-door solicitation:

• allowed only between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
• no more than one solicitation within any consecutive 14 days at the same location, unless invited back by the resident
• only at main entrance of residence or business

In addition, solicitors must:

• disclose who they are and why they are there
• provide a receipt if purchase or donation is over $5
• leave immediately if asked to do so
• not approach if a "No Solicitors" or “No Trespassers” sign is displayed
• not block traffic of any drive or street
• carry a government-issued photo identification card if the solicitor is 16 years of age or older and is engaged in commercial solicitation

You may not solicit or canvass if you've been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor or ordinance involving force, violence, moral turpitude, deceit, fraud or the violation of any law regarding the act of soliciting. (Moral turpitude is an act or behavior that gravely violates moral sentiment or accepted moral standards of community, such as prostitution, theft or embezzlement.)



Above contents copied directly from the city of Lenexa, KS site.

Pools- To add or Not to add...

Pools are a great luxury to have.  You can spend a lot of money having an in ground pool installed and not always see the return when you sell.  Getting a return on your investment definitely depends on the location of your home in the United States.  If you are in a warmer climate year round pools are more desirable due to the higher temperatures.  People also might expect a home to have a pool in the warmer parts of the county since all the other homes have one.  However if you put a pool in your backyard in the Midwest you may only get to use it half the year or less due to weather.  Not everyone wants a pool in the Midwest and might shy away from your home. Pools are a lot of work to maintain, expensive to fix, require higher insurance rates and take up a majority of peoples yards. It takes a certain buyer that may want to take on these responsibilities.  You will definitely want to weigh the good with the bad if you are thinking of having an in ground pool installed knowing you may not get value out of the pool as what you paid for it.  With this predicament it is becoming more popular to get an above ground pool.  It is way cheaper, less to maintain if something breaks because everything is above ground, can be moved to the next home or trashed at any point.  They are not as "pretty" but more practical in my opinion.  Remember if you ever decide to get a pool, above or below ground you will need to build a fence around the pool if your yard is not already completely fenced.  The fence is a REQUIREMENT, not and option.

Paradise

Infinity Pool (love the look of these)

 

Enclosed Pool

Most Common In Ground Backyard Pool

Above Ground Pool

Different Version of Above Ground

 

All photos were found on Google.

How to make your lawn GREEN!

First you will want to rake all the leaves and dead grass from your entire lawn.  This will open spots in the lawn that may need new grass. If you have a lot of weeds, now would be a good time to get a weed killer and spray the necessary spots.  After the weeds have died you may need to re-rake a few days after to insure they are eliminated.  Once the yard is all cleaned up you may considering aerating. This allows the grass roots to get air and water more easily. Aeration is typically done once in the spring and once in the fall.

Next, choose a grass seed that is the same as your current grass. If you are not sure ask your local lawn and garden store, they maybe able to match or get close to your current grass type.  You will want to hand spread or use a push spreader if available to spread the grass seed in the needed locations.  The more grass seed used the fuller the grass will grow in the desired locations. Thick grass pushes our weeds and makes it harder for them to grow back.

Once you have planted the new seed you will need to start watering your yard daily to insure growth.  Preferably around the same time everyday. Watering in the morning is the best time, but can be done any time depending on your schedule.  The new grass needs one inch of water a week or more depending on your geographical location. When watering daily, the water should penetrate 6 inches deep in the soil.

If you are wanting an even greener lawn, try putting a cup of Ammonia into a 5 gallon bucket of water along with a cup of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate), mix thoroughly.  Use a cup and throw on your lawn.  You will want to hose down your yard directly after to insure the chemicals reach the roots. This would be an alternative to fertilizer. If you are not able to find these products use a recommended fertilizer at your local lawn and garden store.

Ideally you will want to mow when the grass is a little longer.  This will make your lawn become more durable to different weather. Avoid mowing or stepping on new grass.  When mowing typically mulching the grass is better than bagging.  When you mulch the grass you tend to spend less on watering in the long run.

Soon you will see your new yard become transformed into a super GREEN lawn!   

Spring Cleaning Challenge- Are you up for it?

The weather is starting to get a little warmer and becoming a great time to start your Spring Cleaning you have been putting off for the last six months and beyond.  I challenge you to a Spring Clean challenge.  As Americans we accumulate a LOT of stuff over time.  Items sit in boxes untouched for months or even years. You probably have boxes in your basement or storage you don't even know what is in them.  Standard rule: If you haven't needed something in the box in the last year, you probably don't need the contents in the box unless they are mementos/photos/keep sakes.  Now is the time to de-clutter. 

STEP 1- Start Easy
You can start out small by going through your closet and donating clothing you do not wear or fit in an more. Remember there are others out there that are less fortunate and could use your clothes.

STEP 2- Down and Dirty
Its now time to enter the dreaded basement or closets filled to the max with boxes of unknowns.  You can still start out easy and make a goal to go through 2 boxes a days. You will want to start three different piles when going through the boxes, Keep, Throw away, or Donate/Garage Sale piles.  Just remember there is light at the end of the tunnel.  You will feel so much lighter once you have completely gone through all the boxes.  Keep with your goal of x number of boxes a day or spend an entire day and make sure it gets done.

STEP 3- Deep Cleaning
How often does your house get a good scrub down.... I don't mean vacuuming once a week or cleaning the kitchen.  How often do you dust everything?  From the baseboards to the ceiling fans.  Its not fun but will make a huge difference.  Its good to get all the build up over time out of your house.  Not only will it help with allergies but will make you feel a lot better. 

STEP 4- Back to the Basics
-Its time to replace all batteries in smoke detectors, carbon detectors, door bells
-Change out HVAC filters
-Clean out the gutters
-Water the foundation
-Add dirt around the home if needed
-Touch up paint throughout the inside of the home
-Clean up the lawn and get rid of dead plants

Its time to SPRING CLEAN!  The Challenge is on.... are you up to it?