Over the Fence for January

Here are some really great tips from a great company - Fidelity National Home Warranty. 

January 2013 Selling Your Home This Winter?Paint Forecast: 2013 Looks Bright Bathroom Remodels—for $1,000 or Less Celebrate National Soup Month Selling Your Home This Winter? Easy Tips for Adding Winter Curb Appeal • Brighten the entry. Place pots with winter blooms near the front door to create a welcoming entry with a splash of color. You can also add color with a wreath on the door. • Clean gutters. • Fresh paint. Because of bare trees, there will be a clearer view of your home in the winter than there will be in the spring and summer. Faded or chipped paint will really stand out, so give your home a fresh coat if it needs it. • Outdoor lighting. As days are now shorter, having proper outdoor lighting will make your home safer and more attractive. Use a series of path lights to illuminate the way to your front door or flank the door with decorative sconces or lanterns. • Paint your fence. The fence should be the same color as your home's siding. This helps the fence blend in with the house’s setting instead of stealing the focus. • Cut it back. Clean up and cut back any dead flowers in garden beds. Do your best to give your lawn a manicured look. It may not be lush and green in the winter but try to make sure it looks pulled together. • Wash and shine. Wash your front-facing windows and sweep the porch. This quick cleanup will immediately freshen up the look of your home. • Showcase it. Remember that you can still show off your outdoor furniture even in cold weather. Rather than storing it or covering it with plastic, display it as you would in warmer weather to give prospective homebuyers an idea of how the deck or yard can be used. Paint Forecast: 2013 Looks Bright As one of the leading color experts, Benjamin Moore’s forecast of color trends is eagerly anticipated each year. Here are a few highlights for 2013. RED continues to be a staple color in design. For 2013, we will be seeing more regal, stable reds, shaded and made more quiet with the introduction of black. Bright red will also be popular, bringing with it a heritage feel. YELLOW is still a true staple and can be used as a neutral even if it is bright. It is not being used so much as an accent anymore and is often coupled with purple. GREEN is nature’s neutral. Even if bold, other colors will go with green. Hues from nature are always a staple and designers love to harness the outdoors into the living space. Chartreuse remains popular, mint green brings in a retro vibe when paired with a white backdrop, and the attention-grabbing Kelly green is perfect for highlighting on shelves and smaller items. All shades of BLUE will remain popular. Navy is a big influence; cobalt is "in" for its richness, not grayed down; turquoise brings a strong and lively feel; azure, periwinkle and lapis blue are all expected to be trend-making. For accent colors,PINK, ORANFE and PURPLE are making headway. Bronzy oranges and peachy-coral orange are coming into play. Pinky-purple and grayed-out lavender are other hot colors forecast for 2013. And last but not least, we have the neutrals: GRAYS, BLACKS and WHITES. The theme within all of these hues appears to be matte finishes rather than glossy. Taken from an article written by: Sherene Chen-See, Special to National Post Bathroom Remodels—for $1,000 or Less (BPT) The bathroom is one room in the house where you can accomplish a lot with $1,000. Here are four updates and upgrades that will leave you feeling like a million bucks when you step into your new bath. • Redo walls and floors. The key to bringing this job in under $1,000 is to do the work yourself. The actual materials—paint for the walls and tile, stone or vinyl for the floor—can be purchased for a relatively low cost. • Switch out the shower door. Replacing a plain shower door with one that features a design, pattern or frosting can add personal flair to a bathroom. • Swap out the shower enclosure. Replacing the shower enclosure can give the room a whole new look. Replacing a tub with an enclosure makes for a spacious, luxurious showering experience. • Update fixtures. Few bathroom upgrades have a greater impact on efficiency and beauty the way changing fixtures can. Whether you opt for a low-flow showerhead or a high-efficiency toilet, replacing older fixtures can update the look of a bathroom and yield long-term savings on utility bills. Aracontent.com January Home Warranty Tip: Don’t keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37–40 degrees F for the fresh food compartment and 0–3 degrees F for the freezer section. It’s National Soup Month—Celebrate with a hot bowl of this hearty wild rice soup! Ingredients 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced 1 cup chopped onion 4 carrots, halved lengthwise and sliced 2 celery sticks, halved lengthwise and sliced 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper 8 ounces sliced crimini mushrooms 1 quart chicken broth, good quality 2 cups cubed cooked chicken 3 cups cooked wild rice 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup dry sherry, optional Directions 1. Heat a large stockpot over medium low heat. Add bacon and fry until bacon is crisp and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. 2. To the fat add onion, carrots, celery, salt and pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally until tender and translucent, about 7-8 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in chicken broth, raise heat, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 3. Uncover, and stir in chicken and cooked wild rice. Continue to cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and sherry, if using. Simmer an additional 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into bowls and top with crispy bacon. http://family.go.com/food This information has been provided as a public service by Fidelity National Home Warranty and does not imply that these items are covered by its home warranty contracts. For details about FNHW coverage, please see your contract specifically or visit our website at homewarranty.com.The information contained within this newsletter has been obtained from third parties and is believed to be reliable. FNHW assumes no legal responsibility for the accuracy of this information nor endorses the recommendations of any third party. For Service Call 1-800-308-1420

This email was sent by: Fidelity National Home Warranty P.O. Box 8127 Walnut Creek, CA, 94597, United States

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