3 problems for Keller homeowners who fail to winterize

Fall is here, which means, like it or not, cold weather is just around the corner. While most of us would prefer not to think about turning on our heat just yet, this is actually the best time to check your heating to ensure everything is operating as it should.

Neglecting to winterize your Keller home and letting small issues pile up can have big repercussions. Ahead of the winter season, HomeServe, a leading provider of service plans, repair and installation services for the home, wants to make sure you're aware of three major things that may go wrong if you don’t winterize your house or neglect your heating system.

1. Your utility bills may skyrocket. Utility bills often jump up in the winter due to the increased hours of darkness and the cost to heat your home. But if your heater is on the fritz or your filters are clogged, you could be in for an even bigger surprise. Dirty filters cause your furnace to work harder, which leads to inefficiency and a shortened lifespan for your heating system. Replacing filters is often an easy task for homeowners. A yearly tune-up is an inexpensive way to help prevent a costly system breakdown in the coming months. Also, keep in mind that some warranties require annual tune-ups, so don’t let your warranty go invalid by skipping this year’s tune-up.

2. The threat of carbon monoxide is very real. Do you know how old your furnace is? Do you know how long it’s been since a professional checked it over? Carbon monoxide poses a health threat when the heating system flue, vent or chimney becomes blocked from debris or other material. During a heating system tune-up, a professional service technician can check to make sure all your vents are not blocked and are working properly. Drains and traps also need to be checked and combustion gases should be analyzed and compared to the specifications of your furnace or boiler to make sure everything is running safely. Installing a carbon monoxide detector in your home is another smart way to help with early detection.

3. Water pipes can burst. It’s not just your heating system that needs to be winterized. All too often it happens — we wake up to realize our pipes are frozen, or even worse, leaking. Before the cold sets in, make sure outside hoses are put away and water is turned off. Evaluate which pipes are at the greatest risk for freezing during cold weather. For example, if your water pipes come up from an uninsulated crawl space, or if they are in or close to an uninsulated outside wall or vent, they are more likely to freeze and burst in low temperatures. Inside pipes should be covered in insulation to keep pipes warmer longer. Pipe insulation is easy to apply and available at most hardware stores and home centers.

By having an annual tune-up in the fall, you can catch small issues now, instead of experiencing bigger problems in the dead of winter. A tune-up can also save energy, reduce heating costs and prevent a system breakdown in the coming months.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

How Keller homeowners can prepare for a fire

Did you know that today’s homes burn faster than ever? Newer homes tend to be built with unprotected, lightweight wood construction and are frequently designed with lots of open spaces and high ceilings — ideal conditions for a fire to grow and spread quickly. Also, modern home furnishings are often made with synthetic fibers that generate toxic smoke and gases when they burn, making it hard to see and breathe within moments.

Whether you live in an older or a newer Keller home, however, you may have as little as two minutes to escape safely from the moment your smoke alarm sounds. Getting out of your home as soon as possible is vital to safety.

While many families may have spent some time thinking about an escape plan, far fewer actually practice it. Going through a fire safety drill means that everyone will know what to do when seconds count.

How can you make your family ready in the event of a home fire? Here are important steps to follow.

1. Check smoke alarms.
Having enough working smoke alarms in your home is critical to increased safety. Do you have at least one working smoke alarm on every level of your home? Is there one located in every bedroom and near all sleeping areas? Do you test your alarms monthly to make sure they're working? Are they interconnected, so that when one smoke alarms sounds, they all do?

2. Make a map.
Involve everyone in your household in the process of drawing a map of your home. Together, walk through each room as you work on the map, marking two exits from each room (typically a door and a window), and a path from each room’s exit to the outside.

Make sure exits remain unblocked by furniture, are clear of clutter and in good working order (i.e., windows open and close easily).

3. Pick a meeting place.
Decide on a nearby tree, light pole or neighbor’s home where everyone will meet after exiting. Make sure the meeting place is far enough away from your home to be out of danger from a fire.

4. Review how to call 911 or your community's emergency number.
Make sure everyone knows how to report the fire once they're safely outside using a mobile phone or by going to a trusted neighbor's home.

5. Practice.
Have everyone go into their rooms as if it’s nighttime, sound the alarm, and then practice getting out quickly. Practice more than once to improve exit times and to make sure everyone understands exactly what to do in the event of a fire. Practice your plan at least twice a year so it's fresh in everyone's minds.

If there are older people living in your home, or anyone with special needs, make sure you have a plan in place to help them get out. Involve everyone in practicing your plan to be sure it works for everybody.

Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 6-12, so make sure your family has a plan and knows how to put it to work in case of a fire.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

Prepare your Keller home's exterior for cold weather

Scarves. Pumpkin spice lattes. Leaves crunching underfoot. Sweater season is moving in fast, which means it’s time to start transitioning to fall maintenance to make sure your Keller home and yard are ready for fall. The following are 10 things you can do to prepare for the colder weather ahead.

1. Interseed your lawn
A summer of heavy use can take its toll on even the healthiest of lawns. If your turf has some thin or bare patches, fall is the ideal time to reseed. A turf specialist at a garden shop or university extension office can help you choose the right kind of seed for your local conditions. After spreading the seed, water lightly and frequently (if it doesn’t rain) to keep the soil slightly damp until the seed germinates.

Speak with a local landscaper or your university extension office to determine the best timing, seed, and process for interseeding with cool-season grasses as warm-season lawns turn dormant.

2. Winterize your irrigation system
If the ground in your area freezes down to the depth of your irrigation pipes during the winter, be sure to shut off the water to the system and drain the pipes before the first freeze.

3. Lower your mower blades
For the last few mowings in the fall (and the first few in the spring), set your lawnmower blades at the lowest recommended height for your type of turf. You no longer need the height of the grass to shade the soil and keep it cool, and minimizing the amount of moisture that’s trapped by the grass can help prevent fungal disease.

4. Remove the leaves
Don’t leave your lawn buried under a thick layer of leaves. If you don’t want to rake, try mulch mowing — chopping the leaves up into small pieces allows them to decompose more quickly so that they fertilize the grass instead of suffocating it. You may need to mow more frequently to keep up with the falling leaves, even if the grass itself isn’t growing quickly.

5. Clean up your yard
Any object that sits on your grass while cold can create a dead spot. To protect your lawn, remove toys, furniture, and other items from the grass. Be sure to cover or store anything that’s not designed to be out in the rain or snow indoors.

6. Prep your equipment for spring lawn care
In addition to seeding, another great way to get a jumpstart on spring is to give your lawnmower a tune-up. By sharpening the blades before you put it away for the winter, it will be ready to get back to work when the grass starts growing again in the spring.

7. Check your roof, gutters, and downspouts
Leaks can lead to costly water damage, so check for potential trouble spots now, before the wet and cold storms start. Look for broken shingles and damaged flashing around vents, chimneys, and skylights; clean the leaves out of your gutters; and add extensions to your downspouts if the water runs less than three feet away from the foundation of the house.

8. Check your doors and windows for leaks
Eliminating air leaks around doors and window frames is one of the most effective ways to lower your heating bills. Caulk and replace weatherstripping where needed to prevent cold air (and potentially water) from entering. Don’t forget to make sure the seal between the garage door and the ground is tight as well.

9. Service your heating system
Before you turn your heating system on for the fall, have it cleaned and inspected by a professional. Regular preventive maintenance will keep it running safely and efficiently and make sure minor issues are resolved before they become major problems.

10. Test your emergency power generator
Wind and ice storms can bring down power lines and cause lengthy blackouts. If you live in an area where power outages are common and you have an emergency backup generator, test it now, and make sure you have engine oil and filters on hand.

Spending a bit of time in the fall to prepare your home and yard will allow you to enjoy the autumn and winter months with peace of mind. What’s more, the effort you invest in the health of your lawn now can pay dividends in the spring by jumpstarting your turf’s growth and minimizing weeds. Have you completed everything on the list? It must be time to curl up with a good book, a hot beverage and relax!

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

Nature-inspired design trends for Keller homes

Many interior designers gravitate toward grays or whites as a starting point when building a home’s look and feel, but a new trend is emerging. Keller homeowners are getting back to basics and finding ways to bring the outdoors in by using neutral earth tones as their blank slate. These wood tones have become the “new neutral” for those beginning their brand-new home design.

No matter your style — modern, eclectic or anything in between — the toned-down hues of natural-looking wood surfaces are the perfect starting point for building a versatile, relaxing and high-end look in your home.

It’s all-natural
Finding inspiration from nature can create a more calming retreat in our hectic, constantly connected lives. Start with a neutral and natural palette in the home as the first step to designing your oasis. Incorporating colors found in nature can act as a reminder to disconnect and recharge in your home.

Woodland oasis
Wood is the perfect element when deciding to bring nature into your home — whether on the floor or on the walls, as an accent or as a headboard. Featuring a variety of wood elements in the décor itself can also allow you to play with mixing different grains, colors, and textures throughout the home while still maintaining a seamless overall design.

Light and airy
To make small spaces feel more open, be sure to accentuate natural light by incorporating mirrors. Try and keep your space clear of clutter and add natural foliage and plants to improve air quality and mood. Installing long, wide planks of flooring will also make your room feel larger.

Stay grounded
Include a variety of textures from the ground up to transform your space and make it unique. From flooring to décor, finding ways to pull in elements from Mother Nature will turn your home into your haven. Bring out your home’s natural beauty with flooring like Claire Gardens Oak hardwood, which features an organic oak grain where no two boards look the same.

Branch out
Starting with a neutral, earthy color palette means you have plenty of room to play with color — be it bold, muted or a reflection of the world around you. Include colorful accent pieces that remind you of the perfect fall foliage, a day at the beach or spring’s first blooms. Natural inspiration provides a world of possibilities.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

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3 ways to personalize your Keller home's kitchen

From cooking to conversing to entertaining, the kitchen is the heart of your Keller home. It’s also a space that homeowners often dream of renovating. A growing trend in kitchen design is personalization, where thoughtful updates go beyond stainless-steel appliances and standard cabinetry to incorporate a host of interesting design elements.

By adding splashes of personality to your kitchen, you make the space one of a kind, and you'll enjoy it more because it reflects your preferences and style. Consider these key ways to breathe new life into any kitchen.

1) Switch up your cabinets
Want to give your cabinets a fresh look and add pizzazz without refacing or installing new ones? Try replacing existing hardware. Just as jewelry completes an outfit, hardware adds a finished look to cabinets. The variety of styles and materials for drawer and cabinet pulls — metals, ceramics, crystal, glass, stone — makes it easy to update your cabinets with little cost and effort. Don’t be afraid to mix and match hardware styles or experiment with shapes to add character.

Another idea is to update a few key cabinets. For instance, you can paint the cabinets above or directly beside the stove in black chalk paint, allowing you to add fun words and phrases — or even a favorite recipe — with chalk markers. You could also remove the face of several cabinets from the frame and add a clear or opaque glass insert for added visual interest and an unexpected touch of beauty.

Don't forget about the often-overlooked toe-kick space — the recessed area just below the cabinets — which can be enhanced with subtle styling. Consider painting this area a statement color or adding tiles for a clever update you won't see elsewhere.

2) Add vintage-style appliances
While stainless-steel appliances are popular in modern kitchens, distinctive appliances are a great way to add personality. Consider vintage-inspired appliances which come in a variety of designs and colors. Whether you opt to update all your appliances or choose a single statement piece, your kitchen will feel inspired.

For those who lean toward a retro or midcentury modern look, the decor can insert a conversation-worthy style to any kitchen. Add a fun pop of color with classic hues like tropical blue, mint green, and candy red, or choose from a broad selection of custom colors.

3) Light up the room
Proper lighting is essential for performing kitchen tasks, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Lighting provides an opportunity to get creative and bring touches of personality to the kitchen. By blending practical task lighting with decorative ambient lighting, you can inject the right balance of function and fashion.

Overhead and under-cabinet lighting make it easy to chop, cut, cook and more. Add a bit of flair with a layered approach — for example, strategically mix pendant and wall lights with recessed lighting. The globes that surround light fixtures are another great place to sprinkle in some character. From glass designs in vivid hues to textured metal looks, these surrounds come in myriad shapes and sizes.
You can find your favorite kitchen lighting options at local home improvement stores or boutique lighting shops.

For something truly one of a kind, visit antique shops, flea markets, and home decor reclamation stores. Whether an amazing art deco chandelier or an adorable Victorian decorative table lamp, you'll discover unexpected gems for your kitchen.

When you add personal touches, you'll enjoy an updated, customized space that will have you cooking and entertaining in style.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

How your Keller home helps your back-to-school routine

Each year as summer ends, teachers, parents, and students alike all begin their back-to-school preparations. Fall is a great time to start fresh, establish new and better routines, and to set family schedules that fit both your needs and the needs of your growing kids.

Below are 3 tips to help get your family geared up for a successful school year.

1. Post a central calendar
You may be using mostly digital calendars to keep track of your work and personal appointments, but having a physical, centrally located calendar in your Keller home is helpful to show what to expect on a daily basis. It will not only help keep everyone organized, but it also allows kids to add items.

Find a visible area, like your refrigerator or kitchen wall, to post a large, easy-to-use calendar that uses erasable markers for easy edits. Then, show your kids how to post things like field trips, sports or band practice, appointments and even fun things like birthday parties and holidays. You can also make a spot to post the school-day schedule, too, so it’s clear when everyone needs to wake up, get dressed, do homework and all the important tools for a successful day.

For very young children, use pictures to represent calendar items along with words for a great early literacy tool. Even if you’ve never used this type of calendar before, fall is the perfect time to start.

2. Set a chore schedule
Whether you use a “chore wheel” or just assign chores to each family member, if a chore schedule is clear and in writing, everyone is more likely to follow it. While chores can be assigned to anyone in the home, just remember to find age-appropriate tasks and make sure to demonstrate how to complete them correctly. Most kids are able to do some household chores at any age, even if it’s just tidying up their room, feeding a pet or helping out with laundry.

While manual chores like washing dishes most immediately come to mind, having the right appliances to complete some tasks are essential. Modern washers and dryers make laundry a much easier task, especially if your kids have sports uniforms with grass and dirt stains that need to be cleaned quickly for the next day's game or practice.

3. Plan for each day the night before
Set aside time right after dinner to plan ahead for the next day. This may seem like a tough task to carve out time for, but it helps save time down the line. Have kids check for permission slips or other important school information, make lunches and set out the next day's clean clothes before it's too late to throw in an extra load if needed.

Check for unfinished homework or upcoming projects that need a little more planning or supplies to get done. If you make this "next day check" into a daily routine, your kids will eventually start doing it without the need to prompt them.

You've probably heard that kids need and appreciate structure in their day, but if it's been tough to set up a routine before, don't worry — each school year provides a new beginning, a fresh start to improve the way everyone gets through the day and takes care of what needs to be done.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.

Broken AC in your Keller home? What to do next

Does your Keller home feel uncomfortably warm, even when your AC is running full blast? You may think you can wait until next season to fix this, but with hot and sticky temperatures still lingering, now is the perfect time to upgrade your air conditioning system.

Replacing old ineffective heating and cooling systems can save you money. In addition to impacting your family’s daily comfort, the decision you make about your HVAC system can have a greater impact on your energy bills than any other investment. Heating and cooling typically account for 40% of your household’s energy usage.

If you are among the millions of Americans upgrading their HVAC systems this time of year, here are some things to consider:

1) What's changed?
If you’re uncomfortable with your current system, you may want to review what’s changed in your household. Has your family grown? Has the weather changed? Is the system at the end of its life?
If your needs have changed or the environment is different, this could explain why the old system is no longer up to the challenge.

2) Consider your home’s design
Some homes already have ductwork in place, which makes it easy to choose a system that requires ductwork. On the other hand, if there’s no existing ductwork, you may want to consider a duct-free system. They consist of three basic components: an energy-efficient inverter-driven outdoor unit, a stylish and quiet indoor unit that delivers conditioned air to the room, and compact conduit pipe for refrigerant and wiring that connects the units.

The space-saving design allows you to heat or cool your entire home or a single room without the need for bulky ductwork, which means no tearing down of walls.Many Energy Star certified systems like these also are eligible for tax credits, another important consideration when you're considering HVAC system upgrades.

3) What does your family need?
If your household is constantly undergoing thermostat wars, it may be worth considering a zoned system. It puts a thermostat in each room for individualized comfort control. And it can save energy by targeting only those areas that need cooling or heating, a cost-effective feature when only certain portions of the home are being used.

An effective solution is an energy-efficient HVAC system that provides both heating and cooling in one compact unit. Today’s most advanced systems, like LG’s Multi V S outdoor unit, are a year-round solution for comfort in even the most extreme climates, from minus 13 up to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Plus, they're compatible with ducted and duct-free indoor units, and they offer quiet, efficient operation.

4) Use connectivity to your advantage
Choosing a new HVAC system just like the one you already have might not be your best option. As with cell phones, TVs and cars, a lot has changed in the last 10 to 15 years since your system was new.

Now you can control your HVAC system’s settings from your smart device, wherever you are, using apps. This is the perfect solution for people who might forget to adjust their heat or air conditioner when they leave the house, or for anyone who wants to have comfort at their fingertips.

Once you’ve determined your family's needs for maximum comfort and energy-efficiency, you can choose a modern system that works best for your Keller home.

Whether it's selling your home or finding a new one, we have designed this site so that you can quickly and easily locate the information you are looking for. The Grove Team's client-centered approach results in the best possible outcome for you. Please contact us now to begin the process of achieving your dreams in homeownership. Call 817-337-0000 for Keller Home's for sale in Keller ISD.