Grove Team Keller Williams: November 2014

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Video Tour - 1500 Dream Dust Court

Offered for sale by the Grove Team, Keller Williams

Take a look at this stunning home located in Keller, TX. Located in a great community, this home has many great features and so much to offer. Contact the Grove Team today to schedule a private showing.

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 home ownership.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Monday, November 24, 2014

Keller homebuyers checklist to ID costly repairs

For prospective Keller homeowners, it’s easy to get excited about a great location, spacious floor plan or beautifully decorated interior. Yet necessary repairs can apply to any home, especially if you’re considering an older, previously owned property. Before signing on the dotted line, use this checklist to help avoid some potentially costly surprises and anticipate repairs or upgrades that may be needed.

Start at the top: the roof
Ask when the current roof was installed. Is it the original roof, or has it been replaced, repaired, or covered over with new shingles in certain spots? Are there known leaks, and if so, where are they? Have any of the leaks caused damage to the attic or interior? Also look at the chimney to see if it’s properly sealed around the edges and whether the gutters need repair.

Windows and doors
Next, take a look at the windows to see if there is any condensation between the glass panes. If so, it could mean window replacements are in order. Once you get inside the house and close the front door, see if any light is coming through between the edge of the door opening and the wall. This gap is an indicator that the door may need to be replaced since air can escape through it and cause higher energy bills.

Lighting and electrical
Throughout the interior rooms, check out how many electrical outlets there are and whether they are in convenient locations. Also, make sure you check to see if the lamps are masking the fact that there are no ceiling fixtures in each room. Will you need to rig up extension cords or invest in electrical work in order to support all the lamps, ceiling fixtures, appliances and electronics you wish to use?

Get to the bottom of furnace efficiency
At the basement level, be sure to check out the heating system. If the current furnace is more than 10 years old, it may be operating at a much lower level of efficiency than the latest manufacturing standards require, resulting in higher energy costs. Newer models can operate at nearly 20 percent higher efficiency than the government minimum standard, and save you money in the long run on your Keller home.

Know what you can’t see: indoor air quality
One thing you can’t see is the quality of the home’s indoor air. Nearly 72 trillion particles enter a home every day, making the air inside up to five times more polluted than the air outside. Adding a air cleaner to the heating and cooling system can remove 99.98 percent of airborne particles including dust, pollen, pet hair and dander, dust mites, mildew, lint, fungus, most tobacco smoke, cooking grease, and even bacteria from the filtered air – so everyone in your new home can breathe easier.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Friday, November 21, 2014

Expert tips to make your new Keller house feel like home

You know that moving into a new home can be one of life's biggest stressors - the packing, the paperwork, the unpacking and of course finding the nearest coffee shop. Making your new Keller house feel like your home can help alleviate some of this stress and provide a safe-haven for some much needed relaxation.

Not everyone has the same idea of what their Keller home should be. So while the same aesthetic won’t work for everyone, here are five tips to start you in the right direction.

1. Texture and textiles – Instead of having a bunch of hard surfaces, cozy up your home with something soft or textured. This could be a blanket, curtains or area rugs. These items will also provide some acoustical value so noises aren’t echoing in an empty space.

2. Comfort – Have some place in your home where you can relax, recharge and feel at ease. Make a space where you can spend time.

3. Color – A monochromatic scheme with pops of colors can bring you into a place where you feel comfortable and happy. Do your research on color theory before painting any space. Different colors can spark different moods, emotions and even behavior. Discover what you’d like a given space to accomplish, and use colors as a tool to create such environment.

4. Lighting – There should be aesthetically pleasing lighting. Look at the difference between warm and cool lighting colors to decide what helps achieve the look you want. Also consider task, ambient and accent lighting for your space. Lighting plays a key role in any home. Through lighting design you can highlight design and architectural features, create lighting which is more useful to the human eye, and work with natural light while keeping energy use to a minimum.

5. Clutter/stuff – Less is more, but make it more meaningful. Get rid of your clutter. When sitting in your space, make sure you can look around and like the things you see. Select significant pieces of furniture and art to move. You don't need to have or show everything you have all in one room.
Also, Let your garden and landscaping work for you on the inside by positioning furniture.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Tuesday, November 18, 2014

A quick energy audit could save Keller homeowners big bucks this winter

If you are unsure whether you have winterized your Keller home properly, conducting a quick, simplistic energy audit can help prevent nasty surprises when the heating bill arrives.

It’s human instinct to increase the heat during the coldest winter days, however, this comes with increased heating costs that can stretch the household budget. Air leakage contributes significantly to home heating costs. Air escaping from the home’s envelope means the furnace has to work overtime to compensate and maintain a comfortable living temperature. As a result, energy consumption remains high, monthly bills continue to climb and any efficiency achieved through other methods is fruitless. It is estimated that floors, walls, ceilings and windows account for 41 percent of air leakage in homes.

A simple energy audit can help you better understand your Keller home’s performance and ensure your heating bills don’t break the bank this winter.

Start by thoroughly cleaning all vents, filters and ducts. Use a vacuum to remove any dust and debris around your furnace’s filters. If you have already done this, you may then want to have a professional clean your ductwork. Cleaning can noticeably improve the performance of your home’s heating system, allowing it to run more efficiently.

Having a home energy auditor complete a “blower door” test will allow you to better understand how air flows through your home. This comprehensive test measures how much air is moving through any cracks around doors, windows and other potential problem areas. A well-sealed home should have no leaks. The energy auditor will also use equipment such as a “smoke pencil” and infrared camera to further assess the home’s overall performance and identify problem areas that need to be addressed.

Finally, have an insulation professional assess your existing insulation’s performance. Gaps, cracks and inconsistency of insulation coverage can significantly impact your home’s energy performance, as well as your monthly heating bills. A licensed insulation professional can make recommendations as to how to address air leakage effectively with a better-performing insulation material. One high-performance, long term solution is spray foam insulation. Spray foam insulation works well in all climates to fill cracks and gaps, stop air leakage and help reduce the strain on your heating and cooling equipment. This insulation material both insulates and air seals the home helping to noticeably reduce monthly heating and cooling bills.

Additionally, spray foam insulation’s air-sealing qualities allows you to reduce the size of your heating and cooling equipment since less effort is required to heat or cool the home. While air leakage can cause your heating bills to jump significantly this winter, completing a quick energy audit and having a well-insulated home can help you get through the cold winter months.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Thursday, November 13, 2014

Essential tools for your Keller home

The life of a Keller homeowner can be unpredictable. It is inevitable you will encounter necessary home fixes and even an occasional severe weather incident. From storm-damaged roofs and extended power outages to a cabinet door ready to fall off its hinges, it’s important to fix issues quickly before they become a hazard to your family, pets or visitors

To fix these problems, you can tackle the project yourself or call a professional to help. With the DIY population growing, an increasing number of people are completing projects on their own to help save money. An estimated 70 percent of home projects involve DIY and/or some help from family or friends.

Being prepared is more than half the battle. Then you can focus on the task and not scramble to find the tools and information you need to complete a project. Consider the following tips to ensure you’re prepared to tackle any project or repair involving your Keller home.

Stay on top of simple, quick fixes
Acquiring standard tools with multiple functions such as the 100-plus piece sets you can find at a hardware store like Home Depot will empower you to complete simple fixes around your home and are an investment that will payoff due to a lifetime of use. Keeping up with these simple tasks helps prevent bigger issues down the road. Additional common tools such as power drills, pliers, hammers and screwdrivers will also help with basic home repairs.

Complete projects to maintain your home value
Common sense maintenance helps preserve the value of your home. Installing a new floor, replacing old windows, repairing walkways, updating your landscaping and adding new caulking around the tub are all simple ways to keep your home in top shape. Tools such as a saw, nailer, chisel, sledge hammer and utility knife will help complete these projects and are worth the investment due to their frequent use.

Plan ahead for emergencies
Storms, power outages and other disasters – both major and minor – will always be a risk, but the right tools will help you cope with a power outage. A few simple purchases – such as flashlights or battery-powered chargers for your small devices – will make emergencies easier to manage. In addition, portable generators can provide electricity to run essential items inside your house during a power outage. Having these backup power items can help save money in the long run and ensure you are prepared.

Being ready to tackle a variety of home-related projects is part of being a responsible homeowner. Know your limits, though. If you run into a project you can’t tackle yourself safely, call a local professional for help.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Tuesday, November 11, 2014

6 steps for choosing the best remodeling contractor in Keller

A remodeling project is one of the most invigorating lifestyle changes a Keller homeowner can make. However, trusting a contractor with both your home and your money can feel overwhelming. Spare your time, money and sanity by following these steps for choosing the best local remodeling contractor:

1. Decide what you want out of your newly remodeled home. Start thinking about goals, amenities and a rough timeline, making sure you can clearly articulate your ideas to a contractor. Browsing the internet for pictures and blogs can serve as inspiration for kick-starting your remodeling project. This phase is also ideal for researching sustainable building products. By using energy efficient products, Keller homeowners save money on heating and cooling costs, and builders can decrease construction’s carbon footprint.

2. Ask for advice. You’re not the first person in DFW to remodel your home, so don’t go through the process alone. Talk to friends, relatives, neighbors and coworkers about their remodeling experiences. In addition to collecting referrals, ask targeted questions about how those contractors communicated throughout the process and mitigated any setbacks. If you know a building inspector, ask which contractors regularly meet code requirements.

3. Research and contact businesses. Start gathering information on your referrals and local prospects by visiting their websites or making phone calls. Make sure these remodeling contractors have the required licenses, liability insurance and ability to obtain local permits for your project. Most will also tell you if they belong to a professional association such as the National Association of the Remodeling Industry or National Association of Homebuilders. The Better Business Bureau also issues warnings about those that might not be trustworthy. Through your research, select three to five potential contractors in or near the Keller area.

4. Set up meetings with contractors. After identifying your top candidates, schedule face-to-face meetings with each to discuss your project. Ask questions and make sure communication is fluid and straight-forward. How many projects does the contractor handle at one time? Are his or her past projects similar in scope to yours? If you find a particular meeting goes especially well, ask for references and a bid on your project.

5. Compare bids and references. Think of this step as putting the finishing touches on your selection process. When contacting references, ask them to rate their satisfaction with the project. Did the contractor meet time and budget requirements? As soon as the bids come in, look at the cost breakdown of labor and building materials. The best contractor is not always the cheapest. Now’s the time to find out if a contractor uses the best quality products that meet your budget. For instance, does he or she install fiber cement siding on home exteriors, or, opt for the cheaper, less durable vinyl siding? Make sure contractors are choosing long-lasting products that will stand the test of time.

6. Choose your contractor and sign a contract. With all of your research on hand, select the best contractor for your project. After confirming with the contractor, draw up a contract that includes a description of the work, products to be used, cost and completion dates and let the project begin.

Office (817) 337-0000

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Friday, November 7, 2014

Tips for insulating the garage of your DFW home

As ever-increasing home energy bills continue to plague North Texans, Keller, Southlake, and North Richland Hills homeowners are looking for cost-effective ways to reduce their heating and cooling costs. If your house has not been properly insulated, you may be paying more than you should to heat or cool it.

Nearly all modern DFW homes have insulation throughout the living spaces, but garages commonly get overlooked. Because the garage is the last barrier between your home and the outdoors, it's important to ensure the insulation is adequate. You can do a few simple things to make sure your garage is insulated properly.

First, it’s important to ensure that the door leading from your home to the garage is sealed properly. If air leaks through the cracks around the door, it's nearly as problematic as leaving the door wide open. Weather-stripping kits are available to insulate the edges of your door. Some are made to just go along the bottom of the door, and some fit around the edges to prevent any air leaks.

Other areas to consider when checking your garage's energy efficiency are the ceiling and the garage door threshold. If there is a room above your garage, it may be beneficial to bolster the insulation in the garage’s ceiling to help keep the living space above it comfortable. For the threshold, installing a rubber seal-strip on the floor where the garage door closes helps prevent air leaks, and keeps out insects and rodents.

That said, one of the most important areas to examine is the garage door itself. While installing a pre-insulated garage door can cost up to a thousand dollars or more, and requires a skilled contractor, there is a simple and inexpensive DIY solution to insulate your garage – garage door insulation kits. Home owners can easily insulate their existing garage doors with these kits, which are readily available in leading home improvement stores or online. These affordable and easy-to-use kits are made to fit standard garage door sizes and can be cut to fit non-standard sizes. With pre-packaged insulation, do-it-yourselfers can insulate their garage door in less than an hour, at a cost of less than $100. Kits use energy-efficient expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation panels – a rigid white foam that trims easily, is durable, offers excellent long-term insulation, and gives your garage a professionally finished look.

Keller homeowners do not need technical skills to install garage door insulation. Simply cut the insulation panels to size with a knife and straightedge, and flex the panels into place between the garage door’s horizontal rails. The panels remain firmly in place without the use of messy glues or awkward tape. There are several how-to-videos on youtube and throughout the web.

During fall and winter, the insulation helps keep heat inside the garage so that the furnace does not work as hard and use as much energy. In the summer, the insulation helps keep the sun’s heat at bay so the garage can stay cool. Insulating your garage also helps reduce interior noise and is sometimes considered an energy-efficient upgrade (check your local energy guides for more information).

Office (817) 337-0000

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Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Easy ways to warm up and protect your Keller home this winter

Cooler temperatures are on the horizon and now is your last chance to begin checking items off your seasonal to-do list. Complete simple projects so you can be ready to enjoy your Keller home this winter season.

Add some pizzazz with paint
Cool but not freezing temperatures can provide a window of opportunity for the perfect painting weather, especially if you're looking for a simple weekend project that provides instant results. These mild temperatures allow you to open windows and circulate fresh air while applying new color to your walls. Select bright shades for interior spaces to fend off the approaching winter blues.

Space warming tricks
Now that you’ve warmed up your space with color, you can focus on preparing the rest of your home for the winter. Flip your ceiling fan blades so they run counterclockwise – which will push warmer air down to instantly heat up the room. A fast fix to keep cold air out and warmer air in is to install weather stripping on your doors and windows. Regulate the temperature of your Keller home by adding area rugs for extra layers of insulation, especially if you have wood floors. Make sure you’re not left out in the cold by scheduling a furnace checkup to ensure everything’s running properly. You’ll thank yourself later for not waiting until it breaks during a snowstorm to have it fixed. If your home has a fireplace and chimney, hire a professional chimney sweep to remove any debris that could potentially ignite and wreak havoc on your home during the months ahead.

Outside guide
Even though much of your time will be spent indoors during cold months, it’s important to remember your outdoor obligations. Winterize any pipes that are exposed to outdoor temperatures and turn off the water to exterior faucets. Be sure to disconnect all hoses and spigots and drain all remaining water from the pipes, as leftover water can freeze and cause the pipes to burst. Cover grills and air conditioning units, and store outdoor furniture, umbrellas and cushions in a shed, garage or covered area to prevent rust and damage from the elements. Thoroughly clean gutters, give your lawn a final mowing and fertilize and prune your flowers just before the temperatures drop to an uncomfortable level. This will minimize the work that needs to be done when the ground thaws in spring. By taking the proper precautions and completing these seasonal projects now, you’ll save time and money, all while keeping your Keller home well-maintained and looking great heading into the months ahead.

Office (817) 337-0000

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