Harmon Homes: Greater Pittsburgh

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HARMON HOMES

Volume 17 Issue 6

Real Estate Guide for the Greater Pittsburgh Area

Visit HarmonHomes.com to view over 3 million listings online!

This issue online at eHarmonHomes.com For Advertising contact Marlene Poole, 800-344-3834 x111 • marlene.poole@harmonhomes.com

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March 29th Issue Wednesday, March 20th, 2019 Marlene Poole 330.478.3538 marlene.poole@harmonhomes.com All real estate advertised herein is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise ”any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or intention to make any such preference, limitation, or discrimination.” We will not knowingly accept any advertising which is in violation of the laws. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis. Neither advertisers nor HarmonHomes. com are responsible for any errors in the ad copy. HarmonHomes.com reserves the right to refuse any advertising which we deem unsuitable for any publication. Unless otherwise noted, all photographs, artwork and ad designs printed in HarmonHomes.com are the sole property of Harmon Media Group and may not be duplicated or reprinted without Harmon Media Group express written permission. HarmonHomes.com and Harmon Media Group are not responsible for typographical or production errors or the accuracy of information provided by advertisers.

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TEXT-TO-VIDEO, LEAD CAPTURE All things for your home and more...HARMONHOMESnMORE

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Make a checklist to stay on track with all cleaning and Organization projects.

Don’t take on too many projects at once. Start with one task in one room at a time.

Nothing says spring cleaning like a good purge. Pick a room, take inventory of everything you have and make piles to keep and donate. When in doubt, throw it out.

Need a few decor upgrades? Spring cleaning is the perfect time. Add simple chic shelving to the living room or colorful accents to the kitchen.

Make a little extra cash this spring and hold a garage sale, the perfect way to get rid of unwanted items during the annual clean.

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Warmer weather means outside fun. Clean dirt and grime off patio furniture and even the grill.

Get ahead of the game and stock up on all necessary supplies in advance, especially kitchen & bath necessities like hand soap, air freshener, paper towels, bath tissue.

Good-bye winter, hello spring. Put away boots, winter coats and hats and make room for sneakers, rain boots and umbrellas.

Get creative with storage to ensure everything is in its place and easily accessible. Incorporate underthe-sink organizers and door rack in the linen closet Unscrew the faucet aerators, sink sprayers and shower heads, and soak them in equal parts vinegar and water solution. Let them soak for an hour, then rinse with warm water.

All things for your home and more...HARMONHOMESnMORE

Helene Massof

RE/MAX CSI, Realtors 1720 Washington Road Pittsburgh PA, 15241

RE/MAX CSI, Realtors®

Cell: (412) 849-1001 (412) 833-0900 x2516 www.HeleneMassof.com

131 Foxchase, North Strabane - $499,900

CHARM, COMFORT CONVENIENT AREA *THIS TRADITIONAL 4 BEDROOM COLONIAL HAS IT ALL* This classic 4,430 SQ. FT. Colonial personifies all the classic customized ARCHITECTURAL CHARACTERISTICS of a VINTAGE COLONIAL for the 21st CENTURY. From the Gleaming Hardwood Floors, CROWN MOLDINGS, FRENCH DOORS, FIREPLACES in the Family Room and Master Suite. The OFFICE/LIBRARY/DEN on the first floor with added amenities of the Colonial Home for today's Families. Additional features on the 1st Floor are a Powder Room and Laundry Room, Also, a distinctive 16x13 PARLOR with Bump-Out Bay Windows. The Parlor with its large FRENCH DOORS and Oversized Sidelights creates a dramatic entrance into the 16x13 FORMAL DINING ROOM with CHAIR RAIL, WAINSCOTING and CROWN MOLDING designed especially for FAMILY CELEBRATIONS. The scent of delicious aromas emanates from the 20x15 GOURMET GRANITE COUNTER KITCHEN Plus extras. The KITCHEN combines with a 17x12 BREAKFAST/MORNING ROOM walled with windows and bathed in sunlight. Accessible from this room is an oversized DECK for Lunch or barbecue when the weather permits. The main STAIRCASE in the FOYER leads upstairs to 4 over size spacious BEDROOMS including the master suite 22x20 with a MASSIVE CLOSET and FIREPLACE to warm you on those cold winter nights. The MASTER BATH has a SOAKING TUB, DUAL SINKS, DOUBLE SIZE SURROUND SHOWER with plenty of extras. The LOWER LEVEL, YES, an unbelievable size 30x20 FINISHED as a Game room and THEATER and separate storage room next to it the same size with plenty of reserved space to hoard and save all those extras. 131 FOXCHASE DRIVE offers all the PLEASURES a FAMILY needs.

Tips for Maintaining an Organized Living Room

by Caren Baginski 1. Welcome the Wastebasket

If trash tends to accumulate in the family room, adding a wastebasket might cut down on clutter. Few family rooms actually have a wastebasket in them; they’re not attractive and they can smell. Counteract this by choosing a can that fits your room’s decor.

If you know food will be thrown away here, get one with a lid and some deodorizing trash bags.

2. Keep Flat Surfaces Clutter-free Papers, books, brochures and magazines tend to accumulate on flat surfaces all around the house, and the family room is no different. In fact, the family room is often more cluttered because it’s a central gathering place in the house. A two drawer lateral file is an ideal recommendation - If you don’t have the floor space, a stackable file cart will do.

3. Control Out-of-Control Cords Until the world goes wireless, we’ll forever be stuck with tangled cables behind our entertainment centers. Fortunately, there are several options for taming cords in the family room. A cable caddy usually sticks onto a desktop (or behind the TV console) and has a space for several cables to clamp into. Your cords will still dangle freely, however, so a cable zipper, which encloses all the cables in a tube, might be the best bet.

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4. Create a Play Zone If toys are taking over your family room, it’s time to put them in timeout. Unused corners of a family room transform into great play areas because the walls serve to block encroaching clutter.

Corners are also good areas to put a small bookcase or children’s table. Add rolling bins for toy storage so your child doesn’t have to feel confined, but is encouraged to pick up after he or she is done playing.

5. Coffee Table Functionality If you have a coffee table (or forgot you had one due to the clutter) it’s time to reassess its organizational capacity. Coffee tables that look great but don’t have any storage for magazines, remote controls or even drink coasters, are probably making life more difficult. If you don’t have the budget for a new one, consider adding low storage cubes, rolling baskets or bins to stick under the table.

8. Take Advantage of Space Behind the Sofa Organize extra blankets, pillows, candles in an accessible place - behind the sofa. It’s a great place to put a trunk, cabinet or low bookcase. Plus, it gives you another surface to put a lamp or show off some treasured objects.

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LYNN BANBURY 412.680.5000

“Berkshire Hathaway Home Services the world’s most respected brand* come together to provide unparalled real estate service.”

Over 25 Years of Full Time Professional Service Buyer and Seller Representation email: lynnbanbury@tprsold.com

Peters Township E NT IC E PR VEM O R P IM

Beautiful

$689,000

custom

four

G IN AZ AM

bedroom, four and a half bath brick. Two story foyer and family room. Three car garage.

Trex

deck

plus

great

landscaping around pretty inground pool. MLS# 1345368 Lynn Banbury (412)680–5000

TEXT PA1345368 TO 40691 MORE PHOTOS

W NE

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E NT IC E PR VEM O R P M

TEXT PA1345387 TO 40691 MORE PHOTOS

Peters Township $775,000 Elegant brick provincial style five bedroom, four and a half bath on quiet cul-de-sac. Fantastic manicured lot with artistically created flagstone patio and amazing rear property. MLS# 1378798 Lynn Banbury (412)680–5000

TEXT PA1368645 TO 40691 MORE PHOTOS

Mt. Lebanon $149,900 Updated Affordable 2 bedroom with spacious garage.

Remodeled eat-in kitchen, Private covered patio and yard.

Great Location near park, schools, & shopping.

MLS# 1368645 Lynn Banbury (412)680–5000

TEXT PA1335609 TO 40691 MORE PHOTOS

Upper St. Clair $899,000 Spectacular Brick and Stone with Magnificent View of Golf Course. Tongue in Groove Cathedral Ceilings. Great Room, Den, Work Shop and Much More. MLS# 1335609 Lynn Banbury (412)680–5000

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TEXT PA1369879 TO 40691 MORE PHOTOS

10 Easy Home Sale Tips 1.

Add power outlets with USB ports in rooms that lack them, especially in the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms where they’re most needed.

2. Eliminate acoustic popcorn-style ceilings since

they look dated and tacky.

3. Use what you have, and arrange each room in a

Crafton $800 Per Month Spacious Two Bedroom second floor apartment† with off street parking.

Equipped kitchen. Full size dining room. Large deck off living room, Washer and dryer hookups.

MLS# 1369879 Lynn Banbury (412)680–5000

By Barbara Ballinger

6. Remove outdated wallpaper, replacing it with paint and preferably a neutral color,

7. Remove, store, or discard excessive accessories on tabletops and walls and in cabinets. Some suggest following the rule of three: Leave out only three things on any surface.

8. Pay attention to your bathrooms. Specifically,

conversational way if possible. Don’t set all furnishings in a family room so they face a TV, since most potential buyers like the idea of an open-room for socializing.

make sure you have freshly laundered towels, new soap in soap dishes, spotless mirrors, and no mildew in view.

4.

9. Improve a home’s healthfulness by using paints

5. Change out corroded or dented door knobs and

10. Be sure your house is priced competitively with

Clean carpets and wood floors since they’re often the first part of a room that buyers check out; you don’t need to replace them unless they’re in terrible shape.

levers. The replacements don’t have to be expensive but they should look new and clean.

All things for your home and more...HARMONHOMESnMORE

and adhesives with low or no VOCs. Point out these changes to prospective buyers.

the current market and homes in your area. In most regions, it’s still the No. 1 “fix” to sell quickly.

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7 Quick Fixes to 4. Unjamming Make Around Sliding Windows Your House

by Adam Bluestein

A little silicone spray lubricant (sold at hardware stores) will grease the skids. Spray it onto a rag, then wipe along the tracks, whether they’re metal, wood, or plastic.

1.Squeaky Door Hinges

5. Plumping Up Deflated Cushions

Spray a little WD-40 onto the hinges, moving the door back and forth to work in the lubricant. Or try rubbing the hinges with petroleum jelly. If these tricks don’t work, lift the hinge pins about halfway and lubricate them with three-in-one oil, using a rag to catch drips.

Put them outside in the sun for a few hours, flipping them halfway through. (Be carefulЮleaving them out too long may fade the fabric.) The sun will help evaporate the moisture that gets into the filling over time, and the cushions should plump up nicely.

2. Fixing Unfurled 6. Repairing Marked Wallpaper Up Linoleum Floors With a knife, smear wallpaper paste onto a piece of writing paper. Rub the paper against the underside of the peeling section. Press the wallpaper against the wall. Slide the writing paper out and smooth away bubbles with a clean cloth.

Rub the spot with white toothpaste and a dry cloth or with an eraser. Or spray WD-40 on a towel and rub lightly, making sure to degrease the area afterward with liquid dishwashing soap and water.

3.Washing Chandeliers

7. Organizing & Storing Cords

Allow the fixture to cool. Wear a pair of white cotton glovesЮone dry, one dampened with glass cleaner. (For crystal, use one part rubbing alcohol to three parts distilled water.) Wipe each prism with the damp glove, then the dry one.

Cowgirls and sailors alike know the benefits of storing ropes neatly coiled. Follow their lead and keep extension cords tangle-free and contained inside a large plastic bucket when they’re not in use.

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A mudroom. Because mud.

When you build a home from the ground up, you get to design

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Pittsburgh: 866 -883 -2852 • Portage: 866 -928 - 0170