Haring Realty Blog

May 22nd is Buy a Musical Instrument Day. A good quality instrument is important for a music lover, but having the right place to play it is just as important. There are plenty of Mansfield and Ashland homes for sale, and our REALTORS® can help you find one with an extra room that you can use as a music room. Here are some tips for setting up the ideal space.

• Location. Which room should be your music room? There are several considerations. First, pick a room that doesn't get a lot of outside noise. If you live in a busy area, that may mean the room furthest from the street. Also, if possible, choose a large room, as they have better acoustics.

  Click Here to Read More...

If you're like most people, you can probably close your eyes and hear your mother saying, "No playing with your friends until you get that bedroom clean!" With the eyerolls and the grumbling, you probably turned a half-hour job into an all-day nightmare. But does it have to be that much of a struggle? May 10th is National Clean Your Room Day, and our REALTORS® have a few suggestions that may help your kids get in the habit of keeping a tidy room without the tears and frustration. 

• Start Small
  That is, start working with your children when they are toddlers. Clean together and encourage them to put toys in the toy box, dirty clothes in the hamper, and shoes in the closet. Applaud their efforts and cheer their successes, just as you did when they took their first steps. Positive reinforcement at their earliest stages of development is far more effective than negative responses later. Even if you have to follow behind them for thorough dusting, let them try to do it themselves. They'll get better with practice.

  Click Here to Read More...

A new home is a blank slate. That said, our REALTORS® know how hard it can be to get organized when moving into a new home. Most garages end up being junk purgatories where items that don't yet have storage space end up. Unfortunately, this leads to garages getting cluttered almost to the point where you can't use them for their intended purpose—to park your car.

Every April 26 is dedicated to proper planning, cleaning up, and decluttering. It's a great time to get some spring cleaning done on Get Organized Day. Here are some tips to help you clear the clutter after you've found a house among Mansfield or Ashland homes for sale.

Click Here to Read More...

There are many reasons to concentrate your gardening efforts on creating a colorful, cool, and intriguing patio with container plants. Maybe you're lacking room in the yard to landscape it satisfactorily. Or, you spend a lot of time on the patio entertaining guests or just relaxing.

Whether it's trees for shade or height, shrubs for privacy, or vibrant annuals for your color fix, container gardening on your patio is a big winner in our climate. After all, we can protect those plants over the winter and enjoy them in spring in any of these Mansfield and Ashland homes for sale.

Click Here to Read More...

Waking up to see what the Easter Bunny left is almost as exciting as looking for Santa's gifts. But Easter festivities don't need to be limited to eating the ears off a chocolate rabbit. Our REALTORS® have some great suggestions for family time before the big day. 

• Dyeing Boiled Eggs
  While this option seems intuitive, we certainly couldn't bypass it. You'll find any number of kits at every grocery store, filled with the tools to complete the task as well as decorative augmentations. If you prefer to do the job the old-fashioned way, just line up a cup for each color and add ten or more drops of food coloring to each. Add one teaspoon of vinegar and 1/2 cup of boiling water. Place the eggs in the cups for about ten minutes before removing them with tongs or a slotted spoon.

  Click Here to Read More...

While many homeowners keep dogs and cats, other people desire non-traditional animals that are just as loving as dogs and cats. Our REALTORS®, who are also pet-lovers, highlight some unconventional pets to consider below.

1. Guinea Pigs
   Guinea pigs make excellent pets as they're social and easy to tame. However, they require constant attention and commitment to thrive in captivity.

   Click Here to Read More...

April 2nd is National DIY Day, so it's time to get started on some projects around the house. Roll up your sleeves, get out your tools, and tackle five home improvement projects that will make your home shine. Our REALTORS® know that a little elbow grease goes a long way in boosting your home's resale value in today's market.

1. Shampoo Your Carpets and Rugs
   If you have carpets and area rugs, you may be living with hidden germs from food debris, dust mites, dead skin, and pet hair, even if you vacuum on a regular schedule. Experts recommend that you shampoo your carpets and rugs twice a year.

   Click Here to Read More...

As you search through Mansfield and Ashland homes for sale, you may notice they're the perfect place to start a family— and that includes a furry family, too! If you've been thinking of heading down to a local shelter and giving a puppy its "forever home," you'll need to prepare your property for its arrival. In honor of National Puppy Day on March 23rd, our REALTORS® have put together some quick tips to get it ready.

• Secure the Trash
  As everyone knows, dogs have an amazing sense of smell. Add to that a puppy's curiosity, and it's a recipe for disaster—or the very least, a recipe for a big mess for you to clean up. Not only that, but a puppy may eat something toxic or a discarded item that can get lodged in its throat or cause internal damage. Always be sure that your trash cans are properly sealed and secured.

  Click Here to Read More...