Better Together Properties

01/09/2023

Had a great open house today! Big thanks to all who came out and shared in the celebration and fun!!! We also have to give a huge shout out to Jay Cook HomeSmart Florida Realtor for running the open house! Buyers looking for a realtor, he’s your guy!

12/20/2022

03/03/2022

Making Offers with Inherited Tenants and the problems that can happen.

02/27/2022

Need to remove hard water stains from a kitchen or baths?

“Hard water” refers to water with high mineral levels — mainly magnesium and calcium. Those minerals are good for overall health, but unfortunately, they can also leave a chalky residue on shower glass and bathroom fixtures.

How do you get rid of it?

Here are some DIY tips!

Shower Glass — Create a cocktail of plain vodka and Coca-Cola. The combination of ethanol and carbonation is super effective for removing hard water stains. Just don’t press too hard or it might scratch the glass.

Faucets & Showerheads — Start by rubbing lemon rind on the faucet. Then soak paper towels with vinegar and hang them over the faucet for a little while. Finally, rinse and dry everything.

Toilets — Baking soda and vinegar works wonders for removing hard water stains from a toilet.

Dishes — Soak your dishes in hot water and vinegar. That’ll remove hard water stains like magic.

Countertops — Creating a paste out of baking soda and water, and then applying it with a soft-bristle brush, works wonders for removing hard water from countertops.

Install Water Softening System — To be proactive and remove hard water stains before they happen, consider installing a water softening system. That costs about $3,000.

Hope that helps!

And if you want to sell your house for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll pay all closing costs!

02/25/2022

Need to fix a broken window? Maybe several broken windows?

In our time at Better Together Properties buying and selling real estate in Pensacola, we’ve had to fix A LOT of broken windows.

The good news is that savvy DIYers can probably figure out how to fix the broken glass on their own.

Here are some steps to help get the process started (this is assuming that only the glass needs to be replaced) …

Remove the Sash — This will make it a lot easier to replace the window glass since it can be laid flat while it’s being worked on.

Remove Broken Glass — Put on some heavy-duty gloves and start removing the glass. Be careful and make sure to get all of the glass. If a piece gets stuck, you can use a heat gun to slightly warm up the material. This will make it easier to remove.

Measure — Before putting in the new glass, make sure to measure the height and width of the windowpane as well as the thickness of the old glass. Write these measurements down and take them to a home improvement store to get the right glass.

Insert Glass — Clean the window frame, carefully apply new glazing, set the window glass, and paint the window frame once you’re done.

Hope that helps! If it seems like too much, don’t hesitate to hire a professional!

And if you or someone you know wants to sell a property for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can make a fair cash offer within 48 hours, buy as-is, and close in as little as two weeks!

02/23/2022

Trying to keep your home at a comfortable temperature without spending an arm and a leg on heating or air conditioning?

Well, while nothing is quite as effective as air conditioning or gas-powered heating, there are still a lot of things one can do to lower that energy bill.

Here are some ideas!

Programmable Thermostat — It might be a little spendy up front, but using a programmable thermostat will save you money and help with keeping your house at a good temperature.

Close Your Flue — If you don’t want to let heat escape the house, then close the chimney flue. That lets a ton of heat escape out the top of a house.

Move Furniture — It sounds like a no-brainer, but make sure there is no furniture blocking the flow of air into and out of the room (vents, etc.). That’ll waste money and make any HVAC system less effective.

Use a Door Sweep — Is hot or cold air seeping beneath your doors? Consider installing a draft-defeating nylon door sweep to stop that from happening. It’s super cheap and easy to install.

Use Your Drapes — You can open your drapes to let in some free solar heat. And you can close the drapes to keep things cool. This is one of the easiest ways to increase or decrease the temperature inside a house.

Hope that helps!

And if you or someone you know wants to sell a property for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can make a fair cash offer within 48 hours, buy as-is, and close in as little as two weeks!

02/21/2022

Sometimes, getting your house clean is easier than KEEPING your house clean (especially if you have pets or kids).

We get it.

It’s the law of entropy at work — overtime, all things veer toward chaos.

But some people are able to keep their houses clean so easily (at least it seems that way)…

How do they do it?

Here are some tips!

Get Rid of Stuff — Sometimes, there’s just too much stuff. Getting rid of stuff is one of the easiest ways to keep a house more clean… because then there’s less stuff to clean up!

Clean Before Sitting — What’s the first thing you do when you get home? Get in the habit of putting away your shoes, keys, glasses, mail, and other stuff right after you get home.

Make a Place — Everything in the house should have a designated place. If there’s too much stuff to make places for, that probably means some stuff needs to go.

Clean As You Go — The best thing to do is get in the habit of cleaning so that it’s not a once-a-week ritual, but an everyday sort of thing. Clean the kitchen after or as dinner is being made. Do a little bit of laundry every day. Sweep and vacuum every day. And so on. By doing a little bit every day, there’s never a lot to do all at once.

And if you or someone you know wants to sell a property for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can make a fair cash offer within 48 hours, buy as-is, and close in as little as two weeks!

02/06/2022

Installing new floors?

Trying to decide which TYPE of floors to install?

At Better Together Properties, we’ve worked in real estate for quite some time. And naturally, we’ve had to make all sorts of decisions about properties… INCLUDING what types of floors to install to fit both budget and aesthetic.

Since there are a lot of options, we thought we’d drop by and give you some pointers.

Here’s a breakdown of the choices!

Laminate — Laminate flooring is sturdy and resists warping, as well as scuffs or scratches. Aesthetically, it can match almost any style. Cost is between $1 and $7 per square foot.

Hardwood — Hardwood flooring is beautiful, long-lasting, and can go with any decor. It’s susceptible to moisture, however, and costs as much as $14 per square foot.

Vinyl — Vinyl flooring is inexpensive and very resilient. It only costs $1 to $5 per square foot.

Bamboo — Bamboo flooring has similar beauty to hardwood flooring. It’s durable and made from a renewable source. It costs $3 to $8 per square foot.

Ceramic — Ceramic tiles are great for kitchens and bathrooms. They come in a lot of different colors and styles. Cost is between $1 to $20 per square foot.

Linoleum — Linoleum is an eco-friendly choice. It’s also very durable and comes in a lot of vibrant colors. Cost is between $2 to $5 per square foot.

Hope that helps!

And if you or anyone you know wants to sell a property for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll even pay all closing costs!

02/04/2022

Trying to figure out which types of doors to install in your house?

The good news is that there are a lot of options — dutch doors, french doors, bifold doors, hinged doors, sliding doors, pocket doors, and so on.

But the bad news is the same: there are A LOT of options… and so it’s hard to choose.

At Better Together Properties, we’ve been making real-estate-related decisions for quite a while now and, sometimes, those decisions have included which type of door to install in a property.

So we thought we’d pop by with some door-based advice.

Here’s a breakdown of the options based on door material!

Wood — Wood is the long-standing most popular choice for exterior doors, but some people are also using it indoors as well now. They’re easy to paint or tint, and they fit almost any style or decor. They’re also quite durable.

Steel — Steel doors are super durable and require very little upkeep to maintain. They also offer a modern aesthetic and are typically less expensive than wood doors.

Fiberglass — Like steel, fiberglass doors are super durable and require very little upkeep. They also provide good insulation and are resistant to dents. And they can be designed to match almost any aesthetic.

Aluminum — Aluminum doors are popular amongst people who want a modern aesthetic. They’re also very versatile and can be placed in different settings as well as work as exterior or interior doors.

Flush — Made from fiberboard or plywood, flush doors are very affordable and provide decent durability. They’re great for bathrooms or utility rooms.

Hope that helps!

And if you or someone you know wants to sell a property for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can make a fair cash offer within 48 hours, buy as-is, and close in as little as two weeks!

02/02/2022

Want to add some plants to your house?

Doing so can make your home feel more cozy and bright, making it a GREAT idea!

But of course, some plants are much more difficult to take care of than others…

…especially if you’re new to the business of keeping plants alive.

So we thought we’d stop by and help out with a few plants that are practically impossible to kill — these will bring some nature into your home… even if you forget to water them sometimes 😉

Here they are!

Paddle Plant — a succulent that favors bright light and doesn’t mind going without water for a while.

Lady Palm — a palm that only needs indirect sunlight.

String of Pearls — needs bright, indirect sunlight and water once a week.

Albuca Frizzle Sizzle — easy to care for and smells great.

Peperomia — a colorful plant that grows great indoors and needs minimal water.

Pothos — a trailing vine that can withstand the whims of just about any caretaker.

Aglaonema Chinese Evergreen — have a habit of overwatering your plants? This one can take it.

Jade Plant — since this plant retains water in its round leaves, it can live without attention for more than a month sometimes.

Asparagus Fern — a fluffy plant that tolerates far more abuse than most ferns.

Chinese Money Plant — grows best in the shade (does not produce money, unfortunately).

There you go! Now you can add some easy-to-keep-alive plants to your indoor decorations. Hope this helps!

And if you or someone you know wants to sell a house as-is for cash, give us a call at (850) 724-4544 — we can make a fair cash offer within 48 hours and close in as little as two weeks!

01/31/2022

Want to lower your monthly HOA fees?

Homeowner Association (HOA) fees vary drastically from house to house, but the average is usually somewhere between $100 and $1,000 per month.

And while most people accept these fees at face value… There are some things that can be done to lower your monthly payments.

How is it done?

Here’s what we recommend!

Ask To See The Budget — It’s a homeowner’s right to review the HOA budget. Ask for a copy and review it. You can ask questions as they come up.

Review HOA Contracts — Many HOAs have outdated and overpriced contracts for the services they hire out for on behalf of homeowners. If possible, it’s worth reviewing and renegotiating these contracts (this is easier if you’re on the HOA board!).

Join The HOA Board — It might take a little extra time to get approved, but being on the HOA board will give you much more insight and control over the budget.

Find New Contractors — If you think that a contractor is overpriced, it’s worth finding a new contractor to lower costs.

Renegotiate Insurance — Insurance is a big part of HOA payments. Whenever your policy gets renewed, prepare to renegotiate terms with your carrier to lower your monthly payment, or investigate other insurance providers.

Property Management Fees — Property management is a large part of most HOA fees. How much is your HOA paying and is it a fair amount? It’s worth reviewing and it’s maybe worth renegotiating.

Hope that helps you lower your monthly HOA payments.

And if you want to sell a property as-is for cash, give us a call at (850) 724-4544 — we can close in as little as two weeks and we’ll pay all closing costs!

01/30/2022

Does your house need some repairs?

Well, as you probably guessed, repairing a home is either a good amount of work — if you do it yourself — or a good amount of money.

But just how much?

Well, at Better Together Properties, we’ve worked in real estate in Pensacola for quite some time… and we’ve learned a thing or two about home repair.

So, here’s an overview of the most common home repairs with our DIY score (1 is crazy difficult, 10 is super easy) and average cost if you’re going to hire a contractor.

Foundation Repair — Average Cost: $10,000, DIY Score: 2

Electrical Issues — Average Cost: $1,000, DIY Score: 1

Water Heater — Average Cost: $800, DIY Score: 4

Water Damage — Average Cost: $2,000, DIY Score: 4

Septic System — Average Cost: $2,000, DIY Score: 2

HVAC — Average Cost: $5,000, DIY Score: 5

Mold — Average Cost: $2,000, DIY Score: 7

Termites — Average Cost: $3,000, DIY Score: 1

Hope that helps give you an idea of what to expect.

And if you prefer to sell your home as-is for a fair cash price, give us a call at (850) 724-4544. We can make you an offer within 48 hours and close in as little as two weeks. We’ll pay all closing costs!