20 Quick Fixes You Can Do In Five Minutes

"Think cleaning up or fixing up your place is an all-day - or all-weekend - effort? Well, you might be right depending on how long it's been since you spruced it up. But if you've let a few things get away from you and are feeling overwhelmed by the whole thing, take a beat, and a breath. By cutting the overall effort into smaller pieces, you can make a serious effort seem, well, effortless.

Whether your house needs a top-to-bottom cleaning or you are just looking for a clever way to attack the little things that bother you, According this list of "20 Quick Fixes You Can Do In Five Minutes or Less" provided by Realtytimes.com can help turn you around.

1. Call an "Electricity Drill." Everyone in the family is assigned rooms to check for lights, TVs, and unattended computers left on. This is a great chore/check for smaller children in the home. 

2. Sweep your front steps and shake out your welcome mat.

3. Clean out a junk drawer. Do one a day and you'll have a cleaner, more organized kitchen in no time. If it's a job that'll take more than a few minutes per drawer, break it up into steps: 1) toss the trash; 2) file the papers; 3) split up the rest by family member and make them do the dirty work. Check out Real Simple for more junk drawer clean-out ideas.

4. Take a look at your filters. Dirty and disgusting? Put "Trip to Home Improvement Store" on your "To do" list. And actually do it.

5. Cut up some lemons and grind them up in your garbage disposal. It'll give your kitchen a fresh smell. If you also add put some ice cubes down the disposal and this will help sharpen the blades. 

6. Do a quick fridge clean out. Take quick inventory of any dairy that's past its "good by" date and toss spoiled produce. And don't forget to check the door for mayo that's been there since the last backyard bbq. 

7. Take a duster to your ceiling fans. They're nasty.

8. Play "Pick It Up" with your kids. Set the timer on your oven or phone for 60 seconds and race them to see who can pick up and put away more things. Inner Child Fun has some more ideas to inspire kids to clean.

9. Spritz your mirrors. They probably need it.

10. Spritz your windows. They definitely need it.

11. Comb your rug - a tight weave throw rug doesn't always respond well to a vacuum cleaner. Get down on the floor with a wire dog brush. It'll fluff up the fibers and make it look brand new.

12. Wipe down your flat screen. If you don't have the appropriate tool, the dust-free wipe you use for your eyeglasses will work just fine.

13. Check your light bulbs. Have one (or more) that's out? Swap it out and brighten up the place.

14. Now put light bulbs on your grocery list. Add batteries and anything else you always need when you don't have.

15. Run a baby wipe over your baseboards. It's a surprisingly good trick for making them look newly painted.

16. Spray your kitchen counters and your cooktop, paying extra attention to any caked-on areas. If you're watching TV, go back and have a seat while the cleaner does its thing. Get up and wipe them down during the next set of commercials.

17. Do the same thing in your shower. And your toilet.

18. Survey your kitchen. If there are small appliances you haven't used for a month, put them up to create more workspace.

19. Run a broom into dark corners of bedrooms and hallways. You might be surprised by the cobwebs hiding up there.

20. Make your pooch a fur appointment. A good grooming will reduce that rampant dog hair problem."

10 Tips to Increase Your Home's Value - Tip 7 - Beautify your bathroom

Beautify your bathroom.
Of all the rooms in your house, the bathroom is the workhorse. There is lots of wear and tear, so you want to keep it functioning well and make good looking upgrades along the way.

• Focus on your faucet. Bathrooms are not utilitarian anymore. People like to feel relaxed, like they are in a spa. Drop-sinks are old news, people want the under-mount sinks.
• Go granite or marble with your countertops. If you are toying with the granite idea, your bathroom counter is most likely smaller than your kitchen counter and less expensive. This is a great place to start your first granite project.
• Nix the overhead lighting in favor of wall mounts to add warmth and value to your bathroom. Make sure that around your mirror you have even lighting with no side shadows.
• Heated floors attract buyers like bees to honey.
• Upgrade your bath area. With an 85 percent return, install a shower with body sprays and stone surround tile. If you are not selling right away, you will feel like you are in a Zen garden every time you step into your bathroom.
• Keep it clean. Dirt and grime can become embedded in bathroom surfaces very quickly. Freshen it up with new grout.

10 Tips to Increase your Home's Value - Tip 4 - Clean your house

Over the next 10 days I would like to share with you 10 Tips to help increase your home’s value. We are on to tip 4, if you have missed the first two tips you should be able to find them in the blog archive area just to the right of this post. The thought of increasing the value of your home may be easier than you think By following these tips found via the Home and Garden Network, your home may be worth more than you think.

Tip 4: Clean your house now for profits later.
“Have you decided to put your house on the market, a bright and sparkly home can sometimes draw buyers in like a magnet. A house can never be too clean. It can sometimes be a good idea, to step back and look at home as if you were a buyer, would you choose the house that is slightly dingy or the home down the street that is clean and welcoming?

By making your house a clean house a priority, you are doing several things at once. First, you stay on top of maintenance issues, spotting potential problems before they become expensive ones. Secondly, you don't allow dirt and junk to build up over time. Things like mold can become a pest if allowed to stretch unchecked. Finally, a clean house is healthier for you and your family.

Remember, de-cluttering is also a form of cleaning. Just as dirt builds up, so does clutter. Don't waste time or money moving your junk around. Get rid of it now. When it comes time to sell you will feel certain about what you are presenting to the potential buyer.”

10 Tips for Increasing Your Home's Value - Tip 3 - Small Improvements

Over the next 10 days I would like to share with you 10 Tips to help increase your home’s value. We are on to tip 3, if you have missed the first two tips you should be able to find them in the blog archive area just to the right of this post. The thought of increasing the value of your home may be easier than you think By following these tips found via the Home and Garden Network, your home may be worth more than you think.

Tip 3:  Small improvements can really pay off.
“ It can sometimes be tough to decided between improving your home’s décor, versus making upgrades that you are sure to know will increase the resale value of your home. Several homeowners are shocked to hear that doing a little bit of both will actually pay off.

Again, start by making two lists; simply label the list as “upgrades for your home value” and “upgrades just for you.” The upgrades for your home list may consist of replacing older faucets, permanent lighting and doors. The upgrades for you will consist more of items, such as, furniture, artwork and window treatments. Let’s remove the old dartboard approach to picking projects and wondering if what you are doing is really making a difference. With this plan, you should see real progress.

If you have spent a larger portion of your budget on making an upgrade you can adjust and smaller changes for the next couple of months. Simply, upgrade a couple of electric plugs or buy a small lamp. If possible try to just one upgrade per month and you will be happy with what you see.”

10 Tips to Increase Your Home's Value - Tip 2 - Take on one room at a time

Over the next 10 days I would like to share with you 10 Tips to help increase your home’s value. The thought of increasing the value of your home may be easier than you think By following these tips found via the Home and Garden Network, your home may be worth more than you think.

Tip 2:  Tackle one room at a time.
 “How can you harness the energy that comes from new ideas and still be smart when you make those improvements? Make the commitment to tackle only one room at a time. Whether it's a straightforward coat of paint or it’s taking down a wall, by taking on one room at a time you keep projects reachable.

It would be best to make a list of all the things you in vision doing, break your list down into categories based around cost and write down how much time each project may take. This will help you get your results. For example, if you only have a day or a weekend, choose a project that fits within your schedule, comfort level and financial pledge.

If you set out to paint a living room wall on Sunday and you are aware of what it will cost in time and money, it is much easier to get done. By the end of the day, you have a stylish upgrade that will have added value to your home. Simply by strategizing, you will see your dreams take form as you renovate each room before moving on to the next.”