Fall Home
Improvement
Morris, Minnesota 56267
MORRIS SUN TRIBUNE • HANCOCK RECORD
Saturday, October 28, 2017 - Page C1 B1
Townhome built for potential buyers REMAX Prairie Homes Realty, formerly Hoffman Realty
The interior of the speculative townhome.
The townhome developed by Riley Bros. has a two-stall garage.
By Rae Yost Stevens County Times
REMAX Prairie Homes Realty, formerly Hoffman Realty
The stove and over the range microwave in the kitchen.
REMAX Prairie Homes Realty, formerly Hoffman Realty
A room in the townhome.
T
his isn’t the first townhome for Riley Bros. in Morris but it is the company’s first speculative townhome. Nancy Henrichs of Riley Bros. said Joe Riley got the idea for a speculative townhome when a couple needed to move but wasn’t interested in waiting for a townhome to be built. Henrichs said Riley believes there are other couples in the area who may be in a similar situation so the company decided to have a speculative townhome built at 4 Townhouse Road. A speculative property means no buyer is attached to
the property when it is being built. Riley Bros. is known more for road construction and demolition work but the company has spearheaded townhome development in Morris for several years. For the speculative project, the company received two bids from general contractors, Henrichs said. The company selected Ryan Winther Construction LLC of Herman. “We are very, very pleased with his work,” Henrichs said. “Building a spec townhouse is typically a turnkey build,” Winther said. “Buyers for this type of house usually like that it’s new, ready to move in and
Rae Yost/Stevens County Times
they didn’t have to make any build decisions.” The project goal was to build a quality townhome at an affordable price, Henrichs said. The townhome has 1,435 square feet on the main floor. It has two bedrooms and 1 ½ bathrooms. Winther was the general contractor for the project. He selected all the subcontractors for the project. “I used very professional, reliable subcontractors and we put all quality materials into this home. Nothing was skimped on,” Winther said.
TOWNHOME: Page C2
Plants, bright color interior decorating trends return By Rae Yost Stevens County Times
J
oyce Koch has been watching the trends in
interior design and sees one trend that she believes won’t go out of style. “Plants have returned and are here to stay,” Koch said. Koch is an interior designer and owns Sweet Lily’s, a floral and gift shop in Morris. Koch believes plants are back as interior design mainstays Joyce Koch in part because of the trend toward eco-friendly lives, green and sustainability focus. Plants fit in big homes, small homes and even apartments. Air quality experts recommend one plant for every 100 square feet of living space. People can be creative with what plants they choose and where to place them. They shouldn’t be restricted to a particular spot for those plants, Koch said. Succulent plants are popular, Koch said. “They really thrive on neglect and fit a busy life. The less water the better,” Koch said of succulents. Most succulents are “cactus-like. They almost look like a green flower,” Koch said. Succulents can grow in a pot, they can be hung from a wall or placed on a trellis, she said. Other popular plants include pothos, peace lily and dracaenas. “All varieties of dracaenas,” Koch said.
DECORATING: Page C2 Plants are popular for interior design.
File photo/Stevens County Times
C2 Saturday, October 28, 2017
Fall Home Improvement
Fall driveway work
The Stevens County Times
DECORATING From Page C1
“Peace lilies can literally survive in a closet, if you give them water,” Koch said. Low-maintenance plants range in sizes from six inches to larger, Koch said. People should consider the maintenance needs of plants and where they may place plants in their homes when selecting them, Koch said. Winters can be long in Minnesota, so plants can “bring life to any room,” Koch said. They can also extend a hobby indoors, Koch said. Folks who like herbs can grow them indoors during the winter, Koch said. Herbs just need adequate light so a window area works well or artificial light, she said. While a person may be selecting plants for a home, they may also be considering other changes in their rooms. Tropical green has been popular in 2017 and Koch expects more colors for 2018. Warm, neutral colors will still be popular but buyers will have more options for “adding pop with bright colors,” Koch said. Digital blue, yellow and green will be available in pictures, pillows and rugs. Those bright colors can serve as accent colors throughout a room, Koch said. Even a chair can be an accent piece in a bright color. A rule of thumb is that 10 percent of Brooke Kern / Stevens County Times
TOWNHOME
Keith Herald works on creating a straight edge for a driveway in Morris earlier this fall.
From Page C1
320-392-5496 Tony Messner
001566079r1
Agricultural • Residential • Commercial
tony@messnerelectric.com
Andrew Messner
andrew@messnerelectric.com
38499 County Road 2 Hancock, MN
One of those subcontractors was McGinnis Appliance of Morris. “(Winther) did really nice things,” McGinnis said. McGinnis said the focus of selecting appliances such as a stove or refrigerator was “ease of operation.” The townhome has a standardloading Speed Queen washer which McGinnis said is noted for its quality and longevity. The kitchen has a smooth top stove and an over-therange microwave. The kitchen also has a sideby-side freezer and fridge. The townhome has insulated concrete floors in a partial basement and crawlspace and an ICF foundation. “It is a very efficient home,” Winther said. McGinnis Appliance also did the heating and cooling system for the townhome. The furnace is gas and a high efficiency furnace, McGinnis said.
the room should have accent color. The colors can vary in the room, Koch said. “I’m a blue person. It makes sense for me to bring in that color,” Koch said. “One thing people miss is they don’t use color correctly,” Koch said. “I see a lot of people bring an accent color in but it’s too little.” They may use a color in a piece of fabric but a person needs to be close to see the accent color which isn’t the proper way to use the accent color, Koch said. That accent color needs to be visible. While 10 percent is a rule of thumb for an accent color, Koch said, people can use the 60 percent, 30 percent and 10 percent split as well. As an example, 60 percent of the room can be a neutral color while 30 percent could be navy, and 10 percent could be gold. People can also add accent colors through fresh flowers or artificial colors. Paintings and pictures can also provide accent color. And even through wallpaper. “Wallpaper is coming back,” Koch said. And one popular style is wallpaper with large, oversized floral prints, she said. For those wanting to decorate and use a personal collection of items, Koch recommends placing those collectibles in one location. Or incorporating collections in season decorations. A collection of white pitchers can be used for Christmas decorating, Koch said. Koch said with any collection, “there are limits” as to how many items can be collected, displayed and used.
The townhome also has zero-entry access and will be part of an association that provides lawn maintenance and snow removal. Those features along with longer warranties on building materials and systems in the home, all make it appealing to those over 60, said Jennifer Riley of REMAX Prairie Home Realty. Yet, that age group is not the only market for the townhome. “The last few years there have been more 40-to-50-year-olds considering the ‘easier’ lifestyle of townhome living,” Riley said. If they have older children, older children may require less yard space which makes a townhome appealing, she said. Also, a townhome that is part of a neighborhood association also means owners don’t spend time mowing the lawn or shoveling show, Riley said. The townhome is for sale at $230,000. Henrichs said this won’t be the last speculative townhome developed by Riley Bros. “We plan to build more townhomes as they sell,” Henrichs said.
We are very, very pleased with his work.
NANCY HENRICHS, Riley Bros.
Lawn & Driveway Service, Inc.
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at Morris has the following items available to Homeowners.
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White Cedar Wood Chips available in bulk delivery Lawn Seed, Premium and Shady Slow Release Fertilizer 22-5-10 Organic Fertilizer 7-2-1 Wood Fiber Blankets for seeded areas. Call 320-760-9112
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Fall Home Improvement
The Stevens County Times
Keep pesky pets from the home this winter
Photo from Home Depot
A traditional mouse trap. By Rae Yost Stevens County Times
P
ests looking for warmth and a place to stay this winter may be looking at your home. “They can get in wherever there is a little hole,” Kathy Bouta of Eul’s Hardware Hank in Morris said of mice. In general, people can try to keep pests out of their home by “sealing up cracks and crevices around the foundation,” said Gordy Braness of Braness Pest Control in Morris. Sealing cracks and crevices can prevent pests such as mice, Asian beetles and boxelder bugs from entering a home in the fall. Braness said people will also want to make sure openings around electrical panels are sealed. Bouta said garage doors and garage areas should
Saturday, October 28, 2017 C3
also be sealed. Windows and moldings should be sealed with weather stripping to prevent Asian beetles and boxelder bugs from entering the house, Braness said. Pests are “invading homes now,” Braness said. If houses aren’t made pest-proof now, the consequences will be seen during the winter. “Periodically you will see a boxelder bug or Asian beetle inside the house in the middle of winter when it’s 10 below,” Braness said. The bugs live in the walls of houses. Braness said pest control also involves cleaning foliage away from a house, taking out the trash, keeping yards tidy and good general indoor housekeeping. “Don’t leave bird seed or dog food where something can get at it,” Bouta said.
“Make sure it’s in a sealed container.” Once pests find the bird seed or dog food, “Oh boy,” Bouta said, meaning a potential big pest problem. Bouta said there are various products to keep pests away, such as mouse repellents called Mouse Magic and another called Fresh Cab. Sticky mouse traps have improved enough to be used at temperatures as low as 0 degrees, Bouta said. Braness said the potential for pest problems can come in cycles. For example, drier weather is more conducive to boxelder bugs and crickets, he said. “I can tell you there has been a mice explosion over the last five to six years,” Braness said.
“They are increasing.” Braness said there are several reasons for the explosion in the mice population. An increased number of acres that were enrolled in Conservation Reserve Programs are now being farmed for crops so mice have lost habitat. Heavier rains have forced mice from habitat in low spots. Residents can pest-proof their houses and practice good maintenance but sometimes it isn’t enough. “We are seeing more and more residents who use pest control (service),” Braness said.
MetroCreative
Some bugs like to make their winter homes inside of houses.
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Looking to update the decor in your home or office?
Stop by Della’s Studio in Hancock and check out the new artwork! Call for a Studio visit.
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Store Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 - 5:00 • Saturday 9:00 - 1:00 103 East 5th St.,Starbuck, MN 56381 • 320-239-2136
WHETHER BUYING OR SELLING, WE’RE HERE TO WORK FOR YOU!
Are you looking to finance a home? You can use the tools available on our website to learn more about home loans and find the best loans options to suit your needs and goals. You can explore our website without any obligation or disclosure of personal information, or if you want, you can even begin the application process online! We are here to personally help you through the entire home financing process. Feel free to contact us at any time by e-mail at homeland@homelandmn.com or by telephone 1-888-201-5450 or by visiting our offices located at
520 Atlantic Avenue, Morris, MN
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Fall Home Improvement
C4 Saturday, October 28, 2017
The Stevens County Times
Local hardware reps have advice on snowblowers
File photo/Stevens County Times
A resident in Morris uses a snowblower on a winter’s day.
By Rae Yost Stevens County Times Before area residents start the snowblower this winter, Kurt Domnick and Todd Massner of Town and Country in Morris have a few tips for snowblower use. A few basics: Put fresh gas in the snowblower and check the oil. The oil may need to be changed, Massner said. “Check the air in the tires,” Massner said. Users want the snowblower to have a flat path and if one tire is lower than the other, the path won’t be flat, Massner said. Massner and Domnick also have tips for those considering a snowblower purchase. A common mistake is to buy a snowblower “too small for the size or area they need,” Domnick said. A single-stage snowblower is appropriate for small stretches of sidewalk and smaller driveways. A two-stage snowblower has a larger engine is approrpriate for long stretches of sidewalk and large driveways. Buyers should consider if they want or need a self-propelled snowblower. Many of the larger snowblowers are self-propelled, which can make it easier to move the snowblower through snow. Also, “make sure you buy something that you can get service for. You don’t want to buy something that when you may need work done down the road, (you can’t get service),” Domnick said. It’s not uncommon for buyers to wait to buy a snowblower until snow arrives. “With the first snow fall, everyone runs in to buy one,” Domnick said. But waiting until the snow arrives isn’t the best time to buy a snowblower. “If you wait...you have less choice and you might not be able to get the one you want,” Massner said.
Massner and Domnick also have a few tips for using the snowblowers “Snowblowers need to be operated by a responsible adult or under adult supervision,” Massner said. When the snow is wet and thicker, snowblowers can still clear away snow but it’s best to do it early in the morning before the temperatures warm up, Massner said.
File photo/Stevens County Times
Mike Proudfoot blows snow on Columbia Avenue in January.
Everything you need for
Home Decor SweetLiliysFlowers.com 320-589-2700 20 East 6th Street Morris
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Fall Home Improvement Directory These local businesses can help you get that project done!
Appliances/ HVAC
Flooring
Plumbing
Building Materials
McGinnis Appliance Heating & Cooling 601 Atlantic Ave., Morris 320-589-3933
Affordable Flooring 103 East 5th St, Starbuck 320-239-2136 afc@hcinet.net
Needham Plumbing, LLC Graceville 320-748-7174 l 320-808-8347
Hooter’s Lumber, Inc. 61904 State Hwy 28, Chokio 320-324-7171 hooterslumber@fedteldirect.net
Construction Evink Construction, LLC 386 State Hwy 9, Morris 320-491-6797 evinkconstruction@yahoo.com KJH Builders, Inc. 26688 425th Ave., Hancock 320-392-5237
001646974r1
Creative Coatings Cyrus, MN 320-808-3284 www.creativecoatingsllc.com
Steel Buildings Hoffman Building Systems, LLC 111 1st St. North, Hoffman 320-986-6288 hbs@hoffmanbuildings.com
Plumbing & Heating Mohr Plumbing & Heating 46400 East Hwy 28, Morris 320-589-1006 www.mohrplumbing.com
Morris Lumber & Millwork 49110 State Hwy 28, Morris 320-589-2331
Electric/Wiring Messner Electric, Inc. 38424 County Rd 2, Hancock 320-392-5496 messnerelectric.co Daly Electric, Inc. 45587 230th St., Morris 320-815-7837 320-589-7191