Home Matters: Simple Ways to Boost Your Home’s Curb Appeal

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

With the fall months finally here, now is the perfect time to spruce up your home – both indoors and out. It’s a well-known fact that homes with strong curb appeal not only tend to sell faster, but also have higher perceived home values – as much as 7%-14% more. While there are many large-scale renovations that can add curb appeal to your home, there are just as many simple refreshes you can make without spending a lot of time or money.

Here are five easy ways to boost your home’s curb appeal, and its value, in as little as a few hours:

1. Clean or repaint your front door:

Since your front door is exposed to the elements, simply washing away some of the built-up dirt and grime can breathe new life into this focal point of your home. For an affordable, more eye-catching upgrade, consider painting your front door a bold, vibrant hue that coordinates with the rest of your home’s color palette to help draw buyers in. You can also add visual interest with a simple seasonal wreath.

2. Ensure your doors, windows, and siding are sealed:

With warmer months there often comes rainy and wet weather, so ensure your doors, windows, siding, and other exterior surfaces won’t fall prey to water leakage during the next storm. Perfect for exterior touch-ups of any size, DAP’s AMP All Weather Window, Siding, and Door Sealant delivers a 100% weatherproof and waterproof seal for windows, doors, siding, trim, gutter, flashing, and concrete. It outperforms silicone in key performance attributes such as wet surface application, paintability, and crystal-clear clarity, while also offering exceptional weatherability, durability, and mold and mildew resistance, providing maximum performance for every project. It also has a 30-minute paint and rain/water ready time, making even the smallest touch-ups a breeze while giving you added peace of mind. Additionally, the sealant line includes a kitchen and bath-specific formulation perfect for all your interior touch-up needs as well.

3. Update outdoor hardware and lighting:

House numbers, the entry door handle, and porch light fixtures are all elements that add style and interest to your home’s curb appeal, whether you realize it or not. Replace old house numbers with a customized or DIY number display, or simply choose larger, more modern numbers for a few dollars each. Also consider updating your porch light fixtures for added appeal and safety. Be sure to consider your home’s style and the fixture’s configuration to ensure it illuminates your walkway or porch adequately, and for added time and money savings, choose fixtures that use the same mounting system as your current ones. Complete your entryway upgrade by choosing a new entry door handle or lockset that complements your house numbers and light fixtures for the most cohesive look. For all three, bronze finishes often look best with traditional homes, while brushed nickel suits more modern ones.

4. Repair any unsightly cracked concrete:

Driveway, sidewalk, patio, and other outdoor concrete cracks are both common and inevitable given they are in high-traffic areas and are susceptible to the annual freeze/thaw cycle. Without proper attention and repairs, these cracks are not only unsightly, but can lead to more serious issues or worse, pose safety concerns. Thankfully, fixing them doesn’t have to be a costly headache with the help of Textured Concrete. This premium latex sealant simulates concrete with the durability needed to properly move and flex with heavy-trafficked concrete surfaces while

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Planning with Wages & Sons Is Easy.

• Meet with Chad Wages Millsaps to organize your wishes and put a solid plan in place

• Create an emergency contacts list

• Create a durable power of attorney for health care

• Create a living will

• Organize important account information for banks, insurance, & investments

• Write out your preferences for funeral, cremation, and cemetery providing a long-lasting, crack-resistant seal. Perfect for use on concrete, mortar, brick, metal, stone, stucco, grout, and textured walls, it’s easy to use and apply, won’t stain or bleed, and can be cleaned up with just water if needed. While most latex sealants require a 24-hour dry time before painting, this one is ready to paint in just two hours so you can perfectly match any substrate and move onto your next project in record time. 5. Add color with flowers or plants:

From adding flowers around your mailbox or planters on your porch, to installing window boxes for an added pop of color, this is an easy and affordable afternoon project that instantly makes your home look more welcoming, approachable, and modern while adding to its perceived value. Be sure to choose varieties that will get enough sunlight based on where they’re planted, and mix and match colors based on your home’s color scheme for the best results. (BPT)

Malerie’s Hope

Continued from page 18

Despite the circumstances, Marla said she realized how fortunate her family has been as she saw other families face similar circumstances. It’s because of this that she said she wanted to use Malerie’s story to make an impact, not only when it comes to childhood cancer, but for those with global delays and disabilities as well.

In 2017, Malerie’s Hope was formed, a nonprofit located in Buford, with a threefold mission: to find the cause and cure for childhood cancer, to help families who have a child diagnosed with childhood cancer, and to make an impact in the life of a person who has made a difference and had an impact in the life of a person with special needs.

Each year Malerie’s Hope holds an annual fundraiser event – either a silent auction or a golf tournament. This year a golf tournament is planned for September 25th at Legacy Golf Course at Lake Lanier. The event will be held in September to coincide with Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The goal for this year’s event is to raise $100,000.

Marla said that for those who would like to help, they are looking for volunteers and golfers to sign up to play during the event. Other ways to participate include becoming a sponsor for the event or creating a fundraising page on social media.

As for Malerie, today, she is twenty-five years old and works part-time at Chick-fil-A. She graduated from Mountain View High School and the UGA Destination Dawgs program (for Special Ed kids). When she’s not working, you can find her helping out at the family’s real estate office, playing baseball at ESP (Extra Special People) on their Miracle League Field in Watkinsville, or helping out as a Dugout Dawg for the UGA baseball team. She is definitely looking forward to attending day camp for a couple of weeks this summer at ESP.

More information at www.MaleriesHope.com

Gwinnett Housing Corporation

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Gwinnett families and preserve homeownership rates in Gwinnett County,” said Prljaca. “First-time home buyers are facing tremendous challenges today. They compete with investors making cash offers and waived contingencies, while historically high mortgage interest rates and increasing property taxes are diminishing their purchasing power. We are truly thankful to Norcross DDA and all of our partners for working with us to make this center a reality.”

In addition to homeownership programs, GHC provides access to affordable rental housing, transitional housing, and shelter assistance. More information at www.GwinnettHousing.org.

Community Event Spotlight: Taste of Tucker

By Our Town Gwinnett Staff

In 2010, Art and Karen Wood and Tucker First United Methodist Church (UMC) initiated the Taste of Tucker Street festival, which has grown from a church parking lot event to a town-wide extravaganza. This grassroots initiative showcases local culinary offerings and fosters a sense of togetherness.

By 2022, the event had reached a milestone. Adding a Beer Garden featuring six breweries and twenty-one eateries led to over $40,000 in donations to nonprofits, underscoring its community impact. Join the 14th annual Taste of Tucker on October 7, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tucker’s Main Street will host this culinary haven, inviting you to explore diverse tastes and connect with others.

Local restaurants will serve appetizers, main courses, and desserts. The “Taste Ticket” grants access to this experience alongside the Taste of Tucker Beer Garden with craft beer, cider, and spirits sponsored by Pontoon Brewing.

Beyond food, support local artisans and businesses at non-food vendor stalls. The KIDS’ ZONE, presented by Kroger and Tucker First UMC, offers family-friendly entertainment.

Enjoy live music from SMAC and 293 Band on the Main Stage, sponsored by Fraser Roofing. Let the music guide your steps as you indulge in flavors and embrace the community atmosphere.

Art and Karen’s vision enriches the event, supporting NETWorks Cooperative Ministry, Camp Kudzu, and Olde Town Tucker Merchants Association. Volunteers play a pivotal role in the event’s success.

Contribute to the 14th Taste of Tucker’s success by volunteering. https:// tasteoftucker.com/volunteers/

So mark October 7, 2023, for a day of indulgence, connections, and celebrations on Main Street!

More information at www.tasteoftucker.com.

Dream Chasers 21

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“It lets me know that what I’m doing is touching lives,” Lorri said.

Lorri has a flexible job working as a personal shopper, and her husband, Randy, is retired and helps out with the nonprofit, along with a couple of their children from the blended family. The organization holds BBQ fundraisers from time to time to help bridge some of the gaps when it comes to financial needs, but they can always use more.

More information at https://dreamchasers21.org/.

NO…A Word for Your Day

Continued from page 8 you rather thrive and manage life? Visualize getting ready to say no using one of your phrases. You know it is the right thing to do; however, the self-sabotaging talk begins to church internally. When you note that, stop and make a physical shift. If you are standing, sit. If you are driving, move your hand. If you are sitting, shift in your chair, etc. That split-second physical shift will begin to trigger your brain so you can respond with your no.

Learning to say no is a common challenge I work on in coaching clients and teams. Once they grasp the power of no and create ways to communicate that message, it is very freeing. I also offer a one-hour virtual webinar on this topic. Contact me to schedule it for your team/organization.

When will you start practicing saying no? Who will you ask to hold you accountable?

More information at www.janebishoplive.com.