Spring is here, which means it is time for the annual ritual of spring cleaning. Since I love any excuse to clean and organize some part of my house, I love this ritual and usually start making my to-do list well before spring arrives. Most of us who participate in this tradition will include tasks like cleaning out the refrigerator, washing the windows, scrubbing the baseboards, shampooing rugs and carpets, and cleaning out closets. If you think you might still have a bit more energy to put towards cleaning after completing these tasks, here are four more you might consider adding this year: 1. Clean and maintain your garden tools. This is the perfect time of year to take an afternoon to clean, sharpen, and maintain your garden tools. This might be particularly true after all the rain we have had so far, which might have left some of your tools a bit rusty. For anything with a wood handle, apply linseed or another skin- and plant-safe oil, let it sit for about 20 minutes, and then wipe off the excess with a rag. If you have shovels or hand tools that need sharpening, use a mill file or flat file to sharpen the edges, or have them professionally sharpened. If some of your tools have gotten a bit rusty, use a wire brush or sandpaper to remove it. You can then apply a coat of linseed oil and store them with the metal part in a bucket of sand mixed with linseed or vegetable oil to help prevent future rusting. 2. Clean your patio furniture and outdoor textiles. While you are outside getting things ready for spring, grab the covers for your patio cushions and outdoor dog beds and bring them inside to launder. Wipe done plastic and metal patio furniture with soap, water, and a rag, and check wood or painted furnishings to see if they need a new coat of oil, stain, or paint. 3. Clean out your shed. The extra storage offered by sheds is rather handy, but it is easy to just keep tossing stuff in there and forgetting about it. Spring is a good time to take everything out of the shed, see if there are items you no longer need that can be given away, sold, or discarded, and then organize what is left to maximize the space and make it more functional. If you free up space in your shed, this will also make more room for storing garden tools, pool toys, or other items that might be cluttering your outdoor living areas. 4. Clean your refrigerator coils and dryer vent. Help your appliances function better and reduce the risk of a house fire by cleaning your refrigerator coils and dryer vent. All of your refrigerators – the main one in the kitchen, the extra one in the garage, the mini fridge in your outdoor kitchen, and the wine refrigerator in your pantry – all have coils that need to be cleaned at least twice per year. This is an easy task you can do yourself with a screwdriver and a vacuum. The dryer vent is usually also easy to clean, but you can hire a professional if you are not comfortable doing it or want to make sure it is properly cleaned to reduce the risk of fire. Side note: If your spring cleaning includes donating items you no longer need, check local organizations, such as Humane Society of Ventura (HSVC.org) or Ojai Raptor Center (OjaiRaptorCenter.com) to see if the items might be on their list of needs. Alternatively, donating general goods to the 2nd HELPings thrift store in Ojai allows the items to be sold to support HELP of Ojai. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living, and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
0 Comments
This beautiful, three-bedroom, three-bathroom home offers the coveted Ojai Valley lifestyle just minutes from the downtown village but with less traffic for commuters.
Located less than 10 minutes from camping, boating, fishing, and the water park at Lake Casitas and just a short walk or bike ride to the Ojai Valley Trail, this ideally located home is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts, as well as folks who prefer heading to Ojai for wine tasting or boutique shopping. The primary suite is a relaxing retreat with an over-sized soaking tub and dual-sink vanity. The kitchen features a large island with a breakfast bar, butler’s pantry, separate coffee bar, and access to a flagstone patio with a built-in barbecue grill and pergola-covered entertaining area. There is also a cozy fireplace in the family room, huge laundry room, finished three-car garage, ceiling fans, built-ins, and many upgrades and special features that must be seen to truly appreciate all this home has to offer. Learn more about this Ojai home for sale on the property information page, or call Nora Davis today to schedule a showing! Spring and summer are generally considered the best times to sell your home, which means the hottest home-selling season is almost here. The days will be longer, flowers will be in bloom, surrounding mountains will be greener, and – according to Realtor.com – you are more likely to get a higher price and more favorable appraisal during this time of year. There will also be more inventory, which means buyers will have more homes from which to choose. This means that you might need to do a bit extra to make sure your home stands out and makes a good first impression on potential buyers. What will work best for your home will depend on your home’s unique qualities and needs, but here are seven ideas to help you think about the best way to prepare your property to sell this spring. 1. Clear the clutter. This is always a good first step to prepare your home to sell. You can instantly improve your curb appeal by decluttering your front yard and will make the interior of your home feel larger, cleaner, and more comfortable by removing excess stuff. 2. Depersonalize at least a little. You want potential buyers to see themselves living in your home, which is easier for them to do if every room is not filled with uniquely personal items. This does not mean that you need to take down all your family photos, but it does mean that you might at least want to consider reducing them and removing your personal collection of snow globes, religious relics, or souvenir spoons. When deciding which items to remove, keep in mind that you want potential buyers to remember your home, not your belongings. 3. Deweaponize your house. This one might sound a bit odd, but I cannot tell you how many times I have walked into a home that is about to be put on the market and has guns, knives, swords, spears, or some other type of weaponry on display. This is not a great look for selling your home. If you have a valuable collection of antique weapons, you probably do not want to advertise this. If you have dangerous weapons in your home, you probably also do not want to advertise that. Plus, having weapons on display or laying around your house is going to turn off some buyers, and turning off potential buyers is not going to help you sell your home. 4. Take care of deferred maintenance. Make a list of all the maintenance tasks that would make your home safer, more visually appealing, or better functioning but may have been put off due to a busy schedule or limited budget. Peeling paint, broken windowpanes, overgrown weeds, scuffed walls, broken sprinkler heads, and other deferred maintenance can make buyers wonder what other tasks you have been putting off. To avoid buyers questioning how well you have maintained your home, take care of those tasks that you have been putting off for too long. 5. Improve curb appeal. Buyers begin to form an opinion about your home the first time they drive by or pull into the driveway for a showing. This first impression is paramount and is heavily influenced by your home’s curb appeal. You may have become a bit desensitized to how your home looks from the street, since you probably pull into the driveway at least once a day, so you may need a new perspective to help you determine how best to enhance the curb appeal of your home. One way to do this is to walk across the street and look at your house. Could your exterior light fixtures use updating? Is your mailbox a bit crooked or faded? Does your trim need to be painted? Could your house use a good pressure washing? Anything you can do to make your home look cleaner and more welcoming will help attract buyers, so consider making repairs and updates, adding visual appeal with plants or flowers, cleaning up your landscaping, and decluttering your lawn and porch. 6. Refresh ground covers. One of the most affordable and easiest ways to improve the look of your yard is to refresh ground covers. If you have areas of bare dirt in your yard or spots where your gravel or bark is getting sparse, add gravel, mulch, wood chips, or bark for a quick makeover that will instantly increase visual appeal. 7. Do your spring cleaning early. Your home should be as close to spotless as possible before your agent starts showing it to potential buyers. To help prepare your home to sell, give your home a deep cleaning, or hire a local cleaning company to do it for you. If you are ready to sell your home, list with a local real estate agent who understands the Ojai Valley market and will know how best to market your home. Once you have found an agent that is a good fit, they will be able to help you determine how best to prepare your home before putting it on the market. This may include additional cosmetic repairs or upgrades, professional staging, or – if your budget allows – home improvement projects that can increase your home’s value. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living, and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Walk or bike to the coffee shop, salon, post office, market, and all that Oak View has to offer from this spacious home with beautiful mountain views and flexible, light-filled living spaces. Nestled on a hill under heritage oaks, this welcoming home features oak floors, vaulted ceilings, a gas fireplace, breakfast bar, family room with wood-burning stove and wet bar, skylights, and additional alluring qualities that fill it with an inviting warmth that beckons you to explore in search of its many unique features. These include the sleeping loft or reading nook in one of the guest bedrooms, the large laundry room tucked beyond the primary bathroom, the jetted soaking tub with mountain views, and the expansive entertaining deck that will have you dreaming of hosting your next al fresco dinner party. Exterior features include gated entry, multiple outdoor living areas with Trex decking and mountain views, solar panels, chicken coop, fruit trees, raised garden beds, automatic drip system, landscape lighting, covered storage areas, and two driveways. Plus, the extra-deep, two-car garage has a powder room and space for storage or a workshop, as well as a door leading to a covered area that could be used as a workshop or additional outdoor living area. Features include:
Three bedrooms, two bathrooms Family room or game room Office Gas fireplace Wood-burning stove Wood floors Vaulted ceilings Wet bar Laundry room Over-sized, jetted bathtub Dual-sink vanity Dumbwaiter Skylights and ceiling fans Expansive outdoor living areas Trex decking Solar panels 2023 roof Over-sized, two-car garage Two driveways Gated entry Mature landscaping Fruit trees Chicken coop Raised garden beds Mountain views Walk or bike to shops and restaurants Learn more about this Oak View home for sale on the property information page, or contact Nora Davis today to schedule a showing. According to the Forbes Health/OnePoll survey conducted in October 2023, improving physical fitness is a top priority for folks making resolutions for the new year. Forty-eight percent of respondents reported improving fitness as their top goal in 2024. This is followed by 38% prioritizing improving finances, 36% looking to improve their mental health, 34% prioritizing weight loss, and 25% wanting to make more time for loved ones. (Forbes.com) I’m guessing this means we are going to see even more folks hitting the pickleball courts this year, and they might even be doing it with their families to combine the goals of fitness, weight loss, and spending time with loved ones. Being more active is always on my list of resolutions and, going into my fifth year as a widow, spending as much time as possible with loved ones is a priority every day of the year. For 2024, I am thinking that I also want to focus on home organization and continuing my seemingly never-ending list of projects around the house. If you, too, also seem to always be in home repair or home improvement mode, here are some resolutions for you and me to consider adding to our lists this year. 1. Use local contractors. If your house project list includes maintenance, repairs, or renovations that require a professional, support your neighbors and the local economy by hiring local contractors. If you plan on completing home improvement projects on your own, head to one of our local hardware stores, nurseries, or the lumberyard for the materials, tools, and garden features you need. 2. Support local businesses. If redecorating your home or improving organization is more in line with your goals for 2024, shop local to help build community and support the local economy. 3. Donate your gently loved clothing and household items to local charities. Clearing clutter is always on my to-do list. One of the bigger projects I am planning for this year is to finally really clean out and organize the garage. As I slowly work on this project, I have come across so many items I no longer need. If you could also stand to let go of belongings you no longer need or use, consider clearing your clutter for a cause by donating them to local organizations that help folks in need. For example, donations to 2nd Helpings Thrift Store (841 East Ojai Avenue) help provide lower-cost necessities for local families while also supporting the important services HELP of Ojai provides. 4. Set up home maintenance reminders. Add reminders to your phone, calendar, or other preferred system to help you remember regular home maintenance tasks. This includes tasks like changing your furnace filters every one to three months, cleaning your refrigerator coils every six months, cleaning your dryer vent at least once a year, and having your chimneys cleaned and inspected before you start using your fireplaces each winter. 5. Check your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. It is best to test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors once a month and to check the batteries every six months, but, since I know you are not testing them monthly, let’s at least get it on your list of home maintenance resolutions to check them now. Then, see #4 above and set up a reminder to regularly perform this very important home maintenance task. Happy new year, everyone! May 2024 bring you health, joy, love, prosperity, and adventure however you define each of those. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Rancho Royale is an iconic equestrian estate with a four-bedroom main house and eight rentals, including a four-bedroom home, two two-bedroom homes, three one-bedroom mobile homes, and an apartment. Horse facilities include an 18-stall barn, 16-stall barn, six-stall barn, four-stall barn, two-stall shed row, nine-stall shed row, three-stall shed row, 20 covered corrals, three covered turnout pens, four arenas, two round pens, hay and equipment barns, offices, tack rooms, and a Priefert panel walker. The entertainment barn is set up as a martial arts studio used for filming with an attached office and bathroom or guest quarters. Four gated entrances lead to the main homes and horse facilities. Additional features include an archery range, manure bunker, possible event venues throughout the ranch, ample parking, three RV hookups, fruit trees, and conifers, oaks, and pepper trees providing shade and visual appeal. Much of the ranch and infrastructure has been remodeled or updated. Features include: Four gated entrances 2 four-bedroom main houses 1 two-bedroom, two-bathroom manufactured home 2 two-bedroom, one-bathroom manufactured homes 1 one-bedroom, one-bathroom manufactured home 3 one-bedroom, one-bathroom mobile homes 1 apartment over garage of main house Main house remodeled in 2021 Two-car garages at main houses Fireplaces in main houses Three RV hookups Fruit trees Property bordered by seasonal creek Beautiful mountain views Mature conifers, oaks, and pepper trees Multiple event venues Archery range Features continued...
18-stall barn 16-stall barn Six-stall barn Four-stall barn Nine-stall shed row barn Three-stall shed row barn Two-stall shed row barn 20 covered corrals Three covered turnout pens Four arenas Two round pens Hay and equipment barns Offices and tack rooms Preifert panel walker Entertainment barn with office and bathroom Manure bunker Ample parking for guests and horse trailers For more photos and information about this Oak View horse ranch for sale, visit the property information page. To schedule a private showing, contact your Ojai Valley realtor, Nora Davis, today. Frog River Ranch This remarkable property features a four-bedroom, Craftsman-style main house with four-car garage, two fireplaces, four jetted bathtubs, steam shower, game room, bar, theater, and wine room. The expansive outdoor living areas include an outdoor kitchen, patio fireplace, fire pit, sports court, multiple seating areas, pergola, sauna, bathroom with changing area, swimming pool, and covered, 12-person spa. The one-bedroom guest house features a two-car garage and an art studio or storage room, plus a separately fenced yard. There is also a workshop with office and bathroom, RV pad with hookups, family orchard, Sunkist co-op tangerine orchard, solar panels, well and city water, and mature trees and landscaping. All of this is located behind a river rock wall with two gated entrances and well-designed landscaping providing privacy. This is one of those occasions when there are truly too many features to list. You really must see this spectacular home to experience all that it has to offer. Main House: • Four bedrooms, five bathrooms • Theater with screen and soundproofing • Game room • Office • Full bar for entertaining • Kitchen Island and breakfast bar • Wolf dual-fuel range • Sub-Zero, Bosch, and Viking appliances • Two en suites in primary bedroom • Steam shower • Four jetted bathtubs • Two river rock fireplaces • 26-foot vaulted, exposed-beam ceilings • Pella triple-paned windows with interior blinds • Three tankless water heaters Guest House: • One bedroom + office • Tile floors, vanity and shower • Separately fenced yard • Covered front porch • Two-car garage Grounds:
• Approximately five acres • Two gated entrances • Swimming pool & spa • Outdoor kitchen • Patio fireplace and gas fire pit • Sauna • Multiple outdoor entertaining areas • Lighted sports court • Workshop with office and bathroom • Sunkist co-op tangerine orchard • Family orchard • Four-car garage • Solar panels • Well and municipal water • Mountain and Ventura River Basin views • Gated access to Land Conservancy for hiking and riding • RV parking pad with hookups • Additional RV and toy parking • Guest parking • Heritage oaks • Well-designed, mature landscaping • River rock privacy wall For more photos and information, visit the property information page. To schedule a private tour, contact your Ojai Realtor, Nora Davis, today. Rental properties can be a profitable investment but only when managed properly. This is particularly true in areas with higher property values where it is even more important to maximize rental income by reducing expenses, increasing your property’s appeal, and limiting turnover. Whether you have just purchased your first investment property or are an experienced landlord with a full portfolio, there is almost always something you can do to increase your profit margins. Here are seven tips to get you started: 1. Replace carpet with LVT. There are two reasons to replace the carpet in your rental with luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or a similar product. The first is that people just do not like carpet anymore. Having carpet in your rental automatically shrinks your pool of potential renters. The more folks interested in renting your house, the more likely you are to find a great, long-term renter at your asking price. The second reason is that LVT is an easy-care, durable option that holds up well to traffic, pets, and kids and is far less likely to need to be replaced between tenants. 2. Complete simple updates. You may not have the budget for major renovations, but there are plenty of simple updates you can do to increase your rental’s appeal and function. If cabinet hardware, sink faucets, ceiling fans, switch plate covers, doorknobs, or light fixtures are dated or have just seen better days, consider replacing them with modestly priced upgrades. 3. Improve outdoor living areas. Good outdoor living areas are appealing to renters and will make your property stand out, particularly in areas like Ojai and Oak View where the weather allows for year-round outdoor entertaining. If a paving stone or stamped concrete patio is not in the budget, create a more affordable option with gravel. You should also consider paying for ongoing landscape maintenance. Paying for maintenance allows you to select the gardeners and helps ensure that your investment is properly maintained. You can offset this expense by considering it when setting the monthly rent. 4. Install low-maintenance, drought-resistant landscaping. While we are on the topic of landscaping, you should also consider replacing high-water or high-maintenance plants, natural grass, and other features with low-maintenance, drought-resistant options that will lower your maintenance costs and your water bill. You can also help protect your investment by choosing fire-resistant plants, hardscapes, and other landscaping features. 5. Maximize tax deductions. Work with your accountant or tax preparation professional to make sure you are maximizing your possible deductions, including travel and home office expenses, depreciation, repair costs, and your mortgage interest. 6. Vet your applicants. If you are not using a property management company to do this for you, do not forgo this important part of the tenant selection process. It is well worth the money and time to run credit and background checks and to call previous landlords to inquire about their experience with the applicants. While there is no guarantee that this is going to result in amazing renters, it is going to improve your chances. Avoiding lost rent and eviction expenses is an important part of maximizing rental income. 7. Be a good landlord. When you get good renters, you want to keep them. Reducing turnover reduces the cost of marketing and vetting applicants and results in fewer vacancies. One way to reduce turnover is to be a good landlord. For some, the best way to do this is to hire a property manager who will handle everything for you. If you choose to manage your property yourself, respond quickly to maintenance requests, make sure you are easy to reach when issues arise, and stay updated on local and state laws. AimeeJo Davis-Varela is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, sustainable home improvement, eco-friendly landscaping, green living and travel writing. She is also the owner of Mind Your Manors, which provides second home management services.
Stop by this Sunday (12/3) between 1:00 and 4:00 to tour this three-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom Oak View home for sale!
Date: Sunday, December 3 Time: 1:00 to 4:00pm Location: 775 Spring Street in Oak View Features:
For more information and photos, visit the property information page. We hope to see you this Sunday! This is a great opportunity to build your dream home in the popular Live Oaks Acres neighborhood while living in the existing home and enjoying an easy commute to Santa Barbara via Hwy 150 or to Ventura via Santa Ana Road.
This approximately .81-acre horse property offers a two-bedroom manufactured home and outbuildings on flat, usable land with mature oaks and mountain views. Enjoy it as it is or use the ample space to create a country retreat with horse facilities, pool, orchard, an ADU, or the workshop or art studio you have always wanted. All of this potential is less than five minutes from shops and restaurants in Oak View, about 10 minutes from downtown Ojai, and about 15 minutes from the beach and downtown Ventura. You will also be just about a five-minute bike ride from the Ojai Valley Trail and about a 20-minute ride or five-minute drive from Lake Casitas for camping, fishing, breakfast at Marina Caf, or a relaxing inner-tube ride on the lazy river at Casitas Water Adventure. Visit the property information page for more photos, or contact Oak View and Ojai realtor, Nora Davis, to schedule a showing. |
The Davis Group
Welcome to our
Ojai living and Ojai real estate blog. Subscribe by email...
Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|