10 Minutes…

Think about this for a minute, if someone had complete access to your home for 10 minutes, how much could they steal? What could they take? These days robbers are getting much craftier, as opposed to purse snatching in the mall parking lot where there are security guards and cameras, robbers are breaking into homes. Homes for robbers provide a much more suitable and safe place to gather loot.

Because of increased security in public places, robbers have now been forced to explore other alternatives simply because they do not want to get caught-this makes sense to all of us! In order to prevent getting caught, the most reasonable solution is to rob a property that has no form of protection and provides a small risk of being caught. What does this house look like? It looks like a home with no video surveillance or security system. Research has shown that homes which utilize a video surveillance are far less likely to be broken into simply because the robbers don’t want to be caught and prosecuted. From a robber’s perspective, it is just as easy to select and break into a home that does not have a surveillance system in order to increase their chance of a getaway.

Security systems are not made with a “one size fits all” mentality. The property, doors, windows and landscape must all be taken into consideration. If you don’t have a home video surveillance system, don’t wait until it is too late! Be proactive so that you don’t have to be a victim!

Do You Have Curb Appeal??

When you think of the things that add value to your home, what comes to mind? If you are like most people you probably think of the granite in your kitchen, the tile in your bathroom, the wood floors, etc… While the interior of your home is a major selling point, the challenge is to get people inside. It all comes down to curb appeal… Now you might be saying to yourself, okay fine, curb appeal-I’ll just mow the grass and plant a few flowers. And you would be right-this would help. But the value of a home can drastically be increased by how it looks from the street-most times, this requires more than just mowing and the planting of a few flowers.

According to the Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association, research was conducted and complied. It was determined that:

• Landscaping can have a tremendous impact on property values. It was found that landscaping can boost the resale of a residential property by as much as 14%.
• It was also found that residential properties that were properly landscaped sold on average six weeks faster than houses that did not have “curb” appeal.
• It was found that a patio that was landscaped could increase the property value up to 12.4%

Many people ask themselves, “but how can I make sure to recoup my investment”. The Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association found that by taking 5% of the value of your home and spending it on landscape that required low maintenance, the value of your home could be increased by as much as 15%.

At Associate Group Remodeling, we pride ourselves on being able to work with our clients and their budget. If you are considering adding or remodeling a part of your landscape, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We will do our best to work with you and your budget in order to make sure that your ideas are obtained without breaking the bank!