Sarah Haywood made these shutters herself for just $230. Images in this post: Sarah from CozyCottageCute.com

Shutters are quick and easy ways to give the outside of your home extra style. Here’s how to make your own in only a weekend.

Sarah Haywood made these shutters herself for just $230. All images in this post: Sarah from CozyCottageCute.com

Shutters are a great way to dress up the front of your house and give it some extra curb appeal. So when “Cozy. Cottage. Cute” blogger Sarah Haywood wanted to bump up her northern Ontario home’s exterior charms, she made her own board-and-batten shutters, complete with decorative hinges.

“We chose the board-and-batten style to give our home some cottage curb appeal,” Sarah says. “I’ve seen this style of shutter with both wide and narrow gaps between boards. I prefer small gaps, but either looks great.”

The Big Picture

Each shutter consists of three 1-by-4-inch pine boards glued together and screwed to cross pieces — the battens — 8 inches from the top and bottom edges.

After sanding, priming, and painting, the shutters were fastened to the house with screws. Black hinges added decorative detail and a burst of contrasting color.

Project Pointers to Make Everything Go Smoothly

• If you want a tight fit between boards, use bar clamps.

• For raw pine, use a shellac-based primer, which blocks sap and knotholes from bleeding through your paint. For a more rustic look, use an oil-based primer.

• When attaching the shutters to the house, pre-drill holes with a slight upward angle to prevent water from seeping into the holes.

• If you want wider shutters, use more boards.

• To prevent screw holes from showing, screw the boards to the battens from the back.

How Much Time and Money?

Sarah and her husband built and installed three sets of shutters in two days. They began early Saturday morning and finished Sunday evening.

The materials cost $230. Here’s the breakdown.

Ten 1-by-4-inch white pine boards, 12 ft. long: $120
One 12-oz. tube of construction adhesive: $7
Rust-proof deck screws: $5
Decorative hinges: $60
One quart shellac-based primer: $13
One quart exterior paint: $25

By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon Read more:

Having pet odors inside your home can turn off potential home buyers and keep your home from selling. Ask your real estate agent for an honest opinion about whether your home has a pet smell.

If your agent holds her nose, here’s how to get rid of the smell:

Air your house out. While you’re cleaning, throw open all the windows in your home to allow fresh air to circulate and sweep out unpleasant scents.

Once your house is free of pet odors, do what you can to keep the smells from returning. Crate your dog when you’re out or keep it outdoors. Limit the cat to one floor or room, if possible. Remove or replace pet bedding.

Scrub thoroughly. Scrub bare floors and walls soiled by pets with vinegar, wood floor cleaner, or an odor-neutralizing product, which you can purchase at a pet supply store for $10 to $25.

Try a 1:9 bleach-to-water solution on surfaces it won’t damage, like cement floors or walls.

Got a stubborn pet odors covering a large area? You may have to spend several hundred dollars to hire a service that specializes in hard-to-clean stains.

Wash your drapes and upholstery. Pet odors seep into fabrics. Launder, steam clean, or dry clean all your fabric window coverings. Steam clean upholstered furniture.

Either buy a steam cleaner designed to remove pet hair for around $200 and do the job yourself, or pay a pro. You’ll spend about $40 for an upholstered chair, $100 for a sofa, and $7 for each dining room chair if a pro does your cleaning.

Clean your carpets. Shampoo your carpets and rugs, or have professionals do the job for $25 to $50 per room, depending on their size and the level of filth embedded in them. The cleaner will try to sell you deodorizing treatments. You’ll know if you need to spend the extra money on those after the carpet dries and you have a friend perform a sniff test.

If deodorizing doesn’t remove the pet odor from your home, the carpets and padding will have to go. Once you tear them out, scrub the subfloor with vinegar or an odor-removing product, and install new padding and carpeting. Unless the smell is in the subfloor, in which case that goes next.

Paint, replace, or seal walls. When heavy-duty cleaners haven’t eradicated smells in drywall, plaster, or woodwork, add a fresh coat of paint or stain, or replace the drywall or wood altogether.

On brick and cement, apply a sealant appropriate for the surface for $25 to $100. That may smother and seal in the odor, keeping it from reemerging.

Place potpourri or scented candles in strategic locations. Put a bow on your deep clean with potpourri and scented candles. Don’t go overboard and turn off buyers sensitive to perfumes. Simply place a bowl of mild potpourri in your foyer to create a warm first impression, and add other mild scents to the kitchen and bathrooms.

Control ongoing urine smells. If your dog uses indoor pee pads, put down a new pad each time the dog goes. Throw them away outside in a trash can with a tight lid. Remove even clean pads from view before each showing.

Replace kitty litter daily, rather than scooping used litter clumps, and sweep up around the litter box. Hide the litter box before each showing.

Relocate pets. If your dog or cat has a best friend it can stay with while you’re selling your home (and you can stand to be separated from your pet), consider sending your pet on a temporary vacation. If pets have to stay, remove them from the house for showings and put away their dishes, towels, and toys.

By: G. M. Filisko - Read more

Tips to Help

When you’ve decided to build or remodel, the most important decision to make is who you will choose as your builder and ensuring you are hiring a licensed contractor.

Go to: www.lni.wa.gov/tradeslicensing/contractors.com.   Use your local Master Builders Association for a referral and then utilize this checklist below to be sure you’re making the right decision.

You can reach the Olympia Master Builders by calling (360)754-0912 or go to www.omb.org.  Pierce County Master Builders can be reached at (253)272-2112 or go to www.mbapierce.com.

Does the builder or remodeler have a permanent business location and a good reputation with local banks and suppliers?

• How long have they been in the building business? It usually takes three to five years to establish a financially sound business. Will they be around after the construction is complete to service any warranties?
• Have you called your local Better Business Bureau? They can alert you to any complaints.
• Does the builder/remodeler have sufficient workers compensation and general liability insurance? If not, you may be liable for any construction-related accidents on your premises.
• Will the builder/remodeler provide you with names of previous customers? Ask them if they would hire the builder/remodeler again.
• Have you seen the builder/remodelers work, both completed and in progress? Check for quality of workmanship and materials.
• Are you able to communicate with the builder/remodeler? Remember you will be in close contact with them throughout the construction process and afterward as you live in your new home.
• Will the builder/remodeler provide you with a complete and clearly written contract? The contract will benefit both of you. Review it carefully.
• Be cautious of unusually low-priced bids. If the builder/remodeler is unable to pay for the materials and labor as the project proceeds, this may indicate a potential problem.

If you are considering building a new home, consider Rob Rice Homes.  Our pre-sale program allows you to choose your own lot and your own floor plan within a Rob Rice Homes community.  Choose your own finishes within our standard selections to make your home, home.

Rob Rice has been a member of the Olympia Master Builders for many, many years and serves as a Life Director.  Having built over 3,000 homes since 1985, Rob has a reputation for building both beautiful communities and communities that stand the test of time.  For information about our communities, go to: www.robricehomes.com

Kitchen countertops endure a lot of use, yet they’re also an opportunity to create a real wow factor in the kitchen. It’s important to strike a balance between style and function, which is why durability, visual appeal and maintenance ease are among the top three guiding factors for choosing the right countertop. There are many options, from granite to laminate to lavastone, each with its own advantages and disadvantages.

Read the pros and cons of kitchen countertop options to decide which one is right for your needs:

Laminate: More commonly known as Formica, laminate countertops are inexpensive, available in a range of options, and easy to maintain. The downside is that they are not heat tolerant, and edges and seams are generally visible. They also scratch and chip easily, which is not easily repaired.

Solid Surface: With no visible seams, lots of patterns and colors available and a renewable quality that allows cuts and scratches to be blended out, solid surfaces (which are basically a plastic) have several advantages. The downsides are that they’re not heat resistant, are pricier and require professional installation.

Natural Stone: Granite, slate, soapstone, quartz, marble and gemstone all fall under this category. Long-lasting natural stone has an organic beauty and is more heat tolerant than other surfaces. It also expensive, and its porous quality requires sealing maintenance to prevent stains.

Engineered Stone:Engineered stone mimics natural stone, yet combines the properties of real stone with other ingredients to eradicate its porosity and maintenance requirements. This option, however, can be expensive depending on color choice.

Wood: Great for a cutting surface, wood countertops give the kitchen a warmer aesthetic than stone. Wood surfaces are susceptible to water damage if not properly sealed, and can dent and scratch easily.

Metal: Metal countertops, including stainless steel, copper or pewter, are heat tolerant, non-porous and sanitary. Like wood, though, they also can scratch and dent easily.

Concrete/Cement: Countertops created from concrete or cement have the ability to incorporate inlaid decorative details or useful implements like trivets. However, they’re prone to hairline cracks and are extremely heavy.

Composite/Recycled: Eco-friendly and similar to natural stone, recycled countertops are warmer to the touch than other options. Because they’re naturally made, they may fade over time.

Lavastone: This unique application of volcanic lava hardened into a stone-like consistency is heat, scratch and stain resistant and nonporous. However, because it’s uncommon, it’s expensive and hard to come by.

Tile: Tile countertops come in an endless variety of styles and colors, are heat tolerant and durable, and can be very affordable depending on the chosen tile. Due to grout lines, they’re not very easy to clean.

Glass: This hygienic, non-porous surface is simple to maintain, heat tolerant, stain resistant and available in many styles, colors and textures. They can be expensive, show fingerprints and water spots, and can crack easily.

Our varied kitchen countertop collection will supply you with a range of choices, as well as include relevant information for your search.

Most all of our new home buyers prefer granite so that is what you’ll find in all of our Thurston and Pierce County communities.  The most popular granite is the lighter shades such as venetian gold or Kashmir white.  The lighter granite tends to be popular with buyers who prefer a darker cabinet and hardwood.

To view a Rob Rice new home community, go to: www.robricehomes.com

Rob Rice Homes, a new home builder located in South Puget Sound, Washington gathered his subcontractors to participate in a remodel at the home/office of local charity Concern for Animals.

The remodeling project included, brick/masonry works, kitchen remodeling, landscaping, electrical and drainage all donated by Rob Rice Homes and his subcontractors. Concern for Animals located at 1414 State Ave., in Olympia, has been remodeling their home/office since early 2013 and will be completing the remodel this month.

Rob Rice Homes is a supporter of Concern for Animals and the builder himself loves animals. “Concern for Animals is doing great work in our community with the services they offer, such as spaying/neutering for pets, pet food banks and veterinary bill help for families. It was thrilling that our subcontractors and our employees got behind us to help remodel the home/office so that the previously roaming charity will have a permanent home in Olympia,” stated Rob Rice.  “In addition, the location is ideal for folks donating to the food bank.”

“Many people offered to help us for a price, but only one offered to help us for nothing – Rob Rice!  We are so grateful to Rob Rice Homes and their subcontractors for their generosity and support.  We could not have done this house renovation project without them!  It would have taken us years, but instead it took only a few weeks.  The money we saved will help hundreds of pet owners and animals.  It’s been wonderful working with people who want to give back, improve our community and help families stay together.  Rob Rice Homes made it happen.” stated Sarah Hannapel, Executive Assistant Concern for Animals.

The after photos from exterior painting this weekend.

Rob Rice Homes is pleased to support several local charitable organizations each year as a leading home builder in the Thurston County area, it is important to the company that they support the community. They are currently selling in seven new home communities in the South Puget Sound area. New home builder Rob Rice has lived in the South Puget Sound area since 1985 and resides in Olympia, WA., with his wife Helena, their two children Alex Michael and Carson.  Rob is a graduate of Washington State University with a degree in architecture and construction management.  In his spare time he enjoys coaching his son’s baseball and basketball teams through the YMCA.

About Epic Realty, Inc.

Epic Realty prides itself that the foundation of this successful Washington real estate group was founded with two main building blocks–customer care and customer satisfaction. The Epic real estate team is made up of Realtors in Washington who take pride in the fact that they work to adhere to high ethical standards and integrity and work hard to exceed the new home buyer’s expectations.

Each of the Washington Realtors are all extensively trained in marketing new home construction and all of them are experienced in financing and credit options. Epic Realtors are members of the National Association of Realtors and adhere to the organizations strict code of professionalism.

For more information Rob Rice Homes communities, please visit: www.homesfromepic.com  or www.robricehomes.com

1. Change up your walls: Instead of choosing rich, deep colors for your first project, you will likely feel more comfortable with a neutral like beige or gray. These colors won’t date the room and will prevent you from possibly getting quickly tired of a more drastic color palette.
2. Brighten up the kitchen: Use mirrors to capture the sunlight and bounce it around. Try putting a mirror across from a window or on a wall that corners against the window wall for the most light distribution.
3. Make seasonal changes: Moving the kitchen furniture into a ‘summer arrangement’ can optimize your space and give it a more airy feel. Make it light and breezy – think about removing some of the furniture and decorations for a lighter feel. Open those curtains and let the sun shine in!
4. Use slipcovers: Slipcovers over your chairs can soften the room and add to your decor. For the holidays, try using special covers in holiday patters or colors. For a nice summer change, use white cotton or canvas slipcovers on the chairs.
5. Get ideas from the pros: Look in magazines, books, television or the internet to get a flavor of the accessories and designs you would like to see in your kitchen. If you see a kitchen decorated in a way that you like, think about how you can duplicate the same decor in your home.
6. Decorate with cookbooks: You can make a nice display with your cookbooks. Try grouping them in interesting configurations with some lying down and some standing. Don’t put small books next to tall books but align them in graduating sizes.
7. Warm it up with rugs: Area rugs can add a splash of color or cover up an old or unmatched floor. When buying rugs, measure your space so you can be sure to get the right rug size. Rugs used under a table should be large enough to also accommodate the chairs when fully pulled out.
8. Bring the outdoors inside: Don’t be afraid to hang plants from any bare ceiling corner to give a lived in feeling to a plain kitchen. Plants provide interest and soften up the room. For above the cabinets or hard to reach places, silk plants work just as well as real ones, however, if you do buy silk, go with a good quality arrangement that looks realistic.
9. Change your look with accessories: A few strategically placed accessories can change your kitchen from dull to dramatic! Choose a theme and you could give your kitchen a whole new look just by replacing some key accessories like toaster covers, dish towels, canister sets, salt and pepper shakers and pot holders.
10. Change your cabinet pulls: There are so many different styles of cabinet pulls these days – figural, wooden, ceramic, glass – you should be able to find a design that matches your new decor easily. They are easy to install yourself and your friends will think you got new cabinets!
11. Add a border: Wallpaper borders are easy to put up and can add color and interest. You can use them at the top of the wall or go with a less traditional use underneath the cabinets. Use them at chair rail height to break up long walls. An even less expensive (but more labor intensive) alternative is to use stencils and paint.

This is a guest post from Lee Dobbins, who writes for http://www.a-kitchen-decorating-idea.com where you can find tips to decorate your kitchen no matter what your budget. Find out more about decorating your kitchen for less. 

You come home to an open front door, a ransacked house, and missing valuables. How did a burglar know you’d be gone? How did they get in?

You come home to an open front door, a ransacked house, and missing valuables. How did a burglar know you’d be gone? How did they get in?

In these 10 thank-you notes, your friendly neighborhood burglars share advice on how to stop lending them a helping hand.

1. Thanks for the ladder!

Call me a social climber if you will, but I did discover a ladder in your back yard. Thank you for leaving it where I could lean it against your home and easily reach a second-story window. I really love it when upper story openings aren’t wired to a home security system!

So, if you want to keep me out, store your ladder in the basement or a locked garage. And call your security company to wire upper-story windows into your alarm system.

Vertically yours,
A rising star

2. Loved your trash

Can’t tell you how much fun I have driving around neighborhoods on trash day (especially after big gift holidays) when the empty boxes on the curb reveal what wonderful new toys you have. Your thoughtfulness made it possible for me to land a new laptop and a flat-screen television in one easy trip to your home!

Next time, break down the boxes and conceal them in the recycling or trash bins.

Happy shopping!
Curbside Cruiser

3. Dear Can’t-Get-Around-to-It

Recently, I noticed you hadn’t trimmed trees and shrubs around your home, so I knew I’d have a wonderful place to hide while I worked to break into your home. I really can’t thank you enough for all the great new things I grabbed.
Next time, trim back bushes and trees near windows and doors. Make sure entry points to your home are easily visible from the street — I much prefer to work in private! While you’re at it, install motion-sensor lighting. I’m scared of bright lights!

Cordially,
The Tree Lover

4. Su casa es mi casa!

I was sincerely relieved to find your back door was a plain wood-panel door. I had no trouble kicking it in (my knees appreciate how easy that was!) Imagine how silly I felt when I discovered that your windows weren’t locked anyway.

You may want to take a cue from your neighbor and install steel-wrapped exterior doors with deadbolts on all your entries. And be sure your windows are locked when you’re away.

All the best,
Buster Door

5. Bad reflection on you.

You’d be surprised how many home owners position a mirror in their entry hall so I can see from a window if the alarm system is armed. (Yours wasn’t, but I’m guessing you know that by now!) Thanks for taking a lot of pressure off of me.

A little free advice: Relocate the mirror so your alarm system isn’t visible if someone else would peer through a window.

Fondly,
Mr. Peeper

6. The telltale grass

Wow, isn’t it amazing how fast the grass grows these days? I swung by now and then and noticed your lawn was uncut, newspapers were piling up on the front steps, and your shades were always closed. To me, that’s an open invitation.

Next time, hire someone you trust to mow regularly, pick up around the doorstep, open and close various window shades, and turn different lights on and off (or put a few on timers). One more thing: Lock any car you leave in the driveway, or I can use your garage door opener to get in quickly.

Best,
Your Trip Advisor

7. Getting carried away

Many thanks for putting your valuables into an easy-to-carry safe that I could carry right out your back door. (Nice jewelry, and thank you for the cash!)

You may want to invest in a wall safe, which I rarely attempt to open. Or, rent a lock box at your bank.

With appreciation,
Mr. Safe and Not-So-Sound

8. Dear BFF

Thanks for alerting a professional acquaintance of mine via your social network that you were away for the week in Puerto Vallarta, having the time of your life. Me? I enjoyed a very relaxing visit to your home with no pressure of being caught.

If only you had known that posting comments and photos of your trip on social networks is fine — but do that after you return so you won’t broadcast your absence!

Sincerely,
Cyber Savvy

9. Tag, you’re it!

Where are you? When you use popular geo-tracking apps, such as FourSquare and Glympse, I might know if you’re not home. Web sites such as www.pleaserobme.com help me keep track of your whereabouts.

If you prefer that I not visit your home, be careful about geo-tagging. But, otherwise, thank you for the loot!

— Just Tagging Along

10. Thanks for the appointment

Thanks for inviting me into your home to view the laptop you wanted to sell. I do apologize for the scare I gave you when I took it (and your purse).

Did you know that some large U.S. cities are averaging one so-called “robbery by appointment” per day? If you want to sell high-ticket items to strangers, I suggest you arrange to meet at the parking lot of your local police station. I definitely won’t show up, and you’ll still have your valuables (and your purse!)

Regards,
A Tough Sell

Read more:  By: Jan Soults Walker

Building a new home lets you personalize your house for today’s needs and tomorrow’s dreams. Here’s how to plan your new home for future needs.

When I was designing our dream home 15 years ago, I was chasing around our toddler while laying out rooms and selecting finishes.

Back then, I didn’t let Ben out of my sight and couldn’t imagine a time when we wouldn’t be attached at the hip. So, I selected new-home options perfect for parents of a 16-month-old, never questioning if they’d work for parents of a 6-year-old, or 16-year-old.

Here are things that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Kitchen/great room combo: I figured one big space would be great for watching tiny Ben while I was cooking; he’d drum on a pot while I fixed him buttered noodles. But Ben grew up and now likes to watch “Law & Order” on TV while I talk on the phone with my mom, and my husband runs the disposal after dinner. The room sometimes sounds like Grand Central, and I now dream of a separate family room and a little less togetherness.

Two main-floor bedrooms: We downsized our master suite to squeeze in a second bedroom next to us — perfect for soothing a preschooler’s nightmares. Turns out kids outgrow nightmares, but skimpy closet space is forever.

A pass-through instead of cabinets: I gave up two kitchen cabinets to cut a pass-through from the kitchen to our mud-cum-crafts room so I could keep an eye on Ben’s finger-painting sessions. Ben hasn’t dipped a finger in paint in 12 years, and I could really use that storage now.

The Future is Now

If I were buying a new home today, I’d do things differently: I’d crystal-ball my thinking and plan for my future needs. That’s the beauty of buying new construction: You can focus on want-to-dos, rather than to-dos — even if you can’t anticipate all your wants.

Luckily, builders know the life of a new home is a journey, and have consultants who help you fast-forward your thinking about features you can install now that will make life easier later.

I brainstormed with a couple of executives from Toll Brothers and Ryland Homes about some forward-thinking, new-home options.

• A main floor den that could be converted into another bedroom as your family grows.

• Bedroom soundproofing to ensure privacy.

• Roughed-in plumbing and electric for an eventual attic or basement bathroom and kitchenette. If you don’t have the resources now, this is a great way to plan ahead. This extra living space not only could accommodate elderly parents or boomerang kids, but will increase the value of your home when it’s time to sell.

• A double-deep, tandem garage that can fit three cars now, but can be walled-off later to add indoor space for an extra bedroom or bathroom.

• Upgraded structured wiring throughout that can handle a souped-up Internet connection and other tech revolutions. Handy if you telecommute.

• Temporary partition walls that attach to hardwood flooring, rather than subflooring. If you eventually want to combine bedrooms — kids move out — you’ll only have to do a floor repair and refinishing, rather than patch a gaping hole.

• Plywood sheathing behind drywall and tile in bathrooms. These sheets of plywood let you attach grab bars anywhere without hunting for studs.

• Unless you’re psychic …

  You’ll never know today exactly what you’ll need in the future: It’s hard for me to imagine life beyond next Tuesday.

  But choosing options for tomorrow is one perk of buying new. These forward-thinking selections can mean years of enjoyment as your family changes, and can make it easier to sell if moving — and buying new again — turns out to be the best alternative

  Read more:  By: Lisa Kaplan Gordon

When I bought my first house in May, my timing couldn’t have been better: The house closing was two weeks before the lease was up on my apartment. That meant I could take my time packing and moving, and I could get to know the new place before moving in.

I recruited family and friends to help me move (in exchange for a beer-and-pizza picnic on the floor) and, as a bonus, I got to pick their brains about what first-time home owners should know.

Their help was one of the best housewarming presents I could have gotten. And thanks to their expertise and a little Googling, here’s what I learned about what to do before moving in.

1. Change the locks. You really don’t know who else has keys to your home, so change the locks. That ensures you’re the only person who has access. Install new deadbolts yourself for as little as $10 per lock, or call a locksmith — if you supply the new locks, they typically charge about $20-$30 per lock for labor.

2. Check for plumbing leaks. Your home inspector should do this for you before closing, but it never hurts to double-check. I didn’t have any leaks to fix, but when checking my kitchen sink, I did discover the sink sprayer was broken. I replaced it for under $20.

Keep an eye out for dripping faucets and running toilets, and check your water heater for signs of a leak.

Here’s a neat trick: Check your water meter at the beginning and end of a 2-hour window in which no water is being used in your house. If the reading is different, you have a leak.

3. Steam clean carpets. Do this before you move your furniture in, and your new home life will be off to a fresh, clean start. You can pay a professional carpet cleaning service — you’ll pay about $50 per room; most services require a minimum of about $100 before they’ll come out — or you can rent a steam cleaner for about $30 per day and do the work yourself. I was able to save some money by borrowing a steam cleaner from a friend.

4. Wipe out your cabinets. Another no-brainer before you move in your dishes and bathroom supplies. Make sure to wipe inside and out, preferably with a non-toxic cleaner, and replace contact paper if necessary.

When I cleaned my kitchen cabinets, I found an unpleasant surprise: Mouse poop. Which leads me to my next tip …

5. Give critters the heave-ho. That includes mice, rats, bats, termites, roaches, and any other uninvited guests. There are any number of DIY ways to get rid of pests, but if you need to bring out the big guns, an initial visit from a pest removal service will run you $100-$300, followed by monthly or quarterly visits at about $50 each time.

For my mousy enemies, I strategically placed poison packets around the kitchen, and I haven’t found any carcasses or any more poop, so the droppings I found must have been old. I might owe a debt of gratitude to the snake that lives under my back deck, but I prefer not to think about him.

6. Introduce yourself to your circuit breaker box and main water valve. My first experience with electrical wiring was replacing a broken light fixture in a bathroom. After locating the breaker box, which is in my garage, I turned off the power to that bathroom so I wouldn’t electrocute myself.

It’s a good idea to figure out which fuses control what parts of your house and label them accordingly. This will take two people: One to stand in the room where the power is supposed to go off, the other to trip the fuses and yell, “Did that work? How about now?”

You’ll want to know how to turn off your main water valve if you have a plumbing emergency, if a hurricane or tornado is headed your way, or if you’re going out of town. Just locate the valve — it could be inside or outside your house — and turn the knob until it’s off. Test it by turning on any faucet in the house; no water should come out.

 By: Courtney Craig

Today’s low interest rates make it a great time to refinance a home or shop for a better credit card deal. But you may be frustrated to discover that you can’t get the deal you want because your credit score isn’t high enough. In today’s post-recession economy, you may be surprised at what can chip away at it. For instance, some creditors who waited out the recession are now going after seemingly minor unpaid bills — by using a collection agency that reports these debts to credit bureaus.

“As the job market comes back, there is more reason to pursue people,” explains Michael Gunderson, a bankruptcy attorney at Gunderson & Tharp in Chicago. Click through this slide show, published May 8, 2013, for 10 scenarios to avoid if you want to your credit score high in this climate.

Correcting errors on only one credit report

A recent study by the Federal Trade Commission found that one in four consumers had an error on at least one of their three reports that could hurt their credit — and 5% of consumers paid more for products like car loans because of such mistakes. The remedy? Order a credit report from each of the three main credit reporting agencies — Equifax, Experian and Trans Union (You can get them for free once a year at annualcreditreport.com) — and dispute any incorrect information you find on each one individually.

More than one in 10 consumers in the FTC study saw a change in their credit score after bureaus corrected their reports. About one in 20 people saw a maximum increase in their score of more than 20 points

Cosigning auto loans for your children

Don’t be surprised to find that your credit score drops if you help a child buy a car. According to Michael Gunderson, a bankruptcy attorney at Gunderson & Tharp in Chicago, cosigning for such a loan will result in a “hard check” on your credit report.

“That’s going to be a deduction of 5 to 20 points,” he says. The loan will also add to your total debt outstanding, lowering your score, he says. If you are part of a married couple and want to help your child get established, consider having just one parent cosign for a loan, to protect your spouse’s credit. Since your credit score is tied to your social security number, says Gunderson, “it would not affect the wife if a husband cosigned for a child’s car loan” — and vice versa.

Not paying library fines

In tough fiscal times, many libraries have turned to collection agencies to get patrons to pay seriously overdue fines. Many consumers don’t realize that these collections show up on a credit report.

Having a bill sent to a collection agency can really hurt if you have a high credit score, in the neighborhood of 780 and up, says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com.

“For someone who has really solid credit, a new collection is worth 100 points or more,” he says. Interestingly, those with lower credit scores, in the mid- to high 600s or lower, will usually take a lesser hit, in the neighborhood of 20 to 50 points, he says.

“A new collection is still problematic, but it’s not going to have the same raw-score impact,” says Ulzheimer.

Losing track of final utility bills

If a bill to your power, gas or electric company goes unpaid for 120 days to six months, it’s likely to end up with a collection agency and hurt your credit score, says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. One common trap to avoid is not paying final utility bills that were sent after you’ve moved. You may not realize it’s a problem until you get a notice from a collection agency. “That’s especially problematic for college kids,” Ulzheimer says. “They’re a bit nomadic. They move from apartment to apartment. It’s hard for a utility provider to get the final bill to them.” When in doubt about whether you’ve received a final bill, call your utility company.

Not paying your income taxes on time

If you fall seriously behind on your taxes and the IRS places a lien on your property, expect your credit score to drop by 25 to 75 points, depending on your situation, says Chicago bankruptcy attorney Michael Gunderson. Because interest and penalties accumulate quickly, the IRS recommends methods like getting a cash advance on your credit card or even a bank loan to pay down your debt as soon as possible, so the debt doesn’t get reported to credit bureaus. The interest and fees you pay to these lenders may be lower than the interest and penalties the IRS charges, according to the IRS. Other options are working out a monthly installment agreement or an Offer in Compromise, where Uncle Sam lets you negotiate a lower balance.

Blowing off parking tickets

As many municipalities look for more revenue, they’re cracking down harder on collecting payments from parking violators. Often, unpaid parking fines can multiply quickly if you don’t pay by a set date — and more than double by the time they get to collections. “I had a client who ignored a $20 parking ticket,” says Chicago bankruptcy attorney Michael Gunderson. “By the time it got to the credit collector, it was $100.” While the debt seemed small, it hurt the client’s credit enough to have a big effect. “It cost them the ability to refinance their home,” he says. Watch out for tickets in municipalities where you’re unfamiliar with parking regulations, he warns. They may be tougher about collections than you’ve come to expect.

Opening too many store credit cards

“Around the holiday season when you go to the mall, every retail store wants to get you to sign up for a store credit cards,” says John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com. “If you go hog wild and end up with five or six credit inquiries in a short period of time, you can cause damage to your score.”

Applying for a single card isn’t the problem, he says. It’s applying for a batch of them in a short period that can, in aggregate, hurt you, according to Ulzheimer. “You could drop your score 20 to 30 points overnight because you’ve tried to apply for a bunch of credit cards to take advantage of these in-store offers.”

Closing existing credit cards

Your credit score is based, in part, on how much of your available credit you’re using. So even though closing some of your credit card accounts may reduce your temptation to hit the mall, it may ultimately cost you money by raising your interest rate on loans. Here’s why: If you only have $1,000 in available credit on your cards and borrow the full $1,000, you’ll max out your credit and hurt your credit score. On the other hand, if you have $20,000 in available credit and borrow that same $1,000, you’ll only be using 5%.

John Ulzheimer, president of consumer education at SmartCredit.com, says that to protect your credit score, keep your credit utilization rate at less than 10%. “Consumers who have a FICO score of 780 or more have an average utilization of 7%,” he says.

Forgetting about a bank account with a tiny balance

You may think there’s no harm in leaving a small amount of cash in a bank account you don’t use anymore. But those fees can, over time, chip away at the balance to the point that it becomes a negative one. If your bank closes the account and uses a collection agency to collect the fees, this may be reported to a credit bureau, says Michael Gunderson, a bankruptcy attorney at Gunderson & Tharp in Chicago. “It’s contractually owed money,” he says. His advice: Don’t risk forgetting about an old account. “If you don’t use it, close it,” he says.

Paying a business credit card late

Just because you’ve opened a small business card in the name of a business, it doesn’t mean your payment history for that card won’t affect your personal credit score. Because you must sign a personal guarantee to get these cards, card issuers may opt to report delinquencies to credit bureaus that track your personal credit history, especially if you make less than the minimum monthly payment, says Rohit Arora, CEO of Biz2Credit, an online matchmaker between entrepreneurs and lenders. Once a debt is reported, it may be factored into your personal credit utilization, he says. “Not many people realize it,” he says.

For more information go to: http://money.msn.com/credit-rating/10-things-that-can-kill-your-credit-score

By Elaine Pofeldt, SwitchYard Media