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Bernal Heights Agency of Vivre Real Estate
There are plenty of homes for sale “as-is” in the San Francisco market and elsewhere, but what does this mean exactly?
In real estate, “as is” is a term used to describe a home that’s listed for sale in its current condition. In other words, the seller won’t make any repairs to the home from the second it’s put on the market to the moment it closes.
For instance, let’s say you have a Bernal Heights home for sale and you’ve decided to list it “as is.” In this case, the buyer agrees to purchase the home understanding that what they see is what they get.
There are a few key benefits of selling a house “as is,” and even the top Encinitas realtor may recommend that you list your home on the market without making any repairs to it.
Now that you’ve decided to list your Bernal Heights home for sale (or perhaps elsewhere in the San Francisco real estate market), and put it on the market “as is,” you’re still wondering what are the key benefits of selling a home without making any repairs to it?
To help put this into perspective, we’ve put together a list of key benefits of selling a house “as is” that you can read below.
But before we get started, it’s good to remember that a home for sale “as is” comes with an important caveat: the seller must disclose any problems or issues that would impact the value of the home and affect the buyer’s ability to quietly enjoy the property once the sale has closed.
Some disclosure examples are plumbing issues, structural flaws, environmental hazards and noise nuisances caused by airborne or impact sounds. Even the top Encinitas realtor will advise any seller to disclose these types of issues.
What’s more, sellers’ disclosures are part of California’s real estate disclosure laws. This means that they’re legally required in the San Francisco real estate market. And almost all states across the U.S. have disclosure requirements of their own.
One benefit of selling a house “as is” is the potential for a quick close.
To compete against renovated properties, an “as is” home needs to be reasonably priced, especially if the home comes with a long list of problems that you’ll need to disclose to the buyer. If this is the case, you should expect that buyers would pay less for your home than they would for a renovated one in the vicinity.
You may think that selling your home at a lower price is unfair just because it’s not as spiffy as the one down the block. But there’s a silver lining here.
An attractive price tag could draw in prospective buyers quicker than an aggressively priced, turn-key home down the street. In turn, this could lead to a quicker sale, rather than your home collecting real estate dust by sitting on the market for too long. Also, buyers who are looking to put their stamp on a new home might prefer a fixer-upper or an “as-is” property anyway.
If you’re curious to know your home’s worth before speaking with a real estate agent — where it’s in the San Francisco real estate market or elsewhere — check out our Sellers page.
You’ve heard about the ubiquitous real estate deal — a property with an asking price that’s “too good to be true” that no homebuyer, real estate developer, or investor would dare pass on it. More often than not, these “property gems” are “as-is” homes with perfectly good bones. They were built on solid foundations albeit with the wear-and-tear of an aging property that hasn’t seen an update in years.
But no matter: if you’re looking to attract a cash offer on your home, it may come as no surprise to you that an “as is” property for sale will spark the interest of a real estate developer or investor who’s looking to close quickly and is prepared to make an all-cash offer on your home.
These buyers are in the “fixer-upper market.” Typically, they don’t mind purchasing a home that’s in a state of disrepair. On the contrary, these buyers prefer a home that they could either demolish and rebuild from the ground up, or demo the existing structure to renovate it to their liking.
You may not have the wherewithal to renovate your home, period. Let’s face it: your time is better spent elsewhere, especially if you’re considering making the repairs yourself instead of hiring a handyman or contractor to do it for you.
That said, you can certainly give your home a quick spruce by making a few inexpensive cosmetic changes. These changes will increase your chances of attracting different buyer personas — not just the ones looking to flip the property after a quick close.
Also, sprucing up your home can help it make a good first impression on prospective buyers. For instance, slapping on a new coat of paint to the walls in the living room and replacing a rusty showerhead can go a long way in an open house. But the best part is that these quick and effortless updates won’t make a huge dent in your bank account, so you can save your money for other expenses like the home inspection, escrow and recording fees at closing.
Here’s the ugly truth about home improvements and renovation costs: their returns on investment aren’t as robust as you may think. In other words, that $50,000 inground pool won’t add $50K to the overall value of your home. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the average ROI of a home’s renovation costs is approximately 68%. This means that your $30,000 kitchen makeover is actually worth $20K, so you’ll only end up recouping about two-thirds of what you put in.
Sure, real estate appreciation can make up for the difference over time, but do you have the time to wait? Remember, you need to sell your home yesterday. And investing in repairs hoping that you’ll recoup the entire renovation cost is nothing more than a chimera: a thing that is wished for but is impossible to achieve.
Finally, you might have ambitious plans for a new home in the San Francisco real estate market or elsewhere. Therefore, strategically saving your money in this sense can help make those plans come to fruition. And if those plans happen to lead you to the Bernal Heights, San Francisco, or other bay area markets, we’d love to hear from you.
So you've decided to rent out your Bernal Heights home, but have you given much thought to all the details? Perhaps you've rented it before and you're looking at securing good, long-term tenants this time. Or maybe you're here because it's your first time, and you have questions.
It's important that you properly prepare your house for rental, so that the transition is smooth and the tenancy is too. The last thing you want is to find subpar renters that don't take care of your home, or a lack of willing tenants at the price you want due to broken appliances or an unwelcoming environment.
Check out this guide with easy steps on how to get your house ready to rent.
If you're renting out a house that you or someone else has been living in, you need to start by decluttering and removing personal items and valuables. Your potential renters want a space that is clean and functional, that doesn't feel like they're staying in someone else's house.
Remove any knick knacks that don't add aesthetic value, all clothing items, or any other personal accoutrements. Avoid shoving these items in a locked cupboard — your tenants will want storage, too! Move all the stuff you’re clearing out to your new home or a storage unit, or put them up for sale or donation to get them off your hands.
You need to make it clear to your renters what is included in the rental agreement and what isn't. Some homeowners rent out their homes fully-equipped with furnishings in the living areas and bedrooms, and crockery and cutlery in the cupboards. Others rent their homes completely unfurnished.
Right away, make a list of what is staying and what is going, so you can tell prospective tenants. Of course, tastes may vary, so be prepared for renters who might ask you to remove certain furniture items, re-paint walls, or make other unique requests. You may decide to oblige their requests, or not — either way, it helps to have a plan.
When you show your property to prospective tenants, let them know the specifics like whether you are taking the washing machine, or if the unit doesn't come with a fridge. This can sometimes be a 'make or break' factor for people, and it will save everyone time and effort by being clear up-front.
To properly prepare your property for the rental market, you need to ensure that everything is in good, working condition. Check for small things such as faulty outlets or blown light bulbs, as well as larger repairs such as the AC unit or leaks in your ceiling.
Before you place it on the rental market, perform an extensive check of your house (looking everything over thoroughly!) and make a written list of all the necessary repairs and replacements. You should start this list early on, so that you can add to it as you notice things, and so you have time to perform the needed updates.
It's advised to schedule vendors and contractors for repairs as soon as possible. The last thing you want is to be paying higher fees for last-minute, “emergency” repairs just days before your new tenant moves in.
Normal wear and tear is expected when you rent out a house, but completing the essential maintenance tasks will be important in securing the right renters. Keeping everything in working condition and looking nice will let you charge higher rental fees and attract and keep your tenants for longer.
Reference this quick checklist when inspecting for repairs.
You should check:
This is also a great opportunity to make any renovations or remodels in your home to increase the rental value!
Carpets are soft and comfy, but they also trap dust and other unwanted grime. Before you market your rental property, make sure its carpets are all freshly cleaned. If you had the carpets cleaned fairly recently, then a simple vacuum or shampoo should do the job.
However, a professional deep carpet clean is recommended when you're renting a house that has been occupied for a while. If you or your previous tenants owned a pet, then a deep cleaning is essential to remove trapped odors, fur, dander, and pests.
If this is your first time renting out the house and you are the only person that has lived in it, then there is no reason to change the locks or rekey the apartment.
In this case, simply go to the locksmith and get a few sets of keys made. Your renter will expect at least two sets of keys. However, if you're renting out a big home, or to a family or group of people, you'll need more so that everyone has access.
You will also need to keep a couple sets of keys yourself, for emergencies, repairs, and routine inspections.
If you had previous tenants, it's advised to rekey locks once a tenant moves out. The only way you can assure your new tenants that their assets are safe and secure is by rekeying the apartment, as you cannot be sure that your old tenants did not make copies of the keys.
Curb appeal and outdoor living space both make a big difference in attracting tenants. It's important that the building exterior and the surrounding area outside are clean and neat. This includes your garden and the street in front of your house. You don't want potential renters to get a bad first impression from broken furniture outside, unkempt landscaping, or trash strewn on the road.
Once you're sure that the exterior is looking sparkly and clean, it's time to deal with the interior. Check all the walls for scuff marks and give them a proper scrub. Assess whether they need to be repainted. A fresh coat of paint goes a long way in making the home feel clean and new, so we highly advise keeping the right paint on-hand for touching up your walls.
Also ensure the windows are clean, appliances are clean, as well as all the little nooks and crannies in cupboards, under shelves, in corners and crevasses, and so on.
Cleaning is critical when you're renting out a house. Once you've cleaned it once, double-check and clean it again! Good tenants want to move into clean homes, and above all you're looking for good tenants. If you have the time to do it yourself, that’s fine, but we often recommend hiring a professional cleaning service to spare yourself the considerable effort, and to make sure the job is done perfectly.
Are you prepared and ready to rent your home after reading these steps? It's a fairly straightforward process, as long as you ensure that everything is up to standard, clean, and working properly.
Perhaps you're interested in jumping into the rental game and considering buying a house to rent out. We are here to assist you with finding the perfect rental property with great investment value! Get in touch with us today to start the no-pressure conversation.
Is it time to upgrade and update your home? Every once in a while, we need to refresh our living space. With spring coming soon, you might be tempted to make some home renovations.
The question is: Will you save some cash and do a DIY home remodel, or are you going to hire a professional?
There are some jobs that you can do on your own, but others are really better left to people who know what they're doing. Do you know how to tell the difference?
We want to help you decide, so you don't run into any expensive mistakes down the line. Keep reading to learn all about when to hire a professional, as well as a few of our favorite DIY home remodeling tips for the easier jobs.
There are several quick remodeling projects that any handy homeowner can do on their own. These won't be complete game-changers as far as the look of your house goes, but they can still give you the refreshing new appearance that you're looking for.
The first of these, and often the most fun, is to reimagine your home’s exterior. Whether you plan to sell your home soon, or you just want to impress guests and neighbors, it's critical to maintain your curb appeal. One of the best ways to do that is by refreshing your front yard.
Even some exterior jobs are better left to the pros — like repaving your driveway, for example — but others are easy enough for you to do yourself. You can put down a new pathway that leads to your door or backyard, paint your shutters, add a neat water fixture, even start a new garden (or bring that old, dead one back to life).
Do you want to host awesome parties this summer? No problem. Refresh your outdoor space by introducing new furniture, replacing all of your weeds with fresh grass and flowers, and decorating with soothing pieces like hanging gardens, bird feeders or windchimes.
If you’re very handy, you could try and make yourself a new deck — but in that case this article isn’t really for you. Definitely leave that fancy new pool you want to the professionals too, but you can still get involved by carefully selecting all the decor and landscaping that will go around your new exterior space.
So what can you do inside? As a gung-ho DIYer, your options may be a bit limited. You can't tear down walls or install new cabinets as a nice weekend project, but you can still do some small modifications that make a big change.
The first is by changing your appliances. Some people might want a professional to help, but with enough willpower and time, you can make it work on your own. The great thing is that most big box stores offer delivery and installation of your new appliance, and they’ll even get rid of your old one too. (Usually this involves extra fees.) So you don’t have to do all the heavy lifting to feel like you’re making a difference.
Maybe your kitchen could benefit from a new stainless steel fridge and matching stove. While these may seem like minor changes, considering you aren’t tearing down any walls, they still make a huge difference in the look and feel of your kitchen.
Not ready to install new countertops on your own? You can use contact paper to create a convincing fancy countertop in the meantime. Sure, it’s not marble or quartz, but it’s much better than old, ragged laminate while you save up for the real thing.
Similar to the countertops, there are also stick-on tiles available for a stylish new backsplash or bathroom. Again, these aren't long-term solutions, but they make a big change to your home's appearance.
You can use them on your bathroom floor and walls to create the appearance of fresh and expensive tiles. They're also perfect for a kitchen backsplash, keeping your walls intact and easy to clean.
Of course, the biggest and easiest way to change your home’s interior is… paint! Just about everyone understands how to paint. It’s relatively cheap to buy the materials, and you can do it all with one person or a whole family. You can do it in a day, or in a week, or just a few hours adding a tasteful accent wall to make your living space “pop” with color. When you feel the remodeling bug, painting should be the first thing you consider!
Beyond small fixes and cosmetic updates, it's best to hire someone who knows what they're doing. Unless you're already a professional, it's likely that you don't have the required experience to do everything safely and in the most efficient manner. Sometimes the hassle, safety hazards, and engineering required to make the biggest changes to your home requires tools and training that any regular person just does not possess.
So, there are a few things that you should consider before starting the job on your own. Here are some of the top ones.
Many people are under the impression that getting a professional to do a renovation project is too expensive. They're better off saving money and doing it themselves, right?
For most people, this is incorrect. Sometimes, in fact, it’s no cheaper to DIY than it is to hire a pro.
Consider everything that you'll need for the remodel that you have in mind. How much will you spend equipment and building supplies? Do you have any of these on hand, or will they all be new purchases?
Furthermore, consider the cost of mistakes. When you do something wrong, you need to buy materials all over again, or live with your subpar handiwork.
While a good remodeler is expensive, the cost evens out when you consider how much goes into the idea that you want to bring to life.
A professional remodeling contractor knows how to work efficiently. While they may spend several days or weeks remodeling your home (depending on the project), they're working faster than you would be able to.
There’s always an opportunity cost to how we spend our time, and in some cases the savings and fuzzy feelings from DIY are simply not worth it. Sometimes hiring a pro gets you a better final product, for about the same overall expense, and faster than you could ever hope to do it.
You can't commit to your project unless you have a wide-open schedule (ie. no job or responsibilities). Even those who work from home have time commitments. The remodeling contractor does this as their job, so they have all of the time in their workday to commit to your project.
Especially if you’re investing in pricey home improvements, you may not be able to afford taking big chunks of time off work. And if you try to do projects piecemeal on weekends alone, that means that the project will take even longer.
What's the difficulty level of the project you want to do? Now’s the time to be honest with yourself.
Again, with simple paint jobs and appliance replacements, you don't need to worry. These are easy and quick.
On the other hand, if you're tearing down walls, making complicated measurements and precise cuts, or using tools that you're unfamiliar with, that's a whole different story. This is likely beyond your skill level, and it’s time to call a pro.
Let a professional handle the difficult tasks. You'll thank yourself later!
Next time you want to refresh your space, make sure that you take all the variables of DIY and hired help into consideration. Can you afford to do it on your own? Are you experienced enough to face the challenge? Do you have the right tools? Do you have the time to devote to the project?
The answer will vary depending on what you want to do. You'll know when it's time to hire a professional and when it's okay to take things into your own hands.
Of course, the biggest change you can ever make is moving into a new home altogether! Whether you’re looking to upgrade, downsize, “right-size,” or more, we are here to help. Connect with us to tell us more about your situation, and we can start discussing your options with a no-pressure consultation.
According to one study, about 91% of Americans decide to “spring clean,” giving a fresh revitalization to their home as nature does the same outside.
But what about the other months? There are plenty of valuable tasks you should add to your home maintenance schedule to ensure that your house runs efficiently and smoothly. Home ownership saves money in the long run compared to renting, but only if you keep things in good condition.
So, what can you do to maintain your home, inside and out, throughout the year? Keep reading to find out!
When the cold of winter is gone, this season of new life is the perfect time to bring a breath of new life into your home as well.
We recommend that you start with your HVAC system.
If your house has central cooling and/or heating, the spring season is the perfect time to call a professional out to check on it. You should get it checked and serviced about twice a year.
They'll be able to see if there are any issues that could soon cause it to stop working. If there are damages, they'll schedule a time to fix it as well. But while they're there, they'll make sure that they service the machine and clean it.
In some cases, they'll even clean the ducts and the vents as well. All of this will cost a few hundred dollars, but you will see some savings in increased efficiency and keep your home more comfortable throughout the year.
Your home’s plumbing is hidden and easy to forget — until something goes wrong. You should also check out all the pipes in your house on occasion to see if maintenance is required. Check under the sinks and around the showers to see if there is any leakage. It might be leaking only a little bit, which is hard to notice unless you’re looking for it. But preventative maintenance is always easier than a full repair job.
One sign that your pipes are leaking is if you find water stains on the wall. If the walls are dripping, or if you see water damage in your floor or ceiling, you should call a plumber immediately.
In addition to your pipes, you can also check the toilet and the flapper inside that plugs the top tank until you flush. The flapper tends to wear down over time. Once it's worn down, your toilet will run more, causing water waste and frequent noise. Check your plumbing and fixtures regularly to catch small problems before they grow!
Spring is the perfect time to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. These detectors are critical in ensuring your prompt response and safety to any fires or carbon monoxide leaks that occur, so you should check them at least once a year and change the batteries. Again, this is the kind of thing that you may not actively think about much, but it will quickly be top-of-mind if something bad happens.
It's better to check them now than be forced to in the middle of the night when they all start beeping to tell you the battery is low — or worse, dealing with the fallout of device malfunction when you need them the most.
After spring comes summer, a season perfect for outdoor checkups and maintenance. Why not make the most of sunny weather and clear days? There’s plenty to do, after all.
For example, you can start with a checkup of the landscape around your home.
Trim overgrown hedges and tree branches. Get rid of any foliage encroaching on your home, over pathways or into utility lines. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can reimagine your home’s exterior by planting new flowers, trees, bushes or succulents.
You should also look at your patio or deck to see if it's still in good shape. If you have a wooden deck, you might find that it needs to be resealed to avoid future water damage and more costly repairs. If your patio is getting grimy with dirt and muck (as all do over time), you can rent a power washer from a big-box store to give it a nice, deep cleaning. Power washing is incredibly satisfying — truly one of life’s hidden pleasures — and we highly recommend it as a way to cheaply refresh your hardscape. Depending on the model and attachments, you can also power wash an old car, exterior siding, fences and more! Just be sure to do your research first, as the wrong setup could do more harm than good to grandpa’s trusty old Buick.
And if you DON’T have a patio or deck, now would be the perfect time to remodel part of your home and install one! Outdoor living spaces have always been popular, and for good reason. In 2020, the trend has exploded due to more people spending more time at home. A lush and comfortable exterior has never been more appreciated, and when the world opens up again you will love having guests over to enjoy your new space.
While you’re outside, take a good look at your home’s exterior to make sure everything is in decent condition. You may notice that there are cracks in the stucco, chips in your paint, or problems with the roof. Any of these issues could pose bigger threats down the line, and it pays to stay vigilant. The name of the game is preventative maintenance, so fix any issues before they grow and while the weather is good!
In the fall, you'll of course have those typical fall tasks like raking leaves and strategically placing festive gourds for decoration. But those leaves don’t just fall on the ground, unfortunately.
If you see your lawn covered in leaves, that’s a good indication that your gutters are filling up with them too. It’s not the most glamorous job, but the fall is a good time to haul out your ladder and clear your gutters (or pay someone else to do it, we don’t judge!).
In addition, the fall is a good time to make sure that your heating system works — before the cold front comes in and you have to go to bed with five different blankets! Once you know your heating system is working fine, you should also make sure that your home is sealed properly. This way, you can make sure that all the heat you generate actually stays in your home, saving energy costs and keeping things cozy.
If you discover that warm air is leaking out, you can purchase sealers, insulation, or even install new windows or doors. Many older homes have outdated windows and doors that would actually save money over time by being replaced with newer, more energy-efficient versions.
If you have a fireplace, make sure that you check that as well. Clean out the flues and check around for any hazards that could spark a fire that you don’t want.
It’s not too common in most of Northern California, but perhaps the most widespread winter problem around the country is frozen pipes. If you live in high elevations, or if you have a vacation home where weather gets cold, this is something you need to consider.
When the water in your pipes freezes due to the cold temperatures outside, it can stop your flow of water (which is bad), but it can also damage and even crack the pipes (which is worse).
Once that ice in the pipe melts, it can burst and fill your home with icy cold water. Obviously, this is an issue, so make sure that you drain and shut off all of your outdoor faucets before the cold weather comes.
Pipe insulation is one good solution, and so is leaving a trickle of hot water running. Before you go to bed, leave your faucets on with a small stream of hot water to make sure that your pipes won’t be clogged with ice.
These are just a few things to keep in mind when you're making your home maintenance schedule. Depending on the design and features of your home, there may be many more that you should add to your checklist! Take a look around and think about what might need work and what might cause problems down the line. It’s always cheaper and easier to act sooner rather than later.
For any homeowner, proper maintenance can help you get the most out of your home while you live in it, and it will keep things in good shape for when it comes time to sell. If you are thinking of selling your home, get started on maintenance now, and start looking for a great real estate agent who can help you determine the repairs and improvements that will yield the best return on investment. (That happens to be one of our specialties!)
If you need a recommendation for a local home repair vendor, or if you are wondering about your local real estate market and how best to sell your home in Bernal Heights, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re happy to help!
If the dark and dreary days of late fall and winter tend to bring you down, why not brighten your home’s interior with indoor houseplants this year? Once you get one, you'll find it hard to stop acquiring them. That's how uplifting indoor plants can be.
Most indoor houseplants are inexpensive and require relatively little maintenance. However, if you prefer a more significant challenge, there are more needy and delicate options, such as orchids.
Here, though, we'll discuss seven of our favorite indoor houseplants. All are readily available at local garden or home stores. You might even have friends with cuttings to share from their plants.
Important Note! The first four houseplants listed are toxic and should be kept away from cats and dogs. The last three plants listed are safe for pets (although the plants themselves might look a bit ragged after their first "pet vs plant" encounter).
If you love surrounding yourself with vibrant life, you may have both flora and fauna sharing your home. Just watch out that neither is harmed by the other. Avoid tragedy by keeping poisonous plants on a high shelf or in a room with the door closed. Many houseplants are super simple, but there are some essential rules. This may be the most important: Don’t mix pets and poisonous plants! Now, on to the houseplants.
Like many other fast-growing plants, hardly anyone ever pays for the pothos. At some workplaces, you'll find pothos that started as a wee clipping from a coworker’s plant, now growing wildly and taking over a desktop or windowsill. Yes, they do enjoy the sunlight.
As many have experienced, it is possible to over-water the pothos, so be sure to water it only when the soil is mostly dry. You'll enjoy watching its curled-up leaves gradually unfurl, somewhat like an umbrella. Don't be impatient, though. It takes a few days. That’s part of the fun!
The snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) is native to tropical climates. These are among the best indoor plants and are sometimes referred to as "pieces of furniture," being so hardy as to withstand even weeks of neglect or the mistakes of plant newbies. Snake plants are great for beginners.
Snake plants don't need frequent watering since their thick, waxy, fibrous leaves store lots of moisture. If anything will kill a snake plant, though, it's cat pee, which alters the soil's pH. So keep your cats away.
Besides, eating snake plant leaves causes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea in both cats and dogs. No bueno.
The clivia (Clivia miniata) is one of the most beautiful indoor flowering plants. While it can take a few years for this plant's bright orange blossoms to appear, the bloom is truly awe-inspiring and worth the wait. Clivia is fickle, and might not bloom regularly, making it even more special when it happens.
If you see a clivia plant suddenly start looking sickly, check the roots. These plants tend to split into multiples and proliferate, or they can become root-bound just as fast. If this happens, you should either divide the plant or put it in a larger pot.
Be aware that the clivia, especially large amounts of it, can make your pets quite ill, so take the necessary precautions.
With its delicately patterned and brightly colored leaves, the polka dot plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya) makes a welcome addition to any room of the house. While this plant can grow from seeds, it's more often propagated by cuttings. Ask around, maybe your friends have some to share!
With a stunning plant like this, there are sure to be many clippings available.
Although the polka dot plant isn't highly poisonous to pets, it might give them tummy aches if they eat a lot of it. For your pets’ sake and the sake of this lovely plant, try your best to keep them away from each other.
You may be surprised at how many of the best indoor plants are also safe for pets—though you don't exactly want to give any of these to your cat or dog for dinner, either.
But if you want to know how to brighten up your home in a pet-safe way, then check out these and other pet-friendly indoor houseplants.
Who hasn't owned a spider plant (Chlorophytum) at one time or another? Hardly anyone has to purchase these dangling beauties. Most of the ones we've had in our homes began as offshoots or "babies," grown from someone else's original plant. Spider plant is among the most common houseplants, and for good reason.
Since spider plants usually hang from a hook on the ceiling, your cats and dogs will gaze longingly at them. But gazing is all they can do, unless, of course, it grows down to the floor.
In that case, it would be wise to trim off some of those baby spider plants and give them away to people you know.
African violets (Saintpaulia) enjoy low light and moderate temperatures, making them ideal inside plants, as well as easy to care for. A soil-free potting mix and a balanced fertilizer help African violets stay healthy.
An African violet produces beautiful bright purple flowers among its thick and fuzzy leaves. And even though it won't harm your pets if they ingest it, this is a delicate plant that you should display on a high shelf.
Another of the indoor flowering plants is the Calathea, also known as prayer plant, zebra plants, and peacock plants. There actually are several different species in the Calathea family, some with intricate patterns of parallel lines on the leaves.
Since plants in the Calathea family come from the tropics, they require warmth and a certain level of humidity to flourish. Given this, it does seem odd that they prefer limited water and indirect light. They are what they are. And they are great as houseplants!
Indoor houseplants don't just brighten your home. They also clean the air, release moisture, relieve stress, promote relaxation, and even increase our attention spans. What's more, the presence of plants can give anyone's spirits a boost.
If you're thinking of selling your home but not planning to fully stage it, houseplants are a nice way to liven up your interior for photos and prospective buyers. Houseplants can even be a heartfelt little welcome gift for the buyers of your home. So try one of the hearty plants we've discussed here!
If you're interested in buying or selling real estate in Bernal Heights, San Francisco, and beyond, give us a shout! We're Bernal Heights top real estate agents, and we'd love to hear from you.