LIST Birmingham - December 2021

LIST Birmingham - December 2021

M E L V I N ’ S M O N T H L Y M O M E N T S

DECEMBER 2021

205-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM

ANSWERS TO THE TOP 5 REAL ESTATE QUESTIONS

Merry Christmas and happy holidays!

As we “ wrap up ” the 2021 year, I thought it would be a great time to answer the Top 5 Questions clients ask me:

1. When is the best time of year to list my house? The week after the Super Bowl.

2. Are we in a bubble/is real estate overvalued? No, we have a real housing shortage that has led to increased prices, and the shortage will be with us for a few more years. 3. Should I update my home before putting it on the market? Generally, you want to address deferred maintenance issues and obvious flaws. Updating and remodeling are typically not necessary but should be considered on a case-by-case basis. Always contact me first to be on the safe side. 4. Where do you get the biggest bang for your buck if you remodel? Kitchen. Please feel free to contact me prior to remodeling. We have a trained stager/designer who will give you the best tips.

5. Is it a good time to buy or should I wait? Buy now. Home values should continue to increase. In fact, consider investing in real estate. Feel free to ask me how.

If you have any questions, please contact me.

Scan With Phone Camera or QR Code App

Finally, for those of you who are interested, please use the QR code for a quick Bible study on the Christmas story.

–Melvin Upchurch

Check out Melvin’s video here!

Weblink for Christmas Bible Study: bit.ly/3Hvrw2n

• 1 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM

PAPER VS. PLASTIC: WHICH BAG IS MORE ECO-FRIENDLY? THE SUSTAINABLE SHOPPER’S GUIDE

It’s easy to forget that the air quality in our home isn’t just magically clean! Dust, contaminants, and allergens can easily circulate in your home. Luckily, your furnace filter is your first line of defense — but it won’t clean your home’s air if you don’t replace it often. A dirty filter can even cause expensive utility bills and damage your HVAC equipment. Understand the truth about furnace filters. Furnace filters are designed to trap airborne contaminants to prevent them from entering your heating and cooling system! So, when you forget to change your filter, the delicate components of your heating and cooling equipment suffer. For example, imagine your filter is dirty and clogged. Your HVAC system might continue to run, but air won’t circulate properly. Your system has to expend more energy to operate, and you’ll probably turn up the heat because it’s not working as efficiently. Your equipment is working twice as hard for half the result. Many other problems can occur when furnace filters aren’t changed, including “short-cycling” your HVAC equipment. Dust-heavy filters can cause your equipment to run at a higher temperature, and it might overheat and shut off. Even though it might cool down and start up again, the cycle will continue in the same short bursts, thus “short-cycling.” Change the filter regularly. This varies from home to home. With more people living in the house, especially those with allergies, and a few furry friends, you may want to consider replacing your filter more often. However, a great way to determine how often to change it is to look at what type of filter you have, categorized by thickness: Wait, Why Do I Need to Replace My Furnace Filter? Read This, and You Won’t Forget

For a long time, we’ve believed that paper bags are more eco- friendly than plastic bags, but multiple research papers have revealed the truth: It’s actually just the opposite. Here’s how paper and plastic bags compare to each other, according to recent research. Which is more biodegradable? You’d think paper would degrade much faster than plastic. While that’s technically true, it’s not significant overall. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that current research “demonstrates that paper in today’s landfills does not degrade or break down at a substantially faster rate than plastic does.” In fact, modern landfills don’t allow the degradation process to be completed — they lack “water, light, oxygen, and other important elements” that are necessary to do so. Some

plastic and paper are designed to be more compostable, but with fewer than 100 food and plastic composting facilities in the U.S., most of your compostable plastics and papers will never reach one of them. Which produces more waste? When it comes to waste, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions, plastic is still easier on the planet. According to the ULS Report, plastic grocery bags consume 71% less energy during production than paper bags. Also, plastic bags generate 39% less greenhouse gas emissions than uncomposted paper bags,

and 68% less greenhouse gas emissions than composted paper bags (since composted materials, by definition, create carbon dioxide). Lastly, it takes over 1,004 gallons of water to produce 1,000 paper bags. It takes 58 gallons of water to produce 1,500 plastic bags. What’s the most effective way to use bags? Remember, the way bags are produced makes the most environmental impact, not necessarily how biodegradable the bags are. Plus, not all biodegradable plastic bags have been generated in an eco-conscious way, sometimes even causing increased greenhouse gas emissions. Because landfills are so unreliable at properly composting our waste, your best bet is to look out for reusable plastic bags. After four or more uses, reusable plastic bags become the most planet- friendly bags compared to all other types of disposable bags.

For 1–2-inch filters , replace them every 1–3 months.

For 3–4-inch filters , replace them every 6–9 months.

For 5–6-inch filters , replace them every 9–12 months.

If you need more help, try calling your local HVAC professional and get their opinion! They may even give you further information and insights about keeping your home’s air quality healthy.

2 • 205-223-6192

5 EASY DIY TIPS FOR A LOVELY HOLIDAY TABLE

No. 3: Fresh Cranberries for a Unique Centerpiece If you found fresh cranberries at the farmers market, why not spend a few dollars extra for another bag or two, rather than an $80 flower arrangement? Fresh cranberries have beautiful greenery that can be easily arranged using mason jars, Epsom salts, and tea lights! Best of all, you can eat or cook with them after the party’s over. No. 4: Snowy Salt Shakers Alongside your table salt and pepper, get another clear salt shaker (or a couple) and put a mini plastic, snowy evergreen tree into it, and bam! You have an adorable, festive touch to any holiday table. It’s so simple and creative, it’ll be a surefire conversation starter. No. 5: A Mistletoe-Topped Party Favor Creating small wrapped party favors? Instead of a bow, tie a sprig of mistletoe to the gift! It’s a fun holiday touch and easy to find around the holidays at big box and home improvement stores. You can also visit a local tree farm for cuttings! These ideas are super easy, but we know it might not always feel easy to pull off a beautiful holiday party on a dime. However, it’s definitely worth it and can be a lot of fun! We hope you enjoy giving these ideas a try.

It’s been a crazy year, so if you’re hosting, you might feel tempted to go all out and make your home as beautiful and cozy as possible. But there’s no need to make your decoration receipts any longer — make your holiday table setting even fancier without spending a ton of money. No. 1: Painted Ornaments as Seating Labels Who needs boring cardstock seating labels when you can make them out of festive decorations? These days, you can find affordable ornaments anywhere. Use some paint to decorate your ornaments with an elegant white or pearl background, then green and red tinsel and leaves beside your guest’s name or initials. It’ll be a perfect, elegant touch and one they’ll take home to hang on their tree! No. 2: Napkins With Mini Bells You don’t have to be an expert seamstress to buy a packet of small mini bells and attach them to the ends of a colorful cloth napkin! It’ll add a magical, musical touch to any meal.

TAKE A BREAK

CELTIC YULE CUPCAKES

Inspired by RecipesForAPaganSoul.weebly.com

Directions

• 2 eggs • 1/2 cup butter Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. 2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, butter, vanilla, orange zest, and sugar. 3. Add the flour and baking powder, then fold in the milk and raisins. 4. Grease a cupcake tin before pouring the batter into it. 5. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool. 6. In a small bowl, blend the hot water and powdered sugar to create the icing. 7. Ice your cupcakes and serve!

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • Orange zest, to taste • 2/3 cup sugar • 1 1/4 cups flour • 3/4 tsp baking powder • 1 tbsp milk

• 1 1/3 cups raisins • 2 tbsp hot water • 2 cups powdered sugar

• 3 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM

205-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM 300 UNION HILL DR., STE. 200 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

INSIDE

1

Answers to the Top 5 Real Estate Questions

2

Why You Need to Replace Your Furnace Filter

Paper vs. Plastic Bags: The Winner May Surprise You

3

A Festive DIY Table Setting

Celtic Yule Cupcakes

4

Tips for Picking Artwork for Your Space

HOW TO CURATE YOUR ARTWORK COLLECTION IN STYLE

It’s easy to get lost while watching period dramas and think, “Wow, I wish I had a drawing room full of oil paintings for my guests to admire.” But the truth is that you can achieve the same effect in modern style! By placing artwork, you’re creating a new point of interest. Do you want people’s eyes directed at your fireplace or at your hallway upon entry? If you want to put artwork against both, remember that colors are a way of controlling the eye’s attention. You’ll likely want to pick artwork that will make your space’s accent colors, patterns, and details really stand out. Choose artwork in all shapes and sizes, but try to avoid picking artwork that will fade too far into the background. However, there are no hard rules. Your art doesn’t have to always be at eye level — it can be over a doorway or hung asymmetrically. Be rebellious and leave your art unframed if you want to. It’s your wall, your canvas.

4 • 205-223-6192

Published by Newsletter Pro • www.newsletterpro.com