List Birmingham - September 2020

List Birmingham - September 2020

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

SEPTEMBER 2020

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

WHO DOESN’T LOVE SAVING MONEY?

Money: bucks, dough, bread, moolah, cheddar, paper, stash, Benjamin, Benji, loot, smackers, simoleons, bacon, dead presidents, dinero, pesos … No matter what you call it, everyone values money. There is a great scene in the movie “Parenthood” with Steve Martin and Mary Steenburgen when they dig through a smelly, restaurant trash dumpster looking for their son’s retainer. Mary Steenburgen’s line is memorable, “It cost $200. If you dropped $200 in here, you would look for it.” Her point is that no one likes to leave money lying around. Geico created a simple selling line: Give us 15 minutes and we will save you 15% on your car insurance.” Pretty impressive. The average American pays $1,548 a year on car insurance. So, a 15-minute phone call will save you $232. That is roughly $1,000 an hour. Not a bad return on your 15-minute investment. Six years ago, my business partner and I created this amazing real estate company. We eliminated every conceivable overhead expense that most companies have. We have a small office, limited staff, complete automation, and so on. We wanted a company focused on selling houses. All of our funds go into marketing houses and servicing clients. We did this to be able to sell homes for a low flat fee of $2,900. Our success has been far beyond our expectations. I personally have sold nearly 400 homes, saving my average client $8,000 for a total of nearly $3 million in commission that I have placed in my clients’ pockets. You read that right? If we were a traditional company, I would have made an additional $3 million over the past 6 years (I hope Jill is not reading this). Some may ask, how can we do that and is our service inferior to other companies? Are we any good? No, we are not good — we are phenomenal! I have hundreds of reviews from clients that state our service is better than our competitors’. Let me ask you this: If you could save over $8,000, have better service, and work with a super experienced agent (skilled in negotiation and market analysis), why would you use another company? In short, I think our services are the best in town at a fraction of the cost, and my reviews prove it is true.

Think about $8,000. Geico saves you $232; we save you $8,000. Geico gets you about four tanks of gas; we get you over 138. $8,000 will buy a family of four over a week at the most exclusive Disney World Resort — including amusement park tickets. Think of the upgrades in the car you can get with an extra $8,000. Plantation shutters throughout your house! Don’t ask me how I know this, but a putting green at your house is about $7,000. If you have ever wondered why I send out this crazy newsletter, let me come clean. It is to shamelessly ask for your business or your referrals. The best thing you could do for a friend is refer them to me. It is like you are giving them $8,000 ($8,000 is our average, one client saved over $45,000 last year). If you know of anyone looking to buy (I have also represented hundreds of buyers) or sell a home, please send them to me. Your friends and family will love you for life. What the world needs right now is more love. You can be a real catalyst for changing the energy in our current environment. Help the country shift to a more positive environment — send me business.

Thanks to all of you who have sent me business in the past. Over 70% of all of my business is from personal referrals.

-Melvin Upchurch • 1 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM

Cooking in a beautiful, open kitchen is the dream of homeowners everywhere. Luckily, in 2020, many quarantined kitchen lovers have turned that dream into a reality. There have been a ton of kitchen projects trending on Twitter and Instagram, and if you want that natural and open aesthetic for yourself, try implementing the renovations below. A popular project has been to install more open shelving , and it’s not just because people want organizational space! By using open shelves instead of cabinets, you can make your kitchen feel larger while showing off those beautiful plates and cups! Whether you install a sleek slab of reclaimed wood or an industrial wood and pipe shelf, there are a lot of natural pieces you can use to make your kitchen look like it stepped out of a modernized village home. Pantry remodeling is another popular trend that’s improving the kitchen and adding space. Why does the door to the pantry have to be solid wood? If you want something more lightweight, try using a porch door. The see-through features can make the space more inviting, especially when painted a beautiful, bright color like emerald green or baby blue. Then, upgrade your pantry’s organization with wooden boxes, tall glass jars, and natural-colored containers. Thinking of a bigger project? We’ve got your back. One way to make the soft light in your kitchen stand out is to install dark flooring . Not only can it contrast lighter furnishings and cabinets, but it’ll also flatter your lighting even more! To keep up with the bright, easy-going appearances, try using light reclaimed wood for cabinets. It’s visually textured and healthy for the environment! Furthermore, Carrara marble countertops can add sleekness to your kitchen without drawing attention away from the other beautiful accent pieces in your kitchen. Still looking for more inspiration? Check out the #interiordesign hashtag on your favorite social media site and find your dreamy, movie-perfect kitchen. Looking for Your Next Home Project? THE HOTTEST QUARANTINE KITCHEN REMODELS

5 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME’S AIR QUALITY And Protect the Health of Your Family

Many people have been spending more time at home in the past several months, and it’s felt more important than ever to have good indoor air quality. Air pollution isn’t limited to smog visibly affecting the air around us. More often than not, indoor air can be just as polluted, or even more polluted, than outdoor air. Microscopic dust mites, chemicals, and allergens can aggravate your family members’ allergies or asthma. Here’s are some easy ways to improve your home’s air quality and better protect your family today. First, vacuum and mop regularly. We recommend vacuuming twice a week or more. Letting dust accumulate will increase how much dust you breathe in. A vacuum that has both strong suction and a HEPA filter can ensure that dust and dirt won’t be blown back out. Floor mats outside your front and back doors can also really help keep contaminants out! Second, keep the humidity moderate. Too much humidity attracts dust mites and mold. Keeping the humidity in your home around 30%–50% can help keep dust mites and mold under control. Third, test your home for radon. No matter how new your home may be, it’s important to test for this colorless, odorless, and radioactive gas. Radon is one of the top indoor air pollutants, and it’s the second leading cause of lung cancer behind smoking. It occurs from the natural decay of uranium found in nearly all soils and tends to move up through the ground and into the cracks of a home’s foundation. Fourth, pick laundry products and air fresheners that don’t list ‘fragrance’ as an ingredient. The composition of synthetic “fragrances” is considered a trade secret, but most scents are derived from petroleum products. There hasn’t been enough testing done to know how inhaling synthetic fragrances affects us because most current testing focuses on skin irritation. Still, scented products may induce allergy symptoms, so if you have a sensitive family member, stick to unscented products. Fifth, replace your home’s air filters regularly. Talk to an expert about how frequently you should be replacing your filters. This can depend on several factors, such as the number of pets in the household, the size and location of your home, what allergies you may be prone to, and seasonal changes.

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GOT AN OLD TIRE? Reuse Old Materials for Eco-Friendly Outdoor Games

Looking for ways to get your kids outdoors while teaching them how to be more eco-friendly? Try saving your old tires and soda bottles to make these fun outdoor games for the whole family! Tire Swings Have you ever played swing games like Tumbling Tower? Build a tower of cardboard boxes and see if your child can use their feet or shoes to kick it down while swinging! Tire swings are great for games or just enjoying the outdoors while the wind rushes through your hair. Few pieces of outdoor play equipment are more enticing than a swing for children and adults alike. This project doesn’t cost very much, either. You just need a tire, rope, power drill, and the biggest tree in your yard. If you don’t have a tree, you can make a sturdy swing post with lumber! Tetherball Even if a tire swing isn’t in the cards for your family, don’t relinquish your old tire just yet! Turn it into another playground favorite: tetherball. Premade tetherball sets can cost up to $100, but a DIY version can cost less than $50.

tetherball on a rope. You’ll also need to use an impact drill with a bit made for metal. Drill a cross section of holes at the bottom of the metal pole and thread the pieces of rebar through each. Then drill a hole at the top for your round swivel eye bolt snap so you have a place to tie the rope. After centering the pole in the tire (using the end with the rebar pieces as the base), pour the cement in and let it dry. Once it’s dry, hang the ball with the bolt snap and watch your kids play tetherball for summers to come! Bowling Have empty plastic soda bottles from your last takeout meal? Collect them, paint them white, and put two red stripes around the neck. Now you’ve got bowling pins! You don’t need a heavy bowling ball for this DIY set, either. Use a tennis or soccer ball to get the ball rolling on some family bowling at home. You don’t need games as popular as Minecraft to make special memories in your backyard. Take inspiration from these ideas and create your own family fun! HAVE A LAUGH

To start, you’ll need the tire, a metal pole, some pieces of rebar, cement, a round swivel eye bolt snap, and a

DIY DOG-FRIENDLY DOUGHNUTS

Inspired by SunnyDayFamily.com

Ingredients

Directions

For doughnuts • 1 cup flour • 1 cup oats

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly spray doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside. 2. In a large bowl, combine all doughnut ingredients and mix well. 3. Transfer dough to doughnut pan. Use your hands to tightly pack each mold. 4. Bake doughnuts for 14 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. 5. To decorate your doughnut treats, place Greek yogurt in a small, wide bowl. Dip each doughnut in yogurt and sprinkle withbacon bits. 6. Place decorated doughnuts in the freezer for 10 minutes for the yogurt to harden. Serve straight from the freezer to your hungry dogs.

• 1/3 cup coconut oil • 1/2 cup xylitol-free peanut butter • 2 eggs For topping • Greek yogurt • Bacon bits

Special equipment • Doughnut pan

• 3 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM

208-223-6192 WWW.MELVIN.LISTBIRMINGHAM.COM 300 UNION HILL DR. STE 200 BIRMINGHAM, AL 35209

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

INSIDE

1

Do You Love Saving Money?

2

The Hottest Kitchen Remodeling Trends During Quarantine

5 Ways to Improve Your Home’s Air Quality

3

Eco-Friendly DIY Outdoor Games

When You Give a Dog a Doughnut

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The Tricks Behind Natural Lighting Designs

THE TRICKS BEHIND NATURAL LIGHTING DESIGNS

American author Edith Wharton once said, “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.” And when we’re thinking about illuminating our homes, Wharton is right: There’s more than one way of doing it!

Lastly, use light colors (which reflect light more easily) to make your room look more open and spacious as well. It doesn’t have to be all white — pair with vibrant colors for a more eye-catching effect!

Utilizing natural lighting is one of the easiest ways to create a gentle, cozy mood in your home. Try using reflective surfaces, like decorative mirrors or a glass backsplash, to help light jump around the room. If you want to keep the sun’s heat outside while still allowing a bit of light in, try thermal or awning blinds; they can help give you comfortable temperatures in hot or cold weather.

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