AAA House Manager Blog

Between Scandinavian-inspired minimalist design and hygge vibes, house plants becoming a staple of modern living, and open floor plans taking the lead, 2019 was a more subdued, earthy year for home décor and design. Lovers of everything lavish and extravagant will be pleased to hear that more decadent styles are on the horizon, largely thanks to a nostalgic re-imagining of 1920's classic looks. 

A few months ago, we doled out tips to help you plan your next remodel project. If you took them — or will soon — then the countdown is on to demo day. Unfortunately, after months of deciding on hardware, finishes and colors, there are still a few decisions left to make before the big day. Here’s a look at some of the last minute preparations you can take to help get you and your home ready for your renovation.

Last week, we gave you a breakdown of the home improvement projects that provide the biggest boost to home value. Now that we've hopefully got you thinking about ways to maximize your biggest investment's value, let's make sure you're also aware of the "improvements" to avoid — those that either don't have great ROI or even lower your home value. (Surprising, we know. But they're real and, sadly, some homeowners do fall prey to them.) 

Home improvement projects are not created equal. Some can have much more impact — and much higher return on investment (ROI) — on your home's value than others. Then there's the nightmare scenario: "improvements" that actually lower your valuation. We dig into those for you here. On the flip side, here are five projects with some real bang for your buck.

Outdoor entertaining is a summer ritual in the Bay Area. Backyard barbecues are all well and good, but the team at AAA House Manager was inspired to serve up a list of ideas for how to take your summer bash to the next level. After all, it’s not every month you can throw a party under the sun. So our goal is to help you make it shine.

Homeownership comes with an immense source of pride. It can also be the cause of considerable financial strain. This is especially true when certain types of home-related issues are left unaddressed. Americans spend nearly $9,400 in “hidden” costs to own and care for a median-priced home, according to the real-estate website Zillow and services marketplace Thumbtack. Preventative maintenance is the key. It can help you diagnose certain commonly overlooked problems before they bite you in the bank account.

Here are 7 issues that are often overlooked and easy to avoid: 

If you’re not particularly handy and you’ve recently purchased a home, you already know. Nothing takes the shine off first-time homeownership like the realization that you’re suddenly responsible for your own maintenance. Don’t panic! We asked our AAA House Managers to assemble a list of the tools you’ll need to tackle a good number of the most common home maintenance challenges. Sure, owning an Allen wrench won’t turn you into Tim “The Toolman” Taylor, but a good place to start!

Have you ever noticed how when you walk into a room, its colors can make you feel a certain way? It turns out that a room’s color has a profound influence on our moods and emotions. Color is more than just a visual experience; it can be psychological as well. 

Different colors evoke different responses. Warm colors are associated with feelings of comfort, excitement or even aggression, while cool colors can be calming and relaxing.

Below are some smart tips for how you can use the psychology of color to transform your home.

Remember that time your toilet leaked all over the upstairs bathroom and down into the family room? How about when your water heater went out in the middle of winter while you were trying to give the kids a bath? Or when you suddenly lost power to the electrical outlets on one side of the house? If you picked up the phone and asked a professional to rush over to help, you likely still remember how painful it was to receive the bill.

We’ll let you in on a secret. The thing that might have prevented that from happening? Preventive maintenance.

Houses don’t take care of themselves and, if you're like most homeowners, you have more than a few repair or preventative maintenance projects on your to-do-list that aren't getting done. Finding a trusted professional to partner with — one who can be depended on to complete the projects that are essential to your home’s well-being — is key.

A handyman can be defined as a convenient, single point of contact who helps homeowners stay on top of upkeep, planning, and home maintenance. A AAA House Manager can also be defined as a convenient, single point of contact who helps homeowners stay on top of upkeep, planning, and home maintenance. However, there are plenty of differences between the two, and those differences can impact everything from your pocketbook to your peace of mind.

Here are five major differences between a AAA House Manager and a professional Mr. or Mrs. Fix-It.