Summer is heating up and homes with amenities geared toward summertime activities have major appeal for buyers.

Check out the latest One Cool Thing about must haves while selling your home during the summertime:

In rank order, the summer features correlated with highest price-per-square foot boost, when compared to similar homes, without it include:

• Outdoor showers – 97% price per square foot premium
• Barbecues – 26% premium
• Entertainers poor or spa – 26% boost
• Zoned sprinklers – 21% lift
• Fire pits or outdoor fireplaces – 25% jump

Homes with summer features are often listed with at least 10% higher prices than similar homes!

If you are looking to buy or sell in the summertime, The Lawhead Team can help!

Summer is a great time to bring your pet along on vacations and daily outings. It is important however to keep their well-being in mind and make sure they are safe during the warmer months.

The following are tips for pet owners from the ASPCA on summertime safety for pets:

• Pets can get dehydrated quickly, so give them plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot outdoors. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful to not over-exercise them, and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
• Symptoms of overheating in your pet include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse. They can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees. Animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight, and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
• Never leave your pet alone in a parked vehicle. On a hot day a parked car can heat up like an oven. Do not leave your pet in the car!
• Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool-not all dogs are good swimmers. Introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from his fur, and try to keep your dog from drinking pool water, which contains chlorine and other chemicals that could cause stomach upset.
• Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog: The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pet is labeled specifically for use on animals.
• When the temperature is very high, don’t let your dog linger on hot asphalt. Being so close the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum.

Summer is here and that means it is time to fire up the grill! The Lawhead Team would like to share some helpful safety tips from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).

July is the peak month for grill fires. Did you know roughly half of the injuries involving grills are thermal burns?

The NFPA has some grilling safety tips we would like to share:

• Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors.
• The grill should be placed well away from the home, deck railings and out from under eaves and overhanging branches.
• Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grill area.
• Keep your grill clean by removing grease or fat buildup from the grills and in trays below the grill.
• Never leave your grill unattended.
• Always make sure your gas grill lid is open before lighting it.

Propane Grills: Check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it for the first time each year. You can check by applying a light soap and water solution to the hose. A leak will release bubbles.

Charcoal Grills:

• There are several ways to get the charcoal ready to use. Charcoals chimney starters allow you to start the charcoal using newspaper as fuel. If you use starter fluid, use only charcoal starter fluid.
• When finished grilling, let the coals completely cool before disposing in a metal container.

Summer is just around the corner and it is time to break out those bathing suits and enjoy your pool!

Be the envy of your neighbors with the most sparkly pool on the block!

• When your pool is getting a lot of use, you should check your pool’s chemistry multiple times a week to make sure it has the correct balance.
• Clean your pool out with a skimmer basket. During the summer you may have to do this a little more. Make sure to check the lint pot inside the pump every couple weeks and clean it out as necessary. Turn off the pump in order to do this.
• When you pool is in heavy use, you may have to water more frequently. Check the water levels on a monthly basis and add water as needed.
• The chlorine dispense should be checked every week to make sure it is operating properly.
• Filters in the pool should be checked every 4-6 months. If your pool’s cleaning system isn’t working as it should, your filters may need to be cleaned.
• Water in the pool needs to circulate in order to maintain the correct chemical balance. Run the pump for 8-10 hours a day to move water and maintain the balance.
• Never overfill your swimming pool.  The water level should come up the level of the skimmer opening but no more, since anything over the skimmer opening will mean a poor skimming job.
• Vacuum often.  This will remove heavy debris from your swimming pool so your filter is not clogged or overworked.
• Shower before getting in the pool and be mindful of lotions, hair dyes and chemicals, and elements such as these.

Spring and summer are upon us and it is time to get your home ready for warmer weather and lounging around outside.

The Lawhead Team would like to share some helpful tips to getting your home summer ready:

Rejuvenate your outdoor space. Make sure all barbeque related equipment is in working order. In order to do that, make sure your propane tank is full or you have enough charcoal and lighter fluid, and clean your barbeque. Clean up your outdoor entertaining area – make sure to scrub your deck thoroughly, wash outdoor furniture and pillows along with umbrellas. Though these usually get ignored, the outdoor light fixtures are a good idea to clean before summer is here.

Change your air filter for your air conditioner. On days you cannot manage without the AC, it is important to make sure you are getting the proper clean air flow from your filter. If you can handle life without the AC, open the windows and let air flow through the house. Did you know you can add plants to your home to help purify the air? Snake plants, spider plant, English ivy and small leafed rubber plants work great indoors to help improve air quality.

Replace winter items for cooler, lighter summery items. Your flannel sheets can be taken off and replaced with warm weather summer linens. Take some time to go through your winter wardrobe and donate anything you didn’t wear this winter.

Keep energy costs down. Save energy by blocking out sunlight with curtains or blinds. This will reduce the amount of heat entering your home. Make sure your hoses are not leaking…water is expensive! Since it is warm out, you can dry your clothes outside during the summer. This makes them smell lovely and saves on costs for using your dryer.

Do you have any summer time suggestions?  Please share with us on our blog!

Summer is officially over and it is time for the kids to go back to school.  After a long rested summer vacation, kids are usually ready to get back into a routine and The Lawhead Team would like to share some tips to get them ready for the new school year.

Back to school tips:

School students need sleep: Students need at least nine hours of sleep to be healthy. Reestablish the bedtime and mealtime routine at least one week before school starts. Stagger bedtimes for kids of different ages.

Start the school day with a healthy breakfast: When your kids eat breakfast, they will do better in school, be more active and eat fewer calories throughout the day. Try to have healthy breakfast food in the house, such as fruits, eggs and yogurt, but any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. To give their brains the kick start they need, make sure that whatever they eat in the morning has protein and fiber.

Involvement should be encouraged: Whether your child is a star football player or a chess superstar, encourage him or her to get involved in school. Extracurricular activities usually have a grade point average minimum and promote studying.  Forty-six percent of uninvolved students failed one or more classes, while only 23 percent of involved students failed a class, according to an Idaho study.

Pack a lunch and avoid cafeteria food: Your child’s cafeteria lunch food may seem like the easiest way for him or her to have lunch, but it’s not the healthiest. Instead, encourage your son or daughter to make his or her own lunch the night before. Buy healthy and delicious sandwich ingredients – stay away from processed foods – and help him or her create an ideal lunch.

Plan ahead, don’t procrastinate: When everything is planned the night before, your children will be less stressed in the morning (and won’t fall asleep worrying). Don’t wait to the last minute to prepare for school. Before the school year starts, have your child go through his or her room to see which school supplies he or she has and which ones he or she needs. And the same goes for school clothes.  Americans spent an average of $7.2 billion in family clothing stores in August 2009, according to the U.S. Census. Clean out closets and dressers to find those forgotten clothes that still fit.

Schedule a preventative checkup at the Doctor’s office: Your son or daughter may not be sick during the summer, but it’s the best time to get preventative checkups. Take a day off of work and schedule dental and physical appointments. One summer checkup could keep your children healthy and stop them from missing school.

Watch for mental health issues: Look for changes in your child’s behavior, especially if he or she is a teenager. Watch for eating disorders or depression and talk to your child if you notice something unusual or different.

Leave the TV off: During the final weeks of summer, encourage your child to play quiet games, do puzzles, use flash cards or read instead of watching television. These quiet activities will help ease him or her into the school routine.

Take your children to get immunized: Vaccines and immunizations are required for most public school, but call your child’s school to learn about any new vaccine requirements. And if you’re unsure if your child has been vaccinated, check with your family’s pediatrician to make sure your child is up-to-date.

Be excited for your kids to go back to school: Many kids are nervous about going back to school, so be enthusiastic about your kids’ return. Talk to your kids about the upcoming school year and once the year starts, listen to them as they talk about their day. Be supportive and encouraging.