237 Battlefield Bluff Dr New Market, VA 22844

This home, located in a park-like setting on 3 acres in a very nice neighborhood, has a lot to offer.

All on one level, it has a recently remodeled large kitchen, sun-room with separate AC/heating system, hardwood floors, new roof, 30X30 garage/workshop with several extra rooms, and a half bath. To set up an appointment today call Florin at 540-335-8330!

3BR, 2.5BA.

Property Features

• Workshop
• Bedroom on 1st Level
• Cable TV Available
• Storage Building
• Formal Dining Room
• New Remodeled Kitchen
• Sun-room

Buying your first home, is a very joyous, and emotional time, and for good reason too. The thought of ownership is a major part of the American Dream, and everyone should experience it at some point in their lives. But beware! The safe road to buying your first home is riddled with danger, marked with signs written in other languages, like Legalese, and Salesmanese. If you can’t avoid the danger, decipher the signs, and pick the best route, you will be in trouble.

The first thing you will need on the road to ownership, is of course, to know where you are going! You need to do your research and pick a correct budget. Find out how much you can afford to spend, and how long you want to pay on a mortgage. You Do Not Need To Be House Poor, no matter what anyone says. Once you have this budget, the next thing you will need, is a guide. The choice to not have one is one of the first mistakes younger home-buyers make. Two people are suited for this kind of journey…

1. A Buyers Agent: a buyers agent is experienced in all aspects of the home buying process, and can show you where the Real deals are (notice I said said real with a capital R). One of the biggest mistakes is using the sellers agent to do the negotiating. That doesn’t work because the selling agent is getting a paycheck from the sellers, not from you. So use a buyers agent and don’t get lost.

2. A Home Inspector: You don’t want to fall into a treacherous Money Pit, do you? The home inspector’s job is to make sure everything is in proper working order, and that it won’t cost you money down the road, so having one of these men or women around is of great benefit to you. Most first time Home-Buyers try to save a couple hundred dollars by either doing it themselves, or having a construction worker friend do it for them. Now, this is not to hate on construction wokers, since the author of this article used to be one, but we are good at building things, and fixing problems, not at finding minor evidence for impending the problems of the future. So, GET A HOME INSPECTION!

The second thing you will need to do, is learn how to read the road signs. This means learning a few foreign languages, the first being legalese. Legalese is the language used on contracts, and you want to make sure you know what you are reading so you know how to escape a bad situation, or bad purchase. You don’t want to be responsible for all the problems in a home that you did not know about, So watch out for homes being sold As-Is. You also do not want to be signed into a exclusive buyers agreement, so if your buying agent is not up to snuff, you can fire him.

The next language is Salesmanese, you need to know the that buying your first home is a very emotional experience and every agent makes money when you purchase. So, they will try to get you into every home you see. If you have a good agent, they won’t be that bad, but you still want to keep a level head, and understand how salesmen can manipulate your emotions.

The last issue I want to write about is the objective itself. Many first time Home-Buyers keep looking until they find the “perfect” home. They pass up many a good deal, and sometimes land in a home they did not want because they waited to long to purchase. You should be looking at a homes potential, not just what it looks like currently. Other than that, HAVE FUN, it’s your first home… It’s my hope that you take this information and get into a first home safely and end your journey with a home that fits you and your family.

If you are looking to purchase a new home, there are several ways to go about it. One way that has become increasingly popular is to do so online. It can be incredibly time consuming traveling with your agent to house after house if you have not been able to pre-screen them before hand. By searching online for a home that fits all your criteria, you will be able to shave off hours and hours from your quest for a new home. There are several ways to find good homes online.  The question is, what are they?

One way to go about it is to conduct a simple search on Google.com. This search engine is a powerful one and can pull up some great results if the right search is done. One of the best ways to search for houses when using search engines is to type in the type of house you are looking for and then type in the area. For example, “lakefront property Utah” tells Google someone wants a property that is on a lake but also located in the state of Utah. Of course, searching on search engines is a rather outdated method of browsing for homes online. These days, most people choose to use realtors’ websites.

Realtors’ websites provide complete details and pictures along with access to a real estate professional who can answer any questions you might have. This is the new and improved way of searching for a home online. All relevant information about homes in the area you want and that fit the criteria you have can be pulled up with a few simple keystrokes. Many realtors have their own personal websites and blogs that are continually updated with new listings in their areas.

For those who are looking for homes in a variety of areas, they can take a virtual tour on the MLS. The MLS stands for the Multiple Listing Service.  It’s a huge database of houses on the market all over the country. This system can be viewed by anyone; although, only real estate agents are able to list houses for sale. With the help of your agent, you can easily find the best house for you while spending a minimal amount of time on the search. Indeed, when it comes to finding your new home, the internet and your real estate agent can make the process fast, fun and efficient.

Creating a theme is a great way to add a whimsical sense of wonder and creativity to a child’s room. Unfortunately purchasing boxed sets of kid’s items from the store is often prohibitively expensive, with decorative pieces being charged at a premium just because they bear the image of some licensed cartoon character. Luckily, there is away around retail home décor storeprices. Using creativity, and a variety of crafting techniques, it is possible to design a room for your kids with just about any theme you can imagine, at a fraction of what it might otherwise cost.

One of the great things about crafting your own custom kid’s room décor is that this is a process you can share with your children. Not only can you get their input as to what they want, and what they are enthusiastic about, but you can also let them take an active roll, helping you to color, cut, draw, paint, and paste the various elements that will be placed throughout the area. This method of decorating can be more than a means to an end: it can actually be a chance for you to build lasting memories with your children.

Before you start gathering resources, you should come up with a theme. Discuss this with the child, batting ideas back and forth, and trying to get a real sense of who the truly are. Once you’ve settled on an idea, brainstorm ways that you can make the various component parts of the theme. Once you have a vision of how you want the room to look, you can start to contemplate ways to actualize that vision.

Many of the basic materials that you will need can already be found lying around the house. Cardboard is great, because it’s soft enough to cut and bend, but hard enough to stand up on its own. Old cereal boxes, shoe boxes, and even rolls of wrapping paper are all useful when crafting whimsical item for the rooms theme. Even items such as rolls from the center of a tape gun, or old milk, and or egg cartons, can be used to craft a variety of decorative elementsin the space.

Aside from this, brightly colored construction paper, a pair of safety scissors, markers, paints, pens, and all the other basic crafting and art supplies can be used. If necessary, Styrofoam balls can be bought in a vast array of shapes and sizes to make up the more intricate pieces.

A space theme is one design that’s relatively easy to simulate. Find pictures of planets, galaxies, stars, and other outer space entities and either print them out, or draw them onto large pieces of construction paper. Color them in with marker or crayons, and then carefully cut them out. You can then stick them to walls or to the ceiling using scotch tape. Rocket ships can be constructed from paper towel rolls, cut to size, and then covered in white paper, with tin foil used to simulate the look of metal.

These can be hung from the ceiling with pieces of kite string. Glow in the dark paint, and stars, is a great way to complete the effect.

If you’re interested in more of a fairy tale theme, then you can use cereal boxes and milk cartons, thoroughly cleaned, and then covered in gray paper to create an elaborate magical palace. Lofty towers can be crafted from paper towel rolls treated in a similar manner. Use the same method of printing, then coloring and cutting out images of strange and whimsical magical creatures to hang from the walls.

If you want to get really elaborate, an enchanted forest can be crafted using construction paper, rolled into tubes, and then affixed to cardboard bases. The tubes can then be outfitted with strips of green or brown paper to act as leafy branches reaching out across the space.

Creating a mysterious jungle is rather similar, with a variety of trees being scattered throughout the environment. Bushes and shrubbery can be simulated by cutting out images on construction paper, and then affixing them to the side of larger cardboard boxes.

Paper towel tubes also make great legs for fanciful jungle animals. Cut them into four pieces, and then affix them to part of a milk carton, or even just a small box. Use cotton balls or even rolled up socks for the heads, and decorate them with glue on beads, buttons, and rhinestones for facial features or patterned spots.

There are an infinite number of themes that you can create using inexpensive craft materials and recycled cardboard boxes from around the home. You just have to use a little creativity, and be willing to spend a little time on the project. If you enlist your child’s help, this can be even more rewarding and can lead to a series of memories that will last a lifetime.

Decorating is not a stagnant art. The process of creating inspiring, beautiful spaces is a living form of creation, which has to accommodate the changes of the world around it in order to stay relevant. In its most general context, this can involve changing the space up to accommodate the disparate needs of the people who live there. However in a broader way, you can actually decorate your home in such a way that it reflects the nature of the changing world outside its walls. Your rooms can be reflections of the seasons, symbolic mirrors of the constant flux of temperature and weather which occurs in the natural world.

This can be done in a variety of ways. Home décor items can often be purchased according to seasonal themes. Pieces such as wall clocks, drink coasters, and decorative plates can be printed with a variety of pictures that can evoke any time of the year. Since they are small, items such as these can be easily shifted into and out of a room from storage as the annual need arises. One easy, natural way to do this is to simply have seasonal magazines spread throughout a space, either strewn across a coffee table, or placed neatly in a magazine rack.

Items such as pillow or couch covers are another way to quickly change your home to match the nature of the world outdoors. Find these printed with a variety of holiday themes, or even just seasonal colors and patterns that make it easy for your home to flow with the natural colors of that time of the year.

One thing you should consider when working on seasonal decorating is texture. It is warmer in the summer and cooler in the winter.
Your home should try to accommodate these factors. In colder months, have a variety of warm, soft blankets strung throughout the house. Couch and pillow cushions should be fluffier at this time of the year. Carpets should be thicker and warmer. In general you want the home to be as snuggly as possible.

In warmer months however you want to go in exactly the opposite direction. Blankets should get lighter and lighter the warmer it gets, and you may eventually have to put them away altogether. Fluffy cushion covers or rugs should be replaced with items made from much lighter materials. You want to emphasize cool, smooth, sleek textures during the warm summer months.

One of the best ways to give your home a seasonal feel is to use natural items which reflect the world outdoors. In spring and throughout the summer, flowers should be a dominant part of your decorative designs. Spread them in the space using decorative
vases, or even just have bowls of silk flower petals for an attractive, aromatic display. As you feel the months getting colder, switch from decorating with flowers to using brightly colored leaves, or branches of fir trees and pieces of holly.

Seasonal decorating is a great way to keep your home feeling fresh, vibrant, and relevant. It ensures that the look of the space won’t grow stagnant, and that you will always have an inspiring and invigorating atmosphere to come home to.

The smaller the room, the harder it is to decorate. This is especially true in environments which need to be highly functional, like the bathroom. Unfortunately it seems that when it comes to space considerations, the bathroom usually gets the short end of the stick, and often this will be the tiniest room in the entire house. However that doesn’t mean that you can’t decorate the space, it just means that you have to be a little bit clever and creative, to create the attractive and functional atmosphere you desire.

First, you should look at the inherent structure of the room. Many bathrooms are lined with ceramic or natural stone tiling consisting of colors set into various patterns. Others will have walls painted in various shades. Bathtubs, toilets, and sinks, all of these immovable objects are part of the inherent architecture of the space, and as such they should set the tone for any decorative moves that you make.

Beyond the architectural bones of the bathroom, there are a variety of functional necessities which will be a large part of the room’s décor. Things like shower curtains, trash bins, soap dispensers, coasters, and functional shelving are all present to serve a purpose. And yet because they are not permanent items, they can be purchased in a variety of colors, or even patterns. This allows you to create a layer of decorative functionality over the inherent fixtures in the space, either complimenting them, or contrasting them for dramatic effect.

Beyond this, there is yet another layer of functional items which you can use to achieve decorative control over the room. Items such as throw rugs, toilet seat covers, and window curtains are all useful to have in a bathroom, but aren’t always necessary. These are items which are as much decorative, as they are functional. They allow you to add to the beauty without detracting from the purpose from the room, and actually act as enhancements to that purpose. Here again, you should strive to choose colors, patterns, and pieces which flow comfortably with the other layers of architectural and functional décor in the space.

There is one more layer of items that are found in a bathroom, which are necessary anyways, and so do not take up any extra precious space, and yet they can also be chosen to help elevate the beauty of the room.

Towels and wash cloths are quite prominent in the bathroom. They are also available in any of a wide variety of colors and patterns. When choosing towels, it’s important to select pieces which are appropriately matched to the other elements in the room.

Since towels and washcloths are transitory, moving in and out of the space as they are used, you can purchase several sets and use them to completely change the look and feel of this room every few days. However you do have to be careful about having more than one set present at a given time, as the two different towels or cloths may end up clashing with one another.

Your best bet is to get on a schedule of cycling all of the bath linens out of the space each week, replacing them en-mass with a fresh set on a regular basis.

As you can see, there is room to decorate even the smallest of bathrooms. Just look at the items which are inherently necessary to the space, and use them as decorative elements, coordinating the flow of colors and patterns to produce a room which is beautiful and inspiring to you.

Air conditioning is expensive, both in terms of actual out of pocket energy costs, and the environmental impact that it has on the natural world around us. However many people forget that there was an age before the invention of this modern cooling wonder. In days gone by people actually had to use a little bit of strategy, cunning, and even common sense to decorate their homes in such a way that they remained comfortable. In an age where an energy crisis is always looming on the horizon, and environmental catastrophe seem more and more eminent, it may be time to revisit some of the more natural home cooling methods that our ancestors used.

The easiest way to keep your home cool is to simply limit the amount of sunlight that comes streaming in during the day. The sun is the most powerful heating agent on the planet, and when it’s angled right to pass right through a rooms windows, it can cause a space to warm up pretty quickly.

Luckily, this can be easily controlled using heavy curtains, or blinds, that are thick enough to block out the majority of the suns intensity. Depending on the temperature, and the nature of the day, you can control the amount of heat the sun lends to the space, thus giving you an energy efficient way to control the temperature in the room.

Another inexpensive and environmentally friendly way to keep things cool is with fans. The initial investment in purchasing a fan is far less than for an air conditioner, and just one of them can lower the temperature in a room by 7-10 degrees. Also, these devices are so energy efficient that even the oldest and most outdated fan, left running 12 hours a day every day for a month, would only end up costing about ten dollars in electricity.

Ceiling fans are the most efficient models, but if you don’t already have one in the space they can require an elaborate installation process. A good alternative are automatically swiveling floor fans, which will sweep back and forth circulating the air throughout the environment, and distributing cool air evenly throughout the space.

Another source of unwanted heat in the home is your electronics. Televisions, stereos, and computers all give off heat, and while it’s not a huge amount, it can add up over time. Light bulbs however are the worst culprits. They give off more than their share of heat, and what’s worse is that the light they shine tends to make a space feel warmer than it actually is.

A great way to create the illusion of coolness is to shut off bright, overhead lighting, and let an environment remain bathed in soft, ambient illumination. A quiet glow, with plenty of shadows, will make a room feel perceptibly cooler than it actually is. Lava lamps, novelty lighting, and onyx lamps are all great choices for this.

Another important factor in keeping your home cool in a cost effective and energy efficient manner is basic insulation. The better insulated your house is, the less heat will get in, and the less cool air will get out.

This is especially true of insulation in the attic, because the constant force of the sun beating down on the roof can cause that location to get quite hot. This heat can then translate down into the rest of your home, unless you have insulation in place to stop it in its tracks.

Keeping your home cool in the summer doesn’t have to just be about throwing money at the problem. It can also be an exercise in energy efficiency and strategic thinking. By using these tricks, you will be able to keep your monthly energy bill low, while also helping to preserve the planets natural resources.

Are you considering building a backyard shed but just not sure if it’s the right decision? There are many reasons to add a shed to your backyard. It can give you the extra storage space you need, help you clean up your backyard and even give you a place to store items from inside your home. Another great reason to put a shed in your backyard is because it can help to increase the value of your property.

Backyard sheds come in a variety of prices depending on which type of building you decide to purchase. Small storage sheds can be very affordable while wrought iron gazebos type sheds can be extremely expensive. It all depends on what you want and how much money you plan to invest in your storage building.

Any backyard shed can add value to your home but the more money you put into the building the more value it’ll bring. That’s why it’s important for you to put some thought and planning into the type of shed you want before you buy it. For instance, if you decide to buy a shed already made, invest in one with good quality materials that will last.

If you choose to build your own, take the time to do it the right way. For example, plan out everything in advance. Know where you want to put the shed, level out the land and only use quality materials when building a storage shed. This will all help to ensure that you end up with a good quality building that will help to increase the value of your property.

Once you have the shed set up and ready to use, take the time to keep the maintenance up and this will help to keep it in good shape. If it gets run down and old looking, this will take away from the value of the building. Over time, the storage shed roof may need to be replaced or part of the flooring. The more time you invest in the shed the more value it’ll bring to your property.

Tiny spaces are the most difficult to decorate. That is because they simply don’t have any room for frivolous pieces. This is especially true in environments like the bathroom, where every inch of space has to be turned to serve a functional purpose. Here you will have to use creativity and a discerning eye, to find niches where attractive items can be fit, while also turning more practical items into decorations themselves.

While all of the horizontal surfaces in a bathroom have to be dedicated to the business of personal hygiene, the vertical surfaces, namely the walls, are open for decorative purposes. Think of the walls as canvases for your artistic endeavors. Fill them with beautiful portraits, pictures, wall clocks, or posters. However do so with caution, a bathroom is a place of water, heat, and steam. Make certain that anything you place on the walls of this space is immune to damage from these effects.

Solid wrought iron wall hangings and hardwood pieces protected by a chemical finishing agent should be fine. You can also get posters or portraits with glass panel frameworks which can seal them away from moisture and heat damage. However due to the volatile nature of the air in here, it is best not to place expensive items, or irreplaceable pieces in here.

Aside from dressing the walls, there are many functional items which can be coordinated to create an attractive look in this space. Rugs will keep your feat warm on cold winter mornings. These can be purchased in colors designed to match the towels, wash clothes, and even the shower curtain of the space. By paying attention to style when choosing practical pieces, you can inject the room with beauty without taking up any space at all.

Toilet seat covers are a nice way to dress up what is an otherwise unseemly object, and coordinate it with the other colors in the room. Waste baskets are another unsavory item that can, nevertheless be used as part of your decorating tool kit.

You should also look to smaller items for color coordination. Boxes can be purchased for hand soaps, toothbrush holders can be matched to soap dishes, there are a million tiny ways you can add beauty to your everyday bathroom routines.

One of the best ways to increase the effectiveness of these efforts is to coordinate everything. If all of the colors of all of your accessories match up, the patterns complimenting one another then the room will take on a distinct personality that will be inherent in its bones.

If all else fails and you are still looking for ways to beautify this space, you may have to consider spending a little money, and switching out the inherent structures in the space. Depending on how elaborate you want to get, you can replace mirrors, bath and sink hardware, toilets, even your entire vanity in order to customize the look of the space. There are a variety of space saving designs which can be implemented quite effectively in a smaller bathroom setting.

A tiny bathroom can be a chore to decorate. You should use the walls effectively as canvases, and then try to create a decorative theme with the various practical accessories that you need in the bathroom anyways. In this way you can control the look and feel of even the smallest space.

Right now heating costs remain steady. However there is always the threat of another economic shift driving the price of heating oil and gas through the roof. That is why you should take steps now, to ensure that your home is energy efficient, so that you get the full use out of every dollar you spend to keep the place toasty.

Not sure about where to start? Hire an expert to conduct an energy audit of your home. These experts will start by measuring the efficiency of your heat pump or furnace, and examine your homes interior, and exterior to see just where cold air is entering your home. Even if your home was built relatively recently, you may be surprised to find out about the number of ways you can save on heating costs.

Many homes have gaps between their stone foundations and wooden frameworks. These gaps can create an effect that is similar to leaving a window partially open in the middle of winter. To seal these cracks, use spray foam insulation, a very cheap fix to a very expensive problem. (You can buy this product for $5 to $10 a can at a local home improvement or hardware store.)

Similar gaps often exist between the roofing and wooden framework of your house. Sealing these can be a little trickier, especially if you have heating duct-work that runs through the attic or upper story of your house. You may also find small gaps between heating ducts, and fixing these may cost you around $20.

Replacing the furnace may also be necessary, although a good tune-up may suffice to get a few more years out of a newer model. Although this can be expensive, you’ll soon find yourself glad you did – and the energy tax breaks provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may make this upgrade even more affordable!

If your hot water heater is more than 7-10 years old, consider replacing it. If it is a newer model, and is located in a cooler part of your house or an area that is frequently exposed to the cold, consider using an insulating jacket to keep the water hot while using less energy.

If your home is older, or has not been renovated, you may need to install energy-efficient windows and doors, or even renovate the exterior of your home to seal off the cold that has been draining your home’s furnace – and your bank account. This can be a lot more expensive than any other improvement we’ve suggested, but in the long run, the savings will be well worth your while.

Even if your heating costs are relatively low, take an afternoon to pinpoint areas of your house that have air leaks or use more energy than necessary. The extra savings will be well worth the hours you spend, and if you ever decide it’s time to sell your home, you’ll be very glad you did take the time for an energy audit! It’s a small price to pay for big savings.