Few questions are more important this time of year than which Christmas tree you should buy for your Thomasville home. There are some things to keep in mind when looking for the perfect Christmas tree, here are just a few:

Real Or Artificial Tree?
Real Christmas trees require some care; if you're planning to travel this holiday season, you may not want a live tree. You must water the tree to make sure that it doesn’t lose its needles before Christmas day. The live trees are not fire resistant, the dried out pine needles can get too hot from the lights and may burst into flame.

On the other hand, there isn’t any up-keep with an artificial Christmas tree, and many look quite realistic. The plastic Christmas trees have an added bonus of being flame retardant. Then, there’s the convenience of not having to go out in the cold weather to pick the tree out.

For those of you who can’t imagine Christmas without the pine needle smell, you can buy air fresheners that mimic the smell of fresh cut pine. For some, an artificial tree is the best of both worlds.

How Big Is Too Much Tree?
Now that you’ve decided what kind of Christmas tree to buy, you have to find out how big a tree you can fit in your Thomasville home. It could be that the only thing limiting the size of your Christmas tree is your budget; in that case, your decision is easy.

However, if you're limited on space, you’ll need to decide the best place to put your tree first.
Try to think of how the area will “frame” your Christmas tree. Consider how much traffic goes by the area and whether there will be enough room for the presents to stay safe.

Break out the measuring tape so you don’t have to guess when you’re on the Christmas tree lot; trees look deceptively small on the lot. Or, if you opted for the fake Christmas tree, you’ll know exactly which box to pick out; just look for the right size.

Want to buy a Thomasville home that has space for a bigger tree? We can help. Give First Thomasville Realty a call today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com .

During this festive season, our thoughts turn to giving gifts, baking delicious treats in our Thomasville homes and visiting friends and family. However, there are others who think about unoccupied, gift-filled houses.

Don't give a thief a chance this year. Safeguard your Thomasville home for the holidays by following these tips:

Holiday Safety at Home

• Keep all doors and windows locked, even if your step out for a moment.
• Videotape valuables so you'll have a record of ownership.
• Inspect all holiday lights for frayed wiring before your hang them.
• Beware of strangers coming to the door asking for charitable donations. Ask for identification, if donations are tax deductible, how the funds will be used. If you are not satisfied, don't give. Instead, help a charitable group you know.

Holiday Events Away from Your Thomasville Home

• Turn on lights, a television or radio so that it appears that someone is home.
• Lock all doors and windows.
• If you have a home alarm system, use it. Alarm systems are only useful when they're activated.
• Holiday gifts should not be displayed where they can be seen from the outside.
• Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots or other “secret” hiding places -- burglars know where to look for hidden keys.

Holiday Travel

• Secure all doors and windows including your pet doors. Burglars can gain access to your premises from amazingly small openings - including cat doors. Secure all pet doors and remember to lock every single window and door, including those on garages and exterior buildings or storage sheds.
• Ask a neighbor to watch your house and pick up any packages left for you.
• If you leave your car at home, park it where you normally would.
• Use automatic timers for your interior and exterior lights.
• Stop your mail and newspaper deliveries.
• Arrange to have snow shoveled (if necessary) while you're away.
• Notify your local police department and leave a number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.

Take the time to be safe so you can relax and enjoy this wonderful time of the year.

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Whether for Thomasville condos or single-family homes, For Sale by Owner (FSBO) sales aren’t near as successful as those sold by real estate agents. In fact, by 2006, the average price for a FSBO home was at least $50,000 less than agent-run sales.

Why is that? Are real estate agents just naturally better at it? Although I’d love to say yes, the reality is that there are just some things FSBOs don’t know. Because they don’t know it, they make mistakes. Some of the most common are:

1. Incorrect pricing – The market can only bear so much. By pricing their Thomasville condos and homes too high, many FSBOs fail to sell. If your home isn’t selling, this may be the reason.

2. Not understanding everything involved – Selling a home, whatever the type, takes a lot of time, energy, ability, effort and know-how. For instance, accessibility is especially important, and a lot of FSBOs can’t be available to show the property when a buyer wants to see it.

3. Screening – You can waste a lot of time on unqualified buyers. You can also lose money by taking an offer that’s lower than it should be. Screening buyers can take a lot of time and effort, especially if you don’t have the experience to spot them.

4. Financing questions – The prospective buyer wants to know their financing options. As a FSBO, you need to be able to answer financing questions and explain their options. To do this, you’ll need to build a network of financial experts.

5. Knowing contracts – You need to be well versed in legal jargon, so you can handle contracts, agreements and disputes. Make sure everything – the negotiations and the agreements – is in writing.

These five points are just a few of the things you need to know to sell Thomasville condos and single-family homes on your own. If you’re not prepared to do it all, hire an agent to do it all for you!

If you’re trying to sell your home or condo and need someone who knows the ropes, we can help. Call First Thomasville Realty today at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.

It’s that time of year again, when the temperatures fall and the costs of heating your Thomasville Georgia home go up. Do you worry about the increasing cost of heating oil and the rise in energy prices? Then you may want to try these suggestions for saving on your home’s heating costs:

• Check all your home’s air vents to see that they are clean and free from any blockages. Replace your furnace filters to keep the system running efficiently.

• Weather seal your home. Look around all the door and window frames on your house for obvious gaps and spaces that could let cold air into your house. Fill in the gaps with a silicone caulking, sold at all hardware stores. For high traffic areas like the doorway, you may want to apply a vinyl or metal weather-stripping to help block the cold.

• Set your thermostat lower. Find the lowest setting that will keep you warm and leave it there. Keeping your thermostat at a consistent temperature helps avoid unnecessary energy losses from changing temperatures.

• Keep a sweater handy. Don’t underestimate the savings wearing a sweater around the house could net you. You could lower your heating costs significantly with each degree of difference. Using an extra comforter at night can lower your nighttime heating costs.

• Use a space heater for the rooms you are in the most. A space heater is a good way to keep small areas warm without running up your bill by heating the whole house. When using a space heater, it’s important to follow all the manufacturer's safety guidelines and remember to turn the heater off when you leave the room.

• Add more insulation to your Thomasville Georgia home. Traditional insulation can be messy and time-consuming to install. You may find that the cost of hiring a professional to spray foam insulation into the walls and attic is worth the energy savings. It may pay for itself after year or two.

You’ll find it’s easy to save money on your Thomasville Georgia home heating costs when you follow these suggestions.

Want to buy a well-insulated, energy efficient home? First Thomasville Realty can help. Call us at 229-226-6515 or email us at info@FTRealty.com for more information.