Home Services Blog

Welcome to F.C. Tucker Home Services!

Welcome to F.C. Tucker Home Services!

Welcome to F.C. Tucker Home Services! We have three Customer Care Coordinators and an Account Manager on staff that work directly with your F.C. Tucker Realtor to provide assistance before, during, and even after the real estate process.   We can be reached weekdays from 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at (317) 472-2600 or customercare@talktotucker.com.

At Home Services, we coordinate details such as obtaining information about a wide range of interior and exterior home-related services. Through our partnership with leading national and local retailers and service providers, F.C. Tucker Home Services provides valuable savings opportunities in over 200 categories, including flooring, lawn care, painting, plumbing, and electrical.

F.C. Tucker Home Services is a free, no obligation service, which never expires, designed to make your home ownership experience less stressful and more cost-efficient. Please contact us as you begin this exciting process. You may also want to browse our vendors here on our website!

We wish you a smooth, enjoyable experience, and look forward to working with you soon.

Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

The start of fall is only a week away! It’s such a beautiful season in Indiana… the leaves change, pumpkins turn ripe for the picking, and nothing sounds better than sipping warm apple cider around a bonfire. Not to mention FOOTBALL!

Despite all the fun fall activities to participate in, we cannot forget our duties as homeowners to prepare our beloved living spaces for the season. We have compiled a “fall home maintenance checklist” for you here, so you can get the chores done quickly and get back to enjoying sweater weather.

Call us, of course, for trusted service providers that can help you complete items on the checklist! (317) 472-2600

  1. Have furnace inspected & tuned up

  2. Clean dryer vent

  3. Dust blinds & baseboards

  4. Put away garden hoses and outdoor furniture

  5. Clear yard/gardens of dead plants and debris

  6. Aerate and overseed your lawn

  7. Trim dead tree branches

  8. Clean gutters & downspouts

  9. Inspect & clean chimney/fireplace

  10. Inspect roof for damage

Hosting for the Holidays

Thanksgiving 2018 has come and gone already. That means that Christmas will be here in the blink of an eye, and I think we are all just wondering where the year went!

Are you going to be hosting family or friends this season? Maybe stressing a little about making your home presentable for the occasion? Take a peek at our quick guide below for preparing your home to host this holiday. We have a number of Home Services vendors that can help make this time of year less demanding and more enjoyable!

Clean, clean, CLEAN

Yes, this is the most obvious, and probably most annoying, but it’s a pretty important one. Whether you rarely clean or you keep your home exceptionally tidy, now is the time to pay special attention to areas that might not get a regular scrubbing.

  1. Walk around with a sponge and soft cloth to touch up walls and baseboards you’ve walked past a few times and thought, “I’ll get to that”.
  2. Spend extra time on the guest bath, clearing off the vanity except for a scented candle or fresh flowers. Now is the time to bring out the fancy hand soap, people.
  3. Vacuum and mop every room, people notice dirty floors!
  4. Clean furniture that guests will be sitting on and spritz them with a fabric freshener a few hours before they arrive (you don’t want to do it immediately before or the smell will be too strong).
  5. While it’s understandable you sometimes need to stuff clutter you don’t have time to organize into drawers, don’t leave a mess in bedrooms or areas you don’t expect guests to go. You never know when someone will ask for a tour, or an emergency warrants the use of your master bathroom.

If you absolutely despise or do not have time for these daunting tasks, book a deep cleaning session with one of our approved cleaning services. They will have your home looking beautiful in no time!

Decorate & De-clutter

This pretty much goes hand in hand with cleaning but requires a bit more creativity. Of course, you already plan to pull out the boxes of holiday decor and trim the tree. If some of your pieces have seen better days, purchase new to class it up a bit. Focus on the dining table, guest bath, or other areas your company will notice small details. Make sure not to squeeze this seasonal ornamentation in with what you already have displayed on the mantel, shelves, or walls. Switch things out and tuck away your everyday decor until January. While doing all this shifting and reorganizing, examine the feel of your home. Have styles or your tastes changed? Start a donation box to place items that no longer fit your vision or are just cluttering your home. Less is definitely more and simple is more pleasant to look at. I also suggest looking into hiring one of our interior designers and/or de-cluttering experts if you really want to make a change that will last beyond the holidays.

Have your floors professionally cleaned

Remember in the first section I mentioned that people notice dirty floors? They really do. If you have carpet in your home, you should be having it professionally cleaned AT LEAST once a year anyway, so this is the perfect reason to book the appointment. I know that some would rather have their carpets cleaned AFTER the guests have cleared out, and that makes sense too. Either way, our approved carpet cleaners can get you on the schedule. If you’re like me and accepted that this is the year your current carpet has extended its useful life, you might be surprised how quickly our flooring companies can install affordable flooring for you. Don’t forget that hardwood, tile & grout should also be professionally cleaned to get off any residue left behind by your favorite cleaner or that deep layer of grime that elbow grease can’t handle. If your hardwoods need to be brought back to life, check out our approved refinishing vendors here.

Give common areas a fresh coat of paint

This is actually a pretty easy one, considering how much of a difference it can make. If your color scheme is dated, take this opportunity to modernize. It will really brighten up your living space! Focus on the family room, guest baths, and definitely the kitchen. At the very least, dig out the leftover paint and do some touch-ups where needed. While it’s an easy task, it can easily become a lengthy one. Luckily we have a fantastic list of reputable painters to hire instead.

 

These are only four small projects that will make a huge impact on the look and feel of your home this holiday season. We have over 175 Home Services vendors that can help you thoroughly maintain your favorite investment. Please don’t hesitate to call our office Monday-Friday at (317) 472-2600 to receive personalized recommendations. Happy Holidays!

Resolutions for your Home

There are only a few short hours left in 2018! Are you ready to ring in 2019? 2-0-1-9. How crazy is that? Let’s talk about the ways this can be your big year. If you haven’t already, it’s time to write down those New Years resolutions you’re determined to keep… at least until February, right?

With this fresh start, think beyond the normal promises to eat healthier & exercise daily (although those are always great too). What about resolutions for your favorite investment? Is this the year you finally dive into that kitchen remodel or add on a back patio? Maybe you just want to organize your garage or bedroom closets? Will you buy a new home or your first home? We will discuss a few ideas for New Year’s resolutions for your home, and hopefully, inspire you to make some of your own…

Get Organized

Let’s start with a fairly common resolution that gets quickly neglected because it’s so overwhelming. The best way to tackle this goal is to take it a room at a time. If even that is too much, take a section of a room at a time. It’s time to start purging. Don’t overthink it, just purge. There is no point in spending your valuable time organizing stuff you never use or look at. If there are things you are struggling to get rid of, apply the 6-month rule. Set it in a designated area and if you still haven’t used it after 6 months, say buh-bye. There are plenty of charities to donate your household items too. Goodwill and Salvation Army will even arrange to pick up from your home, depending on your location and amount of stuff. Take advantage of Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to make a little extra cash from things you’re letting go of. If you come across a fair amount of things that can’t be donated or sold, consider calling on a hauling company to take care of it for you.

Now that you have a clean slate to work with, you can gather up storage containers and nice little baskets to organize your spaces. Think bathroom cabinets, Tupperware drawers, pantries, your kid’s toy room, or the garage (dun-dun-dunnn). Ok, I’ve got you thinking of all the areas you need to straighten up and you’re ready to crawl in bed until spring.. How about some help? Hire a professional organizer and watch your home turn into a real-life Pinterest board. They’ve got all the ideas and motivation you need to tackle this resolution. They can even help you with the purging part, helping you determine what should be kept, donated/sold, or thrown out. For a permanent solution to closets, office space, garages and more talk to Hoosier Closets or Zinga’s Home Solutions. Why not increase home value while getting organized?  

Kitchen or Bath Remodel

Maybe you’d like to think about a slightly bigger change this year and tackle a renovation project. Take time to do your research and find out what changes will bring you the most return (or keep an eye out for a future blog post, where we do that research for you). You don’t want to spend money on new floors or cabinetry that is too trendy and will be out of style by the time you sell your home. Speak with a designer if this isn’t really your forte.

Trust us when we tell you that you should definitely call in a professional for this resolution. No matter the size of your project or how handy you might be, it’s not worth the added stress. Just look up DIY fails on YouTube. A remodel might be intimidating, but if you start by writing down your ideas and goals (and making sure they are realistic), you’ll be off and running in no time. The end result is well worth it!  

Upgrade Landscaping and Exterior

This time of year is usually when you are forced to take a break from outdoor housework, but with some recent fifty degree days maybe you’re already dreaming of spring projects. We probably don’t have to tell you how important curb appeal is. Whether you are getting ready to list or not, it’s the basis of first impressions and the first thing you see when you come home every day. A well-kept exterior showcases the pride you take in your investment. Plus, who doesn’t want to enjoy their own little outdoor oasis when Indiana weather permits! If your resolution involves adding or replacing a deck, patio, or fence you should start planning and doing your research now. If winter is mild, some companies will be able to get your project started or even completed before the spring and summer rush. Avoid being on a waiting list and enjoy your new feature as soon as possible!

Thinking more along the lines of upgrading or adding flower beds, shrubbery or trees? Start planning what you want to put in and when it needs to be planted. A landscaping expert can draw up a custom design and knows what will look and grow best on your property. You’ll also want to discuss hiring them to maintain things throughout the year. Most can keep up with your lawn as well so that will be the envy of the neighborhood… and you can enjoy your weekends!

Move.

Is 2019 your big year? If it’s time to really upgrade your living space and the ideas we discussed won’t cut it… well… we know some great Realtors. Call or text (317) 954-4768 so we can get you matched with one in your area. Plus, you have access to a free service that provides you with qualified, vetted home vendors. Partnering with F.C. Tucker will be the easiest move you ever make.

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