Backyard Pool Safety Tips

Source Sally Morrow
Published By Keep Kids Healthy.com


According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an estimated 260 children under five years of age drown each year in residential swimming pools and spas. The Commission estimates that another 3,000 children under age five are treated in hospital emergency rooms following submersion accidents each year. Some of these submersion accidents result in permanent brain damage.

Nationally, drowning is the fourth leading cause of death to children under five. In some states such as California, Florida and Arizona, drowning is the leading cause of accidental death to children under five.

CPSC offers the following tips for pool owners:

• Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool.

• Instruct babysitters about potential hazards to young children in and around swimming pools and the need for constant supervision.

• Completely fence the pool. Install self-closing and self-latching gates. Position latches out of reach of young children. Keep all doors and windows leading to the pool area secure to prevent small children from getting to the pool. Effective barriers and locks are necessary preventive measures, but there is no substitute for supervision.

Do not consider young children "drown proof" because they have had swimming lessons; young children should always be watched carefully while swimming.

• Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.

• Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place, since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover completely.

• Place tables and chairs well away from the pool fence to prevent children from climbing into the pool area.

• Keep toys away from the pool area because a young child playing with the toys could accidentally fall in the water.

• Remove steps to above ground pools when not in use.

• Have a telephone at poolside to avoid having to leave children unattended in or near the pool to answer a telephone elsewhere. Keep emergency numbers at the poolside telephone.

• Learn CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation).

• Keep rescue equipment by the pool.

PARENTS AND GUARDIANS: ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT A DROWNING. WATCH YOUR CHILD CLOSELY AT ALL TIMES. MAKE SURE DOORS LEADING TO THE POOL AREA ARECLOSED AND LOCKED. YOUNG CHILDREN CAN QUICKLY SLIP AWAY AND INTO THE POOL.

CPSC requests that consumers report incidents of drowning or "near drowning" by calling the Commission toll-free at 1-800-638-2772.

Are you looking for a home with a pool side view? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.

How To Make Your House Irresistible

Provided By Sally Morrow
Source Good House Keeping

The longer your house sits on the market, the less cash it commands. To maximize your profits, use these expert tricks.

Dianna Lenz, 32, and her husband were ecstatic the day they got the permit to start building their dream house in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. One catch: They had to unload their current home first. "I was really nervous," Lenz says. "We needed to sell quickly so we could use the proceeds for the new construction."

She needn't have stressed: The house sold to the first person who looked at it -- and for several thousand dollars more than its appraisal price. The credit, Lenz says, goes largely to Joanne Hans, a real-estate enhancement expert in Mechanicville, N.Y. In this new but rapidly growing specialty, professionals help clients stage their homes - either for sale or just for a face lift - by using little more than the furnishings and accessories that the client already owns.

"A well-staged house creates a vision of a beautiful life," says Donna Marie Baldwin, a top agent in Hillsborough, Calif., for Re/Max Realtors. "When buyers walk through a house, they feel like they're going to have the same life as the people who live there. So the picture has to be a happy one - clean, uncluttered and tranquil." As Lenz discovered, making small adjustments in furnishings and presentation can determine how fast your house sells.

So how do you create that "buy me" feel? Good Housekeeping mined the top enhancement experts for their best-kept secrets and came up with a package of tips that will take your abode from ho-hum to Hollywood-perfect. Maybe you'll be so impressed with your home's new look, you'll decide you really don't want to move after all!

5 easy fixes to make your home more inviting

• Place a box of chocolates and a water pitcher with lemon slices in the kitchen.

• Hide pet toys, bowls and litter boxes.

• Heat an apple pie in the oven. Studies show that the smell of baked goods makes people nostalgic for childhood.

• Light candles in every room to create a glow.

• Put away toilet brushes, plungers, sponges, toothbrushes and medications.

Fake more space

• Buyers always want more for their money. Here are seven ways to create the illusion of extra square feet.

• Bedroom: Remove one piece of furniture - an ottoman or a second nightstand. Too-tight spaces are a major buyer turnoff.

• Windows: Take down worn drapes. Don't worry about replacing them - bare windows always make your home look bigger.
  

• Closet: Empty closets by two thirds to create a plenty-of-storage feel. Box and store out-of-season clothes and shoes.

• Den: You can double other people's perception of your home's play space - just pack up and put away half of your kids' toys.

• Kitchen: Clear small appliances off your counters. Experts say reducing the number of items visually triples the work space.

• Cabinets: Stop buying in bulk at the warehouse club.

• Reducing inventory lets you arrange supplies so that the shelves seem roomier.

• Dining room: Create a feeling of uninterrupted flow by taking out dining-room table leaves and removing all but four chairs.

Would you like more tips on making your home irresistible to buyers? Give us a call at 972-772-7000 or email us at rockwall@kw.com.