Stuck for things to do with your kids this summer? Would a hundred ideas help? Well here you are, then – 100 things to do with your kids during the summer holidays. Some are in your home, others are local, and some might require a moderate journey, but it all adds to the mix. So dive in! (Oh, that’s number 72).

We’ve put the entries into five rough categories, but there’s some crossover between them. The categories are:

• Science and nature
• Arts, crafts and cooking
• Get active
• Rainy days
• Chill out

Science and nature

1. Go rock pooling

Take a fishing net and a bucket to the beach, find a rockpool and see what you find.

2. Race sunflowers

On your marks, get set, GROW! Let each competitor plant a sunflower seed in a pot at the same time, an see which reaches a line on the wall first, or set a date and time and see which is the tallest by then.

3. Gaze at the stars

Unlock your inner Brian Cox by getting into the countryside and looking up on a clear night. You’ll see stars, planets and galaxies galore. Download an Android or iOS app to help you identify all the heavenly bodies.

4. Watch a meteor shower

A meteor shower happens when the earth passes through the remnants of a comet and the super-fast fragments burn up in the atmosphere. The brightest are the Leonids, Perseids and Geminids. Here’s a list of meteor showers for 2019, 2020 and 2021.

5. Watch wildlife at night

There’s something rewarding about watching wildlife by night. Set up in a garden with quiet snacks, hot drinks, comfy chairs and blankets, and you might see bats, foxes, hedgehogs, owls, or perhaps even deer or badgers, depending on your location.

6. Hunt for a four-leafed clover

After telling your kids how lucky it’s supposed to be to find a four-leafed clover, find a field, park or garden and get down on all fours to see if you can find one of these elusive plants. Good luck!

7. Pond dipping

To pond dip, run a fishing net through a wild pool and empty the contents into a tray filled with water. You might find tadpoles, pond skaters, sticklebacks, nymphs and all manner of minibeasts. The RSPB has a great guide on pond dipping.

8. Plant flowers for bees

The worldwide bee population is in decline, so let’s do our bit and plant flowers that they are attracted to. Some popular plants include lavender, alliums, buddleja, catmint and dahlias, honeysuckle and snapdragon, but there are many more to choose from.

9. Make a solar oven

Take a pizza delivery box or a shoe box and replace the lid with tin foil with a few small holes to vent any steam. Leave it out in direct sunlight and it can cook food in half an hour, reaching more than 100 °C – so be careful, and treat it like a normal oven.

10. Go bird spotting

Whether you look out of the window at home or go to an organised bird sanctuary, watching birds and learning their names is a fun and educational pastime for kids of all ages.

11. Make a bug hotel

A bug hotel is a little refuge for our creepy-crawly friends consisting of pieces of wood, small tubes, layered levels and plenty of cubby holes. Place it outside and before long it’ll become home to spiders, beetles, woodlice, earwigs and all manner of minibeasts.

12. Watch a thunderstorm

A thunderstorm is nature’s power at its most awesome. If you get the chance, and you’re a safe distance away and not out in the open, it’s definitely worth observing the spectacular light and sound show.

13. Make paper airplanes

Spend an hour or two folding paper into different airplane designs. Test them out, and see how adding flaps, rudders and weighted noses affects the way they fly. Once you’ve got the perfect design, why not decorate it with pencils and felt-tips?

14. Find animal footprints

Go out into a woodland or a field and get down on the ground to see if you can find any footprints. It’s quite possible you’ll be able to identify foxes, rabbits, deer, squirrels, hedgehogs and badgers, as well as many birds.

15. Plant some veg

There’s a whole world of veg you can grow at home, and you don’t need a garden to do it. Carrots, leeks and onions can be grown in large flower pots or buckets, for example, and you can grow lettuces, herbs and cress on a window ledge.

16. Feed the water birds

Go to your nearest pond and feeding the ducks, swans, geese and their cousins – but remember, bread isn’t good for them. Feed them peas, oats, grain or a bag of bird feed that you can pick up from garden centers.

17. Make bird feeders

Alternatively, you can attract birds to your home by making bird feeders. Whether it’s a bird cake made of lard and seeds, or simply filling an old plastic bottle with bird seed, you’ll attract plenty of feathered visitors. Some more great ideas can be found here.

18. Go on a nature walk

Fill your lungs with fresh air and get out in the countryside to see what natural treasures you can find.

19. Go on a bug safari

Get down on your hands and knees, whip out your magnifying glass and see what bugs you can find and identify. You’ll find all sorts of insects, spiders, worms, centipedes and millipedes between the blades of grass and in the soil. Take a jar with you if you want to catch them for a closer look, and remember to always return them to where you found them.

20. Visit a zoo

Get closer to nature at a zoo. Nowadays zoos are centers of conservation and education, and can trigger a lifelong interest in wildlife.

21. Go to a planetarium

Lie back, let your eyes adjust and take in the wonders of the universe with an expert commentary.

Arts, Crafts and Cooking

22. Press some flowers

Could there be a more relaxing pursuit than trekking out into the meadows, picking a few flowers and pressing them for posterity? Whether you have a professional flower pressing kit or just press them inside books, you’ve got a memory that will last for years.

23. Make sock puppets

All you need is some old socks, material, buttons and beads to sew onto them – and a hand, of course – and you’re good to go. Kids will have hours of fun making and performing with their sock puppets.

24. Make slime

Kids are obsessed with slime. Although you can buy it ready-made, look online for some cool recipes, so you can pretend to be teaching them something. We’re not sure how this recipe ended up in the BBC’s Good Food section, but it’s a good one.

25. Make perfume

Grab a basket, ask the owner of the garden, and pick petals to mix your own recipe for the most fragrant perfume imaginable, and save £60 come Christmas …

26. Learn to blow a grass whistle

Hold a blade of thick grass between your thumbs, stretching across the natural curved gap they make, then blow through it, you’ll get a high-pitched squawking sound. Learn it while you’re young and you’ve got a skill for life.

27. Make a rain gauge

Take a test tube or long bottle, put a funnel in the top and leave it outside. Every morning, see where it has filled up with rainwater using a ruler. Empty and repeat every day and write the results in a rain journal.

28. Do leaf or bark rubbing

See the natural world in another dimension by rubbing the texture onto paper. For bark, place some paper against a tree and rub with the side of a wax crayon. For leaves, place them on a tabletop and put the paper on top, then lightly rub.

29. Keep a journal

Why not encourage your children to keep a journal or diary of everything they get up to over the summer holidays? They can include photos, drawings and scrapbook entries, and maybe even rate their activities so they can repeat their favorite ones.

30. Make a pasta necklace

Any pasta shape with a hole through it can be painted, glittered or decorated and threaded onto a string to make a fun necklace. Try penne, macaroni, rotelle, cavatappi, manicotti, rigatoni, ziti or even cannelloni and you’ve got a fine selection.

31. Master a magic trick

It’s great to have a bunch of magic tricks to perform, but even better to nail one trick through practice, so that nobody has a clue how you did it. There’s plenty of inspiration in this video; once you’ve mastered one, move on to the next.

32. Make pizzas from scratch

Making pizza from the raw materials lets your kids experiment, learn to cook and spend some quality time with family. Here’s a simple and delicious pizza recipe on BBC Good Food for you to try. Bellissimo!

33. Learn to code

Have you heard of Scratch? It’s a language that’s designed for young coders that takes the most common computer programming elements and turns them into a visual, graphical system. It was designed for 8–16-year-olds, but children much younger can master it.

34. Make a mud kitchen

Younger kids just love playing with mud, so why not build them a mud kitchen? It can be anything from a washing basin on a table to a custom-built outdoor kitchen, but it’s guaranteed to get their imagination going.

35. Potion making

This one’s simple – get a jar and encourage your kids to fill it with petals, grasses, seeds, leaves, stalks – anything they find growing in the garden or park. Then stir, squish and crush it  until you get a potion that they’ll be convinced has magical powers.

36. Paint outside

All children enjoy expressing themselves with paper and paint, but how often do you take it outside? It brings a whole new dimension to the art, with different lighting, new sounds, fresh air and tons of things to inspire them.

37. Tie-dye a T-shirt

Take a plain T-shirt, tie it in clumps, dye it and dry it. When you remove the string, you’re left with psychedelic flower-like shapes that look amazing.

38. Make a daisy chain

Use daisies in the garden or park and make a necklace, bracelet or crown. You have to make a small slit in the stalk with your fingernail or a knife so you can feed the next stalk through it, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be making impressive chains.

39. Do a treasure hunt

Bury or hide a treat in the house or garden, then write a clue to its location and hide it. Next, make another clue to find the first clue, and another clue to that one, and so on. Make the clues as hard as you like and go and chill out somewhere.

40. Make ice pops

Make some cordial and fill your ice cube mould or special ice pop moulds, remembering to put a stick in them. An hour or so later you’ve got refreshing, tasty treats and you’ve saved a fortune when the ice cream van turns up.

41. Bake cakes

It’s not always sunny in the summer, so take the opportunity to learn some kitchen skills, most importantly in the art of cake-making. This list should get you going.

42. Plant a fairy garden

Until your kids are old enough for Game of Thrones, why not entertain them by giving them a corner of the garden for pixies, fairies and elves? With a little rockery, some moss, a few tiny flowers and somewhere to call home, they’ll be enchanted.

43. Plant a dinosaur garden

If your little one has boxes of toy dinosaurs, why not let them create their own Jurassic garden? Indoors or out, all you need is a bit of sandy soil, a large pot or a deep tray, some rocks and some plants. Check out Pinterest for inspiration.

44. Make s’mores on a campfire

A great way to get your kids to love the outdoors is to get a fire going and toast marshmallows or make s’mores (melted marshmallow and chocolate between two crackers or biscuits).

45. Make a cupcake stand

This can be as complex or as simple as you like. At the simple end, cut three or four cardboard circles and glue them to sections of foil tube. Then paint and decorate to taste, and while the paint’s drying, you may as well make a batch of cupcakes.

46. Pick blackberries and make a pie

Blackberries grow wild all around the country, often on roadsides, but also around fields and parks. Take a basket out and go picking. When you’ve got a decent amount, it’s back home to make a yummy pie. Here’s one great recipe, but ready-rolled sweet shortcrust pastry will do.

47. Pick your own strawberries

Open Google Maps, zoom into your area and type in “pick your own strawberries” and you’ll be shown all the local farms that let customers fill their punnets with strawbs. You pay by weight on the way out. Strawberry season usually lasts from May to September in the UK.

Get active

48. Roll down a hill

Find a hill (preferably grassy), lie down and let gravity do the rest. It’ll get you dizzy, but kids love doing it – and find the spectacle of adults flying legs akimbo down a hill hugely entertaining. Good, simple fun.

49. Have a karaoke party

Invite friends round, fire up the music and let them sing their hearts out. You don’t need a karaoke setup and instrumental backing tracks – just singing along to the original recordings will do. You can hire karaoke machines with thousands of songs to sing along to.

50. Go cycling

Get on your bikes, find your nearest cycling path and explore. The number of purpose-built paths is ever growing, so look out for your local ones and get out in the fresh air with your bikes.

51. Visit a skate park

Is your little one mad on skateboarding, scootering or BMXing? Take them to your nearest skate park and let them try out their skills surrounded by like-minded kids.

52. Watch a sporting event

Britain loves its sports, but lots of sports go under the radar. Have a look around and you’ll find all sorts of unexpected spectator sports going on, be it athletics, equestrian, ball games, gymnastics, swimming, martial arts or wider sporting events that cover all bases.

53. Chalk on the pavement

Get a pack of colored chalks and send the kids out to see what they can come up with on the pavements. Hopscotch, treasure hunts, target games and other cool entertainment can be found, and it’ll all clean away next time it rains.

54. Make a den

Find a place with lots of fallen foliage and branches, lean the larger branches together like a wigwam or against a tree, then start filling in the gaps with twigs leaves until you have a basic shelter. Remember to leave a doorway!

55. Make a rope swing

Find a good solid tree with a sturdy horizontal limb, throw a strong rope over the limb secure it with a knot. Tie a 50cm branch to the dangling end for a seat. Give it a good test by yanking it hard, and you’re ready to swing.

56. Climb a hill

Your kids appreciate the sense of achievement.

57. Fly a kite

George Banks was right – flying a kite is a perfect way to bond with your kids, especially if you have a stunt kite, controlling it through dives and climbs. The normal warnings apply, of course: stay away from powerlines (risk of shock) and trees (risk of tears).

58. Have a picnic

Alfresco dining is always fun, so generations have enjoyed the simple pleasures of a picnic for its own sake. You can make it as simple or as over-the-top as you want, but surround yourself with friends and family and you won’t care about the ants and wasps.

59. Make a fort

Save those cardboard boxes from your deliveries, because they’ll come in useful during the fort season. Another activity where kids’ imaginations will run wild, the cardboard fort will keep them occupied for entire afternoons.

60. Visit a maize maze

Farmers often make temporary mazes in their cornfields so that families can go and get lost together. With cafes, petting farms, farmers’ markets and playgrounds attached, it’s a great day out.

61. Splash in a paddling pool

Assuming there’s no water shortage, splishing and splashing around a paddling pool is a lovely way for kids to stay cool and have some quality fun in the summer garden.

62. Go camping

Don’t be put off camping by spartan childhood experiences, because modern camping is (if you want it to be) a much more homely experience. Look around and you’ll find sites with electric power points, decent Wi-Fi, swimming pools, bars and entertainment complexes.

63. Visit a funfair

There’s always fun to be had on the rides, amusements and stalls of the funfair, whatever the age of your children. You might end up coming home with a massive stuffed toy, so make sure you’ve got room in the car or house.

64. Go on high ropes

High ropes attractions are popping up all over the country, with a few chains like Go Ape being the best known. Although safe, walking a tightrope or descending a zipline 10 metres in the air sure does feel risky, and that’s where the fun is.

65. Go canoeing

Many places that have canoes and kayaks and also offer lessons, so you’ll be feeling the water between your paddles in no time. Use this guide to find a great place to canoe nearby, then work out your best route when you’ve chosen it.

66. Have a water fight

If there’s one activity guaranteed to bring howls of laughter on a hot day, it’s getting soaking wet in a water fight. If you’ve got super soaker guns, great – but some old detergent bottles or a bucket of water and sponges will do the trick.

67. Jump waves in the sea

Another simple pleasure: stand on the seashore and jump over the waves as they come in. Kids never get bored of it.

68. Learn to skim a stone

Find a relatively tranquil lake and look for a Minstrel-shaped stone. Hold it between your thumb and forefinger and throw the stone from low down with an all-important backspin to keep it rotating fast. Then count the splashes as it bounces on the surface.

69. Go to a castle

You’re never got far to travel to find one, whether it’s a ruin or looking spectacularly intact. It’s a great opportunity as you’ll ever have to really fire up kids’ imagination.

70. Visit the seaside

Get your bucket and spade and go!

71. Build a giant sandcastle

Sandcastles are great, but could they be greater? There’s no limit to the size of your sandcastle, and with a team of friends and family members, there’s nothing to stop you building something quite spectacular.

72. Go swimming

Find your local pool and go with your kids. Whether you spend your time doing lengths, playing around with balls and floats or teaching or learning the art of swimming, you’re going to have a great time keeping fit, staying cool and bonding.

73. Perform a play

Get your kids’ friends together and leave them in a room for a few hours to dress up and come up with some kind of performance. Whether it’s a traditional fairytale, a family comedy or a talent show, it’s a joy for all.

74. Create an obstacle course

Arrange chairs, tables, cushions, boxes, cones, wickets, hula hoops, beanbags (anything kids can use to climb, dodge, crawl, jump and throw) and set it out so they have to get from A to B in the quickest time.

75. Go geocaching

Every day, you probably walk past a few geocaches without even knowing about it. They’re little rewards hidden by the geocaching community and there are more than 3 million round the world. Download the app (Android, iOS).

76. Climb trees

An essential skill that seems to be getting lost in the younger generation, tree-climbing is fun and helps to build kids’ coordination, strength and confidence. Find some easy ones to start with and progress to more challenging trees as they get better at it.

77. Play football

Among the simplest games in the world for two or more people, if you’ve got a football you can play it anywhere, from the beach to the backyard. In short, always carry a football.

78. Visit a city

Visit as much of your country as you can.

79. Go plane spotting

Do you know your Jumbo Jets from your A380s? There’s something exciting about being close to these huge airliners when they’re taking off or landing, especially in the rain. Lots of airports have viewing areas for people to do just that.

80. Skip!

Everybody used to know how to use a skipping rope, but it seems to be a dying art. Whether your kids go  solo or with friends, it’s great fun and really keeps them fit. Learn the old skipping songs for a real dive into childhoods of the past.

Rainy days

81. Dance in the rain

Don’t get down when it rains in the summer … get up! While nobody wants to dance in the winter rain, a summertime shower is a wonderful time to get outside and get soaking wet, especially if it comes after days of relentless heat.

82. Play board games

Offer your kids a board game and you might be surprised how engrossed they can become. As well as the classics like Monopoly, Cluedo, chess, draughts, Operation etc., you can find themed board games for every subject in comic shops.

83. Visit a museum

Every city has its general museums, but there are also car museums, space museums, science museums and even a pencil museum. In fact, search online for pretty much anything online with the word museum and you’ll probably find one.

84. Go to the cinema

Whether it’s rainy-day entertainment or a way of escaping the stultifying heat, a trip to the cinema is a perfect way to while away a summer afternoon. See a summer blockbuster or take advantage of special summer holiday ticket deals.

85. Go bowling

There are hundreds of ten-pin bowling alleys in the UK, and kids just love the satisfaction of knocking those pins over. They all have side-walls and ramps, too, so it doesn’t matter what their age or skill set, they’ll be able to take part.

Chill out

86. Read outside

How long has it been since you and your kids indulged in the simple pleasure of sitting outside in the sun with a book and a glass of something cold? You’ll wish you’d done it a lot more often when you do.

87. Blow giant bubbles

Every child has blown bubbles from the little container, but did you know you can make truly huge ones? You can buy the kits from toy shops or supermarkets, or you can save money by making a huge batch that’ll last you weeks as is explained on this site.

88. Ride a pony

Lots of kids love horses, but few get the chance to ride them. Take your horse-obsessed child to your nearest horse-riding centre and ride a pony. They’ll probably get the chance to feed and groom their ride, too.

89. Join a library group

Most libraries offer clubs and groups, especially throughout the school holidays, so go along and see if any of the ones at your local library interest you or your kids. It’s a great way of meeting like-minded children and parents.

90. Write a story

Sit down, switch off the telly and see where your children’s minds take them when you ask them to write a story. You can collaborate with them and invite friends and siblings to join in, too, and then illustrate the story to really capture the mood.

91. Have a sleepover

Get some midnight feast food in and invite your child’s friends round to spend the night. Depending on the size of the bedroom, you might want to convert the living room into a sleeping space – they’ll surely entertain themselves.

92. Watch the sunrise

Find a nice spot where you can see the horizon in a roughly north-eastern direction, get up nice and early and watch the sky turn from deep blue to lighter blue, red, golden and orange until the sun finally pops up. Use this tool to find out what time sunrise is in your location.

93. Watch the sunset

Watching the sun go down might not be quite as magical as seeing it come up, but it’s usually at a more sociable hour outside of June or July. Find a spot where you can see the western horizon, take snacks and watch as our star goes to sleep.

94. Have breakfast in the park

During the summer holidays, parks normally start to fill up at around 10am, so before then you might have the whole place to yourself. Find a nice spot and have a picnic in the fresh morning air. It’s a great way to start the day.

95. Have a pajama day

Do you really have to get dressed if you have no plans to go out? No! Stay in your PJs and have a day of lounging about, watching TV, doing your hobbies or playing with toys.

96. Blow a dandelion and make a wish

Here’s a simple bit of fun with a hint of magic – find a dandelion with its distinctive fuzzy head, and blow its seeds off and make a wish as they scatter on the breeze.

97. Make a stop motion film

Head over to your Apple or Android app store and search for “stop motion”. You’ll see plenty of apps that let you build a movie one frame at a time. After a bit of practice, they’ll be making cool films out of Lego and other toys, or making speeded-up films of domestic life.

98. Make a campfire

Gather firewood, select dry kindling and some paper or rag to get the fire started, then build your fire from the ground up, starting with the small stuff and finishing with the larger branches. Strike the match and watch it come to life. Marshmallows optional.

99. Go cloud gazing

Lie back on the grass or the beach and look up at the clouds. Young kids will love to spot shapes of familiar things in them, and older ones might be interested in identifying the different types of cloud that signify their altitude, speed and how they are formed.

100. Paint pebbles

Go to the park, a stream or the seaside and pick up pebbles, then bring them home and paint them. You can paint them into characters with facial features and personality, or maybe you’d just prefer to paint abstract designs on them.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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By: https://www.virgintrains.co.uk/blog/other-destinations/100-family-friendly-summer-activities

Advertisements for full-house generators make you wonder if you really should invest in one, despite the high cost.  Having your home in full power during an emergency would be a comfort, but are they worth it?  There are less costly options out there, but only you can decide what’s best for your home and family. 

Portable Power 

• Portable generators are great for providing electricity to essentials:  lamps, refrigerators, freezers, fans or plug-in heaters. 
• Most are fueled by gasoline, and the tank must be filled as it runs, so there is a bit of labor involved.   

• The engines on portable generators are noisy (think lawn mower noise).   
• Generators that run via a solar panel are available, and the technology is getting better, but the initial cost is higher.  Keep in mind that you’ll save on fuel expenses in the end. 
• Prices vary with how many kilowatts you’ll need, and your budget should include enough for appropriate extension cords for each device you plan on connecting to the generator. 

Stand-By Energy 

• In order to provide power to everything in the house, including HVAC, a stand-by whole house generator is the best choice, as it will be connected to your home’s electrical system. 
• A stand-by system can be fueled with natural gas, propane or diesel fuel.  These types of units run more quietly than the portables and are fuel efficient. 
• Whole house units will cost the most, as they are ready to go almost the instant you lose utility power, require professional installation, and possibly local permits.   
• Installation should be done by a certified electrician, and some offer a package deal that includes the unit and installation in one price. 

Whatever type of generator you choose, get the size and type of generator that meets your needs, not exceeds them. There’s no need to waste money!  If you’re unsure of  just how much energy you’ll need, ask-the-electrician.com has some helpful information as well as a sizing  calculator.  Though you’ll only need it during emergencies, you want to know that you’ve made the right choice for your home, your needs, and your wallet. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Photo credit: electricalworksflorida.com

The Windermere Real Estate Market Trends Report shows the average sales price was $591,670 in July 2019 compared to $600,532 in July 2018. Homes were on the market for an average of 60 days, compared to 74 last year. Homes sold for 97% of the list price.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The Kissimmee Real Estate Market Trends Report for 34741 shows 52 homes sold in July 2019 up from 49 in July 2018. The average sales price was $212,934 compared to $184,150 in July 2018 and homes were on the market an average of 57 days, up from 31 days in July 2018.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The Celebration Real Estate Market Trends Report for 34747 shows 171 homes sold in July 2019 compared to 139 in July 2018. The average sales price was $294,758 compared to $348,551 in July 2018 and homes were on the market an average of 63 days, compared to 91 days in July 2018.

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently. You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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The loss of a job, divorce, a medical emergency or death of a family member can put homeowners in a financial bind.  You worked hard to buy your house and make it your family’s home.  Don’t let it get to the point of having the bank begin foreclosure proceedings!  Here are some tips to help you save your home: 

• First and foremost: call the bank before you begin missing payments!  If you have equity in your home, this is especially important. Once payments are late, or the lender has filed a notice of default, they will be reluctant or unable to work with you.  
• Several agencies offer free credit counseling and can direct you to someone who can assist you with getting those finances in order.  The HUD website can put you in touch with a local counselor, or find helpful foreclosure information through the National Foundation for Credit Counseling®. 
• Keeping your mortgage payments current is more important than paying credit card bills!  Sure, late credit card payments will affect your credit score, but a foreclosure will do far more damage to your rating.  Once you get caught up with the house payments, pay off the credit cards as soon as possible. 

• Do you have any assets you can sell?  Letting go of expensive items that you’re not really taking the time to enjoy–a boat, for instance–can certainly cut monthly expenses, and any proceeds can go to your loan. 
• In case you’ve already gotten behind, open every piece of mail that comes from your lender.  Many times, they’ll offer options as soon as the first payment is overdue, because they don’t want to foreclose on your loan as much as you don’t want to go into foreclosure. 
• Resist any “quick-fix” offers you see on the internet, television commercials and junk mail, or even from so-called investors.  These “rescue mortgages” could be a scam and will cost you your home faster than a foreclosure can take place. 
• If you see that you can simply no longer afford your home, get advice from an attorney whose specialty is foreclosure, as most will do a one-time consult at no cost.  You may also contact Legal Aid for a pro bono lawyer if you can’t afford it.   

Don’t be embarrassed about reaching out to your mortgage company and letting them know you’re going through a rough patch.  Being proactive before the installments become overdue will allow more options to be available.  Your house is your most important investment, and its home.  Do what you have to in order to keep it. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Hopefully, walking in the door of your home after a long day at work starts turning off the stressors of the day so you can recharge for the next.  If there is anything about your house that doesn’t give you a good feeling, it may be time for some redecorating!  Here are 6 things you can do to create a comfortable atmosphere at home: 

• An unkempt yard or dirty, cluttered home can keep us feeling stressed and overwhelmed.  Once a room is cleaned, and piles of mail or schoolwork is organized, try to keep it that way.  If yard work is getting you down, find an affordable landscaping company or neighbor to get the grass mowed, leaves raked, or flower beds weeded. 
• You may not have had time to paint or do small redecorating projects when first purchased the house, and that outdated wallpaper or color is bringing you down. Color influences us, so when you are dreaming of Tiffany blue dining room walls, but yours are hunter green, take a weekend to get it done!  
• Light is so important to how we feel!  Keep shades and blinds open to allow sunlight to shine in, and that’s free!  Spending a little to improve poor lighting in a room with lamps, sconces and brighter bulbs is a mood-booster, as we are naturally drawn to light.  Add inexpensive battery-operated LED lighting to the underside of kitchen cabinetry, bookshelves and china cabinets.  

• According to Healthline, plants can boost our mood and provide many other benefits!  Where real plants aren’t practical, faux greenery will do, and it never needs watering. 
• One thing that can cause issues is keeping something on display that isn’t everyone’s favorite.  If there’s anything in a room that gives anyone a bad feeling or brings up memories they’d rather forget, remove it.   
• Aromatherapy is certainly a current trend, but scents do affect us in many ways.  There are so many ways to add a pleasant aroma to your home, so choose the most convenient method, along with a couple of different scents you love, and use them.  When you get used to smelling one, change it out with another.   

Finally, and most importantly, decorate with items you love.  Home shouldn’t be making you feel stressed, so hanging a piece of art that was a bargain, but you never really liked, isn’t a good bargain.  Walking into your home filled with things that bring you joy or peace–well, there’s no substitute. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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So, you need to use your vacation days, but the kids are taking part in activities all Summer, gas prices have you down, or the cost is simply not in the budget.  Why not plan a stay-at-home vacation?  You may not live in a tourist destination town, but you can still take a week off work so you can enjoy some warm weather down time: 

Going Places? 

• If you are truly wanting an away from home experience, book a room in a local hotel for a few days during the week when rates are lower.  A luxury hotel or bed and breakfast would make it feel more like a vacation, if you can afford it. 
• Exploring your local area can not only be fun, but educational for the family!  Before your time off, call your local tourism office, and learn about the destinations you’re not aware of, as well as those you do.  Make a list and decide where you’d like to visit. 

• The weekend before your break, get everyone involved in getting the house cleaned up and the laundry done.  Purchase eco-friendly disposable kitchen items, so you don’t have dishes to do every night, or plan budget-friendly take out. 
• When you have young children, planning day trips is less difficult on them; spending the day at a nearby museum or state park, then coming home to sleep in their own beds can help keep them in their routine when your time off is over. 

Relaxing at Home? 

• Imagine yourself as a guest in your own home and treat yourself as such.  Vacations are meant to break routines, and you might have to make a conscious effort to stay in a getaway state of mind. 

• Spend an entire day at your local park, splash pad, or other fun spot that you normally take advantage of for an hour or so.  Pack a picnic lunch. 
• Plan some out-of-the-ordinary things to do at home.  “Camp out” in the living room, or even the backyard!  Throw yourselves an ice cream party, or some other celebration that is normally reserved for birthdays and holidays. 
• Some projects, such as cleaning out the garage, can take a couple of days.  If you must do something, plan as many days of fun or relaxing as you spend working. 

Most importantly, unplug yourself!  Turn off notifications for all your smartphone apps, resolve to check personal email every other day, and let family and friends know you’re taking time off, and, unless you’re planning on a get-together, only available for emergencies.  Vacation days are a precious commodity, and if you’re not taking a long-distance trip, make the most of it, and make memories in the process. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Allergies are something we normally associate with Springtime and pollen, but our homes and yards are sources for allergies year-round.  We can combat all the histamine-producing allergens, and it may take some work, but it can certainly cut back on our suffering. 

Inside 

• Bedrooms are likely the main culprit of allergies.  Cover mattresses and pillows with dust mite-proof covers.  Wash bedding weekly in the hot water, and the fewer throw pillows and decorative bedding we have, the better. 
• Obviously, there are allergens in dust, so while you dust, wear a mask, and clean top-to-bottom. 

• Opt for hard flooring with wool or wool-blend area rugs.  When you must deal with wall-to-wall carpet, vacuum often, and have them steam-cleaned at least twice a year. 
• Speaking of vacuums, make sure yours has a HEPA filter, and keep the appliance clean. 
• Start the habit of removing shoes as you come in the door.  Have a pair of indoor-only slip-on shoes to wear around the house.  Having a doormat outside and one inside as people walk in will cut down on pollen and mold being brought inside as well. 
• Machine washable slipcovers are perfect for upholstery, but on occasion, go over the sofa and any other fabric-covered furniture with the vacuum. 
• Use bleach or other mold-killers as you clean bathrooms and watch for mold growth anywhere water is used. 

Outside 

• In Spring, when trees are pollinating, wear a mask while working in the yard. 
• Another time to wear a mask is while mowing–the blades of your mower are stirring up all types of mold spores, and you may blame it on grass, but your allergies could be coming from the mold. 
• Keeping your grass fertilized will inhibit growth of weeds that can make you sniffle and sneeze. 

• If you love to garden, but not sure what to plant so you won’t feel miserable while you’re working, check out these tips from HGTV. 
• That morning walk or jog is great for your general health, but if you must deal with allergies, move your exercise time to evenings when pollen is low. 
• Shower as soon as you come in, or at least, change clothes that pollen and other allergens cling to. 
• Wipe the pets down with a damp cloth whenever they come in from outside, as their fur is the perfect place for irritants to hitch a ride. 

The best tip is not to allow allergies to control your life.  Talk to your doctor about antihistamines that you can take so you can enjoy the great outdoors and so you won’t feel like you should be cleaning every single day.  Allergies can make life miserable, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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Spring cleaning, decluttering, moving–these are all great reasons to make some extra cash by holding a yard sale!  It will take a little extra work for organizing and set up, but make it worth your effort with these tips: 

• If your home isn’t in a convenient location, consider asking a family member or friend if you can hold the sale at their house, or look for a spot that is in a high-traffic area in your community, and get permission before you set up. 
• Talk to your neighbors!  A neighborhood sale is a big draw for those seeking good deals. 
• Make certain any packaging doesn’t have old receipts or anything with personal information on it.  If you still have manual for an item, keep it handy for the new owner. 

• Check everything for cleanliness, stains, or cracks.  Most people don’t care to pay for dirty, or items that aren’t in good condition. 
• If you do want to get rid of things that aren’t in the best state, have a separate table for them with a “FREE” sign. Some people pick them up for parts or art projects. 
• When you start pricing, set them low to move things quickly and avoid bargaining!  Not pricing your items will take up your time at the sale and may turn some people away. 
• Advertise!  DIY or have someone make some attention-grabbing signs, using either large permanent markers or a computer design.   
• When there’s not enough room in the driveway, your sale will need to be on your lawn, so make sure the grass is trimmed, any holes are filled, and any pet issues are taken care of.  For yard art that isn’t for sale, make certain you have a “Not for Sale” sign in place. 

• High-interest or large items should be placed closest to the street to drawn in shoppers. 
• Place your “cash register” next to the sidewalk or end of the driveway so people can pay on their way out.  Get plenty of small change at the bank the day before.  Keep your money in a fanny pack for safety; never leave it unattended. 

On the day of your yard sale, be sure to have everything ready to go at your advertised time, play some upbeat music for background noise, and make it a pleasant experience for everyone.  When the day is over, be ready to haul some things to a thrift store, or schedule pick up by a non-profit that will take your things away for free.  Find more yard sale tips at wholefully.com! 

Access Teri’s one-stop Orlando FL home search website.

Teri Isner is the team leader of Orlando Avenue Top Team and has been a Realtor for over 24 years. Teri has distinguished herself as a leader in the Orlando FL real estate market. Teri assists buyers looking for Orlando FL real estate for sale and aggressively markets Orlando FL homes for sale.

You deserve professional real estate service! You obtain the best results with Teri Isner plus you benefit from her marketing skills, experience and ability to network with other REALTORS®. Your job gets done pleasantly and efficiently.  You are able to make important decisions easily with fast, accurate information from Teri. The Orlando Avenue Top Team handles the details and follow-up that are important to the success of your transaction.

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