Cultivating a home garden is a great way to teach your children where their food comes from while fostering a sense of independence and a healthy respect for the environment. Most of all, it’s a fun activity the whole family can enjoy. Keeping their dexterity and attention span in mind, here are some tips on gardening with children that will get you growing in no time.

Location, Location, Location. The most important consideration when deciding what you want to grow is where you want to grow it. Are you planting indoors or out? In summer or fall? How much sun exposure will you have each day, and how extreme are the temperatures?  Checking a hardiness map for your area will help you decide what, when, and where to grow, and involving your child in the research makes for a fun geography lesson.

Dig Up Some Dirt. To grow a successful garden, you need good soil. In an outdoor garden, you’ll want to till the soil to loosen it for planting. For indoor or container planting, a good potting soil right out of the bag will do. Get your little helper involved in this step by giving them a small trowel, or even a spoon, and encourage them to sift away. Use this opportunity to teach your child the correlation between organic soil and healthy food.

Big Seeds for Small Hands. Small children will feel a sense of accomplishment at being able to plant seeds all by themselves. Beans, corn, squash, and cucumbers have larger seeds that are easy to handle, making them great options for your child’s edible garden. If your child prefers flowers, nasturtiums and sweet peas are perfect for little green thumbs. Seedlings (that is, small starter plants) are also a great choice for children as they are easy to handle and provide the instant gratification of seeing green in the ground. Radishes and lettuce seeds sprout quickly, but are smaller, which may require more assistance.

Go in Depth. Just as important as what you plant is how you plant it. Carefully read the planting instructions on your seed packets and explain to your child how planting at the right depth and distance will help the plants grow strong. If you’re using seedlings, simply plant them at the same depth as they come out of the pot. If you’re planting a large outdoor garden, make sure to leave plenty of room between rows for you and your child to walk.

How Does Your Garden Grow? When you’ve finished planting, have your child help you label what you’ve planted, along with the date. Make this a fun project by painting stakes or popsicle sticks and marking them with permanent ink that won’t wear off in the elements. Your plant packages should state how long it takes your plants to germinate, so mark your calendar and tick down the days with your child to prolong the fun and build excitement.

A Meaningful Harvest. When your first vegetables or flowers are ready to pick, make a celebration of it. Have a special meal or family party incorporating the fruits of your child’s labor and congratulate your child on a job well done.  Seeing tangible results from hard work is a great lesson for your child that will translate from the garden to the rest of their life pursuits while making wonderful memories along the way.

This post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. The point of view and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Realty Executives International. This post was written for Realty Executives by Estelle Weber, a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. You can read more of her work here.

Although buying or selling a home can bring about exciting changes for you and your family, it can introduce stress for your four legged loved ones. As a seller, having strangers coming in and out of your house can be alarming and upsetting to your pets. As a homebuyer, you want your new home to be safe and comfortable for every member of your family – even the furry ones. Whether you’re buying your first home or getting ready to put your house on the market, these pet safety tips for homebuyers and sellers will help make the process easier on you and your pets.

Pet Safety Tips – Buying a Home

• What Kind of Home Best Suits Your Pet? Consider your pet’s current and future needs when viewing potential homes. Is your pet young, old, big, small, a roamer, a digger, a jumper, a chaser?  A young, active pet would appreciate a large yard whereas an escape artist might need a high backyard fence. A mid-life to senior pet could be spared mobility issues later by living in a single story home with no stairs.
• Double Check Outdoor Decor.  Your new home might come with lovely landscaping and an entertainer’s dream yard complete with swimming pool, but is it safe for your dog or cat? Make sure the plants and flowers around your house are non-toxic to pets, and consider replacing beauty bark and decorative gravel with larger scale materials that are impossible for pets to swallow. Swimming pools and spas pose a grave risk to pets unfamiliar with such things, so make sure they are fenced or covered when not in use.
• Create a Safe Room.  On moving day, it’s easy to lose track of where your pets are in all the bustle and confusion. At your old house, contain your pets in one quiet room where they will be out of harm’s way and unable to escape an open door or gate. Do the same in your new house when transferring your belongings there. For especially nervous or shy pets, you may opt to keep them in the safe room for several days so they can decompress from the stress of all the activity. Before letting pets have free rein of the new house, do one last walk through to make sure nothing dangerous was left in any of the rooms or the yard.
• ID is Crucial.  Many pets become lost in the time period surrounding a move; firstly, because of all the distractions and the many opportunities to escape; and secondly, because they don’t know their new surroundings. If your pet gets lost in your new neighborhood, he may go back to your old neighborhood expecting to find you. If you’re moving cross-country and your pet escapes during the move, he could end up anywhere, which is why it’s so important to have a microchip and visible ID on your pet at all times.

Pet Safety Tips – Selling a Home

• Make Your Pet’s Presence Known. While some home sellers may temporarily relocate to another property while their house is on the market, for many, this isn’t feasible. So make sure your real estate professional knows there is a pet on the premises and ask that this information be included in your home’s listing details. You may also request that agents call first before visiting your property, or show your home by appointment.  Your real estate professional can help you determine the best approach to take.
• Make Yourself Scarce.  When you know you’ve got a potential buyer coming to view your home, it’s a good idea for you and your pets to leave the premises or become as inconspicuous as possible. Take your dog for a walk, or ask a friend or neighbor to temporarily pet sit during the property showing. If your pets must stay in the house, another option would be to contain them in a carrier or pet cage in a low traffic area (not the kitchen, bedrooms or bathrooms as these rooms are ones buyers definitely want to see).
• Never Leave Your Dog Alone With Strangers.  Dogs, no matter how friendly, should never be left alone and uncontained at your property when a potential buyer comes to call. Aside from the fact that this poses a huge liability issue for you should something happen, not everyone loves pets, and a barking or excited dog could be enough to cause a potential buyer to move on.
• Keep ID on Your Pet.  Make sure your pet wears a collar with visible ID. If your pet gets out during the showing or moving process, the easiest and most effective way for the finder to get in touch with you is by looking on your pet’s collar and finding your current phone number.
• Microchip and Register Your Pet.  As a failsafe in case your pet loses their ID, make sure they are microchipped and your corresponding information updated in a universal database such as found.org in the US, or petchipregiststry-ca.info in Canada.

This post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. The point of view and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Realty Executives International.

This post was written for Realty Executives by Estelle Weber, a freelance writer living in Los Angeles. You can read more of her work here.

Buying a new home can be a smart and satisfying financial goal. Is becoming a homeowner for the first time or finding your next dream home one of your heart’s desires? Aiming for a big picture strategy and breaking your plan into steps over time can help make your homeownership goals a reality. If you don’t see yourself making a move for quite some time but know you’d like to buy a home down the line, following are proactive steps you can take sooner rather than later, along with some ideas to keep in mind.

1. Get Your Financials In Order

Buying a home is a huge financial investment that requires planning and commitment.

Credit Score

Checking your credit score early in the process is an important step. When you apply for a loan or are looking into a mortgage for your new home, one of the first things lenders will check is your credit score. You don’t want to be surprised, stalled, or have a loan rejected because of factors impacting your credit score that you could start tackling now.

If you’re based in the United States, you can check out all three of your credit reports free of charge from AnnualCreditReport.com. If you’re based in Canada, you can go to the two national credit bureaus, Equifax Canada and TransUnion Canada.

Checking on your credit score in the beginning stages — when you are only thinking about buying a home — will allow you to take a proactive approach if you are looking to considerably improve your credit score. Doing so will put you in a much better position when it comes to applying for a home loan.

When you start the process early, you can also begin to pay off other debts you might have, whether that is other loans, credit cards, etc. This will free you up to put more of your energy and money towards the new home instead of being limited by older debts.

Research

You’ll also want to take the time to thoroughly research mortgages and home loans that are right for you. Not all loans are created equal: there are varying interest rates, stipulations, repayment plans, and other factors to consider. Keep your long-term plans, your income, and your family situation in mind. Choosing a loan officer and real estate agent early on will connect you to some of the best resources and most up-to-date information so you can better understand your options.

Understanding the types of personal and financial information you’ll most likely need to have on hand when the time comes to start a serious home search will help you get organized and stay one step ahead of the process rather than scrambling to track down important documents.

Start Saving

Beginning to save for a down payment as soon as possible can make what might otherwise feel like a major cost become a much more achievable goal. Depending on your mortgage, you’ll be required to pay a minimum down payment. This is where connecting with your real estate and mortgage industry professionals in advance can help you get a good estimate of what your price range and actual down payment might be. Having a clear dollar amount in mind can help you budget early in order to reach your goal over time.

Smart Spending

Be sure that you don’t make any other large purchases before taking out a home loan. You’ll want to avoid major spending throughout the home closing process as well. If you aren’t sure what might make a negative impact, consult your home loan professional ahead of time so you can plan expenses accordingly. Taking on other hefty payments will not only stretch your finances thin, it can also make it harder for you to get approved for a loan or close the deal.

Some important, larger purchases of course cannot be put off forever.  As you begin to search for the perfect house, knowing how much home you can afford can help you stick to your limits and better plan for other major expenses you may want to budget for in the years to come, such as auto payments or new furniture.

2. Research Potential New Living Areas

Moving to a new home can often mean moving to an entirely new area, new city or across the country.

If you have kids, you’ll likely want to do some research on the schools in various areas you’re considering moving to. School district boundary lines may rise to the top of your list as the deciding factor for the neighborhood you ultimately choose.

Another important thing to consider is your potential new neighborhood’s proximity to your work.  Think about how long your commute would be from various areas and whether it is economical to travel from your new home’s area to your workplace. You should also know whether you would have access to public transportation or whether you would depend on having a car.

Some other things to research are the population size and the general feel of areas you’re considering moving to. Is having a bustling town important to you? Do you want to live somewhere that offers a lot of things to do? Or are you more content in a small, quiet town?

These are all important questions to ask yourself and other members of your household well before you are ready to make an offer on a new home or decide on a new neighborhood.

3. Prepare Your Home for the Move

Before you buy a new home, you have to think about the one you’re in now!

Make an imminent move easier on yourself and your family by getting rid of any clothes, household items or belongings that you don’t need or use anymore. This means less stuff to pack and move later, which means less stress for you.

This is especially true if you’re planning on downsizing your living space. You don’t want to move into a house and literally not have room for all of your stuff. Be smart about what you really need and what can be given away. Decluttering is a process you can start early and may also make your current living arrangement more enjoyable.

If you already own a home, outlining what you’re going to do with your current home once you are closer to making your next move is another proactive step your can take. Are you going to sell your current home? Rent it out? A local real estate expert can help you sort through your options. Planning in advance will make it easier to focus on buying a new home when the time comes.

This post is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as professional advice. The point of view and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of Realty Executives International.

This post was written for Realty Executives by Elliot Walsh. Elliot is a dual-degree graduate from the University of Rochester with a B.S in Cell Biology and a B.A in English Literature. He is a full-time freelance writer from Boston, specializing in veganism, humor, and health. His articles have appeared in The Rival Rochester and his work experience can be found here: www.linkedin.com/in/ewalsh17.