Gate
Arch
Corner Garden
Mailbox Garden
Seating Area
Containers
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
Lafayette, LA real estate news
Gate
Arch
Corner Garden
Mailbox Garden
Seating Area
Containers
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
The Acadian Home Builders Association is proud to present the 54th annual Parade of Homes showcasing the latest in home building design and products. If you’re thinking about building a home, you won’t want to miss this special event!
Houses included in the Parade exhibit the hottest trends in architecture, floor layout, building materials, and appliances. Some are also furnished by local interior designers in a wide range of styles. Square footage and prices range from starter homes to estates, so viewers are sure to find the perfect home, no matter the size of the family or budget.
The Parade of Homes is a self-guided tour where ticket holders can view as many homes as they like in any order they choose. Ticket purchases include the official Parade of Homes Guide Book which contains pictures and descriptions of each home, builder profiles, and a map.
The Parade of Homes will take place April 9, 10, 16, and 17 from 1 PM to 6 PM. Tickets are $10 each, and each ticket is good for all four days of the event. Tickets are available NOW and are sold at the following locations:
Doug Ashy Building Materials
4950 Johnston St., Lafayette
1601 Verot School Rd., Lafayette
Home Bank
Lafayette, Broussard, & Carencro locations only
Acadian Home Builders Association
135 N. Domingue Rd., Lafayette
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
The po’boy is Louisiana’s most popular and iconic sandwich, and it’s about to get its very own festival. The inaugural Acadiana Po’boy Festival will be held today from 11 AM to 6 PM at Parc Sans Souci. The founders hope the festival will celebrate the legacy of the humble po’boy sandwich, expand its boundaries and promote the culture and hospitality of Acadiana through food, music and fun.
Over 20 Acadiana po’boy vendors—including Darrell’s, Pop’s PoBoys, and Lagneaux’s—will be present at the festival, collectively offering 42 different types of po’boys. In addition, po’boy venders will be teaming up to create the world’s longest po’boy! The exact length of the po’boy won’t be revealed until the festival, but we do know that it will most definitely contain more than one kind of meat.
Live entertainment will be provided by Grammy nominated Roddie Romero & the Hub City All Stars. The festival will also include arts and crafts and children’s activities. Best of all, admission is free!
The Acadiana Po’boy Festival is presented by Woodmen Life and a portion of proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Acadiana.
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
It’s that time of year again! Everyone’s least favorite part about spring is the annual spring cleaning. Are to tackle your spring projects? This handy guide breaks them down: Spring Cleaning To-Dos (once-a-year tasks perfectly suited for spring), Exterior To-Dos (fix-ups and repairs for the outside of your home), and Room-by-Room Tasks (decluttering and cleaning tips for specific rooms).
Wash Windows
Be sure to pick a cloudy day to wash windows. If it’s too sunny, the cleaning solution will dry too fast and you’ll have streaks. For a window-washing solution, combine 1/2 cup of sudsy ammonia (which is a specific type of ammonia), 1 pint of rubbing alcohol, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and 1 gallon of water.
Sliding Door Tracks
Sliding glass door tracks probably aren’t the first spots you’d think to clean, but you’ll appreciate having done it before the outdoor entertaining season gets into full swing. Try scrubbing the tracks with an old, dry toothbrush to loosen debris, then using your vacuum hose to remove it. Finish with a wet sponge.
Overlooked Surfaces
You may overlook these surfaces on a daily basis, but once a year, give your baseboards, door frames, and walls a good scrub-down. Wash them with a sponge and a squirt of dishwashing liquid mixed in a bucket of warm water.
Deep-Clean Carpets
To maintain a new carpet’s warranty, you may need to have it cleaned professionally every 12-18 months. Otherwise, you can do it yourself by renting a deep cleaner or buying a professional-style model designed for home use.
Clean Under Furniture & Appliances
Grab a partner and move your sofa and chairs, roll up area rugs, then vacuum the floors. Move your kitchen appliances away from the wall as much as you can. In some cases you can pull them out enough that a vacuum hose will reach.
Freshen Furniture
Restore smooth leather with an upholstery cleaner and conditioner. Use a suede brush to perk up nubuck leather. For wood furniture, make your own all-natural cleaner and polish: Mix 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 cup of vinegar or lemon juice in a plastic spray bottle; shake well and spray onto a microfiber cloth.
Refresh Window Treatments
Curtains and draperies aren’t typically dirty enough to launder. Instead, go over them thoroughly with the upholstery attachment on your vacuum. To remove dust from sheer curtains, put them in the dryer on low with a fabric-softener sheet.
Dust Light Fixtures
Use a microfiber or lint-free cloth to dust fixtures and bulbs you can reach. For ceiling fans, skip the ladder and use an extendable duster. To clean grimy bulbs, lightly dampen your cloth with vinegar. Caution: Be sure bulbs are cool to the touch and your hands are dry.
Get Organized
Make a Wardrobe Transition
Safety Inspection
Exterior Paint
Spring is the perfect time to freshen the face of your home with a new paint job. An updated color scheme can take your house from forgettable to traffic-stopping. The average exterior paint job lasts 10 years, so make sure it’s done right. If your house doesn’t require a full paint makeover, consider a touch-up, which can prolong the life of your siding and trim.
Power Wash
Having your home’s exterior and windows power-washed won’t just make your home look sharp, it also will prevent the growth of mold and mildew that feed on grime. If you’re not comfortable deciding whether your home’s exterior can handle the force that pressure-washing nozzles exert, hire a professional to do the work.
Gutter Maintenance
When you consider that your roof’s drainage system diverts thousands of gallons of water a year from your house’s exterior and foundation walls, you can see why it merits a semiannual inspection. Clean and repair gutters and downspouts every spring before heavy rains begin and late in autumn after leaves have fallen.
Seasonal Change
Say goodbye to shovels, salt, scrapers, and other winter gear, and bring out garden tools and potting supplies. Also consider servicing your snowblower (if applicable) before storing it for spring.
Outdoor Furniture
Clean and repair furniture for your deck, porch, or patio. Use outdoor spray enamel to touch up chips on painted outdoor furniture.
Freshen Bedrooms
Clean Your Bathrooms
Clear Your Kitchen
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News
You never think losing your files will happen to you until it actually does, and you’re caught without a backup. Backups are extremely easy to keep, so there’s no reason not to have one. Here’s how to set one up.
Whether you accidentally delete a file or lose a bunch of your data to a hard drive crash, regularly backing up your machine is always a good idea. Both Windows and Mac OS X have great built-in backup utilities, so it only takes a few steps to get started. Here’s what you need to do.
If you ever need to restore a file you lost, you can just go to the Start Menu, type in “backup”, and go back to “Backup and Restore”. You can hit the “Restore My Files” or “Restore Users Files” buttons to get those files back.
If you ever need to restore a file, just click on the Time Machine icon in your menu bar and hit “Enter Time Machine”. From there, you can search through your old backups for the files you lost and restore them to your hard drive.
There is, of course, one downside to this method. While it’ll save you if you accidentally delete a file or have hard drive issues, it won’t save you if, say, you have a fire. For truly bulletproof backup, you’ll want to back up all your data online, so you can get it back wherever you are (and whatever happens to your hardware).
Originally posted at: Lafayette Real Estate News