Inside Marcy's Mind
Having hosted the Aging aint for Sissie's podcast for two years, I wanted to expand what I could discuss. This podcast will touch on the fun of aging and whatever has crossed my mind! Please join me as I walk through life! #retirement #travel #fun #aginggracefully Link in my bio! Listen now!
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Inside Marcy's Mind
Life Updates from Marcy’s Corner, quick updates to boost your home value.
Celebrating the end of chemotherapy marks a significant milestone in my ongoing health journey, as I share my excitement about the upcoming four-week break before radiation begins. This episode captures both personal transitions and practical advice as I prepare for a week in California to support my oldest child through challenging times, followed by travels to Arizona where retirement possibilities await in Sun Lakes.
Chicago has captivated my heart with meaningful experiences – from attending my friend Lenore's orchestra performance at Symphony Hall to enjoying a private tour of the Art Institute's impressive exhibits on a Tuesday when the museum was closed to the public. These cultural treasures make me reflect deeply on what truly matters when considering retirement locations and the difficult balance between loving where you are and finding what makes practical sense for the future.
The heart of this episode offers valuable insights into high-return exterior home improvements that can significantly increase property value. Whether you're preparing to sell or simply enhancing your living space, strategic investments like upgrading your mailbox, refreshing landscaping, brightening your front door, and adding outdoor lighting can yield returns of 50-200% on modest investments. The National Association of Realtors confirms that spending just $3,500 on curb appeal can add approximately $12,000 to your home's value. I share specific recommendations for both front yard and backyard spaces, emphasizing how proper maintenance signals to potential buyers that the entire property has been well-cared for. From travel packing strategies using color-coordinated systems to fun facts about laughing rats and Australia's surprising width, this episode weaves together life's transitions with practical advice for making the most of your home's potential.
Hello and welcome to Inside Marci's Mind. My name is Marci Backus and I am your host. Well, it is Thursday here in Chicago. I'm doing this late in the day, doing my best to get these podcasts up and going. I am headed out to California tomorrow. Our oldest child needs some support. I'm going to go see what I can do to help. So that's what I'm doing. I'm going to be there for a week. I finished chemotherapy Today. I am chemotherapy done. It'll take a while to work out of my system, I know that, but I'm already feeling better. My stomach's feeling better, I'm feeling better and I think it'll only get better, which is great. I get about four weeks off until I start radiation, so I'm going to enjoy those four weeks. You, betcha, going to California, gonna see what I can do there for the week and then come back. I'll be here for Mother's Day and about a week and a half later we will fly to Arizona. We're going to my great nephew's high school graduation Christopher Adore, christopher and I adore the whole Johnson family, so I'm excited for that. Craig and I are going. We're also going to be looking at some properties while we're there.
Speaker 1:I have not given up my hope to have a place in the desert. I hope springs eternal. That's all I can say. We'll see. I have a Sun Lakes is an area it's a 55 and over community that I'm looking at. I definitely think it would be a good place for us, I think. I definitely think it would be a good. We'll see. I don't know, I don't know what. The next. Craig has a contract now that'll end a year from November and at that point we're going to have to make some decisions. So I thought it would be good, while we're in Arizona, to look at some places and see what we can find.
Speaker 1:I have followed Craig all over the world. I have moved because we've always had to, because of jobs and this last move I want to be because I want to and I want it to be where I want it to be. And I love Chicago. Here I love my friends, I love everything about it. I just don't know if it totally makes sense for us to retire here. No decisions made yet, just working on that. So if you're working on retiring, you can kind of understand. You may love your home, you may love where you are, but it may not make the best sense for retirement we're going to so in kind of in that vein. Today we're going to talk about easy fixes for big returns on your house, and so when we get into our information portion, that's what we're going to be talking about.
Speaker 1:I've had a good week with my friends. I think it was Monday night yes, monday night. Our friend Lenore plays the cello, and her orchestra, combined with another orchestra and a choir, played at Symphony Hall, and that was great. We went out to dinner about I think there were eight of us that went to dinner and then we went to Symphony Hall. What a joy. And these are the things that I love and what I would miss leaving Chicago.
Speaker 1:And the next day my friend Mary's son works at the Art Institute. Now the Institute is a world renowned art museum. It is also where our son went to college and graduated from the Art Institute. The SAIC exhibit that was just off, the sculptures, the sarcophaguses made of marble just spectacular. The museum is closed on Tuesday, so we had a very private tour. I feel very blessed to have had that. I want to thank Mary, my friend Mary, for setting that up for us and her son for facilitating it and giving us an amazing tour.
Speaker 1:So that's kind of what's been going on with my week, and then again dealing with some issues with our oldest child. Life isn't always easy, and it's not for them right now. So I'm going to go see what I can do to help them figure a way out of this Not fix it, but figure a way out. So that's what's happening. I'm hoping while I'm in California, that I may get to see some of my friends down in Orange County. Not sure if that's going to be possible, but if it is I would love it. The weather I'm going to be towards the coast does not look super great, which makes me sad. It looks doom and gloomy, and June gloom, but in May, so May gray, as they call it. So we'll see. We'll see how that goes. I hope everything in your world is going the way you want it to. It's not always easy. Craig and I started a good new Bible study this week. I'm looking forward to it, reading a book called the Piano man for our book club, and those are the things that are going on here.
Speaker 1:My laundry is done, so I don't know about you, I'm just curious. I have to do all my laundry and have it cleaned and put away in order to pack. I can't. Even even if I'm wash something and I know I'm going to pack it, I have to put it where it goes and then I can start my packing. Are you like that? Or am I just weird? I don't know, but that's something I have to do. So I am all.
Speaker 1:Craig is at a memorial for a friend from college this afternoon. I have got everything done and cleaned and ready to go and I'm going to pack. I got a new suitcase. I fell into the trap of the hard-sided suitcases and I loved them for a while. I don't love them anymore. I went back to a soft-sided carry-on because I only pack carry-on. I took Craig with me because he's my spatial expert. He really understands space. So we picked a Samsonite carry-on soft side.
Speaker 1:I also pack with packing cubes. Do you use packing cubes? I know we've talked about it on this podcast a few times. I love packing cubes because they keep everything organized. So I do one packing cube with bottoms, one packing cube with tops, one packing cube with underpants, bathing suit, pajamas, and that's really it. I wear my coat on the plane. If I have something else, I add it in and then I use a.
Speaker 1:I didn't this last trip, but I'm going to do it this time. I use I have some packing cubes that you can double zip down and they squish them down so they're like compressed. I'm going to use that for my, my toiletries this time. Toiletries take up a lot of room when you you know they're just, I don't know, I like the case I have, but it takes up so much room in my suitcase. So we're going to try a little something different this time. I try to keep things very simple, because we do travel a lot, although I didn't as much with chemo but our traveling is kicking off and we're going to be doing some things. We're also going to Ireland in October for Craig's 70th birthday.
Speaker 1:So, anyhow, I I'm very particular about my packing. Are you particular about yours, or do you just throw everything in and hope? I also always, always, go with a color scheme. Um, black and white starts it out, and then I add a color, a pop of color. So if the pop of color is blue for this, I think blue is going to be the pop of color for this trip. So all my tops and other pieces are going to be in the blues. I will pack a pair of white jeans, a pair of regular jeans, a capri and some shorts, and then I will have white tops, black tops, and then blue is going to be my extra color. So I have some sweaters, I have some things in blues and that's kind of how I pack.
Speaker 1:So I'm kind of curious how you pack. Do you have a system or am I just the crazy person with a system? Well, it works for me, because I never carry more than I have a carry on, and then I have a backpack, type rolly, that goes on top of my suitcase. When Craig doesn't travel with me, I check my suitcase because I have a sore shoulder or a shoulder that just cannot bear weight when I raise my arms up. And so everybody looks at me cause I'm tall and I look like I'm in decent shape, like nobody's going to help me. I don't look like a poor little old lady that needs help. So, um, when Craig's not with me, I just go ahead and check that. When Craig's with me, we put it in the overhead and then my little rolly um, kind of under it's an under seat rolly, I'll fit right under. I. 90% of the times we are always in an exit row and if we're not. We're in first class, so we do have a little extra room under the seats, which helps tomorrow. I am in an exit row and, uh, that's that. That's what's happening with me, so let's get into.
Speaker 1:I'm going to talk about some easy fixes for big returns, because I think a lot of us, um, we've already sold our home. But if you're getting ready to sell your home, you're getting ready to downsize, what are some quick and easy things you can do and what is the return you can expect for them? So hang in there with me. We're going to go through that. I hope it's helpful information for you. That's what I always try to do. And you know the other thing I'm talking about, I think when I get back from California, I'm going to fire up my old podcast, aging Ape for Sissies, and we're going to keep aging related items in my Aging Ape for Sissy podcast. And and my inside Marcy's mind is going to be what's always inside my mind, which is usually organizing, cleaning, god only knows politics. Sometimes I can't even talk about politics right now. It just makes me crazy Sad about the Pope, kind of excited for the conclave.
Speaker 1:You know we all feel like we have the if you've watched conclave, which I've watched it twice. I missed something very important in the first time I watched it, so the second time was great. But we all now feel like if you've watched Conclave, you feel like you have like a little inside, inside scoop, right Like we don't know anything. It was a movie. It was all made up, right Like we don't know. It's a movie, but we think we have a little insight so it's going to be exciting. White smoke, dark smoke. White smoke, dark smoke.
Speaker 1:I did learn two things this week that they do four votes a day and after a few days, if there's a couple of Cardinals that are only getting one or two votes, they will take them away Eventually by into two weeks. If they're not, if they're not getting closer, they'll remove everybody but the top two candidates. And at some point somebody's got to get two thirds of the votes. And we do know that Pope Francis has chosen 108, at least 108 of these cardinals Don't quote me on that and there are, I believe, 136 cardinals. So our chances of getting a more progressive pope are good. I heard there is a Cardinal from the United States that is good in the running. I don't know who it is because I didn't pay attention totally to the article, but these are things that are happening in our world.
Speaker 1:Very sad that you know, pope Francis died and I'm going to just stick with the fact that JD Vance killed him. That's just kind of me, just a little fun there, but anyhow it'll be interesting to see who's Pope. Maybe we'll be able to talk about it next week. See what it's going to bring. You know the Catholic Church. I'm not a part of the Catholic Church, I am an Episcopal. I'm born and raised Lutheran, even though I'm not Catholic. You know, the Pope's got a lot to do with things, and the last one spoke out against our administration, which I really appreciated, and I hope the new Pope does that too. All right, I've yapped enough.
Speaker 1:Let's get into easy fixes for big returns. All right, I was a little slow on that one. I'll have to move it back to that during editing. Anyhow, easy fixes for big returns Looks do matter, especially in real estate. So a welcoming exterior doesn't just attract potential buyers, it creates a pleasant, inviting atmosphere for family, friends and neighbors. Studies show that strategic exterior improvements can increase your home's value by up to 7%. That's not a small amount, people, translating to significant returns on modest investments. For example, spending $3,500 on curb appeal can add $12,000 to your home value. According to the National Association of Realtors, that's like finding $8,500 in your garden. So let's talk about some tips Now.
Speaker 1:A lot of houses these days still have mailboxes in front of their home. Some of us we had a group mailbox where I lived in one of our homes. We had a mailbox in the front and another part of our homes but it also was association had to tell you how you could fix your. You know it was a matchy matchy mailbox. Anyways, if you are able to upgrade your mailbox, if yours is leaning to the side or showing its age, consider replacing the wood, not just the mailbox. A lot of times the wood looks bad and people feel like if the wood looks bad on your mailbox, I guarantee they're thinking what about the wood on your house? So choose something that pleases you every time you collect your mail. The cost can go between $50 to $200.
Speaker 1:Expect return. Possibly not huge, but it's amazing what it can do for your street presence, so that one's not going to give you a lot back, but it is going to make things look neat. Shape the greenery. Trimming overgrown shrubs is relatively low cost fix but the upside is huge, whether you grab the shears yourself, hire a pro, transforming the look often nudges buyers. Offers upwards three to $3,400. If you're spending that, you can expect 90% on your return. I'm going to tell you what people think. I've sold a lot of houses. If you're shrubbery and your front yard is overgrown and you're not maintaining it, they don't think you maintain your house either. Just look at it. You always have to look at it from the buyer's perspective, not your own.
Speaker 1:Fix your fence. If anything looks wobbly, bad boards, pressure wash it, power wash it. Take care of that fence. Fix up that driveway. A cracked, stained or faded driveway drags down curb appeal. Patch up cracks, power wash oil, dirt and stains. Or consider resealing. Cost $150 for minor repairs, up to $3,000 for major repairs. Expect your return to be 50 to 75 percent.
Speaker 1:Enlarge your numbers. Make your house numbers suit your house, don't just because it's the ones they stuck on when you bought it. If you have a more modern interior, let your street numbers reflect that. Also, make sure they're big enough. We do get package deliveries now. Make it easy for your deliverer. Just add flowers, flowers, framing, walkways, fresh soil, wood chips all of that. You can spend between $100 and $300 and expect 100% of that back. Brighten your front door. You know, depending on your association, if you don't have one, look at your house and see what a pop of color front door might do for you A welcoming color and consider putting in a steel door that can add value and increased home security. The cost can run between $150 to $2,500 and expect 100% on your return. Don't forget to upgrade that mat. Add a large new welcome mat for a more inviting entry.
Speaker 1:Mow and weed Again. Keep maintenance up. Cost between $340 to $450 for a pro. Expect your return to be 200% on that. Nobody likes a shabby yard. Again, a shabby yard makes them think you don't take care of your house either. You may be fastidious about your house, but be fastidious about your yard. Make sure your landscaping is smart and you have a focal tree, an ornamental. Make sure everything just is crisp and do rock borders. Do what you can to make things look special. Again, you can spend like a hundred to $300 on this and expect a hundred percent on your return.
Speaker 1:Wash your home, especially your windows. If you have siding, wash that as well. It doesn't need to be expensive, but a good. Scrub your walkways, all of that. Hire a professional power washer or do it yourself. Make sure you test things before you. You know. Power wash the siding off, but again, $200 to $400, up to 80% return. Make sure your front door has a seasonal wreath on it that looks inviting. That is not your. It's not a fall wreath in the spring. You want to make sure you know again that people see that you're maintaining things.
Speaker 1:The last thing I'm going to talk about is add more lighting good outdoor lighting. Add sparkle. It just really. There's tons of solar powered ones out there. I use solar power in our yard in California all the time and from when I started to when we sold the house, the increase in quality of solar lights was amazing. So you don't necessarily have to have electricity running to those flower beds to get some solar lights around it. They're solar spotlights. Get yourself some solar spotlights and place them in strategic places. Again, if you want to hardwire it, you can. The cost could be between $2,000 to $3,000 and you'd get about a 60% return. I'm telling you check out solar lights. The thing you want to make sure about when you're getting solar lights is that if you're going for a cool tone. Make sure they're all cool tone. They're not all the same tone, just like light bulbs. So you want to make sure that you are getting the same, that everything's cool or everything's warm. You don't want warm and cool going around your yard In the backyard, adding some of those party lights looks so inviting.
Speaker 1:Make sure we've only talked about the front yard, but make sure that backyard suits the exact same way. Take everything that I talked to you about from your front yard and move it to your backyard. Make sure fencing is good lighting. Get some, if you've got outdoor furniture, get some bright, colorful pillows. Set up your outdoor eating area as if you're going to have a party. Make it inviting. Make them see themselves in your backyard using your barbecue, having a party back there.
Speaker 1:Again, this is just the outside of the house and curb appeal is awfully important, but it's just as important in the backyard, especially if you're in a sunny state I mean, even if you're in Illinois and you use your backyard 100 days out of the year make sure that it's inviting. But especially in states like California, arizona, the places where really outdoor entertaining is at its height you want to make sure, again, that yours is looking inviting. Use plastic plates out there so there's no breakage. But I'm telling you, it makes a big difference. Our backyard was gorgeous in California when we sold it, and I think that is part of what sold our house. Well, the view was pretty fricking spectacular. But you know, especially when you have a view or if you have a feature, if you're on a golf course, you want your backyard to look like a country club. You want people to see themselves on the weekend just relaxing and not having to do anything. So there you have it.
Speaker 1:There's my kind of tips and tricks for this week. If you hang in there with me, we're going to do a um, uh, what do I call it? A chemo brain. Sorry, people are fun. Our funds are fun. Tip for the week. I can't remember the name. Anyways, hang in there, I'll be right back. All right, I'm going to give you a few fun. Fun facts is what I was trying to think of. Couldn't think of it, but anyway, here's some fun facts. Avocados are fruits. Surprisingly, avocados are botanical fruits, not a vegetable. Bananas are radioactive. Bananas contain a small amount of radioactive potassium. I want no more radioactive. After chemo, I feel like I should glow in the dark Octopuses have three hearts.
Speaker 1:One heart pumps blood to the body, while the other two pump blood through the gills. Rats can laugh. Rats laugh, but their laughter is a high-pitched chirp. I wonder what they're laughing at. What do rats laugh at? What do they find funny? I don't know. That's kind of funny. And my last fun fact for today is Australia is wider than the moon. Australia's width exceeds the moon's diameter. So there's a couple of fun facts for you to share with your friends and family. The rats laugh is just really catching me, and I really want to know what rats laugh at. They probably laugh at us, but I would too. I laugh at most people I see.
Speaker 1:Today, walking down, walking to the gym, it was a rainy morning and there was an umbrella open and just sitting on a corner and I really wonder what the story was about that umbrella and why it was there. These are the things I think about. These are the things that are inside Marcy's mind. This umbrella was just. I took a picture of it. I put it on my Instagram. If you want to get in touch with me, you can get in touch with me at marcybeckis at gmailcom. You can go to my website and you can listen to any episodes of the Inside Marcy's Mind podcast. It's insideMarcisMindcom.
Speaker 1:Hopefully, maybe next week I will start up the. I'm still getting so many views and listens on my old podcast. I think maybe it's time to start up my Aging Ain't for Sissies. Did you hear that? Aging ain't for sissies? So that podcast always was about things about aging, retirement and that type, and I think that's what we're going to do. So got my work cut out for me. Two podcasts a week. Hopefully I can keep up with it. That's my goal. Keep me busy, keep me out of trouble. Thank you for listening. I appreciate it. I appreciate you sharing my podcast with your friends and family, and next week I'll be coming to you from California. I'm going to take my laptop and I'm going to do what I used to do, which was record on the road. So talk to you then. Remember what I say always go out and do something positive.
