Go on – give a hook.

It’s the first thing I look for when I come into a house or a hotel room – the simple hook.

I like to hang my jacket on a hook. Nobody wants to have piles of coats loaded on the banister or on the bed in the guest room or taking up valuable space on the sofa. And perhaps I’m lazy but I don’t want to have to take out a hangar to hang it up properly every time I come in.

Hooks are also bathroom essentials.

I don’t know how many hotels have the towels beautifully folded or rolled beside the sink. But what do you do with a towel after you’ve dried your hands on it? You can’t roll it back up and put it back where it was. You need a hook! I’ve resorted to hanging towels over the edge of the sink, over the shower rail, on the cupboard door. None of these are satisfactory solutions, however. And who has the time to hang a dressing gown properly inside the wardrobe and take space away from dresses and shirts that need this treatment? A hook is the only answer.

And hooks are not just for coats and towels. They are for keys and aprons, jewelry and mops, utensils and handbags, dog leads and oven gloves. So if you want to make your life a little more organized and your guests a little more comfortable, invest in a few hooks. I stay in a lot of Airbnb’s and I am sure the presence of hooks has been a major contributing factor to a good review for these properties! Anyway, whether you are a house maker or a host it’s a simple upgrade, which will be much appreciated. Go on – give a hook!

How to “grow” the value of my property

Does money really grows on trees? Of course trees are important but could they bring up the value of my property?

It is true that trees come with natural and financial benefits. A tree in front of my home with some well kept landscaping can definitely increase the value of my property. If placed in the right spot to provide shade on my house I can even save on my annual air-conditioning costs.

Did you know that looking at trees reduces stress?

That is also true for possible buyers. They might even imagine themselves hanging up a hammock or a swing for the kids on that tree…

Of course I have to choose the right tree for my property. The soil has to be right for my tree. Also, the proper distance to the house has to be decided, especially if I’m looking at a tree that grows very tall.

Why not plant a tree that is known for its valuable wood?

Like that, whenever I may decide to cut it, it gives me a little extra. If you are from Europe, the first tree that comes to your mind may be the good old fashion oak tree. But they might be a few other gems that could be considered.

I recently stumbled upon the wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis). Apparently it is one of the most valuable hardwoods in Europe. I was surprised as I never heard about it. After making some research I found out that it was named the most beautiful wood in the world at the Paris World Fair in 1900. The wood is as strong as from an oak but lighter in color and more expensive.

If I would have more space in front of my house I would definitely plant one of these.

How do you like to spend your Sunday afternoons?

How do you like to spend your Sunday afternoons? Take a nap or walk the dog? Serious brunching or more serious biking? Window shopping or online browsing?

We recently were driving on a Sunday afternoon and saw a sign for an open house so we stopped to have a look around, as we weren’t in much of a hurry to get to where we were going. We spent maybe half an hour walking around this place purely for our entertainment. When we got back on the road, we noticed more and more of these open house signs and we wondered if we had stopped too early and if we had chosen the most interesting house to judge.

This is the thing about Sunday afternoons. I think even people who have to work have a different attitude about Sunday than about any other day of the week. It’s a day to be relaxed and refreshed, exercised and entertained. Of course this concept does not carry through to Israel where we lived recently. There, Shabbat is over on Saturday evening and everyone is back to work and school on a Sunday morning, the equivalent of Monday in the rest of the world.

Another thing Sunday afternoons are great for is big ideas. You’ve had a great weekend but now you start thinking about your routine starting up again the next day. You’re one of the lucky ones if this gets you more excited than disappointed. So maybe you have a dream to do something different – travel, set up your own business, start a movement, or buy a dilapidated property to renovate. This could be why Sunday is the busiest day for propertyunder20k.com: a combination of time off and escapism. We aim to cater to all these Sunday afternoon dreams.