Creative Kitchen Islands

When we renovate or remodel our homes, we are expressing ourselves at the same time.  We put our own personal stamp on our homes by just rearranging furniture, adding color, new flooring or repurposing items.  If adding a kitchen island is on your list of things to do, you might want to read this first - 10 creative ideas for kitchen islands that will definitely get you thinking out of the box.

 10 Inventive Ideas for Kitchen Islands - by Laura Gaskill, Houzz Contributor

Eclectic Kitchen - love this idea of a farm sink!

Getting Through a Home Renovation

Patti Stern, a principal of PJ & Company Home Styling, LLC , and an interior decorator and accredited home stager, recently remodeled her master bathroom and offers these tips for surviving any home renovation. 

4 Tips to Getting Through Any Home Renovation

Throughout the process, I kept a journal and noted some key tips and advice for all home owners when taking on any renovation project including:


1. Have a written plan. Be sure that you are absolutely clear with your interior decorator, contractor, and carpenter — whomever you are working with — regarding the remodeling job and have a written plan and contract.
2. Plan ahead. Make sure you have all of your design plans and materials for your remodeling project ahead of time (including windows if applicable). Sometimes, though, things do have to change once the remodeling starts.  Be flexible and plan for an additional 10- 15 percent above your budget for “just in case” scenarios.
3. Don’t skimp where it’s important. When putting in a shower floor, for example, make sure your contractor is using the right materials to prevent leaks, mold, and mildew. Sometimes spending a little bit more on better quality items will save you money in the long run.
4. Think about the big picture. How will your remodeling project affect other rooms or even future plans for your home? Will a wall being knocked down impact another room? If so, you may have to consider painting or repairing any walls in the impacted space. Are you thinking of selling your home in a few years?  If so, you’ll want to make changes you’ll enjoy now but that also will appeal to potential buyers in a few years.   Read more about Patti's actual bathroom makeover experience.  It might help you with yours!

Existing Homes For Sale Need Upgrading and Updating

As I travel around my selling area, I see more and more homes that are in need of upgrading and updating.  After being at a standstill since the housing decline, new construction is on the rise again but it seems to me there is not enough inventory of new or "move-in ready" homes to satisfy demand in my area.   Homes needing a little "TLC" or updating are priced lower to take into account the work needed to bring them up to date and for the buyer willing to take on the required projects, these homes present a lot of possibilities and a good return on investment.
The real estate market and live and work in is a retirement area.  Therefore, most of the buyer clients I see do not want to make renovations.  When it comes to remodeling or home improvement, they have "been there, done that".  They are looking for a retirement home complete with all the comforts and modern conveniences they can afford already in place.

 If you're thinking about making some upgrades to your home, check out what characteristics are important to today's home buyers and what cost vs. value is for different remodeling projects.  The investment you make in your home will increase its value and pay off at resale.

Bathroom Makeover Tips for Staying on Budget

For several months, I have been contemplating a bathroom makeover for the master bathroom in my home.  The size of the bathroom is sufficient, but I want to make it more functional.  I have an older home and "function is job one" for me.  The bathroom "boasts" (I use that term lightly) a jetted tub that I hate!  I never use it (it takes forever to drain) - so pretty much all it does is collect dust and is difficult to clean.  I want to remove the tub, make my shower larger and more luxurious (rainmaker showerhead, nice fixtures, a shower seat and nice shower doors) since that is what we use and enjoy.  I want to replace my pedestal sink with one that has a cabinet for extra storage and add something like a dresser or a piece of furniture of some kind that will give it a warm look while, again, adding storage. Oh, and I want a mini chandelier - I just have to have one!  Finally, I would like to tile the walls to some extent and replace the vinyl floor with tile or wood. 
So with my budget of $5,000 in mind, I began checking out what some of the home centers have to offer and how much things cost and it soon became evident that I may have to find different ways to achieve the look I want in order to stay within my budget.  For instance, instead of having a tiled shower, I could install a prefab shower and kind of frame it with tile on the wall around it.  I'd seen it online and it would save a lot of money, but the impact would be the same. 
I came across this article in HouseLogic, 7 Smart Strategies for Bathroom Remodeling, which illustrates just what I'm talking about.  It offers bathroom makeover tips that can help you stay within your budget and leave you satisfied with the result. 

 

7 Smart Strategies for Bathroom Remodeling

Outdoor Spaces Extend Curb Appeal

Thinking of putting your home on the market?  There's something you should know. According to the Chief Economist at the American Institute of Architects, outdoor living spaces have become a "must-have" among home buyers.

  A cozy outdoor space where friends and family can gather will increase curb appeal, extend living area, and lets the home buyer imagine the possibilities and lifestyle they can have.

 

Think about it.  When I tell friends that in my neighborhood, our parties and gatherings are always outdoor in someone's backyard, sitting around a fire,  I hear the oohs and aahs!   It sounds wonderful.  That's the feeling you want can create and your home will stand out among the competition.   Following are some creative ideas for different budgets that will spruce up your outdoors.  Read more

When You Make An Offer to Purchase A Home...Go The Distance

When a client is ready to make an Offer to Purchase on a home, one of the first things I do is determine how realistically the asking price is.  This is important because the closer asking price is to market value, the closer the agreed upon purchase price will be to that number, except in cases of hardship.  To determine market value,  I look at comparable sales in the last six months, days on market, whether the home has received other offers, tax value, and local market conditions, to name a few.   I present my finding to the buyer client in order to help them determine a good opening offer.

Of course it's human nature to want to get the best deal possible, I get that.  But the purpose of making an offer is, at the very least, to get the seller to counter offer, if not accept.  So if the home is priced relatively close to market value, and your initial offer is ridiculously low, the only thing you will have accomplished will be to have insulted the seller who'll shut you down.  

As an agent, I wish for homes to be priced correctly because they are easier to sell.  As a buyer, you have to be able to recognize it when it happens and react accordingly.  Your agent has done a lot of work to help you achieve your goal of finding a home in your price range that meets your needs; has done all the paperwork necessary to make an offer; and has researched comparable properties and market conditions so you can make an educated offer.  If you are a serious buyer, go the distance.  Consider all the information given to you by your agent and negotiate intelligently.  If both buyer and seller are committed, it should result in a meeting of the minds and an accepted offer.

Preparing for the Year to Come

Trying to be a successful real estate agent, you are faced with many circumstances out of your control.  We are all taught the harder you work, the more successful you will become.  Coming up in the corporate world, this appeared to be true.  Real estate is quite a different animal in the respect that you have to work extremely hard for several years before you even start reaping the rewards.  And when I say work hard, I mean every day.  It would help if the economy, something I have no control over, would cooperate!  In the beginning of my career as an agent, and even to this day, it is sometimes hard to stay positive during the down times when I am not doing as much business as I would like.  But in this business, you have to stay focused and positive and keep at it no matter what, and in the end it will pay off. 
Christmas and the New Year holidays are fast approaching and as a real estate agent in coastal North Carolina, this time of year signals a slow down in real estate sales which usually lasts until at minimum the end of March.  These times used to be so very hard for me to take.  I'd question my ability as an agent and my career choice, but once the season started up again, I fell was back in the ring and understood why I enjoy selling real estate and helping people so much.  So now that I have become a more experienced agent, I use this time to prepare myself for the New Year; take aim at what I want to accomplish and put a plan in place to achieve my goals in helping buyers and sellers achieve theirs.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you in 2014