May 2, 2014 | Uncategorized
When it’s just about time to welcome a new family member into the home, you want to ensure that you’re as prepared as you can be. If you’re becoming a parent for the first time, being prepared for your baby’s arrival is especially important.
Just because you want to be prepared, however, doesn’t mean you have to reveal your baby’s gender if that’s something you wish to keep a surprise. Here are some stunning gender neutral nursery designs for 2014.
Purity And Peace: Shades Of White
A design for a neutral gender nursery that is becoming increasingly popular is one that is full of different shades of white, bringing with it an atmosphere of peace and purity.
Suited just as well to your baby girl or baby boy, a nursery with white walls and off-white or cream linens will certainly create a perfect canvas.
Once your baby’s gender is determined, a colored rug or wall decorations can make the room more gender-specific, though leaving it as an all-white haven works well, too.
Common focal points in these kinds of “purity” themed nurseries are crystal chandeliers, grandiose white drapery around the baby’s crib, or antique furniture. Mirrors with intricate frames also work well in these kinds of rooms, and subtle pastels can be added while still maintaining a gender-neutral theme.
Gender Neutral With Neutrals And Primaries
Of course neutral colors work well for creating a room that will be suited to a boy or a girl, but you don’t have to leave out the colors completely in order to obtain a gender neutral feel. Instead of opting for a light pink or baby blue, primary colors tend to be more gender neutral, so opt for shades of green, yellow, and red.
Another option is to create a multi-colored atmosphere by making use of all the primary colors in your nursery’s decor and design elements, while opting for neutral colors for the walls, carpeting, and bedding. Using this strategy, you can create an ultra-modern or slightly retro room, while the vibrancy of the colors make it an ultra-fun space.
A Wild Safari: Fit For Boys And Girls
Wilds safaris are just as suited to boys as they are to girls, and this kind of nursery theme is one that is especially popular when creating a gender neutral atmosphere. When creating this kind of a wild safari nursery, you can make creative use of wall motifs and wall decals to recreate a scene from the jungle.
Images of a jungle’s terrain, giraffes, and elephants will certainly create the perfect space for your baby boy or girl. These themes can make use of neutral colors like beige, brown, and white, while also working in some of the gender neutral primary colors like yellow and green.
Whether you choose to go on a “baby spree” with a wild safari theme, or opt for something a little more classic and modern by using white or primary colored nursery themes, there are many different ways you can prepare for your baby’s arrival without spoiling the secret.
Your baby boy or baby girl will love their nursery, and you will love the pleasant surprise! If you’re on the hunt for a new home that offers the perfect space for a nursery, get in touch with your real estate professional today, and start your home hunting as soon as possible.
Apr 29, 2014 | Uncategorized
Even the most aesthetically pleasing homes can have mold issues. A type of fungus that thrives on moisture, mold can trigger symptoms such as itching eyes, asthma attacks and bouts of sneezing or coughing.
As a result of the possible health issues, mold is the sort of problem that should be dealt with prior to listing a home, and people who are in the market to buy a home would do well to have a licensed professional conduct a mold test on any home they’re seriously interested in buying.
What follows is a rundown of five places in the home where mold could be hiding.
The Unwanted Basement Tenant
If climate control measures are not implemented, basements can end up becoming breeding grounds for mold. Most basements get little or no direct sunlight, are often more humid than other areas of the house, and get scant ventilation, which can pose a problem should water somehow get into the basement.
Mold can go undetected for years in such spaces since it can grow behind walls, baseboards and insulation. Fortunately, detecting mold is possible not only by sight, but also by scent. A moldy or musty smell should not be ignored since it could be evidence that there is a mold problem.
The Air Conditioner’s Chilly Reception
Unfortunately, mold can take root in places that people cannot easily access and monitor such as on the inside of their air conditioner units. Mold can grow on the coils and, when moisture enters into the picture, a small problem can become a big one quickly.
People who find themselves coughing or sneezing whenever they turn on their air conditioners ought to be suspicious since mold could be the culprit.
Not On The Kitchen Menu
Leaving leftovers in the fridge for too long can create conditions where mold thrives. The mold can then get into crevices where it will have even more places to grow. The problem can become even more serious if contaminated food and appliances transfer the mold to other areas in the kitchen.
Furthermore, kitchens that are insufficiently ventilated can also have negative implications as far as food safety is concerned,
The Chimney: Where There’s Smoke…
Leaky chimneys can cause mold problems that, if not fixed, may end up infecting other areas of the house. In a leaky chimney, moisture can seep into crevices and create mold areas that may eventually make their way down to the walls. Therefore chimneys that are in need of repair should be fixed promptly so that problems don’t pop up later.
If Walls Could Talk
One of the most common places for mold to form and grow is behind walls. Humid air behind the walls can be problematic, particularly if water finds its way back there as a result of things like flooding.
It’s also possible for mold to form behind wallpaper. People can determine whether or not they have mold behind their walls by having an inspector come in and check.
Mold is no laughing matter. Before listing, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to address any mold issues. People who are planning to buy a home should have an inspector conduct a test to ascertain if there are any problems.
Taking the proper steps will help to remedy any mold situation that may be present. Whether you’re looking to sell or looking to buy, the right real estate agent can make all the difference. Call your trusted real estate professional today for more information on how to deal with mold when buying or selling a home.
Apr 23, 2014 | Uncategorized
When it comes to selling your home and getting the full selling price you want, there are certain tactics and methods you can employ to ensure that this wish becomes a reality.
Avoiding the commonly made mistakes that end up lowering the value of your home and discouraging people from viewing it is ultimately the key in getting top dollar, as well carrying out the showings and sale of your home in a professional manner.
Listen to the professionals, and make sure you employ these real estate sale methods to get your desired number on your home sale.
Listing Tactic: Adding A Buffer
Always dependent on the type of market you find yourself in, a common and successful tactic in getting the price you really want for your home is adding a buffer on the list price.
This means that if you want $500,000 for your home, you should list your home somewhere around $510,000 to $520,000 to allow for some negotiating room. Even if you’d prefer not to negotiate, the majority of buyers will always assume that you have room to come down on the price, and will put in their offers accordingly.
Overpricing: Avoid At All Costs
With that being said, you don’t want to overprice your home too much so as to discourage potential buyers from looking at it, or to put your home outside of a financial bracket. Make sure you speak to your trusted real estate advisor on exactly what the right list price should be to obtain your desired value.
Increase Desire: Have Your Home Staged
In order to get the price you want for your home, you need to make a good impression on the prospective buyers. Having your home professionally staged can dramatically increase the amount of interest you receive on your home, perhaps even creating multiple offers – which is the best situation a home seller can be in!
Appeal To Online Shoppers With Professional Photos
With so much of today’s modern real estate shopping happening online, you want to ensure that your home has a strong online presence with professional photos and a digital floor plan available to prospective buyers. Also make sure that all information online is full and complete, and presents your home in the best light possible.
Always Say Yes To Open Houses And Showings
Especially in a hot market, you want to ensure that you leave your home empty for your realtor on weekends so that they can hold it open to the public. This is especially important early on in your list date so that the buyers on the market who are ready to make a move can see your house right away.
You should also apply the same importance to showings, and ensure that each showing request is promptly responded to with an easy “yes.”
If you put these tactics into your home selling plan, you will find that it will be much easier to obtain more interest from buyers. And with more interest, it will be much more likely that you will be able to obtain the price you want for your home.
So don’t underestimate the importance of these factors, and discuss them today with your trusted real estate professional.
Apr 22, 2014 | Uncategorized
When people purchase their home, one of their common requests is “plenty of light.” And for good reason! This is a critical factor for enjoying your home, and when designing your interior, you should pay special attention to just that: your sources of light.
See them not only as a way to brighten up your room, but also as an opportunity to infuse your home with a fashionable design and aesthetic appeal. You’d be surprised at how much lighting can dramatically enhance any given room in your home.
Here are our six favorite lighting installations that are bound to give you and your home that “wow” factor.
The Chandelier For Pretty Places
Chandeliers provide arguably the prettiest and most classic fixtures possible, and they are a growing trend right now in interior design.
Acting as the “centerpiece” if you will to any room, chandeliers offer the perfect amount of brilliance and light, while instantly multiplying the room’s feeling of warmth and appeal. Create a pretty place you won’t be able to resist; hang a modern crystal chandelier above your dining room table or a bright pendant chandelier in your master bedroom.
Quirky and Contemporary Ceiling Lights
To achieve the same sense of fashion-forward style for your home’s decor but in a more practical way for the tall folks, consider a close-to-ceiling light fixture in its many different quirky and contemporary styles. You can also opt for the bright, patterned pendant style, or get a wide crystal embellished highlight for your ceiling lights.
The Demure Brilliance: Recessed Spot Lighting
For the most demure, nearly hidden brilliance, opt for recessed spot lighting. These light installations typically offer dimmer switches and provide the perfect ambiance for any space, especially kitchens, living rooms, and dining rooms.
Perfect Pendants For Closer Lighting
Perfect hanging pendants come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and can be hung in a row for horizontal spaces like your kitchen’s eating bar. They can also be hung at varying lengths to achieve a tasteful fashion statement.
Instant Modernity: Arc Floor Lamp
The arc floor lamp, which typically rests in one corner of the room and reaches over in an arch for center lighting in a sitting area, is a growing trend in home décor. You can find these floor lamps in virtually any style, ranging from textured, retro versions to sleek, contemporary styles.
Matching Shades: Table Lamps
To tie your room together in its design aesthetic, the most perfect – and most simple – option may be matching table lamps. Perfect for your side tables in your living room, or the nightstands on either side of your bed in your master bedroom, matching shades can be a quick fix to a room that needs more brilliance and a more cohesive look.
Whether you already have plenty of natural light flooding your home, you can never have enough brilliance to rely on when the sun goes down. So take a look at these six light installations that will instantly enhance your living space, and infuse your home with the light it deserves.
And if you could use a trip through a show home for further design inspiration, call your trusted real estate advisor today for a few pointers.
Apr 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
Though it can be an entirely different story for a trend shift in the opposite direction, which then requires you to get out the soaking bucket and scraping tool, wallpaper coming back into style is a home décor blessing for many.
Wallpaper is back in – in a big way! – and it’s making your dreams of accomplishing a fashionable living space come true much faster and easier than you could have imagined.
Quite frankly, wallpaper can do the “fashionable home” trick to virtually any room in your house, adding that touch of warmth and personality you’ve so far only seen in show homes. It’s time to get with the trends, and give your home a quick and easy facelift!
A World Of Design With Wallpaper
Let’s face it: wallpaper can achieve a world of options that paint simply never could! Now that wallpaper has come back in to style, we are seeing plenty of homes being “glammed” and “dolled” up accordingly.
With many patterns and styles available, suddenly your home’s imperfections can easily be hidden. You can give the small room in your home a facelift with a wallpaper pattern with vertical stripes, instantly making the room feel larger.
Or you can suddenly have the accent wall you’ve always dreamed of but have been to afraid to commit to, creating a focal point behind the bed in your master bedroom, or behind the sofa in the living room. Or if you’re an artsy person, you can add more art to your walls without lifting a nail – instead just install some patterned, decorative wallpaper.
Modern Innovations: Digitally Printed Wallpaper
Wallpaper is certainly back in style, but not without new and creative innovations since its last time around. Now, homeowners can get ultra creative and get personalized wallpapers for their homes with the technical innovation that allows for digitally printed wallpaper designs.
Do you have a specific wall or room in your house that you want to transform for a particular theme? Do you have a photograph that you’d like to use as the inspiration for a one-wall mural in your living room? Well, with customized digital printed wallpaper, you’re in luck.
Vinyl Wallpaper: Easy Installation And Removal
Now that wallpaper is back in style, more innovations have been made in terms of how it is installed and removed. Luckily, for us wallpaper fans, we will no longer have to struggle when we choose to put it up or when we decide to take it down! Now there are many vinyl wallpapers that are self-adhesive and very simple to install.
They are also available in a range of textures and finishes, and make use of eco-solvent inks. Easy to install, easy to remove, and cleanable with simply a damp cloth, a vinyl wallpaper print might be just the key to your home’s quick and easy facelift.
Whether you opt for the vinyl or digitally printed innovation of wallpaper or choose to stick with the good old paper version, you’ll have your home beautified in no time. There’s no need to worry about changing trends either; regardless of what you choose, advancements in the modern return of wallpaper mean that less rigorous activity will be required should the wallpaper trend go back “out.”
So take advantage of this practical design trend, and give your home the facelift it deserves! And of course you can always contact your trusted real estate advisor for design tips or places where you can get your show home inspiration.
