Archives for February 2015

Big Ideas for Small Kitchens

No room is too small for a fabulous kitchen! All it needs is some cleverly thought-through tricks to ensure every corner of the room is used, whilst still looking great. Take a look at these top tips on how to make a big kitchen impression in your small space.

• If your space is small, make use of light. With the combination of clever lighting, glass and mirrors, you can make the room seem much more spacious by choosing a pantone that works with the space.

• Try to avoid clashing colors and bold patterns, as these generally work best in larger rooms. You don’t want the room to have too many different colors or points of focus. Instead choose something practical and let the accessories do the talking.

• Storage should be top of the list when it comes to making a small kitchen space work. Consider talking to a designer about the best ways to increase your storage capacity.

• If you have always longed for an island in your kitchen but don’t have the space, write it down on your kitchen wish list and speak to your designer. You may be able to have a breakfast bar, or even a pull-out table solution, which means you can have a separate eating or working area, even in a small kitchen.

4 ROUTES TO THAT FIRST HOME

Here are four ways for first-time buyers to find a starter home they can afford:

1.  Focus only on what you need to start. Think of your starter home as a financial launch pad to the ideal home you’ll spend the bulk of your life in. Decide how long you want to stay in your starter. Then list your basic needs for space and location, and don’t worry about amenities.
2. Look at resale homes vs. new. New homes generally cost more than “existing” homes being resold by the resident owner. New starter homes can be hard to find, with most builders targeting upgrade buyers. An older home in a well-established neighborhood might give you what you need at a price you can manage, even accounting for renovations and repairs.
3. Be smart about location. Home prices and property taxes are higher in better neighborhoods and school districts. Why pay this premium if you find a nice home in a good neighborhood and it’ll be years before your kids are in school? Another consideration: if you find an affordable home farther from work, be sure to factor in the added commuting costs.
4. Get a mortgage pre-approval. With well-priced starter homes, you can find yourself competing with other buyers. See us for a mortgage pre-approval to strengthen your offer.

5 Reasons to Live on the Emerald Coast

Image via Flickr courtesy of Allison Hare

You can call so many places home, especially in the Sunshine State of Florida. Those of us who live and work on the Emerald Coast know exactly what makes it so special. In case you aren’t sure, take a look at these five reasons you should live here.

Live anywhere. You can live in the more rural areas of our beautiful area like Crestview or Defuniak Springs and still have only a short drive to the beach. Move to the suburbs of Niceville or Fort Walton Beach and you’ll have water as close as the neighborhood park. Call the Gulf of Mexico home – and your backyard – and move to Destin or Rosemary Beach. You have plenty of options.

Strong local economy. Of course, tourism is a large part of the local economy on the Emerald Coast, but so is the military. Our area is home to the largest Air Force Base in the world in Eglin AFB. We also have Hurlburt Field in between Navarre and Mary Esther, as well as Duke Field and the 7th Special Forces outside of Crestview.

No state income tax. Anyone who already lives in Florida knows the benefit of no state income tax. For those who may be moving in from out of state, you’ll soon learn the tax savings of living in Florida, as well.

No snow. As one of the most northern parts of Florida, we do get cooler temperatures in the winter. However, the average highs in winter are anywhere in the 60s or 70s. That’s got to be better than 62 inches of snow in January.

Soft, white sand. No matter what time of year you go, you can walk along the beaches of the Emerald Coast barefoot. The sugar white sand is soft and much cooler than in other areas, thanks to its white color. Sink your toes into the sand, feel the breeze on your face, and know that you’re living in the most beautiful place in Florida.

Still not convinced? Here are a few more reasons: local, affordable colleges; better than average employment rates; fairs, festivals, and other family-friendly events; and small, but growing communities. There are plenty of reasons to live on the beautiful Emerald Coast. The best reason of all is the emerald waters, white beaches, and friendly people.

5 Tips for a Stress-Free Vacation

Whether you’re planning a road trip or taking to the skies, the following tips will put you in vacation mode while taking the stress out of the equation.

1. Plan ahead. There are some things that can be done way ahead of your trip, like making reservations, taking the car for a tune up, and letting neighbors know you will be away. Even packing can be done earlier than most people think. For instance, getting your bag ready on Tuesday for your weekend at the lake will be less stressful than packing it on Friday, with your family in the car honking the horn.

2. Delegate. Scrambling around to get everything ready for your trip? Dole out tasks to lighten your load. Tell your kids to clean out the car before piling in for that road trip. Ask your teenager to look up good restaurants in the area you’re staying. Have your husband or wife contact the kennel to make reservations for your four-legged friend.

3. Unplug—everything! Leave your laptop at home, turn off your iPhone and stow away your iPod. Designate 20 minutes a day for catching up with work related emails only if necessary. We are so focused on technology today we forget what it’s like to be away from it. After a few hours of connecting with your family, friends, or just nature, you will feel liberated and care-free.

4. Do nothing. Pencil in time to do nothing. Whether this is two days on your weeklong vacation, or an afternoon during a long weekend, section off a block of time where you have nothing planned. This will allow you to plan your activities based on how you feel at that moment—a true luxury in this fast paced world.

5. Smile. This may seem like a given, but often we get hung up on the small stuff – even while on vacation. Don’t get upset if a friend bails last minute, or your hotel room is smaller than it seemed in the picture, or you forgot to pack your kid’s bathing suit. When you look back on your trip, these inconveniences will be forgotten, so don’t let them ruin your time in the moment, either.

 

The Importance of Home Staging

Image via Flickr courtesy of Real Estaging

According to a recent survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 81 percent of buyer’s agents report that a staged home makes it easier for their buyer to visualize themselves in a home, and 46 percent say their buyers are more willin to tour a staged home after they’ve seen the photos online.

A home that looks nice and is presented properly attracts attention. Home staging, when done right, works.

What is Home Staging?

Home staging ranges from a complete redecoration of a home to a simple decluttering and rearrangement of furniture, depending on your budget and your needs. Higher-end luxury homes, especially vacant homes, are more likely to have special pieces of furniture brought in to give it a certain look and feel.

The average furnished single family home or condo doesn’t need as much work. Home stagers may rearrange furniture from one room to the next, remove pictures from the wall, and add small detailed touches to each room to give it a more pulled-together look and feel.

Why is Home Staging Important?

Often the first impression a buyer has of a home is a lasting one. In a world where buyers may look through dozens of homes online before settling on a few to view in person, the pictures of a staged home will grab more attention.

Home staging can often increase the price a buyer is willing to pay for the home by one to five percent of the asking price. For sellers on a tight deadline to sell their home, home staging may be the difference between a few weeks on the market and a few months.

Take a look at the links below to get some tips on home staging and what the pros do:

Styling for the Photo Shoot

Why the Lightbulb May One Day Be Your Favorite Staging Tool

When a buyer can imagine themselves in a home, they are much more likely to make an offer. Grab their attention online with beautiful photos that highlight your home. Then keep their attention with staging that shows your home in the best possible light when they arrive to view your home.