Lisa Talks Real Estate
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14
How to Style Your Vintage Furniture
Some people shy away from displaying heirloom furniture or investing in antique pieces for fear of making a space look dated rather than vintage. To avoid an antiquated appearance, try these tips.
Aim for balance.
Collecting furniture from only one decade can make a room feel like a time capsule rather than a carefully curated space. Thoughtful interior design aims for balance in colors, shapes, textures, and scale. For example, if you have an ornate antique piece, choose other furniture with simple, clean lines.
Pair with trendy accents.
Make formal heirloom pieces look a little more playful by surrounding them with modern touches. A vintage sofa looks right at home with a few graphic throw pillows and a sleek coffee table. The 1950s writing desk pairs well with a molded plastic chair, and a mahogany dresser looks classy rather than stuffy with black and gold decor and a colorful area rug.
13
Make Realistic Compromises When You Can
Homebuyers most often begin their house hunting with a long list of must-have features. They typically hope to find their new home in the best location, at the lowest possible price, and with lots of modern upgrades.
Once buyers start looking at the available homes within their price range, however, they tend to make practical compromises that they know they can live with. Location vs. square footage is often the first compromise buyers must consider. Living closer to the city center might mean buying a smaller home than what can be purchased for the same price farther out.
Buyers with school-age children tend to want a big backyard but, depending on the cost of land, they may have to rethink just how large is large enough for an outdoor play area and a swing set. One compromise might be looking for a home with a smaller backyard that's within walking distance of a park.
The architectural style of the house is the most important feature for s...
12
Odd Things Left Behind By Home Sellers. The Importance of a "Final Walk-Through"
The primary purpose of a final walkthrough is to make certain that the property is in the condition in which you agreed to buy it. Agreed-upon repairs, if any, were made, and nothing has gone wrong with the home since you last looked at it.
Once the offer has been accepted, some sellers may try to negotiate with the buyers on a few items that they don't want to move such as a second refrigerator in the garage, an outdoor trampoline, or unattached storage shelves in the basement.
What buyers may not be prepared for are the odd items that sellers leave behind without notice. For example, older big-screen TVs and heavy sleeper sofas are two large items that may not be removed. Pianos, which can be difficult to resell and expensive to move, may "accidentally" be left behind as well. While some buyers discover that items have been taken from the home that was included in the purchase price, it's much more common for sellers to leave s...
12
6 Great Tips When Marketing Your Home To Millenials
If you think your home could be a popular choice for millennial buyers, here are a few points to keep in mind.
The majority of millennials want to buy a home that's clean, in good condition and move-in ready.
Cosmetic changes are not a problem for this generation of DIYers.
A formal dining room is not high on these buyers' lists.
An open kitchen with a breakfast nook or bar stools at the island is their preference for mealtime entertaining.
They tend to look for a yard that's easy to maintain and often prefer growing indoor plants than to care for elaborate landscaping.
Most millennials prefer laminates, tile, and hardwood flooring. They consider uncarpeted floors with stylish rugs more friendly to kids' little shoes and pets' muddy paws.
Text or...
15
Spring Cleaning 2020
The following is a guest post by Laura McHolm, Co-Founder of NorthStar Moving.
Just a few short weeks ago, "spring cleaning" meant taking advantage of the longer days to dust off your home and make it nice and shiny for the warmer months. Today, we're living a new reality.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought us all together. We are sharing the collective experience of being at home, doing our utmost to stay healthy and making sure we are doing our part to flatten the curve to keep entire communities safe. Since many of us are at home full-time, it is vital that we ensure our environment is safe and virus-free. Staying home and staying clean & disinfected is how we are going to flatten the curve and keep us all safe.
The media has been sharing daily guidelines and our inboxes have been filled with long messages about what businesses and services are doing to protect us. It is overwhelming! So, let's throw out the complicated and keep it simple.