Tips on Enhancing the Heart of the Home: The Kitchen

You probably already know that the kitchen is the heart of the home. It's where you entertain your friends and family, it's where a large part of your time is spent each day whether preparing meals or sitting around the table eating or helping your children with their homework. The kitchen is one of, if not, the most important room in your whole house, which is precisely why you should spend some time and money making sure it's looking its best.

Something to consider: does your kitchen already have great bones? Meaning, are the cabinets stylish, are the countertops granite and are the appliances stainless steel? If so, then you may just need to work on the details, which I'll get to in a little bit. If not, this is where you should really spend your time and money to begin with. Upgrading your kitchen is one of the rooms in your home that will give you a bigger return on your investment when you sell. People want awesome kitchens, is yours great or just mediocre?

Now if you already have great bones to your kitchen, then you may just need to get rid of the clutter and consider whether or not your kitchen is stylish and inviting. Do you feel like you've walked into the pages of a magazine when you enter your kitchen? You can enhance stylishness by adding details which can be as simple as adding beautiful glass bowls full of colorful fruit and vases of flowers. Use collections you already have such as great china pieces.

Another key to enhancing your kitchen is to change it up often. In doing so it will keep the room fresh and inviting, energizing and more appealing. This doesn't have to be fancy changes--maybe change out the decorations--use different flowers or different fruit or incorporate a different piece of china. An easy change to do is to swap out the drawer and cabinet knobs for more modern ones. Don't get stuck in a rut and don't be afraid to move things around.

The video below by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate shows exactly how to implement the upgrades discussed above. Enjoy and have fun decorating!

To watch the video, please click the link: KITCHEN VIDEO

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It's a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you're a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Tips on Creating a Cozy Family Room

Whether you currently have your home up for sale or not, everyone can benefit from some great decorating tips for creating a warm, friendly atmosphere in their home. I found this video from Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate that has some wonderful suggestions for making your family room a cozy space that encourages conversation and is perfect whether you're entertaining friends or just living your everyday life.

I hope you watch the video because the designer really has great ideas. Here's three tips that I found especially helpful:

• Look for the focal point of the room, whether it be a fireplace or another unique feature, and build the room around that. Make the focal point be what pulls everything together.

• Don't be afraid to bring furniture forward in the room, by floating the furniture in the room and not lining everything up against the walls it creates a more intimate and cozy atmosphere.

• When you're ready to change up the look of a space, look around your home at pieces you already have. It'll save you a lot of money if you mix up your furniture throughout your home and will achieve the feel of a new look at the same time. Then you can use your money to either freshen up the paint, add a new coffee table or other accent piece or get some great accessories such as candles, lamps, books or other decorative touches.

Click the link below to watch the video:

Video on Family Room

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I did and learn some neat decorating tips in the process. Have a wonderful day! Thanks for stopping by! If you have any tips for improving the family room (especially Stagers--I know y'all will have wonderful ideas), please leave them in the comment section!

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It's a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you're a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Dear Seller: Are You Sure You Want to Sell Your Home?

The other day I was out showing a Buyer a few houses and the most embarrassing thing happened! We arrived at our final home of the day; I walked to the front door--rang the doorbell and knocked loudly (just in case the Sellers had not left the property yet), retrieved the key from the lock box and let ourselves in...

What we encountered upon entering took me completely by surprise...the stench that flooded our noses was disgusting, no lights what so ever were turned. We creeped in a little further in the living room and about tripped over the mounds and mounds of dirty clothes, toys and other crap haphazardly tossed everywhere.

The place felt so dirty I was hesitant to even turn on the lights! My Buyer and I walked over to the kitchen...we had found the source of the smell!! Stacks and stacks of dirty dishes with leftover food stuck to the plates. Oh gross!

I cautiously looked over at my client to see how he was handling the place--one look at his face and I suggested we leave right then, no need to see the rest of the home! My client wondered aloud as we left "if that's the way they take care of their home, I wonder what maintenance and other repairs they've neglected to take care of." He is absolutely right!

Where is their pride of ownership? Has their agent not explained to them how a home should look for a showing...it's not like I didn't call two days in advance to schedule the appointment!! Do they not want to get their home sold?

I was completely embarrassed that I had chosen to show my client that home!! Especially since we had just come from a home that was perfectly staged and had great curb appeal--the owner of that home is also an agent, but still! Upon entering her home we were greeted by soft, pleasant music, the lights were on and the blinds were opened. It smelled good, but not too overbearing. And except for a few of the closets, it was clutter free! No dirty laundry, no gross dishes, everything in its place so the true features of the home could shine! Now THAT is how every home should look for a showing!

Sellers: If you want your home to sell, make it looks its best for showings! Agents: Please coach your client on what to do before a showing!

(Not an actual photo from the place, we weren't there long enough to take one!)

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It's a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you're a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure

Well, since I'm having a YARD SALE tomorrow, I thought that I would share this awesome post about how to have a successful yard sale. It has lots of great tips that helped me, especially since this will be the first one I've ever done!

My fingers are crossed and I'm praying that the RAIN will hold off...40% chance tomorrow during the time I'm having it...yikes!


Via Patty Keller Virtual Assistant (AnotherME, LLC):

How To Have A Successful Yard Sale

Spring is the perfect time to clean out the garage, the attic and the closets (even under the kid's beds) and have a garage sale! We've heard that listing agents are encouraging their sellers to have garage sales to help drive traffic and awareness! Better yet, organize a neighborhood-wide garage sale! Offer to help out your sellers with signs, balloons, post on your website, or make some lemonade! Here are a few tips to share.

PREPARATION

Preparing for a yard sale is hard work. Ideally, you should start working on your yard sale 3 weeks prior to the event. However, if you work hard, you can have it ready in 2 weeks. Well prepared yard sales can profit upwards of $800.00 or more.

Week 1: Spring Cleaning - choose one or two rooms a day and begin collecting items in the basement or garage.

Week 2 & 3: Organizing - sort, clean and price your items.

ADVERTISING

Place an ad in the local paper and any online garage sale sites. Craigslist, www.gsalr.com are some to consider. Large signs or banners placed at all the entrances to the neighborhood and directional signs throughout the neighborhood will bring in the customers and keep them shopping. Also balloons on mailboxes are always helpful to confirm you are open and not just cleaning your garage.

PRICING

Put a price tag on everything and ALWAYS be willing to negotiate.

Overpricing is the next hurdle...yard sales are for liquidation. Quality items should be priced less than half off the original price you paid. Overpricing can turn everyone away before they get to the garage.


DISPLAY/SETUP

What you have to sell and how much you have to sell are important factors as well. If you don't have much to sell, then partnering with a neighbor is a good idea. Put everything in one driveway...you need "The Draw". Walk the sale, re-organize items, always talk to the customers. Some people are too shy to ask for a price or to negotiate...being friendly can make a sale.

As the day progresses and tables get sparse. Consolidate items so that tables are always full.

THE DRAW

"The Draw" is very important. Although you should always advertise your sale in local papers and online, you still have to get customers to come to YOUR house.

Perception is everything. Bring some large items or "hooks" (furniture, play, exercise and lawn equipment, etc.) out onto the driveway. Your goal is to gain their interest. You can also put items out that you have no intention of selling, just to get customers in the garage. Yes, that's right, you may have some items that you are on the fence about and you are not ready to part with at yard sale prices. Just don't put a price on it, or, price it higher, you never know, it may sell.

Sell popcorn, lemonade, cookies, water...these are other ways to get people to your house.



(posted by Suzanne Geddes, Marketing/Graphic Designer for AnotherME)

You Don't Have to Break the Bank to Have a Beautiful Yard...

Spring is my favorite time of the year. Why? Because I absolutely love flowers and I'm really starting to get interested in planting and gardening--basically trying to make my yard be the best it can be. However, I'm a newlywed and don't have a ton of extra dough to put into creating a spectacularly landscaped yard.

That is why I love the Loganville Grower's Outlet! Not only do they have a huge selection of flowers and plants of all kinds, but they have fabulous prices. For instance, today I bought one of my favorite flowers, Gerbera Daisies, for only $1 a piece!! Just the other day I was in Lowe's and these same plants were $3.83!! So you know what I did, I bought 15 plants today and only spent $15!!

Another reason why I love the Loganville Grower's Outlet is because the plants are healthy and in good shape. In fact, all the daisies I bought today have a least 2 flower buds coming up and the foliage is very green and perky. I know that these plants will not die the instant I put them in the soil, if anything they are going to thrive!

If you are like me and you're on a budget, but still want a yard that pops with color my advice is to always choose perennials because they typically come back year after year. Gerbera daisies are perennials and I can count on them coming back each year and they usually just get stronger and bigger every year. The longer they are in your yard, the more quickly they come up each Spring and the more flowers they produce. I love the fact that I don't have to continuously replace my flowers each year and that I can work on adding to my yard...not re-doing it all every season.

Just remember, Spring and Summer is prime time when buyers come out...if you have your home on the market, it is especially important to have great curb appeal!! If you need more tips on how to improve your home's curb appeal, please feel free to e-mail me!

The Loganville Grower's Outlet also has a website that they update frequently with all the plants they currently have in stock and their prices. The website also features design tips and plant information.

Click here for WEBSITE

Location: 159 Cown Drive, Loganville, GA

I encourage you to check out the Loganville Grower's Outlet for your plant needs! You certainly won't be let down! If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Home Maintenance Tips

Well, Spring has sprung and now it's time to get rid of the weeds, trim the bushes, plant flowers and work on home maintenance projects! I don't know about you, but I especially love this time of year...although it's hectic trying to balance all the normal everyday activities and add yard work to the mix. The warm weather and the colorful flowers making their way up through the dirt makes me want to organize and clean...to me this is when the new year begins, not January 1st.

I stumbled upon some great little projects to do this month that will keep your home in good shape:

• Inspect screens (both house and vent screens to attic or crawl space) for tears and bent frames.


• Clean window screens. Lay them flat on a picnic table or a pair of sawhorses and scrub them with a soft bristle brush and a mild detergent solution. Rinse with a garden hose and allow to dry thoroughly.


• Inspect outdoor structures for deterioration --especially signs of rot. Use a small awl to probe posts, railings and window sills for soft spots. If you find any, plan to replace or repair them when the weather turns fair.


• Prepare for the outdoor cooking season by inspecting gas grills. Remove cooking grills and thoroughly clean them with soapy water and a brush with brass bristles. Remove accumulated grease from lava rocks and ceramic briquettes by turning them over and igniting the burners. Allow 10 minutes on high heat to clean the briquettes.


• Inspect garden hoses for leaks. Make temporary repairs with electrical tape. Pry out old washers and replace them. Don't leave hoses connected to outdoor spigots until the danger of frost is completely over.


• Caulk open joints, particularly around windows and doors.


• Inspect the crawl space or basement after rains for water accumulation or excessive moisture. Look for signs of water damage on the subfloor and joists beneath bathrooms, the kitchen and laundry. Find and fix leaks now or pay the price later.


• Shut off the water to the washing machine, remove the water supply hoses and examine them and the washers. Replace worn and damaged ones.


• Check fire extinguishers to make sure they are not outdated, have lost pressure or are damaged.


• Check all weatherstripping around doors and windows for wear, damage or loss of flexibility. Replace material that is no longer blocking air.


• Clean your garbage disposal. Grind two trays of ice cubes made from a mixture of one cup white vinegar to one gallon of water.

Thank You for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

(Project ideas came from an article on Weather.com)

Changes You Can Make to Increase Your Home's Value

Recently I had a friend request that I write about the best ways to increase your property's value through inexpensive changes that you can do yourself. I think this is something that's very important-there are definitely ways to make your property more appealing to a potential buyer without breaking the bank. However, if you have a little extra cash or you want to ensure that you get top dollar when you put your home on the market, there are more expensive changes you can do as well. I've broken these tips into three categories: Inexpensive, Mid-Priced, Expensive.


Just a couple of thoughts before I share these tips:

1. Kitchens and bathrooms are going to bring you the biggest bang for your buck


2. Curb appeal is important-make sure your landscaping looks fresh and clean


3. You don't want to completely out-do your neighbors in renovations and remodeling-that will make your home the most expensive in the neighborhood, which will be harder to sell down the road. If no one in the neighborhood has granite countertops, custom cabinets and hardwood floors, you may want to make small changes but save your cash to put into your next home.

INEXPENSIVE:

• Paint, paint, paint!-I can't stress this enough. Putting a fresh coat of paint on your walls instantly makes the home feel cleaner, fresher and newer. Also, if your current paint colors are outdated or "loud"-now's the time to update! In fact I wrote an entire article about this very subject, so if you need help choosing paint colors, please check it out: Sellers: Are Your Color Choices Keeping Your Home from Selling?

1. You may also want to consider repainting all your baseboards and trim-this is a cheap way to make your home look crisp and newer-it can take years off!
2. Take a look at your ceilings-do they need to be repainted too?

• Take down that wallpaper-Wallpaper is an extremely personal preference and becomes outdated quickly. Some people, such as myself, really dislike wallpaper. The goal when putting your home on the market is to get it in the best shape possible and eliminate as many "potential objections" as you can. Consider this: a potential buyer has narrowed their selection down to two homes-yours with wallpaper in the kitchen that they really can't stand and another home where they don't like the paint color. So, holding all other things equal, which home will they choose? Well, in my opinion, they will choose the ugly paint color because it's much less painful to repaint rather than peel wallpaper off, sand and repaint. Do you see what I'm talking about?


• Change out your doorknobs-Most new homes come with brushed nickel doorknobs and door hinges; changing out your gold knobs is a cheap way to make your home look newer.


• Take care of your carpet-Getting your carpets steam cleaned is a great way to make your home look better; if your carpets are in good shape except for needing a good cleaning this is much more affordable than buying new carpet.


• Update your cabinet hardware-Maybe you can't afford to completely renovate your kitchen or bathrooms, but you can change out the handles or knobs to something trendier. Take a look at interior design magazines or watch HGTV to find out what's in style-or walk through homes that were just built and see what kind of knobs they are using.


• Change your light switch plate covers-If your light switch plate covers are gold colored or cracked or they once were white but now are beige-change them out. This is an inexpensive way to keep your home in line with newer ones.

MID-PRICED:

• Replace flooring-Consider replacing your linoleum kitchen floor to tile or a beautiful laminate flooring that resembles hardwood. If your family room carpet looks worn, either replace it with new carpet or switch it out to laminate wood flooring. Linoleum in the bathrooms or laundry room? Replace it with tile.


• Update light fixtures-Light fixtures can immediately date a home because trends change so often in this department. Watch HGTV and flip through design magazines to determine what's in style and what will work best for your home and price range.


• Change out faucets-This is another area that can add value through updating. I have the same advice as above with the light fixtures-look at magazines, go to Home Depot or walk through newly built homes for ideas.


• Buy new appliances-For most kitchens, white appliances look outdated, if you can, buy new appliances-either stainless steel if you can afford it or black if you need a cheaper option.

EXPENSIVE:

• Put in hardwood floors-True hardwood floors, not the laminate type, are fairly expensive but they are very beautiful and long-lasting too. (They are allergy friendly too because they don't trap dust and dust mites like carpet does). Hardwood flooring can definitely increase your property value.


• Replace your kitchen and/or bathroom cabinets-Again, if you have the money, getting new cabinets that go with current styles is a great way to get more money for your home when you sell.


• Change your countertops to granite-If you can afford to switch out both your cabinets and countertops, then do it! But if you can't, often your home would look great with new granite countertops and new knobs on the cabinets. (For a less expensive option, you could replace your laminate countertops with corian).

Those are the suggestions that I feel will give you the most for your money when you are trying to sell your home. One thing you may wonder is when to make the changes? If you aren't planning on moving for at least three years, you may want to wait until three to six months before you put your home on the market to make these changes. Trends change and if you want to be competitive with the brand new homes on the market you should make your updates according to the current styles. However, I also feel that if you plan on living in your home for let's say, ten years, you may want to make major changes now so that you can enjoy them while living in the home. I hope these tips helped you!

Thank You for Reading!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!