Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Crafty Ideas for Winter Curb Appeal

During summer months when gardens are in bloom and the sun is shining bright, curb appeal comes naturally to many homes. But when the autumn chill turns to winter cold and the sun sets earlier in the day, it becomes more difficult to create that inviting exterior look that grabs buyers from the curb.
Fortunately, it is possible to create striking winter curb appeal without expensive or complicated exterior changes, says Charlene Storozuk, a home stager and designer with Dezigner Digz in Burlington, Ontario—a city that averages 51 inches of snow per year. It just requires a little creativity.
She and other home-design experts offer these eight tips:
1. Add splashes of green and purple. Plants, grasses, and evergreens can liven up a home’s winter landscape. Experiment with tall grasses, such as fountain grasses, that survive harsh winters. And in late fall and early winter, plants from the cabbage family add a vibrant purple color. Make the front door the focal point with a large wreath adorned with a colorful ribbon. To finish the look, place large, colorful planters filled with evergreens beside the front door, suggests Elizabeth Lord, broker with Carolina Farms & Estates LLC in Rock Hill, S.C.
2. Give it seasonal sparkle. Transform an unused bird bath or fountain into a seasonal display by adding twigs with red berries. Or fill frost-resistant urns with twigs, winter greenery, and sparkly baubles (sold at most craft stores), Storozuk says. For extra sparkle, roll twigs in glitter and incorporate a gazing ball—a mirrored glass ball available in various colors—into the display.
3. Make the garden statuesque. Roman- or Greek-themed outdoor sculptures can add class and elegance to a garden in winter. Be sure to use frost-resistant statues so they don’t crack, Storozuk says. Place the statues strategically throughout the garden to draw buyers’ eyes around the outdoor space.
4. Light it bright. During the winter, it’s more likely that buyers will be viewing home after sunset. Use clear flood spotlights to focus on the home’s architectural features, Storozuk says. Keep exterior lighting fixtures at maximum wattage and clean them regularly. When snow covers the ground, Michele Thompson, broker-owner of White Fence Real Estate in Vevay, Ind., takes photos of listings at night with all of the interior lights on—the light bounces off the white snow to create a warm, inviting glow. For the best results, turn off the flash, and use a tripod to avoid blurring, she says.
5. Show off the lifestyle. Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean you can’t use the deck. Shovel your backyard sitting area and leave your grill uncovered so buyers can envision themselves using the space, Storozuk says. If the home has a hot tub, leave that open and running during showings as well.
6. Make the deck an extension of the house. Set up your outdoor tables and chairs just as you would in warmer months. “Home owners often cover their furniture and place lawn objects haphazardly on the deck,” says Kitty Schwartz, president and owner of Classic Home Staging in Katonah, N.Y. For added appeal, she adds a weatherproof cafe set with pillows that play off of interior accent colors. “Glancing out onto this type of vignette can make the indoor space feel larger and more interesting,” she says.
7. Create a photo display of sunnier days. Show buyers what the outside of the home looks like during other seasons by displaying some landscape photos in frames or using a digital photo frame with a slide show of images. “This will give a sense of what the property looks like at other times of year,” Storozuk says. If the home has a garden, make a list of what’s planted where. “Perennials can be expensive,” she says, “so treat them as a selling feature.”
8. Don’t forget to clear a path. If the ground is covered in snow, the simplest and most important thing you can do is shovel the driveway and sidewalks and keep the home’s patios and decks as clear as possible so buyers can get a sense of their true size.

Tips for Selling a Home in the Winter

Traditionally, the time from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day can be some of the slowest time of the year for home buying due to the holidays and the often less-than-perfect weather. But that doesn’t mean sellers can’t sell during the winter months. In fact, with decreased inventories, sellers may have a better chance to standout and face a buyer pool with more urgency to settle down.

Experts offer some of the following tips for selling a home in the winter:
Stage it: Stagers can arrange furniture so that selling-points in a home don’t get overlooked, paint rooms inviting colors, and have the know-how to give a home a cozy winter feel. Display photos of the home that also show it in warmer summer months. And don’t forget to turn up the thermostat in the home so buyers are comfortable from the moment they step through the door."If you have a vacant house in winter with the heat turned down to 50, chances are someone will make a very low offer," Loren Keim, a real estate broker, told the Associated Press.

Price it right: "If it's priced properly, it will sell any day of the year,"
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Show the way: Keep sidewalks and driveways clear of snow, ice, and leaves--giving potential buyers a clear path to your listing’s front door.

Light it up: There’s less daylight in the winter months so it’s even more important to keep all the lights on as well as open blinds and drapes for natural light. Keep the home well-lit even when you’re not there so the home still looks inviting to passersby who drive by in the evenings after work.

Making the Most of Your Buyers' Winter Search

The holidays are the perfect time of year for some home buyers to purchase a house and snag a great year-end deal — but limited inventory may be the Scrooge.
After a challenging home-buying season in the spring and summer, many buyers say they plan to reignite their home search during the winter, according to a recent realtor.com® survey. They're hoping for less competition from all-cash buyers and fewer bidding wars during that time.
However, winter often brings about limited inventories of homes for sale, so buyers will likely find fewer choices. It seems that buyers expect that: 45 percent of those surveyed in the realtor.com® Winter Home Buyer Report say they believe they’ll be up against inventory challenges again during the winter months.
Some real estate agents are grappling with that issue by finding homes that aren’t officially on the market to increase their buyers’ choices. They are even drumming up “old expires” — homes that were listed several years ago but never sold — to see if the owner will reconsider selling. Some brokers are also sending letters to home owners in their buyer’s preferred neighborhood to motivate a home owner to consider selling.
Still, buyers shopping for a home in winter may find sellers more amenable to striking a good deal. Particularly during the holidays, sellers can be highly motivated to sell before the end of the year, says Tim Deihl, associate broker at Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston. Buyers may be able to take advantage of that sellers’ urgency.
“A seller who’s looking to move a piece of real estate during the holidays is a seller who needs to sell, because nobody in their right mind would pick that as the most convenient time to list their property,” Deihl says

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Great Custom Built Home in Pensacola near Everything

THIS HOME IS A JEWEL ON A PRIVATE CUL-DE-SAC ON AN ACRE IN THE HEART OF PENSACOLA. CLOSE TO SHOPPING, HOSPITALS, AIRPORT, MALLS, I-10 ANDTHE BEACHES. GORGEOUS CUSTOM ONE OF A KIND BUILT HOME BY A  PRIVATE BUILDER WITH ALL THE CUSTOM DETAILS. THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME HAS 4 SPACIOUS BEDROOMS WITH AN EXCLUSIVE LUXURY MASTER SUITE WITH A SPA RETREAT BATHROOM WITH TILED CUSTOM GARDEN TUB, LARGE VANITY AND DRESSING AREA. HOME HAS A FORMAL DINING ROOM AND LARGE LIVING ROOM LEADING TO OUTDOOR ENTERTAINMENT SPACE. ALSO ANOTHER GREAT FAMILY ROOM OFF THE KITCHEN FOR FAMILY GATHERINGS. LARGE CUSTOM KITCHEN FOR ANY LARGE FAMILY TO SPEND TIME TOGETHER WITH A LARGE OPEN FLOOR PLAN THAT JUST SPEAKS "WELCOME HOME". YOUHAVE AN OUTSIDE RETREAT WITH SPACIOUS LIVING SPACE AND DINING SPACE ALONG WITH A GRILL AREA. CUSTOM FIBERGLASS POOL WITH LITTLE TO NO MAINTENANCE AND SCREENED IN AREA. LARGE SPACIOUS LOT WITH OUTSIDE BUILDING/MAN CAVE THAT CAN BE USED FOR ANYTHING YOU CAN DREAM UP. HAS ELECTRICITY. BUILDING AND READY FOR ANYTHING. THIS HOUSE IS  GOING TO SELL FAST SO COME TAKE A LOOK AND CALL IT HOME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVkfyk20uY0
click above for a great video