The Ordering has Begun...

This is always an exciting time in the design process for me, decisions have been made and we are ready to get started. I love the anticipation that comes with a new project and the excitement I see in my clients eyes, hopefully that excitement is still there at the end of the project. This remodel should take 6-8 weeks. While the scope sounds large, 2.5 bathrooms and all new flooring throughout the rest of the house, the bathrooms are small and we are not moving walls or much plumbing. The clients were looking for a soothing pallet, light and airy, almost spa like. They have been great to work with, and have kept an open mind to new suggestions. When we first started talking about this project they were very clear that they liked natural elements and were fairly certain they wanted dark stained floors and cabinets. While talking with them, I got the sense that they wanted dark stain because that was what they knew and what they already had in some furniture. Since we were taking everything out and will eventually remodel the kitchen, we were not married to any color pallet. I took a chance and showed them this beautiful greige wood floor, they fell in love and the rest of the color pallet started from that point. Another chance I took was the cement tile, and I am so glad I did. As soon as she saw the tile, she was hooked, husband took a little longer to warm to the idea but once he did, as he put it, “I was really dreading this whole process, but now that I have seen the choices you have made…I’m really excited”

Demo starts next week!

Remove the Word Resale from my Vocabulary

That is what the Houzz.com article stated. The decorator side of me agrees, but the Realtor side is a little more hesitant. I can't tell you how many times I have walked into a house, and been astounded by the things people do to their homes.

While some are extreme, if you love it and plan on being there for the long term 10+ years then sponge paint away.  If however, you are like most of us and have no idea where life is going to take you, there are certain decisions that do need to be influenced by resale value.  We all know that, after location, the Kitchen and Master are what sell a house. If you are planning to remodel either of these and may be selling within the next 10 years, resale is important.  These are expensive remodels and I can't tell you how many times I've shown a house to a client with a brand new kitchen and the buyers hate it.  For most of us, it's hard to justify tearing out a brand new kitchen because it's not your taste. Plus, the cost of that new kitchen is usually reflected in the price.

My advice, if it's just a coat of paint, go for it! paint it whatever wacky color you like, as long as you are willing to repaint it before you sell. If it's anything more, call a decorator.  In the long run, they will make you lots of money at sale time.  Most buyers do not want to live through a remodel and will pay big bucks to have it all done, as long as it is done well and correctly.  There is a reason house flippers make money.

I have had sellers tell me, "In this market I don't need to do anything, my house will sell" Isn't that the thought of most FSBO properties. They are right, it will sell, but not for as much money as it could with just a little pizzaz.  When I am listing a home I go through and tell sellers, as your house sits now, it will sell for X but if you do these few things we can sell it for Y.  Y is always higher and usually will cover all of the selling costs and sometimes more.  A well appointed home will sell faster and for more money than your average house.  Logically, it does not make sense, the furniture and fixings are not part of the sale. But when people walk in, they get that feeling, you can see it in their faces and they are hooked!

Day 7 of the 10 Day Challenge

Here we are 7 days in and I've only accomplished the first challenge! Look at all of the stuff I've cleared out. The pile to the right is donation and the one on the left is garbage, and I thought the garbage would all fit into a plastic grocery bag.  Yes, it has taken me much longer than the allotted 1 day, but after the very first day I could feel my mind clearing out, having room to breathe and an overall much calmer feeling. The next challenge is to stop stuff from coming in.  You'll remember a week ago I said that I was going to stop unnecessary shopping. It's been a full week and I have kept my resolution.  The other step is to stop junk mail from coming in, according to this article, you can go to DMAchoice.org and opt out of junk mail.  This is something I really need to get a hold of.  We have several companies that send both my husband and I copies of their catalogs, they must know that I don't like to share. I went through my email and unsubscribed to many "junk" mailers.  I do this every New Year. After all the  consumerism of the holidays, it just starts to feel yucky.  It really starts with Halloween, buy all that candy (we get over 1,000 trick-or-treaters, so its a LOT of candy) then decorate the house, then right into Thanksgiving and all that food.  Then the big season starts. By New Years Day, I'm done!  According to this article, you can go to DMAchoice.org and opt out of junk mail.  Do you have any rituals, (not resolutions) that you do at the start of each year to prepare for the upcoming year?

Next is clearing out and organizing the kitchen.  It may be a few more days before I have any time to report on my progress.