03/31/2011

Kitchen, Kitchen and Kitchen | Home Design In Pound Ridge NY

 

When selling a home, the kitchen is an area of vital importance. There are several reasons for this. For one thing, kitchens have a lot to do with a home's resale value, so a potential buyer should be able to see value in this area of the home.

Secondly, people generally spend a lot of time in the kitchen. If you've ever been to a party where everyone stood around the kitchen island chatting, you know what I mean! This is why kitchen design and staging are so important when selling a home.

And when you get these things right, you greatly increase your chances of selling the home quickly, and for the best possible price.

The question is, where do you start? Which kitchen design ideas should you focus on when staging your home for sale? Here are some things you can do in the kitchen to wow potential home buyers.

How to Stage a Kitchen

• Clean your kitchen like the sale of your home depends on it, because it does. Pay extra attention to the sink, counters, stove, etc. Kitchen design is certainly important when selling a home, but cleanliness is also a must. When you stage your kitchen for a home sale, use the motto "clean and bright" as your guide.
• Spend some extra time de-cluttering. Of all the rooms in a home, the kitchen in particular has a way of attracting clutter. Countertop appliances, coffee pots and mugs, utensil holders, baskets for bills and mail, knick knacks … these things must be moved out of sight. Don't let clutter detract from the other kitchen design ideas you've implemented.
• Consider making upgrades to the kitchen if necessary. In a buyer's market, you should go beyond basic cleaning and actually upgrade some of the kitchen's features. Tour some model homes (or view them online) to get an idea of current trends.
• Turn the lights on and open the curtains to showcase the sparkle. Shed some light on the subject. If you have dark areas of your kitchen, you might even consider adding supplemental lighting, such as recessed lighting around the edges. Remember your kitchen staging motto — clean and bright.
• If your cabinets and counters are outdated or ugly, upgrading them could make a big difference in resale value. If it doesn't make sense to pour extra money into cabinetry (based on your local real estate market), you might try staining the cabinets. This can make a big improvement at a fraction of the cost.

Remember, people spend a lot of time in their kitchens, and most people realize that they are a resale value item of importance. If you spend some extra time or money anywhere while staging your home for sale, the kitchen is probably the place to do it.

The Cost of Kitchen Design & Staging

Home staging is a balance between cost and results. Sure, you want to improve your home in a way that makes it sell quicker. But you don't want to spend too much money doing it either.

This is where it pays to understand the type of real estate market you're in. For example, if you're in a buyer's market, you will have to go the extra mile to sell the home. On the other hand, if you're in a seller's market, you can get away with doing less.

This is the general rule with home staging expenses. But what about kitchens in particular? Of all the rooms in your home to put money into when selling the home, the kitchen should be at the top of the list. Investments in kitchen design and improvement typically contribute more toward resale value than improvements in the rest of the home.

Mar 31, 2011 8:15:37 AM | Weblogs

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Home Staging On A Budget | Mount Kisco NY Homes Unless you’ve had your head buried in the sand for the past several months, you know how difficult it has become to sell a home in the current real estate market. There are not enough qualified home buyers out there, and this has made it tough for those who find…

 

 

Unless you've had your head buried in the sand for the past several months, you know how difficult it has become to sell a home in the current real estate market. There are not enough qualified home buyers out there, and this has made it tough for those who find themselves in a situation where they must sell their home quickly. Most real estate professionals will tell you the quickest and easiest way to attract buyers is to stage the home for sale.

Home staging has become the new buzz word in the real estate world. In the past, there was a relatively small group of professional home stagers who were hired by real estate agents, home sellers and home builders to paint, decorate and accessorize homes that were on the market for a quick sell. With the increasing popularity of shows that share home staging tips and ideas on television channels such as HGTV, home staging has become a project that most sellers can take on themselves.

But what if there is no room in your budget for a professional makeover like those seen on t.v.? Not to worry! There are many free and low-cost staging ideas that any home seller can put to good use.

Chances are, if you are in a situation where you need to sell your home quickly, there may be financial reasons for needing to make that sale. When you are faced with a financial crisis, the last thing you want is to come up with the cash to buy or rent new furniture, purchase new accessories and paint supplies.

Cheap Staging Techniques to the Rescue

Here's the good news. Some of the easiest home staging ideas can be done on the cheap, or entirely free of cost. Simple things, such as removing furniture and rearranging the remaining pieces, can make a huge difference in a buyer's perception of your space. You will be moving soon anyway, so why not rent a small storage unit now to store those extra items? If you can't afford a storage unit, ask family and friends to store the items for you until you are ready to move.

While you may have a large family and need two large sofas in your living room, perhaps most of your buyer traffic are young couples just starting out. Those two huge sofas just make the living room look small and cluttered to them. Also, most buyers desire a fireplace. So if you are fortunate enough to have a fireplace in your home, arrange the furniture to make it the focal point of the room. Remove that big screen t.v. and all the family photos, and make sure the mantle and end tables are clutter-free. A few candles and a nice piece of art will do the trick.

There is no need to purchase accessories. If you can, repurpose those items that are being used in other rooms as part of your overall "decluttering" process. Clear out any furniture such as tables, hutches, chairs and such that are impeding the flow of traffic and making the rooms look and feel smaller.

The Importance of Kitchens and Baths

As you may know, kitchens and baths are usually the first two things buyers want to see when viewing a home that is on the market. These two rooms can be the easiest to stage for free, or for very little cost. A good scrubbing of the floors, counters, walls, sinks/tubs and cabinets will go a long way.

In the kitchen, you will want to remove all the items from the counters to show off all that space you have. In the bathroom, clear the counters of your personal items and tidy up the shelves in the shower and/or ledges around the tub. If the bathroom is decorated for use by your children, you may want remove those wall or tub decals and stow away the bath toys. It would also be a good time to purchase a fresh shower curtain, rugs or towels if it is in your budget. Once again, these are all low-cost or free home staging techniques.

Let Bedrooms Serve Their Purpose

If your home is being listed as a 4-bedroom house, show it as one. If you are using one of the bedrooms as an office, craft room or junk room, clear it out and set it up as a guest room. If you don't have an extra mattress set to spare, talk to neighbors, friends and family to see if you can borrow one while your home is on the market.

All the remaining bedrooms should be cleared of personal items and clutter, and closets should be neat and tidy. This is a good time to clear out any unused items and clothing for donation to your local charity. Cluttered, over-stuffed closets send a message to buyers that there is not enough storage in the home. These are all free and low-cost staging ideas you can implement on your own.

The Outside of the Home

Don't forget the outside of your home when you are preparing it for the market. If the doors, windows and siding are dirty, give them a good scrubbing. Clean up any weeds in flower beds, and trim any overgrown shrubs and trees. Remove any toys and random furniture or items from the front and back yards. Make sure the patios and walkways are clean and swept up.

If your outdoor furniture is dirty, clean it up! If it is old and tired, remove it or give it away. If you can afford it, make sure any plant beds are freshly mulched and their borders are clearly defined, and plant some colorful annuals to brighten them up. A neat, tidy yard makes a good first impression — and you only get one chance at a good first impression. And in keeping with the theme of this article, these are all low-cost improvements that could bring big rewards.

Paint and Fixtures = Cheap Staging

If you have a little money to contribute to your staging pot, a fresh coat of neutral paint in all the rooms that need it will go a long way. White walls are too stark and cold, while bright, strong paint colors can be too taste-specific. A nice warm color in the tan/beige/taupe family appeals to most. A fresh coat of paint represents one less thing a buyer will need to do if they purchase your home.

Another low-cost staging idea is to replace any old, outdated light fixtures. Newer, contemporary designs in brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze appeal to almost all buyers and only take but a few minutes to swap out. The same can be said for the faucets in the kitchen and bathroom, and hardware such as pulls and knobs on the cabinets.

Another easy, fairly inexpensive fix is to replace any old, outdated window treatments. Faux wood blinds can be purchased inexpensively at any home improvement store and can be cut to fit any window. This fix can make any room look fresh and current. You can also shop for deals on fresh, neutral bed linens and drapes for the bedrooms, if it's in your staging budget.

Where to Begin

You are probably wondering by now where to begin with these low-cost and free staging ideas. Start by determining your home staging budget. If the answer is zero, then make a list of your rooms that need cleaning and decluttering in order of priority, and then get started. If you find you have a small budget, examine the rooms on that list and determine what needs to be replaced or updated in each room, and add those items to your list. Shop around for the best deals and calculate which items you can afford to buy in order of priority. Then get to work!

The most important thing to remember is this all-important concept of home staging. The way your home is furnished and decorated may make perfect sense to you, and it may work well with your lifestyle. But you need to look at the entire space through the eyes of a buyer and make the changes that will help your home appeal to the widest range of tastes. This will help to attract more buyers to showings and increase your chances of making that desperately needed sale.

 

Mt Kisco NY Homes

Total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in the United States dropped by 5.8 percent from 2008 to 2009—the largest decline since data collecting began in 1990, according to Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2009, a report released today by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Since 1990, U.S. GHG emissions have grown at an average annual rate of 0.4 percent.

The decrease in U.S. CO₂ emissions in 2009 resulted primarily from three factors: an economy in recession, a particularly hard-hit energy-intensive industries sector and a large drop in natural gas prices that fueled a switch from coal to natural gas in the electric power sector. “The large decline in emissions in 2009 was driven by the economic downturn, combined with an ongoing trend toward a less energy-intensive economy and a decrease in the carbon-intensity of the energy supply,” said EIA Administrator Richard Newell.

After rising at an average annual rate of 0.8 percent per year from 1990 to 2008, emissions of energy-related carbon dioxide decreased by 7.1 percent in 2009. A 2.6 percent decline in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contributed to the decrease. The energy intensity of the U.S. economy, measured as energy consumed per dollar of GDP (Energy/GDP), fell by 2.2 percent in 2009. Carbon dioxide intensity of U.S. energy supply (CO2 per unit of energy) also fell in 2009, caused primarily by an increase in electricity generated by natural gas.

Methane emissions increased by 0.9 percent, while nitrous oxide emissions fell by 1.7 percent in 2009. Based on partial data constituting about 77 percent of the category, combined emissions of HFCs, PFCs and SF₆ increased by 4.9 percent.

 

Energy-related CO

YouTube has kicked off the April Fools festivities with a celebration of its “100th birthday” — a journey into what YouTube might have looked like in 1911, if YouTube or the Internet existed back then.

The video platform is going all out; not only has it released a promotional video depicting the “top five viral pictures of 1911,” but it has also updated the logo and inserted a classic 1911 button on every video. Clicking it will transform any YouTube clip into an old-school motion picture, complete with a grainy yellowish skin and an accompanying early 20th century piano soundtrack to match.

The promotional prank video depicts what some of YouTube’s biggest sensations would have looked like in 1911. It’s tough not to notice the cameo appearances by Annoying Orange, Rickroll (Ruth Roll in 1911 vernacular) and Keyboard Cat (or, as they called him back in the day, Flugelhorn Feline).

YouTube’s prank is a pretty good start to April Fools Day, and we’ve already caught other pranks popping up on our Twitter feeds. It’s going to be an interesting 24 hours.

With the imminent arrival of HTML5 and rich media email just around the corner, we at Blue Sky Factory have decided to take email marketing to the next level with the only logical conclusion: infomercials in your inbox. Instead of plain, boring text or pictures that don’t move, imagine having full 480p video delivering your message, complete with timed calls to action! Using our proprietary new technology, U-Blue-View, we can now measure exactly when a video infomercial in your inbox was played and time offers to it.

Here’s our first infomercial, coming to an inbox near you soon. If you’d like to participate in the offer, you have 20 minutes from the time you read this post to click here.

For the folks who didn’t realize that today is April 1, or April Fool’s Day, this is indeed an April Fool’s joke, though the offer in the ad is real. If you’d like to engage our services, contact us before the end of the day for a 30 day money-back guarantee.

Christopher Penn
VP, Strategy and Innovation, Blue Sky Factory

At Blue Sky Factory, we strongly believe that, if used properly, email marketing and social media go together like Batman & Robin. If effectively implemented, email marketing can power social media and social media can power email marketing.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 1st, 2011 at 6:09 am and is filed under Holiday, Industry Trends, video. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.