Home Office Makeover Part 1

My home office is in need of a do-over.  It was once my French-country living room, and I must say, it was one of the cutest rooms ever!  I found these old pictures...

Any who...I have long tired of the yellow walls, and the lovely curtains are starting to fade -- it's only been 18 years, LOL!  So, how does one go about it?

Lucky for me, I have a lovely and talented mother to assist me.  And despite being in bed recovering from knee surgery, she is always up for a design project. She suggested looking for a "vision room" to get started.  After searching Houzz and Pinterest, the recurring pattern with my vision rooms was a neutral white background with punches of color.

Next time, tune in for more fun, Part 2, Picking the Paint Color!

Small and Mighty!

Downsizing is on the brain!  This month several of my reads had great articles and interesting tips.

Aside from purge, purge, and then purge again, here are some tips on how to make small spaces work.

High Contrast: darker stained floors and lighter wall color creates an illusion of more space

Before

After!

Open Up: remove as many doors to open up the flow of rooms.

Day Bed/Sofa

Ottoman Storage

Multifunction: Consider the use of a desk as a dining room table. What about an ottoman that offered storage for blankets or off-season clothes, a sleeper sofa for a guest...you get the picture!

For more tips on living small, check out lots of great ideas and information at Apartmenttherapy.com.

And, if this gets you inspired to simplify and downsize, call me!  Not only do I have a team of people who can help you streamline, I'm always up for adventures in house/condo hunting!

The unintended flip! Part I

Bill was a handsome young, successful executive with a big telecom company, moving from Phoenix to Atlanta. He wanted to find a home that was close to his Buckhead office, with a minimum of 3 bedrooms, preferably newer construction and for a price less than $450,000.  Lucky for him (and me :)), he had the perfect real estate agent to help him!

We found Bill a fabulous Dunwoody home and closed on it in Oct. 2014.

Bill started work almost immediately on making the house his home...garage/man cave improvements, master bath remodel, new lighting, new fixtures...

The most dramatic improvements were done to the master bath.  Here are some of the before pictures:

Here are some of the afters:

Bill was loving life in his castle...and the new shower. Yet...as life has it, there's always a curve ball. For Bill that meant a job opportunity which would move him back to Phoenix, just six months later!  

After all the work he had done, we were concerned whether the market would support a price high enough to recover his expenses, plus real estate commissions.  Some of the renovations were a slam dunk in terms of return on investment, others, like the touchless toilets, with built in glow lights, were a little more iffy.  And Bill was the quintessential bachelor.  He had a thing for fridges -- to be exact, he had three of them...no dining room furniture, but three fridges, two theater couches and a state of the art home automation system.  

We needed a plan to showcase the renovations and get this house sold...and quick!  

Tune in tomorrow for Part II of Bill's fascinating saga!

The Thing About Real Estate and School Districts

Aside from location, location, location, the 2nd most important value indicator of a property might be the public school district.  Regardless of whether you do or don't have children, searching for a good property in a strong school district is a wise consideration.  Oftentimes, you will find that a house in a good school district, can carry as much as a $50,000 premium over a similar house in a district with mediocre schools.

There are some great websites where you can educate yourself on school rankings.  Among my favorites are schooldigger.com and greatschools.net.  For those of you that like paper, check out the school editions of the local papers.  The Reporter and Atlanta Business Chronicle both have lots of helpful information.  My office has lots of extra copies, so just shoot me an email and I can stick one in the mail for you.

And I can't help stepping on my pedestal for a minute.  As a parent of children who went to a diverse public school, school scores don't tell the whole story.  Visit the school in person. Meet the principal. Visit the classrooms and walk the halls.  Go to a PTA event and meet the parents.

Or, if you don't want to do the research,  just take my word on this one (smile, wink). Check out my new listing in the hot school districts of Dolvin, Autrey Mill and Johns Creek, 10395 Meadow Crest Lane.  This is a tremendous value for these school districts.  And, the seller has made all the right preparations for selling, with new paint inside and out, new landscaping and new flooring.

Color done right

The use of color in a home can be a tricky thing.  At my own house, it seems no matter how hard I attempt to go neutral, I am drawn back to color and contrast.  Pictures to come on that...as the house is not fit for photos right now!

Anywhooo, I just took a fabulous listing that takes color to a new level. We have vibrant blue, cerulean blue, juxtaposed with persimmon, gold, and even dark aubergine that's almost black. What drama and pizzazz.  Come check it out...

To me, it's such a nice change of pace from builder beige.  What do you think about all this color?!  

The Cape Cod, part 1

Once upon a time, there was a sweet little cape cod in Morningside.  This gem of a house had been a victim of the recession and had lost its luster.  A savvy investor happened upon the house in the spring of 2014 and embarked on restoring it to its former charm.  Savvy investor that he was, he made the changes that were cost productive and impactful, but didn't quite take that extra step to transform it from house to home.  Let's take a look at the front.

Pre-flip

The red front door was a definite improvement over the safe black that is so common; yet,  the entrance still left something to be desired.  The bushes were overgrown, the lanterns too small, the "x" detail on the door (which is hard to see in this picture) was more western than colonial or cape...

Post Flip

The New Look

Then, Voila! New cottage style door, new lanterns and new landscaping.  I can't emphasize enough the power of landscaping.  More to come on that later.  First impressions can be everything when it comes to real estate.

House on a Hill

68 Brandon Ridge Drive
Sandy Springs

Picture perfect house and lot in Sandy Springs.  Rarely does a house like this come on the market.  Aside from the classic traditional features, hardwood floors, solid 6 panel doors, slate foyer, the yard is enviable.  Perched on top of a hill, the backyard is sprawling, grassy, wooded...the best of all outdoor worlds.  Walk out of the family room onto the patio and enjoy grilling, picnics, and fetch.  When your own backyard is not entertaining enough, the new Abernathy linear park is a quick stroll.  Groceries, restaurants, shopping, all within an easy walk.  A house on a hill offers privacy, stature, and a good excuse to stay home when it snows!  This one is special and will sell quickly.  Schedule a tour soon!