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Selling Soon? Here’s a Home Feature That Will Appeal to Many Buyers

March 18, 2022 by cdiez Leave a Comment

People who are thinking of selling their house often wonder what they can do to increase its appeal to buyers. The goal of doing so is fairly obvious: maximize profit and minimize time on the market.

Many think that updating their kitchen or bathrooms, or even adding an addition, will do the trick. In a sense, they will. If you do a major renovation or addition, it’ll surely increase how much your house will sell for, and there’s a good chance it’ll sell more quickly if you do substantial upgrades before you list. But, it’ll also cost you a good chunk of time, money, and it probably won’t net you more money than the actual cost of the work.

On the other hand, there’s a simple tweak you can do to your house (if you haven’t already) that’ll increase its appeal to a lot of buyers, which is…

Create a dedicated home office space.

Home offices have been a feature buyers have liked for some time, but over the past two years they’ve become all the more appealing due to the pandemic. With the pandemic winding down — hopefully for good — it may seem like home offices won’t be as much of a draw. But that’s not likely. Here are a few reasons why a home office is still something buyers will want to see if you’re selling in the near future:

While some companies have started having employees come back into the office, many others have not. There are still plenty of companies playing it safe and having their employees work remotely.
The pandemic loosened the jar lid, so to say, and now more people are doing whatever possible to continue working from home entirely — or at least in a hybrid fashion — simply because they like the quality of life better.
Gas prices fluctuate, and they won’t be high forever, but right now they are – and there’s a good chance they’ll be that way for a while. So if you’re selling soon, working from home to save on the cost of commuting is likely on a lot of buyers’ minds.
“What if it happens again…” The pandemic is barely in the rearview mirror, and people are sensitive to needing a dedicated home office space if there’s another variant or surge, but they’re also thinking about a future pandemic. It may not have been something buyers would’ve been sensitive to a couple of years ago, but it’ll be a long time before buyers don’t think what living in a house would be like if it happens again in the future.

So if you’re thinking about selling your home in the near future and want to add some appeal, create a dedicated home office space if you don’t already have one.

You don’t need to (and probably shouldn’t) do an addition to add a home office. Just repurpose a room, or a section of one, and make it into a home office. Here are a few ideas on how to carve out some space:

If you have a spare bedroom, and it won’t take away from the marketability in your area for the likely buyer, just turn it into a home office.
If you have a finished basement, turn part of it into an office.
If you have an unfinished attic, consider turning that into an office for as little money as possible.
Section off a portion of your living room as a home office. It doesn’t need to be huge; buyers just need to see where they could set themselves up to work from home if they lived there.
Perhaps use a formal dining room, since many people don’t use them as often as they would use a home office.

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer of course, but creating a home office is most likely to add appeal to your house if you’re selling in the near future.

FOOD, FAMILY & FUN: 2021 THANKSGIVING GUIDE

November 18, 2021 by cdiez Leave a Comment

Turkey day is just around the corner…and if you’re hosting this year, you might be feeling the pressure right around this time with all of the work that goes into preparing a Thanksgiving feast. That’s why we’ve created the ultimate guide to help with all of your Thanksgiving needs – from local activities and events, to delicious food and drink recipes organized by category, to gorgeous table setting decor ideas and more. Read on for tips, tricks, and ideas for a gobblin’ good time!

Are you staying in town this year to celebrate Thanksgiving with friends and family? Explore local events, happenings, and volunteer opportunities that are taking place this holiday season.

Local Events and Activities

1. Now – December 31st: Friendsgiving at the Revival
2. Now – January 16th: Downtown Sacramento Ice Rink
3. November 24th – December 24th: Theatre of Lights at the Old Sacramento Waterfront
4. November 19th – 21st: Sacramento Fall Festival
5. November 19th – January 16th: Global Winter Wonderland 2021
6. November 19th – December 12th: Elf: The Musical
7. November 20th: Holiday Sip & Shop
8. November 23rd: B looms & Bubbly: Thanksgiving Workshop
9. November 25th: Run to Feed The Hungry
10. November 25th: Historic Folsom Christmas Light Promenade
11. November 25th: Turkey Trot in Roseville
12. November 25th: Elk Grove Gobble Wobble
13. November 25th: Folsom Turkey Trot

Volunteer Opportunities

1. Donate to Loaves and Fishes Holiday Headquarters
2. Donate to Animals at The Sacramento SPCA or Front Street Animal Shelter
3. Donate to Toys for Tots (contact me today to coordinate dropping off a new, unwrapped toy to one of our office locations)
4. Donate or Volunteer at the Sacramento Food Bank

From tasty appetizers and main meal items to drinks and desserts, these Thanksgiving recipes are sure to impress everyone at the dinner table this year. So get ready to “gobble til you wobble” with these classic Thanksgiving pairings!

Tasty Appetizers: While the mains tend to steal the show on Thanksgiving, these tasty apps will keep your hangry guests happy until dinner is served!

Delicious Mains: You ain’t seen stuffin’ yet! These beloved mains will have your guests running back for seconds!

Let’s Talk Turkey:

Mashed Potato Mash-Up:

Please Pass the Sides:

Festive Drinks: From festive cocktails and punches to delicious mocktails, we have a drink for everyone to enjoy!

Delectable Desserts: Give em pumpkin’ to talk about with these over-the-top Thanksgiving pies.

Whether you’re hosting for the first time or the tenth time, your table sets the tone for your Thanksgiving feast. Create a table that’s dressed to impress with these eye-catching ideas and designs. Bonus: they won’t break the bank.

1. Set the Scene with a Harvest Centerpiece: Set the scene for your Thanksgiving feast with this show-stopping (and all-natural) apples and leaves tablescape, this gorgeous DIY cranberry candle centerpiece, or this pumpkin planter centerpiece. You can also fill the center of your table with a colorful display of pumpkins, gourds, nuts, fruits, veggies, or seasonal blooms.

2. Go Rustic This Year: Add warmth to your Thanksgiving table with white pumpkins and candles to create this lovely rustic table setting. Carry on the rustic theme to each place setting with these rustic wood table name holders and these rustic napkin rings from Amazon.

3. Add a Pop of Color with Florals: Take your Thanksgiving dinner to the next level with flowers galore. Create a simple yet elegant table by pairing your best white dishes with seasonal flowers – think orange, yellow, and red – to add a pop of color to your table.

4. Create a Kid-Friendly Tablescape: Don’t forget about the kiddos! Entertain your younger guests with a kid-friendly tablescape. Simply cover it in craft paper and add crayons to each place setting to keep them drawing all night long.

Sending warm, heartfelt wishes from my home to yours this Thanksgiving!

Dreaming About A Pool? Dive Into These For Inspiration!

June 3, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

Dreaming about a pool? From natural pools to resort-style pools that make you feel like you’re vacationing at home, here are ten pools for you to ooh and ahh over. Each one takes their surrounding environment into account – and they’re all 100% daydream-worthy.

1. Who needs Cabo when your backyard looks like this?!

2. Using natural materials like and LOTS of greenery seems to be the key to a hideaway of your own like this one…

3. This beats the lap pool at the gym a thousand times over, doesn’t it?

5. Look at this modern natural pool – it’s elegant and energizing while still looking right at home in nature.

6. You’ll never go wrong with a beach theme, and this zero-entry pool has that sandy sanctuary thing nailed.

7. Another cool thing about building your own pool? You can trick it out however you like. This pool brings the phrase, “staycation” to a whole other level.

8. There are so many different styles to work with. This pond-and-waterfall inspired pool will look appropriate in just about any backyard.

9. Pools aren’t just for the kiddos! Sophisticated design elements make them just as pleasing for the grown-ups to enjoy, too.

10. This fully natural pool blends right in with its natural surroundings.

Whichever style you choose, how sweet would it be to have a full-blown oasis in your backyard?!

A Few Things to Know Before Building Your Dream Home

January 27, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

When I am having a vision on my dream home, it is normally after I have visited a house or neighborhood that I really like. I have never looked at a step by step process of my dream home as the family inside the home is what makes the dream come to life.

Gary Bordeaux sees it a little different than myself. His dream home is pretty awesome as well. Read on.

You are ready to build your dream home, but you are not sure where to start. There are production homes that you can purchase, or you can hire a contractor and build your custom home. This is where you have to balance costs against your lifestyle. A factor to consider is how your lifestyle will change over the years. Most families have children while living in their house. The children then grow up and leave home. A production house may be able to have changes made during this process. A custom house can be built with the future in mind.

The following is some information that will make it helpful when making the decision to build a production house or to build a custom one. You will want to do your research and weigh the pros and cons on what type of house suits you. Either way, you want to hire a professional to walk you through the process. When choosing the professional ask others whom they worked with and how they felt about the experience. Word of mouth is the best recommendation. You can also contact the better business bureau to get suggestions on whom you want to hire.

Choosing a Production or a Custom House

When building a custom home, you will need to hire an architect. They charge a percentage of the cost of the home. This fee is the base charge. They may be more fees for additional drawings or if you have the architect handle ordering materials and administering the contract. With an architect in charge, your house can be designed the way you want it plus it easier to make changes as needed.

Hiring a Professional

You can also hire a designer-builder. The design-builder handles the entire process of building a custom home. In the construction industry, this is a project delivery system. The designer built house has one person responsible for everything from the contract to the completion of the house. This minimizes risks for the owner of the house. In the past, there was one person responsible for the design of the house and one person responsible for the building. Having more than one person in charge can cause things to slip through the cracks without realizing that it is happening.

The building of the house is led by a professional sometimes it is the general contractor. Other times it may be an architect or engineer. Some design-builder firms use professionals from all aspects of the project. It can also be a team venture with both the general contractor and the designer working together on the project. Which one you choose should be the one you are comfortable with as you will be working closely with them as they build your dream house.

When using a general contractor as the lead on the building of the house they work with the owner. They also work with subcontractors. While they are working with others, they are solely responsible for all the work being done. The subcontractors are responsible to the general contractor and the general contractor is responsible to the owner of the house. The owner has to deal with only one person which makes building the home much easier. The architect would be considered an employee of the general contractor.

When the architect is the lead on the project they work with the owner and hires the other professionals as needed. But it is the architect who is responsible for all the work. The architect starts as the designer and ends as the site supervisor. They make sure they complete the house according to the wishes of the owner. Once again one person is responsible for the work being completed on the house. In this case it is the architect.

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The One Change You Should Make to Your Home in 2020

January 13, 2020 by cdiez Leave a Comment

Another new year has come. I remember when we went from 1999 to 2000 and everyone was wondering what would still be working at midnight and would our computer clocks be messed up.

Here we are in 2020 and Jaymi Naciri has a few good ideas on changes in 2020 to keep our homes fresh.

Splash a new color up on the walls. Redo your floors. Buy a new couch. They might be on the long list of things you’d like to do to your house in 2020. But you know what should be at the top of that list? Buying new plants.

So key are plants to the overall look and feel of the home that they made Elle Decor’s list of 2020 design trends. But we’re not talking about those faux, plasticky plants. It’s time for the real stuff.

“Going green with nice, real indoor plants helps give personality and another layer to a space,” Linda Hayslett of L.H. Designs, told them. “For a while, it seemed like everyone was going faux. But these days, it’s all real, all the time. “I can always spot a faux plant in a design. It may be great initially, but the character of a plant comes from how it organically grows. And faux plants will always remain the same and eventually get dusty.”

We could build a “best of” list based on popularity or pretty factor or 3,700 other categories, but, like anything else, it’s best to split the list into individual categories. Here, then, is our take on the best plants to incorporate now.

Most low maintenance

Many of us avoid having real plants because we lack a green thumb (guilty!). But there are some great options that take little effort to stay alive and look great. “Don’t be fooled by the beauty of the Chinese evergreen—beyond its handsome exterior is one tough plant,” said Real Simple.

“Justin Hancock, a horticulturist at Costa Farms, explains that this forgiving houseplant is great during the wintertime because it ‘doesn’t mind low light or inconsistent watering, as long as it doesn’t stay wet for extended periods.’ Its broad, decorative leaves are woven with gorgeous patterns in colors that come in a range of glossy greens, silvers, grays, and cream. Even the least experienced gardener can successfully grow the Chinese evergreen thanks to its hardiness. Cast aside any self-doubt, as Hancock reassures, ‘this air-purifying houseplant powers through the winter season and looks fresh and green all year.’”

The ZZ Plant is another great choice because it is “virtually indestructible.” In fact, “the zz plant will often do better if you leave it alone,” they said.

Best for your health

There is evidence that plants are good for you in a variety of ways, but one of the most potent is their effect on air quality. They can help counteract the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and indoor air pollution. Spider plants are “among the easiest air-purifying indoor plants to grow,” said Greatist. Spider plants are also super fast-growing, so you can start with a small plant and watch it flourish, or even spin-off “spiderettes” to spread throughout your home.

Tallest growing

The ficus is another air purifying plant and a good choice if you’re looking for something that can grow large. An indoor ficus can get as tall as 10 feet and is another low-maintenance option.

Easiest herb garden starter

An indoor herb garden is easier to achieve than you may think, especially when you start with something simple like basil. “A critical herb for cuisines around the world and a favorite pairing for tomatoes, basil is easy to grow indoors,” said Gardeners.com. “Pinch off individual leaves and add to salads, sandwiches, and sauce. Make your own pesto. Plant seeds or purchase small plants and pot them in rich, organic potting soil. Basil loves heat and bright light, so give it a southern or western window or use a grow light. Avoid cool, drafty spots, especially in the winter.”

Most fragrant

Make your place smell sweet, and look beautiful, with Azores Jasmine. “For intense fragrance, grow this jasmine,” said DIY Network. “It typically flowers spring through fall, but tosses open blooms in winter, too, if growing conditions provide warmth and sun. Give it a spot near a southern-facing window. The perfume is similar to gardenia. Plants may be slow to bloom the first year. Just wait—the flower show kicks into gear as plants age.”

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8 Tips for New Homeowners Moving to a New State

December 13, 2019 by cdiez Leave a Comment

We all have reasons for relocating. Sometimes, it is simply getting a new job in a state. We move to be closer to family. I know some folks that have moved on average once every two years and they weren’t military. However, they saw a lot of the United States and Europe as well.

Carol Evenson passes on some tips for moving to a new state to help make a move smoother and less stressful.

1. Do plenty of research.

Before you actually start the moving process, you should start by researching the city to which you plan to relocate. From local shops to schools and food chains, you should know exactly what your new city has to offer. We highly suggest doing a thorough internet search or, if possible, even driving through the city to get a better understanding of the area.

2. Search for your new home.

Before you take the plunge and move to a new city, you should spend at least a couple months beforehand finding a new home. Reach out to a local realtor. They can provide invaluable help as you look for a new place to live Whether you plan to rent or buy, a realtor can not only show you around the city but also recommend a great property to settle down in. They will be familiar with the different neighborhoods and can help you to find a home that is within your budget and provides the things you need.

3. Develop a budget.

Money can be tight while moving, which is why it’s so important to create a budget. It’s very easy to overspend or even run out of money with so many expenses coming at you. Developing a moving budget can help you monitor how much money you are spending and keep track of how much you have left to spend.

One of the biggest expenses that you should base your budget around is the moving company costs, but don’t spend everything in that one area. There are still plenty of large costs that you need to be aware of, such as plane tickets, utility connection fees, and more.

4. Hire a moving company.

The best, and sometimes only, way to move all your belongings from one state to another is to hire a moving company. However, before you hire one you should do plenty of research to make sure you are getting the best service possible. Some different moving companies have specialties they offer, so look for the best. Some movers refuse to move pianos while others specialize in that area. Some movers specialize in long-distance moves, while some bill themselves exclusively as Phoenix, Los Angeles, or Dallas movers. Make sure that the moving company you hire can handle exactly what you need them for.

Ask for recommendations from your friends and family. From there we suggest asking for testimonials from past customers. Ideally, the more positive reviews they have from customers, the more you can trust them. However, you should also check out their licensing info at the US Department of Transportation to make sure they are legally allowed to be moving your belongings.

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