How to Pick Paint Colors to Fix Any Room's Quirks

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  How to Pick Paint Colors to Fix Any Room's Quirks

  Paint colors can do a ton to fix a room’s flaws for not much money Read

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@elevatedrealestate.com

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Get DIY Inspiration to Makeover Your Home

I know many areas of the country are seeing a dearth of inventory, making it challenging for homeowners to up- or down-size their home. Many are choosing, instead, to renovate their current home. Save money with some do-it-yourself home upgrades. Check out these sites to get inspired and glean some project ideas to spruce up your nest!

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@elevatedrealestate.com

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5 Ways to Future Proof Your Kitchen

Some trends boomerang back, and others never should have been a trend to begin with. Wall to wall carpet in the kitchen?!

While we can’t predict the trends of the future, you can take steps to make sure your kitchen doesn’t get outdated quickly. Check these out and let me know what you think!

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com

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Renovation Series - Canyon Cosmetic

"Welcome to our new home! Got any food?"

Anyone who is paying even a little bit of attention to the real estate market lately knows there is a dearth of inventory, forcing buyers to consider options that they may not have in the past. Obsessive HGTV watchers pride themselves on being able to see past wallpaper and tiny closets to a vision of what their dream home could look like. Still, some properties can be challenging to embrace.

Enter Erica and Rob, into this 1970 bilevel with a tiny master bath and dog pee soaked carpet. If ever there was a need for strategically placed eucalyptus air fresheners this was it. But these two potential buyers focused on the positive features of the property - hardwood floors, a great room that offered killer views, a few acres with deer roaming about, and a location that felt like a mountain getaway but was actually only minutes from amenities. Almost everything else could be changed with a little imagination and some creative financial strategies.

Happy Thanksgiving! Here's a hammer; you can have some pie after you take down that wall. 

Renovating an entire house can be daunting - you definitely need to be organized and connected to some real professionals. Contractors should be licensed and insured and know which permits need to be pulled for your area. There's even a new loan product that allows you to roll renovation costs into your conventional mortgage. Build yourself a good team - starting with a Realtor who has renovated four houses top to bottom, personally and professionally, and has a huge directory of tested service providers. I also have a knack for mentally removing walls to see the potential of a floor plan (and then ACTUALLY removing walls; your fault for buying me a reciprocating saw for Christmas, Honey). 

Check in periodically to see the progress on this promising home. In the meantime, give me a call to find your diamond in the rough - I'll even buy you a tool belt as a closing gift.
 

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com

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Adding Indoor/Outdoor Living Space

Friends of mine recently decided to convert their deck into a back porch to extend their enjoyment of the Colorado seasons. They swapped out the traditional French doors leading to the deck with glass accordian doors. The decking is composite so they don't have to stain or paint it regularly. They closed in the space underneath the deck, even though it is still just dirt with weed cover and gravel, to keep the air there warmer. Heaters mounted high up on a couple of walls do the rest of the job in the coldest months. 

The space is complete with bar, counter lighting, barbecue grill and hood, sink, built in cooler, wine refrigerator, margarita machines, beer and nitrogen taps, popcorn machine, fireplace and two flat-screen TVs. I'm sure I've forgotten something but you get the idea!

Some cities will restrict whether you can completely enclose the space with doors and windows or have to leave it open. Be sure to check your local restrictions and apply for the correct building permits. It may seem like a bit of a pain, but you'll want to make sure the job is done correctly and safely and the city inspectors can give you that peace of mind. Also, if you eventually sell, buyers will be wary of improvements made without permits and you could lose money or even the sale if you haven't followed the proper processes. If you'd like the name of the fantastic contractor that pulled all of this together, let me know!

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com

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To Renovate or Not To Renovate?

One of the issues I am running into with my Louisville clients who want to upgrade but stay in the city is that they have nowhere to go - the low inventory keeping them from finding a replacement home is also keeping them from listing their own house and perpetuating - yes, the low inventory.  I am not above knocking on stranger's doors and asking them if they are willing to sell, and have created several letter-writing campaigns to ferret out dormant sellers.

At some point in the house search, potential buyers have to decide if it's worth it to keep going or stay where they are.  I always advise my clients to seriously consider their best alternative to the desired solution - if you can't find a new place, what are you really willing to live with instead?  I also give this advice when we are knee-deep in negotiations.  It's easy to get emotional and upset with the other side, sometimes digging into a position.  But if you're alternatives are worse than the offer on the table, it's important to revisit your goals and not cut off your nose to spite your face.

One solution to the low inventory is renovating a current property.  This can make your home meet your family's needs better, even temporarily, and also add sweat equity for when you can finally make that move.  Potential sellers always want to know which improvements will give the most bang for their buck - what makes their home more marketable, and which renovations actually recoup the most for their investment?

Check online or design books for current color trends.

At the inexpensive end, paint can make the biggest impact for the least cost.  While it won't add dollars to the price of the home, it will make it more attractive to buyers.  Replacing hardware on cabinets and doors is another small investment that refreshes the space and gives the impression that the house has been maintained and updated.  Spending a few bucks on the front landscaping is generally a good idea, as well.  Improving the curb appeal doesn't have to be expensive and is important for getting people in the door - they won't buy if they don't go in.

For bigger projects, the answer will depend to some degree on the specifics of the particular house - the location, the price range, the market trends.  For instance, if you have an older home that only has one bathroom, figuring out how to construct even another half bath is a smart investment; many people won't even bother to look at homes with only one bath.  But if you already have three bathrooms, adding a 5-piece luxury master bath may not be the best place to put your bucks.  

An expensive upgrade may be overkill
when a gas insert will do the trick.

There are some guidelines to help you decide which projects are worth tackling.  For a midrange home in the Denver metro area, the renovations that will give you the biggest return for your money are kitchen remodels, basement remodels, deck additions, window replacements and garage door replacements.  Generally speaking, these improvements will recoup 70% or more of their initial investment upon resale, not counting any energy savings that might be realized through replacing low-efficiency materials and appliances with high-efficiency ones.  Again, you need to do your research (or talk to your Realtor® who already has) to determine how far to take the renovation.  Do buyers in your neighborhood expect to see cherrywood floors, triple-glazed windows or media rooms?  You may choose to do these upgrades anyway because you like them, but it's good to know what to expect from the market.

Wood shake shingles are a red flag for buyers,
and some cities are already banning them.

Bathroom remodels, roof and siding replacement, garage additions and front door replacements fall into the next tier, usually recouping 55% or more.  Another consideration when deciding on your renovation priorities - is the current situation functional and adequate or broken and obsolete?  In other words, if the roof is at the end of it's life and buyers are going to request a new one anyway, you might as well get it done before it becomes an inspection and negotiation item.

Projects that are probably best avoided?  Anything too unique or custom that won't appeal to a larger audience.  Wine cellars and hot tubs may be an integral part of your lifestyle, but just as many people will rip them out as keep them when they move in.  Also, large room additions like master suites or family rooms generally prove too costly to pursue.  However, if the homes around you are popping the top and getting top-dollar for it, your home may be an exception to this rule of thumb.  If you'd like a professional contractor to give you estimates and advice on the projects you're considering, give me a shout; I've got several trustworthy recommendations I can give you.

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com

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Warming Up to the Idea

The HVAC energy efficiency standards set by the Department of Energy will require regional changes as of May 1, 2013.  In the northern region, which includes Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming, residential gas furnace replacements will need to be 90% efficient or greater.

While most homeowners will see this increased installation cost offset by energy savings on their utility bill, that may be of small comfort to homeowners or sellers who are not expecting to put in the extra money up front.  The Department of Energy has stated that they will allow exemptions for hardship cases, but they've set no guidelines yet for who might qualify.

In addition to the units themselves costing more, there could be additional installation costs.  For instance, many standard furnaces of 80% efficiency or less are vented through metal B vent, while 90% plus furnaces use PVC pipes.  Also, previously installed furnaces may share their chimney vent with the water heater.  Changing the location could leave the chimney half-empty, leading to condensation and draft problems.  A new chimney liner or another type of solution may be necessary in order not to lose the gains made by the higher efficiency furnace.

It may be that, looking at the lifetime of the furnace and how long you remain in the home, it's well worth it to purchase the 90% high efficiency furnace.  But if you're not sure which way to go you may want to start your research  sooner rather than later to ensure that all of the options are still open to you.

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I would love to help you with your real estate journey. 

Please contact me at 303-917-7143 or robbin@stauferteam.com

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