Floors and More

According to HGTV the top request of buyers is hardwood floors. In fact according to studies, 54% of buyers were willing to pay more for hardwood floors.

Owners still choose oak floors in many areas, but owners of contemporary homes are choosing to stain floors in different colors. Other trends include wider planks, the use of reclaimed wood or exotic woods such as hickory or walnut.

If homeowners are on a budget, laminate is also a choice to be considered.

People that have allergies, usually want easy to clean surfaces such as hardwoods so that is also a consideration.

Hardwood floors will last longer, be easier to clean and can also be refinished.

Carpet is a less expensive alternative to floor coverings with the cost ranging  from $3-$5 per foot compared to $9-$12 per foot for hardwoods. 

The bottom line however is personal choice. Many people want carpet in a bedroom because they want a softer and warmer floor. Carpets also reduce noise if you live in a multi-story house.

These are things to consider in your own home or in a home that you are looking to purchase.

What is  your flooring preference?

Have You Used Houzz?

With the internet accessibility increasing every day and the popularity of smart phones and tablets it's no wonder that we're seeing more more websites offering advice and services, DIY information, sales, home deliveries of food and drink, dating services and more at the click of a finger. One of the websites that has become more popular in the past several years is a website called Houzz, They have many design ideas for a home owner. Once you've created your account you will have an opportunity to save ideas to an idea book. You can search for vendors, photos, search by rooms, and even looks for stories and advice. For homeowners or renters or just interested parties this is a great place to collect ideas and information for your home resource. Do you collect ideas and save them in the cloud? Do you use Pinterest and Instagram for your search? Houzz might be another website to consider.  Houzz

Pricing to Sell

http://www.inman.com/2015/03/20/the-one-item-needed-to-sell-a-home-for-top-dollar/

great article about pricing homes to sell for top dollar.

Subdivide the land

In Ballard, the neighbors were all upset about a home being added to a "backyard" when the land use signs went up for a subdivision, making one space into two. It turns out, each lot has it's own tax parcel number and that is good enough for the City of Seattle. Each may be sold separately, or changed without further zoning changes or lot line adjustments. 

Tiny Houses

This story in the New York Times about a Portland couple is sweet, except for the part where they will not use a general contractor or a Realtor in the future...of, course I have an opinion about Realtors.

Link here:

New Trend: Calming Drinks

Did you know there are companies putting fragrance and flavor in our food? Perfume, yes, but the food we eat, the beverages we drink, even pumped into rooms and...am I the only person who thinks this is super creepy?

Chemicals, not the real deal.

Here is a article about the latest trend in drinks, calming drinks...

Sketches

Wood and Relations

My father was a cabinet maker for 36 years. We lived in a house with exotic woods. I joke with my siblings that we should "part out" the house when we sell it, because the wood is now so precious and who could love it as much as we did? ( my siblings are horrified by this suggestion, by the way).

Here is an article in Dwell magazine about a guy who kept all the wood (plywood, mostly, not very exotic) from his grandmother's house in Poland.

Cymric Silver

It's really gray, but this color was suggested by a friend/designer and it is on all the walls and ceilings of our house. It looks so fabulous!

Paint color Here

do you Really want to sell that house?

OK! This house has finally been renovated. (Poor souls) and now it seems to be...for sale? This sign is about 3 inches by 5 inches. It's a bit of cardboard on a stick. Written with a magic marker, is, "for sale". I walked past an caught the sign. Is the grass (new...just put down in strips) for sale, or the house? How do you buy it? No number or way to contact anyone. Good luck.

Sewer Warning

This sign warns of sewer overflows in heavy rains...let's see. It's in Seattle! Swimming, anyone?

Here is what the city says about this issue: read this

Bad Builder Neighbor

I know this is just a sample...of the current times. This home builder just stopped working. I hope this builder sends his/her crews back around to finish the job, or at least take a dump run.

Houses on Rocks

This is an interesting article about a summer home in Norway. I see a peek into the sauna in one photo and it had me reminiscing about my years of enjoying saunas. My father immigrated here from Finland in 1947 so we grew up with the (sauna) Scandinavian tradition, at least once a week. Ours included building the fire, and keeping the furnace hot for at least three hours, which gave several hours of sauna enjoyment. This article is all about using available wood, and putting the home on the land with an artist's eye.

Fences

Some interesting fences. So much better than those six foot tall solid cedar fences that we had everywhere in the 1980's...

Garden Chairs

These are a couple of fabulous chairs! One with the willow twigs so tall they disappear into the trees they sit under...the other with fish head and fish tails as part of the design.

Gates

Here are some interesting gates I found in the neighborhood. This one has a light that looks like a fishing pole, with a reel...here's a close up:

This article in DWELL magazine talks about some great green buildings and project frog.

New Rules and Guidlines for Appraisers

Appraisers are the people that the banks hire to give them an accurate value of the house you are borrowing money against. There is a new wind on the horizon:



Here are some varying opinions about the new Home Valuation Code of Conduct,
a change coming to appraisers….

article written by mortgage broker...he hates it


and Reuters says:

Tax credit or $8,000

I was with a friend the other day chatting about the tax credit for "first time home buyers" and she thought that you actually got paid the money if you bought something, like a car rebate. Of course, I also still thought it was $7,500, not $8,000, and I guess we are both wrong, and both a little bit right. Read more here:



Either way, it's very exciting, and boy did I need something like that when I bought my first house. Back in the day...in Seattle for...$88,000. Wow.

Carbon Footprint

I drove behind a car the other day, SUV style...and it was sporting a bumper sticker which read, "I offset my carbon footprint with TerraPass"...

So, I went online to check it out.