APRIL 3, 2019 • Volume 14 • Issue 14
RE WEEKLY RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL • AREA DEVELOPMENT 515-233-3299 • 317 5th Street, Ames • All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa
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REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, April 3, 2019 • Page RE5 By Laura Firszt More Content Now
All
natural
Using quartz, granite and marble in your bathroom remodel
T
he ideal bathroom remodel is a winning combination of beauty and practicality. Natural N stone adds both qualities. We W recently interviewed Adriene e Araujo, co-owner of Vitoria International I — a family-owned wholesale w stone supplier with warehouses in Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina. Find out whatshe has to say about quartz vs. granite vs. marble in the bathroom.
What’s your background in working with stone?
I’ve been in this business 18 years. We supply stone for bathroom vanities and tub surrounds, as well as kitchen countertops, laundry room counters and fireplaces. My husband, Fabio, and I are from Brazil, where people use stone a lot in their houses because it’s so hot. And we happen to share a passion for natural stone. Each slab is a piece of art. Could you tell us the pros and cons of quartz vs. granite vs. marble in the bathroom?
The beauty of natural stone, such as granite or marble, lies in its uniqueness. No two slabs are alike, in terms of color, shade, or veining, because you’re dealing with Mother Nature. However, if you personally want a more standard appearance, go with quartz, which is a uniform, manmade product. Also, I recommend quartz for kids’ bathrooms, rentals and laundry rooms, because it doesn’t require maintenance at all. No material is totally bulletproof for bathroom countertop installation, but quartz and natural stone are very hard and very heat resistant, compared to alternatives like cultured marble or laminate. Some homeowners are concerned about etching and staining. If that’s true for you, avoid marble, which is more porous, and go for harder materials like granite or quartzite. Diamond tools are needed to cut granite — that shows you how hard the stone is. If you choose marble countertops, we usually recommend a honed finish so that any etching will not be as visible. I’m
really a marble person myself; marble gives a special kind of patina, a vintage look. Just think of historical buildings — old hotels, banks and galleries — everything was marble. White Carrara marble, for example, has been used for hundreds of years. Can you add curb appeal with stone in the bathroom?
Sure. When you’re trying to sell your house, the bathroom is second only to the kitchen in terms of curb appeal. Buyers walk into a nice master bathroom, and that’s definitely a selling point. But if the bathroom’s out of date — even if the rest of the house has been renovated — their reaction is: “What the heck? What were those people thinking?” I just redid my own bathroom; previously, I had a tile surround, but all that grout is a turnoff. To replace it, I installed a natural stone tub surround, all out of one slab rather than a lot of little cuts, so there’s no seam whatsoever and no grout. It looks VERY nice. What’s trending now in terms of stone colors and styles?
Marble is the look everybody’s after, white and gray, with varying amounts of graining — if not actual marble, then quartzite or quartz that will give a marble look. Come to our warehouse and you’ll see. A trendy bathroom feature is the floating vanity. Wall-mounted vanities are super cool done in marble; when you match the veining, it looks like you have this 12-inch piece of rock on your wall. Any insider tips to share with our readers?
Go to a warehouse and look at the full slab. Often when you go to a dealer, they have little 5x5 samples for you to choose from. Those give you an idea of color, but not the full picture. You cannot really see all the detail in that small square, but when you see the full slabs, the veining will blow you away. And then your choice is obvious. You’re already spending money on your bathroom remodel, so why not spend a little extra time to handpick the slab that you like best? Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.
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TIPS OF THE WEEK CLEANING
GARDENING
BATHROOMS
USE BAKING SODA TO DEODORIZE
GET TO KNOW YOUR ZONE
CUSTOMIZE WITH FAUCETS
Baking soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a not only a powerful cleanser but also a fantastic and natural deodorizer that should be a mainstay in your kitchen pantry and cleaning arsenal, says Houzz.
Is a certain type of veggies or flower always a struggle in your garden? Perhaps you need to make sure it’s appropriate for your area before trying again. The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones. You can find it at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.
Interchangeable faucet elements in a bathroom can add style and functionality to the space, says Kohler. There are a wide range of options that allow you to create a faucet configuration tailor-made for any environment and decor. You can choose your spout, handle and even finish for an ideal update that suits your design goals.
Just a sprinkle of baking soda can deodorize carpets, upholstery fabrics and even stuffed animals. Leave on for 15 minutes, then vacuum it away. Lastly, a ¼ cup of baking soda dissolved into 1 quart of warm water will tackle many household cleaning chores, from scrubbing bathtubs to cleaning stainless steel.
— Brandpoint
— More Content Now
DEAR MONTY
Caveats on a $2 million offer
RICHARD MONTGOMERY
R
eader question: We have an offer for our building and parking lot from a developer. They offered $2.2 million with a one-year requirement for us to vacate. We have a separate independent appraisal valuing the two parcels at about $1.2 million. The plan is to demolish the building and parking lot and redevelop. What are some of the caveats we should include
when we reply with an acceptance of the proposal? Monty’s answer: There are many circumstances and conversations unknown here, and the offer to purchase is unavailable. Rather than addressing your particular question, here are comments and questions on a number of considerations that are common in real estate transactions where the buyer is removing existing structures and redeveloping the property. It is likely some of these comments will not apply and that I missed other points completely.
• It is unclear if the word “caveats” translates to counter offer. Developers sometimes pay a premium to acquire property. Always remember that price is only one consideration. If you are comfortable the appraisal you acquired is close to being accurate, be careful not to jeopardize the transaction over small sums of money or inconveniences.
• If a buyer will be tearing down or gutting the building, what can be salvaged? For example, cabinetry, furnaces, doors and more. Is it worth the labor to remove items? Can a seller coordinate time to do salvage work?
• Check on potential utility cancellation fees. I am aware of a recent situation where a cable company charged the property owner $16,000 for early termination of a T-1 connection.
• Most sellers in this situation that relocate their business include a contingency on any new property purchase that is subject to the transaction closing.
• Some sellers ask a purchaser to
release them from any environmental liability discovered during demolition. • Many such transactions will provide a year after closing to occupy, but many developers do not want to close until near the occupancy date. Does the offer include the many considerations involved in occupancy for a year after closing? Some examples are utility payments, rental charges, escrows to guarantee occupancy and more. Richard Montgomery is the author of “House Money - An Insider’s Secrets to Saving Thousands When You Buy or Sell a Home.” He advocates industry reform and offers readers unbiased real estate advice. Follow him on Twitter at @ dearmonty.
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