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MAY 23, 2018 • Volume 13 • Issue 21

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

Always Available Online SEPTEMBER 14, 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 37

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SEPTEMBER 7, 2016 Volume 11 • Issue 36

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• AREA DEVELOPMENT • FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE 317 5th Street, Ames State of Iowa 515-233-3299 • ® licensed in the

RESIDENTIAL • ACREAGE • FARM • COMMERCIAL 515-233-3299 • AREA DEVELOPMENT • 317

5th Street, Ames All REALTOR® ads within are REALTORS® licensed in the State of Iowa

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Page RE2 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, May 23, 2018

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REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, May 23, 2018 • Page RE3

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REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, May 23, 2018 • Page RE5

12 tips for

DIY interior design

By Laura Firszt

stuff our dreams are made of. If you’re one of us, you’ll enjoy these 12 tips for successful DIY interior design.

More Content Now

F

or some folks, it’s a dream — a house where “move-in-ready” means just that: Everything is perfect and the new homeowners don’t have to lift a finger to design or decorate. And then there are the rest of us. We prefer to struggle with choosing (perhaps even installing) our home’s features ourselves. Decorating blogs, Pinterest boards, and samples of upholstery fabric or ceramic tile are the

1

Research. Learn as much as you can, as if you’re getting a certificate in countertops or a degree in drywall. The internet’s the obvious place to start, packed with ideas and available 24/7.

But don’t stop there. Visit home centers and suppliers to view furniture, appliances, and materials in the flesh. Why? Well, you may read a dozen articles on say, quartz vs granite, and possibly even make your choice — in theory — but when you actually see and touch the two, that’s when you’ll fall in love.

2

Take stock. Look at your home as it is now. What do you love about it? What features could you love? For instance: There’s a gorgeous view but no way to enjoy it from indoors. Can you possibly create a new window to frame it? Or to enlarge a minuscule bathroom, might you be able to steal some space from a linen closet?

3 PEXELS PHOTOS

Decide whether you’re ready to renovate. “Renovate or adapt?” That is the question. What are your budget, time frame, and tolerance for chaos? Evaluate

whether you’re willing to undergo a fullscale home remodel (or a minor one) to get the look and the functionality you’re dreaming of.

4

Plan your intended use. Go through the house, room by room, deciding what you’d like to use each area for.

Function is the foundation on which you’ll base every aspect of your DIY interior design, from traffic patterns to the right type of flooring.

much light will you need for the space’s intended purpose? To illustrate: A kitchen is likely to need more supplementary lighting than a home entertainment center.

10

Choose colors. The Rule of Three applies here. Select a maximum of three colors as the basis for your DIY interior design scheme, and combine them in a proportion of 60:30:10. Be sure to look at all colors — paint, upholstery, etc. — in appropriate light, to see their true shade.

5

Think furnishings. What furniture and appliances do you already own?

How will various furniture pieces work together and fulfill your intended use of the room? Start with an accurate floor plan and take both measurements and clearance into account.

6

11

7

12

Find a focal point. Choose a central element to design around. This may be a feature already in place, such as elegant original wooden moldings, or something meaningful you yourself bring to the space, like a treasured antique carpet.

Keep some empty space. The true purpose of a home is living, not display. So leave some empty space for your family to fill. A small hallway alcove can become a beloved “cave” for children to play in, if it’s not crammed with knickknacks.

Bring in a touch of nature. A natural element or two, like houseplants, rocks, or even a tree trunk will add warmth and charm. This could be a stand-alone decorative element (a tall vase filled with graceful branches) or incorporated into a larger whole — perhaps a slate fireplace surround.

Delegate. Know your limitations.

Indulge in hiring a contractor, such as a professional landscaper or expert flooring installer, for part or all of the project, to make your vision come to life in the best possible way.

8

Coordinate. Balance elements without being too matchy-matchy; think a lamp in a subtle leaf pattern that harmonizes with your favorite philodendron. A unified theme in each room and throughout the house will avoid visual overwhelm. At the same time, a certain amount of contrast sparks interest — for example, that dainty vintage dresser on a modern concrete floor.

9

Look at lighting. How much natural sun comes into the room? How

Laura Firszt writes for networx.com.

Page RE6 • REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, May 23, 2018

TIPS OF THE WEEK ESSENTIAL OILS

LAWN CARE

ROOFTOP DECKS

SCENTS REVIVE YOUR HOME

EFFECTS OF GAS EQUIPMENT

EXPLORE MATERIALS

Essential oils revive your living space and improve your mood. Easy ways to use them, from Aura Cacia:

Here are some facts to know about gaspowered outdoor gear, according to Ted Steinberg’s American Green and green workstools.com:

James and Mary Muckinhaupt, of Mosaic Outdoor Living in Colorado, says to focus on materials when turning your rooftop deck into a personal oasis.

• A gas-powered walk-behind mower running for one hour emits as much pollution as eight cars operating for the same period of time.

Some options are sleek tile, decorative concrete or luxury composite lumber.

Muckinhaupt said his rooftop decks are primarily Envision composite lumber by TAMKO.

• Freshen up your fridge. Add grapefruit or lime to your box of baking soda and pop it onto a shelf.

• Becalm your bathrooms. Diffuse orange for a fresh scent, or try lavender to create calm.

• Revitalize your carpets. Add essential oil to a box of baking soda. Sprinkle on your carpet, let it sit for 15 minutes or so and vacuum.

• A riding lawn mower emits as much pollution as 34 cars operating for the same period of time.

— Brandpoint

DEAR MONTY

Do listing tactics bring the best price?

RICHARD MONTGOMERY

R

eader question: We will be listing our home for sale soon. We received three estimates from agents on our home’s value, and they are all different.

Also, each of the agents has different tactics about how the listed price is presented to get the best price. For example, one agent suggested we use

“market range pricing” which is a new concept to us. We would advertise a range of value starting at the list price, and state a lower amount we may accept to attract more prospects. Another agent suggested we set a low price to attract buyers who would then bid the price up. Do you know if any of these types of suggestions will bring a higher price?

Monty’s answer: There are several considerations in setting the asking price for every home when the seller enters the market with a new offering. These considerations are the seller’s motivation, the seller’s financial condition, the condition of the property, and whether

the demand for homes in your neighborhood and price point indicates a seller’s market, a buyer’s market, or a balanced market. It is not uncommon for a certain price point to be languishing, while homes just above or below that price point are in high demand. This is why data is vital when considering value.

Because you have three different opinions of value, ostensibly, it is reasonable to consider those opinions as the range of value for your home. This comment assumes that each real estate agent prepared a document accurately stating the statistics in the market and that they chose the three or four best comparable sales to compare to your home,

and adjusted the feature differences.

Just as an example, if the three estimates were $230,000, $215,000, and $200,000, the spread of $30,000 is near 14 percent, which would not be an unusual range of value in a typical market. If you had only engaged one agent for an opinion, and you picked the agent that ultimately determined that $200,000 was the right number, you may have left money on the table. The market will eventually decide, so different buyers could make any one of the three agents the most accurate.

Email Monty at DearMonty.com.

REAL ESTATE WEEKLY • Wednesday, May 23, 2018 • Page RE7

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Call Ali Eernisse 515-663-6956

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