Fall Home Improvement 2022

“He fell in love with Park Rapids,” Diane said. “Then when he brought me up here two years ago, I did, too. I was like, “Oh, my God, this is so adorable!’”

Lake life in a small town allows you to downshift, Neal commented.

“This part of the country, you get the Midwestern mindset. We’ve

lived in Cincinnati. We’ve lived in Charleston. We’ve spent 20-plus years in both those areas, and this is still always home, this part of the country,” he said.

Making lake memories

Neal grew up in Rugby, N.D. Diane is originally from Grand Forks.

Diane’s parents and brother currently live in the Hackensack area. Her parents used to live on Turtle Lake, near Bemidji. For the Arnolds’

sons, “the lake is their favorite memory for all of them,” she said. “We wanted to find a place for our kids to come home to.”

The couple has built homes in the past, bringing that expertise to this project.

“For 10 years, we’ve been putting stuff away for some day that it was going to be at the cabin, including money,” Diane said.

They wanted a flat,

Photos by Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

lake.

chairs swivel to gaze at the view.

Photos by Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

south-facing lake property to catch the sun.

They purchased this roughly 4-acre lake lot about two years ago.

“He was so excited because he’d finally found the lake,” Diane recalled.

“There weren’t a ton of buildable lots,” Neal said. “There were a lot of nice lots that were highly elevated.”

As a bonus, Neal is an avid angler. He said the fishing is not bad. Potato Lake is “not as heavily boated as some are.”

Diane added, “He grew up hunting and fishing.”

Neal said they waded through snow banks to conceive the best layout for the home. “We were drawing it out in the snow, even.”

They didn’t want a solid pine interior, Neal added, yet they desired a cabin feel.

“Some people like it, but for us, we knew we wanted a fireplace. We wanted the view, and we’ve done an open floor plan, so there’s a gathering place,” he said.

Photos by Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

The apartment

The tile showers, like this one in the apartment, make this a "forever home" for the Arnolds.

Photos by Shannon Geisen/Enterprise

They hired Mike Branstrom Construction as the contractor with a handshake. Work was delayed during the difficult winter and cold spring, but wrapped up quickly by July 2022.

Given their prior experience in building homes, the Arnolds say they were not intimidated by the scope of this home.

Diane spent two months at the construction site this summer, managing what she

could. “I’m sure I was helpful,” she said, praising Branstorm for working well with her.

“This is the typical Minnesota, gorgeous view,” Neal said, referring to the nearly floorto-ceiling bank of windows overlooking Potato Lake.

Branstrom told the couple it was the most difficult aspect of building the home. The windows had to be special-ordered, and their delivery was delayed.

Apartment privacy

Attached to the home is a 300-square-foot

apartment, with its own separate entrance and lake access.

“This is our baby cage,” joked Diane. It’s intended to be a private

Diane

From

space for her sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren.

The apartment has a small kitchen, bath, dining and reclining area.

Initially slated to be a storage area next to the three-car garage, Diane decided to convert it into living space. Both the garage and the apartment have in-floor heating.

“If you did want to clean fish here, it’s not the end of the world,” she added.

The Arnolds said Eischens Wood Products, Inc. also did a wonderful job. Diane said she appreciated their advice on the color of the kitchen cabinets and the design of the apartment.

In the kitchen, Diane opted for a “contented gray,” a soft, gray-

green, natural tone.

The flooring throughout the main floor has a real-wood surface, Diane explained. It does get scratched up, she said, but Neal noted it will be easier to keep clean with all the beach sand.

Adjoining the kitchen, via pocket door, is a pantry with a coffee corner, storage and laundry.

Shiplap can be found throughout the dining room.

Outdoor entertaining

A three-season, screened porch features plush and plentiful lakeside seating, along with a gas grill for outdoor dining.

The outdoor patio, also facing the Arnolds’ 200feet of lakeshore, is decorated with limestone flagstones.

A rock and flower garden is lined with black

The loft landing makes for a lovely seating

mulch. It’s still a work in progress, according to Diane.

“One thing at a time. We got the dock in,” she said, along with planting trees along the property’s border.

As for favorite features, Neal said, “Probably in the top five is our firepit, because we’ve done enough campfires up here. We wanted that built in.”

They originally planned to place the firepit closer to the lakeshore, but the ordinary high water mark prevented that location.

“So we knew we had to build into this side hill. I

blues,

grandbabies, the Arnolds bedroom.

immediately said, ‘We’ve got to have a rock garden – to feed the deer, I think,” he quipped of the frequent, hungry critters.

HardiePlank lap siding covers the home’s exterior. It’s a smoky graybrown. “It was a very odd color, and we just caught it before they never make it again,” Diane said. “I saw it, honestly, in a design catalog, and I went, ‘That’s exactly what I want to do.’”

With the darker siding, the Arnolds chose a lighter color for the roof shingles.

“If you’re going to do a lighter side, do a darker roof. If you’re going to do a darker side, do a lighter roof,” she advised.

Light and bright

Sunlight streams through the A-frame window design. In fact, the rooms are so airy and

brightly lit, Diane said she put room-darkening shades in all.

Ceiling fans adorn every bedroom as well.

An Amish-style bedroom set in the master suite sets the pastoral tone. A sliding glass door leads to the outdoor patio and lounge chairs resting in the sun.

In the loft, there are three guest bedrooms, two baths and an office/ seating room.

The Arnolds chose laminate flooring for the upstairs. “A lot of people were shocked that we were putting this up here,” Diane said, as carpeting remains more popular in this town, but the Arnolds are accommodating wet, sandy feet.

“Outside of Park Rapids, it’s pretty normal to have everything all wood,” she said.

Complete with rustic bedroom furniture sets and soft, king-sized quilts, the rooms have a

Diane

Diane

Top:

Photos by

Lighting in a home serves both practical and aesthetic purposes. It’s easy to maneuver around a well-lit home, reducing the risk of slips and falls, and the right lighting can help homeowners create their desired ambiance, which typically changes depending on which room you’re in.

When choosing lighting for their homes, homeowners must walk a fine line between appearance and functionality. A fixture in the foyer that instantly impresses visitors likely won’t prove as awe-inspiring if it’s installed in the living room.

When choosing lighting for a home, some general rules about what works in each room can help homeowners make the most informed decision.

Kitchen Kitchens are often the busiest room in a home, so lighting here can be especially important. A kitchen often benefits, both practically and aesthetically, from different types of lighting.

For example, pendant lighting above kitchen islands can make meal preparation easier and safer, but such lighting likely won’t work in breakfast nooks and informal dining areas in the kitchen. Recessed lighting works best in such areas.

In kitchens with no island, under-cabinet lighting can be used to illuminate countertops and simplify meal preparation.

Formal dining room

Many people enjoy the look of chandeliers in formal dining rooms,

and such fixtures can be installed directly above the dinner table.

The interior design experts at Better Homes & Gardens advise hanging chandeliers roughly 33 inches above the table in dining rooms with eight-foot ceilings, adding three inches for each additional foot above eight feet.

Darkened dining areas may be ideal in restaurants, but homeowners may want to split the difference at home and choose dimmable chandeliers for their dining rooms. This allows homeowners to dim the lights for romantic dinners but turn them up for family gatherings with lots of people around the table.

Living room

Adaptability also is important in the living room, where homeowners may host anything from movie nights to book clubs to parties for the big game.

It can be a tall order to accommodate such a wide range of activities, and many homeowners come down to deciding between recessed lighting and track lighting. If the living room currently has neither style, homeowners should recognize that it will cost considerably less to install track lighting than recessed lighting.

Flexible track lighting provides ambient, task or accent lighting, and track lights can even be moved to change lighting schemes at any time, making them a budget-friendly option for homeowners whose living rooms are multi-purpose spaces.

Recessed lighting also works well in living

rooms, especially ones with low ceilings. That’s because recessed lighting is installed into the ceiling, meaning it does not take up any visual space in the room. That can help living rooms feel bigger.

Bedroom

The home improvement experts at BobVila. com note that bedroom lighting should provide enough light when getting dressed, but also be able to be toned down as residents prepare for their bedtime routines. Both portable and installed lighting can be used in bedrooms to serve these various functions. Recessed fixtures that dim can ensure thereÕs ample light to get dressed in the morn-

ing, but they also can be dimmed at night as residents try to get ready to sleep. Portable nightstand lights can make it easier for couples sharing a bedroom, allowing

one person to stay up and read while the other goes to sleep.

Homeowners have many options and many needs when choosing lighting for their homes.

A professional consultation with a lighting expert or interior decorator can help homeowners find lights that provide both practical and aesthetic appeal.

Home builders are ‘crazy busy,’ enjoying new styles

By Robin Fish Park Rapids Enterprise

“It’s crazy busy,” said Jenny Eischens with Becker’s Building and Design of Park Rapids, asked how things are going in the home building, addition and renovation business.

“It’s been a great couple years for anyone that’s in a trade business,” agreed Jamie Munson with Emcon, Inc. of Nevis.

“I think, with COVID, a lot of people were able to work out of their homes and make their secondary homes their primary homes up here in the lakes area, or were stuck at home and making improvements they’d probably been putting off,” said Munson.

Asked if he thinks this frenzy of activity

may be a bubble, Curtis Tolle with JT Builders of Nevis said, “Our area is well insulated enough to where this bubble might slow down a little bit, but it’s not going to pop and explode. This is due to the fact that we’re so undeveloped in our area, that there’s a good 15 years of work that we’re behind on” – particularly in remodeling and upkeep.

As for new homes, he said, “What’s trending right now is people not from our area moving into the area, due to it’s a beautiful area and it’s quite a bit cheaper than Detroit Lakes, Perham, Ottertail, Brainerd, Crosslake. That’s where you’re seeing an uptick in newer, custom homes, is people from Metro, Fargo, out of town, out of state coming to our area.”

Meanwhile, Tolle said, long-term residents are starting to sell off and move away, allowing new owners to move or demolish their homes and build something new, often something large.

“I think, in our area, it will stay steady for a little bit,” said Munson. “You’ll start to see the bigger cities’ struggle probably coming this way, but I don’t think we’ve seen that yet.”

Palaces, pole barns and pizza ovens

Becker’s recently built a $3.7 million house on Long Lake and went on to work on a $1 million garage on Bad Medicine Lake, complete with living quarters.

“And I have three houses that we’re just

starting,” Eischens added. “We also build pole barns, and a lot of the pole barns are pretty high-end.”

Not just storage sheds, she described these as “entertainment garages” with bonus living space.

Other recent projects that Eischens called uncommon for the area included an outdoor pizza oven and outdoor kitchen areas.

“We just did a stainless steel countertop, fully custom, with the sink molded right into it,” she said. “People are spending a lot of money on bathrooms, really high-end tile.”

She credited many of these new touches to transplants to the area from California. “Trendwise, we’re about 10 years behind,” Eischens

said, adding that in Becker’s store, “it’s legit about five years before the new look of flooring comes into style here.”

Despite the area’s conservative taste, she said business has been good. “People are not afraid to spend money at the moment,” she said, adding that supply prices are coming down.

Making up for lost time

Regarding improvements people were putting off until COVID19, Munson listed basic maintenance, new decks, updated kitchens and bathrooms – “stuff most people have been dealing with and finally decided to jump on it.”

Emcon also has several new homes in the ground, she said, and the

pace doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

“Anytime you build a custom home, it’s kind of an intimate project,” said Munson. “Meeting people along the way and helping them achieve their goal is always a unique experience.”

They’ve also done a lot of man caves, typically in the garage, she said. “A lot of people have a smaller cabin, and then they’ll put up a garage and put some family space in there for additional use.”

Munson acknowledged the supply chain has been a challenge in recent months. “Windows are 16 to 18 weeks out,” she said. “That kind of dictates when you’re gonna start.”

Plant hardy bulbs now for springtime beauty

Spring flowering bulbs – such as tulip, daffodil, grape hyacinth and Siberian squill – add beauty to any landscape.

They require minimal maintenance once planted, and they should reward you every spring with a beautiful show of color.

Real estate trends in the Park Rapids lakes area

Lorie Skarpness

Park Rapids Enterprise

Real estate trends are constantly changing.

Since the pandemic, the wild seller’s market that had multiple bids for properties in this area and listings snapped up in a day have slowed down to a more selective market. Technology is also playing a greater role in real estate sales, including drone footage that shows the property’s footprint.

A changing market

Brandon Gartner of Garner Real Estate Team in Park Rapids said the seller’s market with multiple bids on houses

has gone away.

“The market has shifted to more of a balanced market,” he said. “Good listings that are priced correctly and presented very clean and organized are still selling quickly. The days of just throwing a piece of property on the MLS and getting five or six offers are gone.”

He said those buying homes are a mixed bag. Some come here to retire, others relocate because they want to move away from the city.

One-level living is popular both with retirees and people who are building a home they plan to stay in through retirement or care for an

older family member.

He said most of the people who are retiring here have a history with the Park Rapids lakes area.

“Maybe their family is from here or they’ve been visiting an area resort for many years or have had a cabin here,” he said. “Those are the ties that bring them here in their retirement years.”

“Since 2020, we’ve had a lot of people who can work remotely from here. That’s still happening but not to the same extent.”

Having a home office

In Minnesota, the best time to plant is from mid-September through mid-October.

Tulips can be planted until the soil begins to freeze.

Selecting bulbs

When choosing bulbs, make sure they are hardy for our area. Bulbs listed as hardy in zone 3 or 4 should survive.

Bulbs are graded and priced accordingly based on bulb circumference.

Always select the largest circumference bulbs to ensure stronger and

larger flowers. Pick bulbs that are firm with crisp papery skins. A little mold on the skin of the bulb is not a concern, if the bulb itself is free of mold. Check the root plate for any chips or scars which could result in poor root growth.

Planting tips

Bulbs should be planted in a location that receives six to eight hours of full sunlight per day and is free of standing water.

TARAH YOUNG Cultivating Success on the Farm & Garden S F

Lorie Skarpness

Park Rapids Enterprise

Getting a home ready to sell is a big job, especially for anyone who has lived in a large home for many years and is now looking at moving to a smaller home or an assisted living facility.

Marvel Haynes of Coldwell Banker Clack & Dennis Real Estate has been a realtor for 30 years. She shared these tips for preparing to move and getting a home ready for showing by prospective buyers.

Start preparing for the move to a smaller house or assisted living facility by beginning downsizing and decluttering a year or more in advance. This is a major project, so ask fami-

ly members or friends for help with the process. Pass on heirlooms and family mementos to children or grandchildren. This process can seem overwhelming, so break it down into small steps. Once completed, having fewer possessions will make the moving process easier.

Donate items family don’t want to a non-profit organization and request a receipt for tax purposes. In Park Rapids, the Bearly Used Thrift Store on Main Ave. accepts household items and clothing and the Tin Ceiling, also on Main Ave., specializes in vintage items. Items may be dropped off at those locations during business hours. The Salvage Depot will pick up larger

items for a $20 fee, plus mileage, including lawn mowers, tools, wheelbarrows, lawn mowers, snowblowers and furniture. All three stores are operated by the Hubbard County Developmental Achievement Center.

If there are still items cluttering up your home, box them or put them in a storage unit before having prospective buyers come to visit. The goal is for the home to look cozy with some personal touches but not cluttered.

Pretend you are viewing your home for the first time by walking to the front door and look at it as if you’ve never seen it before like a prospective buyer will. Touches such as a freshly painted and clean

front door or trimming bushes make a difference by making the buyer’s first impression more attractive.

Fresh paint in a neutral color is a great way to make a home look more up to date, and is a lot less expensive than a lot of other updates.

Make sure the home is as clean as possible. Real estate agents can provide the names of reputable cleaning companies in the area.

Be sure the home has a pleasant aroma. Avoid strong scents or cleaning odors or people will wonder what you are trying to hide. Instead, simmer some cinnamon or a little vanilla in a kettle of water on the stove or bake cookies

before prospective buyers arrive.

Sellers with pets should have the carpet cleaned and vacuumed to remove pet hair as some people are allergic to pets.

During showings of your home, owners and pets should not be present.

A stack of boxes or totes in the home is ok since buyers under-

stand you are moving. That also helps hide the clutter. Buyers want to see the house, not your stuff.

Create the atmosphere of an inviting and happy house by leaving some personal items such as family pictures and a few other personal items in each room.

Lorie Skarpness can be reached at lskarpness@ parkrapidsenterprise.com

Excited by architecture

Tolle seemed pleased to see work in the Park Rapids area rising to meet the pace of Minnesota’s other lake areas.

“We’re starting to see a little newer stuff and newer ideas,” he said, “not so much the log siding with the green roof.”

For example, styles that have been current in Crosslake for the past three or four years are just now trickling over the Heartland Lakes area.

“More people are wanting spacious stuff,

and they’re willing to spend for it,” said Tolle. Also, “you’re gonna see a lot more Mountain Modern vibes come into the area.”

Describing it as a style marrying a variety of elements together, he said they’ve built a few examples in the area, including a couple on Long Lake, one or two on Potato Lake and three or four projects coming up on Two Inlets and Belle Taine lakes – “very unique, very West Coast. There’s no trims at all; it’s very ‘drywall returns.’”

That’s the term for a frameless, or trimless, style where the siding goes right up to the window casings and ends.

“Very contemporary,” he said. “I’m very excited that there’s more architecture coming to the area because it’s very cool.”

Compared to the “cookie-cutter box on a lake,” Tolle said, “The architecture is showing you the depth and the design and the levels and a lot of the cool things about a home that make it unique. Not just, ‘let’s slap her up for the cheapest we can and put it here.’”

Tolle said many of the younger builders in the area share his excitement about “the creative stuff, the stuff that’s hard to build, that sticks out. It’s very unique.”

parkrapidsenterprise.com.

By Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota

There are many motivations for taking on a remodeling project: improving curb appeal, adding new features to a room, updating your interior, etc.

Before starting a construction or remodeling project, homeowners need to consider carefully who should work in your home. Find BBB-rated remodeling companies near you.

There are also some specific things to consider before work begins.

Plan your project from start to finish

Talk to friends or family members who have had remodeling work that you like. Try to find pictures of what you like

to show the contractor what you want.

If you are leaving any decisions up to the contractor, make sure you put budget and material requirements in the contract. Be clear about who is responsible for ordering materials and when they need to do it.

Remember that delivery and construction times may affect your schedule; decide what time workers may be in your home and where they should store any materials and equipment when they are not there.

Figure out your entire budget

Don’t forget things like eating out more than usual if you are doing a kitchen remodel, or hotel expenses if you will have to move out of your home during any of

the work. Expect to have a little extra money in the budget to cover any unexpected expenses, especially when working on an older home.

Decide if you need to split the project into phases, based on how the budget is shaping up. If the contractor arranges financing for the remodeling work, be sure you understand all aspects of the terms, especially if you are taking out a second mortgage on your home or a home equity line as security.

You may want to ask about putting an arbitration clause into your contract, in case of any dispute between you and your contractor. Get all changes in writing before work continues.

Inspect prior work

When you talk to potential contractors,

ask them for examples of work they have done that is similar to what you want.

Find out if it is possible to contact previous clients and to inspect the work that was done for them. You will also want to ask the client if the project was finished on time, if they were satisfied with the work, and if there were any unexpected costs added

during the project.

Ask and check to see if the contractor is licensed and bonded in your city and state to preform the work. Be sure to check out their BBB profile for reviews and licensing information.

If your project requires plans from an architect, make sure you are involved in discussions with them and that you

approve any plans before work begins.

Research permits

Talk to your remodeling contractor about permits, but also do independent research to find out what is required. Make sure the remodeler will be able to obtain permits before starting the work.

See all of our home improvement tips on BBB.org/HomeHQ.

Always do business with contractors that adhere to BBB standards for trust. If you own a business, get accredited.

Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota

standards of business ethics and conduct through programs that inform, protect and assist the public. Contact the BBB at bbb. org or 651-699-1111, toll-free at 1-800-646-6222.