Is it Time to refresh your powder room?

Earlier this month, I was interviewed for an Apartment Therapy article about ideas on how to put the “pow” in your powder room. You may not think of a half-bath as a space to focus much design effort on, but it is an important part of the house because the half-bathroom is the guest bathroom! If you’re sending your guests to the powder room, you want the space to be clean, welcoming, and a good reflection of your home. Many updates can be simple such as swapping out hardware, lights, or even the mirror. But if you want to give the space a complete overall, it’s such a great opportunity to have some fun like this Denver powder-room I’m working on now.

If you’d like more ideas for half-bath design ideas, click to read the article on Apartment Therapy written by Wendy Helfenbaum.


Color Your World (Or at Least your Walls) and Change Your Mood

Most of us have been spending more time at home lately, perhaps staring at those same walls and yearning for a different color, a new ambiance. Changing your mood may be as easy as painting your walls a new color. But which hues should you choose?

Whether you’re redesigning one room or your entire living space, there are ways to evoke specific emotions just by carefully selecting your wall color. By embracing the psychology of color, you can create a more lively living room, a creative kitchen, a calm and peaceful bedroom, or a studious-minded study. So go ahead, transform any room into your perfect vision.

Your choice of wall color can make an expansive room seem more intimate, or a too-small room appear a little larger. What atmosphere do you want to create?

We’ve gathered some enlightening information about how the wall colors in a room can affect your mood, your feelings, and even your actions.

 

What is Color Psychology?

Colors can affect our moods, including physical and emotional reactions. For instance, blue and green colors promote a relaxed, calm feeling, while yellows and orange colors can make us feel more energetic and productive.

Scientists, artists, and interior designers have been studying some form of color psychology for centuries. Long ago, some ancient Egyptian and Chinese cultures practiced light therapy (also called chromotherapy) using colors to heal ailments.

More than 350 years ago, Sir Isaac Newton, an English scientist, discovered all the visible colors when he passed pure, white light through a prism. In his groundbreaking research, he found that each color, on a single wavelength, couldn’t be separated. However, some color lights could be combined into new colors, such as red and yellow lights forming orange light.

Over the years, the knowledge gained from studying color psychology has helped drive advertising, marketing, and art. It has also changed interior design decisions, from offices to homes. Some color/mood beliefs have even made it everyday sayings, like “I have the blues” or “I’m green with envy.”

Colors Have Personalities

Can your feelings and behaviors become altered – calmed, or enlivened, peace-filled, or energized – just by the colors around you? Yes.

When you’re choosing the dominating color of your rooms, it’s a good idea to keep “color personalities” in mind, along with your goal for that room. Do you want a soothing space for your teething toddler or an invigorating, creativity-inspiring color for your art or crafts room? Do you work at home and want to help boost your productivity?

The saturation of color – how deep, how intense the hue is – can also influence its effect. For instance, a bright, canary-yellow wall will have a more cheery effect than a subdued, muted yellow. A deep red color may be perceived as more aggression-inspiring than a more subtle, welcoming pink.

When perusing colors, keep in mind there are two types of colors: warm and cool. Interior decorators often choose a pleasing balance of both within a room.

Color Temperatures

Pick up a color wheel from your favorite arts and crafts store, interior designer, or home improvement store. You can also find a color wheel online. This wheel shows primary, tertiary and other colors and their relationships with one another. The color wheel also shows warm and cool colors. It’s an important tool in picking wall colors and complementing decor colors for furnishings and accessories or less dominant walls.

Warm Colors

Colors can be warm or cool, or with undertones of warm or cool. Warm colors tend to make a room look cozier and inviting. They can give small rooms the impression of being smaller, or make bigger rooms more intimate. Warm colors are reminiscent of sunsets and the warmth of the sun. They can be reds, browns, orange-reds, tans, yellows, and yellows with green undertones.

Cool Colors

On the opposite side of the color wheel are cool colors and colors with cool undertones. On walls, these colors give more of a calm, peaceful, soothing feel to a room. While warm colors advance, cool colors recede into the background, so if you have a small bedroom, a cool wall color helps make it look roomier. However, cooler colors may not feel as comforting as warm colors. Cool colors include blues, blue-greens, purples and lavenders, colors you may see on an overcast, gray, or winter day. They’re ideal for sunrooms or other airy places in your home.

When deciding on colors, don’t forget about neutral colors like whites, grays, and blacks, and all the color ranges within. These colors can be either warm or cool depending on their undertones.

How to Choose the Right Color

Now that you have a little knowledge about color temperatures and how colors can change the mood of a room, it’s time to explore ways to change up your own space. Here are some popular colors and the effect they may have on your room, and room choices.

Blue

Blue colors are excellent choices for bedrooms. A calming, serene color that helps you relax, re-balance, and clear your mind after a stressful day, blue also helps lower blood pressure and steady your breathing. These are great aspects to help you fall asleep or unwind. You can warm the cool blue colors with warm-colored accents. Walls in calming hues of blues and greens also are great for lounging rooms, offices, dining rooms, and living rooms.

Pink

Pink is a more subdued hue of red. Pink walls help relieve anger and other negative feelings, bringing a positive, balanced, imaginative feeling to the room. Subtle pink is perfect for instilling joy in bedrooms, nurseries, playrooms, and creative workspaces.

Green

Green hues are also excellent choices for sleep rooms or offices. Green invokes both an aura of prosperity and relaxing restoration. Green hues coax mind-clearing, composing, restful feelings. Green also is a great choice for people who love the outdoors, giving a natural look.

White

Many people like the crisp, clean look of white walls and ceilings. White can open up the look of your room, making it appear more spacious and pure. White ceilings seem higher, too. White, which evokes purity, goodness, and innocence, doesn’t add or subtract energy from your atmosphere. Instead, it’s a neutral choice, providing a blank canvas of sorts to accentuate your space with the warm or cool colors of your choice.

Red

Some people consider red as a romantic and social color, equating it to red roses, Valentine’s Day, or that sultry red party dress. However, psychologically, red is also paired with aggression and hostility. It can raise your heart rate and blood pressure and is linked with being irritable.

Carefully consider which room you want to paint red. You may not want the color in your bedroom, as it won’t promote peace, relaxation, and tranquility. Instead, reserve it for rooms where you entertain and hold gatherings, or one wall of a library or another room. Low-light rooms with red walls do exude an elegant aura.

Purple, Lavender

Purple is not just for kings and queens anymore. This rich, dramatic color is traditionally known as the color of luxury and royalty, with undertones of romance, sophistication, and mystery. Purple colors can spark creativity on the walls of your art studio, craft space, or family room.

If you love purple and want to repaint your bedroom, consider a lighter, more relaxing, and calming hue of purple like lavender or lilac.

Orange

Orange walls ensure an aura of energy, excitement, and enthusiasm. Bring this color into rooms where you exercise and want stimulation. Orange may be too intense for kitchens (you don’t want to be stimulated into eating), living rooms, or bedrooms if you want to relax in those rooms.

Yellow

Brighten the look of your room and boost your mood with lively, invigorating yellow walls. This cheery color increases your energy and helps instill a happy, joyful feeling. It can stimulate mental and physical energy and makes a great addition to your kitchen while you’re getting ready for the day with that first cup of coffee. Soak up the look of sunlight and flowers for an uplifting aura. This color also looks fantastic in the bathroom, laundry room, and porch walls, anywhere a sunny look is welcomed.

Black

Want your room to feel bold and sophisticated, edgy yet cozy? Consider painting one or more walls a sleek black. Dark walls pair perfectly with rich, sumptuous surroundings for an imposing and dramatic yet comforting ambiance. Black is synonymous with strength, authority, formality, and power. It can, however, make your room overly dark or foreboding.

Gray

Some of the most on-trend interior wall colors are the many warm and cool shades of gray. Gray colors promote a timeless, practical look, perfectly neutral for adding your own special touches.

Gray walls may cancel out creative, energetic impulses, though. Many homeowners prefer having gray hues in common areas and bedrooms and balancing them with complementing, more vibrant colors on accessories or non-dominant walls.

Get Creative and Have Fun

Whether it’s your whole house or one room at a time, transform your space with a color that’s perfectly you. Using the color wheel and color swatches, get creative and try different combinations of colors in your room with a balance of warm and cool colors. Finding the best home decor color can bring a fresh look to your space.

Originally posted on Porch.com


New Construction Doesn’t Mean Problem-Free

I’ve heard it many times on showings or while having conversations with people — the assumption that a new build won’t come with any problems. Unfortunately, new doesn’t mean problem-free. In fact, new homes will likely have some issues whether it be missed construction items or construction defects. Even with an inspection of the home, some issues may not be uncovered until the buyer moves in which can be frustrating. I recently read an article from one of the inspection companies I work with that brings to light some of the common problems with new construction.

Read the article from Scott Homes here: https://bit.ly/2xzn7IR

To highlight some of the items they discuss:

  1. Dirty duct systems
  2. Doors that don’t close properly
  3. Windows issues
  4. Incorrect plumbing or appliance hook-ups
  5. Overlooked painting

If you are thinking of a new build, this article is worth a read. If you need help with your home search in Colorado, I would love to help! Please reach out via the contact tab here or email me at bgoltz@wkre.com.


Hottest Home Trends of 2019

With this post, I am not trying to pretend like I am a design expert, but being a REALTOR® and someone who is interested in “all things home”, I do read a lot of home articles, posts, and blogs.  Lately, I feel like one after another is about the hottest trends to expect for 2019 – from paint colors to interior design, furniture design, and overall home. If you have plans for redecorating or want to refresh some of your spaces, it can’t hurt to know what experts believe will be resonating in 2019.  I have gathered together some of the more valuable articles I have read and pulled out a few consistent points I am seeing across sources.

Predictions for what will be hot in 2019:

  • More bold, vivid, high-contrast patterns and more vibrant accent colors
  • Pantone declares Living Coral is the color of the year. What it conveys: Life-affirming, optimism, joy.
  • Earth tones: all versions of sand and earthy colors like ochre, burnt gold, and terracotta like Sherwin-Williams’ 2019 color Cavern Clay
  • Art Deco influence to become more prominent in the coming year
  • Ornate & textured walls and wallpaper
  • Antiques and handmade, custom pieces – return to handcrafted authenticity
  • Live Greenery and biophilia (the innate tendency in human beings to focus on life and lifelike process)
  • Innovative uses and mixing of metals 
  • Matte Black

If you have some time to read more for yourself, here are a few of the best articles I have read for 2019 predictions: 

All in all, I believe what is most important is that you make design decisions that resonate well with you & your family.  If you aren’t a fan of a certain style, don’t try to force it because some people say it is “in style.”  And lastly, I still stand by the importance of timeless design decisions for major renovations if you want to maximize the resale value of your home which I touch upon in my last blog post:  Home Renovation Projects that Boost Resale Value of Your Home.

Happy planning and decorating!

******

If you or someone you know has any real estate needs within Colorado, I would love to help!  I support buyers and sellers primarily in the Denver-Boulder areas. Please reach out via the contact form below to start a conversation about how I can help you:

 

 


Home Renovation Projects that Boost Resale Value of Your Home

Many home buyers that are considering home renovation projects usually want to make sure they are investing in something that will raise home values and appeal to home buyers. Even if there are no plans to sell soon, it is wise to keep resale in mind for home renovation projects.  Prioritizing your spending into areas of the home that will help boost resale values is a smart approach.  Read more for tips on how to help with your planning:

  • Kitchens.  Nearly every buyer is pleased when they see a beautiful kitchen, even buyers that aren’t afraid of projects.  Kitchen remodels can be expensive so even if the rest of the house needs work, buyers are happy to see that one project checked off the list.  If you are planning any home project, starting with a kitchen update really should pay off in the end.   Overall make sure the layout is functional – does the flow work for cooking & entertaining?  Know that plenty of counterspace & storage is important to buyers and many will be pleased with an island in the kitchen as long as it doesn’t make the space too cramped.  New energy-efficient appliances will benefit you as a homeowner and look appealing to future buyers.  Finally, if you are going to update things like cabinets, countertops, the backsplash, and lighting try to stay with design decisions that are timeless.  Any unique features that only appeal to a certain type of audience will narrow the pool of buyers that appreciate the work put into the kitchen.
  • Bathrooms.  After the kitchen is done, move onto the bathrooms.  Same rule applies with keeping the updates appealing to a broad audience.  You want to create an attractive space that has a clean and updated feel.   You can still have fun with your updates – maybe consider an accent wall behind the vanity or toilet or new, modern mirrors & lighting.  Keep in mind that many buyers still want at least one tub in their home so don’t plan to get rid of all bathtubs in your house, no matter how trendy those stand-alone showers are.
  • Energy efficiency.  The next item that will pay off for both you as a homeowner & for resale is how efficient the home is.  Check the age of the furnace or boiler, hot water heater, & A/C units – consider updating with new models that work more efficiently. Leaky doors and windows affect your heating and cooling bills and is something buyers will notice.  If you don’t want to replace your windows & doors, you can update weather-stripping or reseal the windows to see if that helps.  If you have poor insulation in the house, you can improve the quality of the insulation.
  • Exterior.  First impression makes a difference so investing in exterior updates will be beneficial as well.  Consider an exterior paint refresh, especially if you have chipping or fading paint. If you are looking for a change, but don’t want to repaint the whole house, choose a fresh new color for the front door.  For an affordable update that makes a big difference, swap out any exterior lights that may not be working or are outdated and replace with a fresh, modern look.  Lastly, investing in your yard and garden will help you better enjoy your home & have buyers see that you not only have a great house, but a great property.  Be careful with adding unique additions that may turn away future buyers such as an elaborate water feature.  A koi pond, for example, may look beautiful to some, but to others it may just look like a lot of work or even a dangerous hazard to a buyer like a family with young children.
  • Look at your floors.  If you have carpet, tiling, or wood floors that have seen better days, investing in an upgrade or refresh for the floors will be a smart decision. Flooring can really stand out — making the whole house feel clean & inviting or put off the opposite effect if the floors are in bad shape.   Focus on what you can afford – making sure to at least to update the flooring in the rooms you renovate (such as the kitchen & bathrooms) and expect to have to price the house accordingly if the floors in other areas of the home really need work.

If resale value is a major concern of yours, talking to a local REALTOR® to get their advice before starting the project can be very beneficial.  If you are in the Boulder/Denver area, I would love to help!  Please reach out via the contact information below or email me at beth@goodacreproperties.com.


Thinking of Selling Your Home? Top 5 Things to do First

The idea of selling your home usually comes upon slowly as you start to think about life changing events that may make you want to sell.  Possibly your family is growing and you need more space or you’re going to be empty nesters and would prefer to downsize. Whatever your scenario is, having a plan going into listing your home is a great idea. Here are my top 5 things you will want to think about before listing your home for sale:

  1. Talk with a REALTOR® you trust.  My advice is that it is never too early to loop in a REALTOR®.  They can give you insight on things like the best month to list your home, some suggestions for updates to make to your home to maximize your profits, and prepare you for what to expect.
  2. If you will be listing a few months out, now is a good time to start sprucing up your home.  Tackle those projects that you know must be done — from cosmetic updates that will be eyesores to potential buyers to the big items that you know may come up in an inspection.  It can’t hurt to service items like the central A/C unit, furnace, and have the chimney cleaned.
  3. Organize dates & documents that buyers may request like age of the roof, age of appliances, dates of latest services, HOA documents, typical monthly utility bills, and warranties.  This will help answer questions from serious buyers considering purchasing your home & save time during the transaction.  You cannot hide from bad news with your house — seller’s failure to disclose known material defects with the house may result in legal liability.
  4.  Consider your options for “where to next” and plan for the scenario where your home sells fast.  If you are planning on buying another home, remember that it usually takes at least 30 days to close on a home if you are getting a loan.  You are going to want to talk with your REALTOR® about your options if you are buying & selling at the same time, as well as a lender if you plan to get a loan on your next home purchase. You don’t want to be left homeless with no plan in place!
  5. Start to de-clutter and prepare for the move.  Less “stuff” in a house looks better to potential buyers and will help make the transaction period less stressful for you. You will have a lot of to-dos with the real estate transaction itself, the less stress you have with packing up & moving, the more you will thank yourself.

Once you & your home are prepared for the sale, your REALTOR® will get to work listing your home for sale.  You may want to review my past blogs on “Improving Your Home’s First Impression” &  The Seller’s Roadmap to further prepare yourself for the sales process.

Once your home is listed – support your REALTOR® and respect their opinion on the process.  Try to be as flexible as you can with showings & open houses and keep your house clean & presentable.  The easier it is for buyers to come in and see your home, the more traffic you will get with prospective buyers.  The more enjoyable the experience is for the buyer in your home, the more positive of an impression it will have on them.

Good luck & happy selling!

***********

If you need assistance from a local REALTOR® to sell your home in the Boulder-Denver areas, I would love to help!!  Please reach out via email at beth@goodacreproperties.com or through the contact info below.

 


Simple Home Updates

Do you look at your home and think it needs updates, but the thought of the time, money & energy required to make the updates prevent you from doing the work?  You don’t need to tackle the whole house at once, instead think of one space at a time.  Additionally, there is no need to do a complete overhaul of the space – there are little things you can do that go a long way.  Here are some things to think about.

Take a step outside:

  • Mailbox.  This is sometimes the first thing people see when they pull up to your house.  A new mailbox, post, and set of house numbers is a relatively inexpensive & easy fix that will clean up the image of your home.
  • Landscaping.  You do not need entirely new landscaping, but cleaning up weeds & overgrowth and putting down some new mulch will polish up your outdoor space. Don’t stop at just cleaning up the yard & garden – tackle your driveway and any walkways too if you see grass or weeds growing up through cracks.
  • Front door.  Give your home a facelift by replacing your front door or even just repaint it if it’s in good shape.  Consider a fun pop of color that complements the rest of the paint colors of your house for a statement door.  If your budget allows, updating the door hardware will increase the curb appeal even more.

Inside:

  • Lighting.  If you have the budget to swap out some tired, old lights for more modern fixtures, this goes a long way in my opinion.  You could address one room at a time and you don’t have to spend hundreds on each light – I’ve seen many pretty lights for under $20.  Electricians usually charge an hourly rate so try to get an estimate for how many lights they can replace in an hour or two.  If this is outside your budget, simply swapping out your light bulbs can give your home a much more comforting feel.  Get rid of those bright, fluorescent lights and put in soft white bulbs.

  • Touch-up paint.  The general wear & tear of life puts a stress on baseboards, doors, and walls.  If you don’t want to completely repaint a room, consider just touching up the paint – hiding imperfections with a fresh brush stroke of paint.  Now is the time to patch any holes or fill in any dings.  Make sure you choose the right finish paint and you don’t use a gloss paint on what was initially an eggshell.

  • Fixtures.  If you have outdated or run-down knobs on cabinets, handles on doors, towel racks, or even vent covers, all of these are easy to swap out.  Replacing these give you an opportunity to let your personality shine through, while also making your space look more polished.  

  • Blinds.  If your home still has aluminum blinds or temporary paper blinds you threw up for a quick fix years ago, consider replacing them.  New window coverings can really modernize a room. 

Decor:

  • Furniture.  If you are disappointed with how worn some of your furniture looks, sanding & painting wood pieces for a fresh new look is always a great option.  This is an area where you can try out something different & have fun with it.  I almost tossed an old, weathered Adirondack chair a few summers ago, but decided to bring it back to life & painted it a bright blue to match some of my other patio furniture.
  • Decor.  Throw pillows, comfy blankets, candles, baskets to hold clutter, throw rugs, artwork for the walls, a statement wall with a peel-and-stick wallpaper, real or fake potted planets, table lamps.  All these are simple, easy ideas to update a space and make it more enjoyable to live in.  I personally love shopping affordable decor Target and Joss & Main.

If you found this information valuable and are interested in seeing my inspiration for home updates & decor, follow my Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/ecgoltz/

 

***Real Estate Tip***

If your home looks as though it needs updates to you, a potential buyer will see the same thing.  Making some of these indoor and outdoor updates could potentially help with the resale of your home.  Feel free to reach out if you’d like to run your thinking by me.

 

 

 


Is This Your Year to Become a Homeowner?

Have you been thinking about purchasing a home for a while now but, haven’t acted on taking the first step?  Buying a home can seem daunting and you may have more questions than answers which may be what’s holding you back.  It’s true that buying a home may be one of the biggest investments you may make financially, but it doesn’t need to be a scary process.  Getting a good understanding of your finances & what to expect with purchasing a home may help you decide if you are ready to take the next step to start the home buying process.  Below are some key things to start to look into.

  1. Credit Report. A very basic, yet important factor in your ability to buy a home is your credit rating.  The best interest rates & more flexible loan terms are available to those with the strongest credit scores.  You should understand what your credit score is and ensure that the items they are reporting on are correct.  There are three major credit reporting agencies you can contact for your credit score: Experian, Equifax, or TransUnion.
  2. How much home can I afford?  This is probably your biggest question and something you’ll want to accurately know the answer to in order to not be disappointed later in your home search.  To get the most accurate answer, you’re going to want to have a conversation with a lender.  A lender should help evaluate your current financial situation, as well take into account your future plans that may affect how you think about your home purchase & investment.
  3. Lending Options. Banks are not the only source anymore for obtaining a loan to buy a home, there are plenty of other options and it is suggested you shop around to find a lender.
    • Mortgage Bankers loan their own money and then usually sell the loan to recapture their original money plus a small profit.
    • Mortgage Loan Brokers are in the business of matching buyers & homeowners with lenders that are likely to finance them.  The buyer usually picks up the fee for this service.
    • Financial Institutions are commonly known as traditional banks or “prime” lenders.
    • Private Lenders usually refers to sellers who are open to owner financing.
    • Some Credit Unions do issue mortgages for their members and generally can beat the rate of the bank, or at least offer the same.
  4. Pre-Approval.  Once you narrow down which type of lender can best meet your needs, the next step is to get pre-approved for a loan.  This is not the same as pre-qualification.  Pre-qualification is an estimate of how much you can afford in a mortgage payment and simply means that the lender has looked at the information and that there is a high probability that the purchaser will qualify for the requested loan.  Pre-approval is a firmer commitment on behalf of the mortgage company & is a more formal process including a credit check & employment verification.  A seller is likely to view you as a more capable buyer if you are pre-approved which can give you an advantage as a buyer in the marketplace.  It is wise to obtain pre-approval at the beginning of the buying process so you know how much home you can afford and risk not qualifying for a home you go under contract with.
  5. Upfront Fees & Expenses.  Most homebuyers are aware that they need money for a down payment, but it doesn’t necessarily need to be 20%.  The best way to know how much you need for a down payment is to talk with a lender – you may qualify for less percent down.  On top of the down payment, there are more costs that you will need to plan for.  Money will need to be allocated for costs associated with the loan, earnest money with your offer, costs for inspections, cost for an appraisal, possibly a new survey or an ILC, and closing costs. Finally, don’t forget about a cushion for things like actually moving and buying items to get settled in your new home.

With these steps taken care of, you may gain the confidence you needed to start searching for your perfect house!

****

If you are ready to embark on your mission of finding a home in Colorado – I can be with you for every step of the way.  The process will not be overwhelming with a REALTOR® you can trust.  Please contact me to discuss your real estate goals:

 

 


Stay On Top of Your Exterior Paint

img_0095

Just a few weeks ago, we had a painting company come retouch all the exterior paint on the house. It wasn’t the most glamorous way to spend money, but we knew it was important. I had begun to notice that some of the exterior paint was chipping and in some instances, there was exposed raw wood. Heading into winter, it was really important that we tackled this issue before it became a problem. Exposed raw wood has the potential to rot if it is exposed to moisture and rotten wood would be a much more expensive project than some paint touch-up. We had been pushing off this project since spring and although I probably could have found many more ways to spend this money, the peace of mind we now have was worth the expense!