Buyers • November 10, 2022

House vs. Townhouse vs. Condo

by Don Koonce

Deciding between a house, townhouse, and condominium can be a difficult process. Understanding how the characteristics of each housing type aligns with your life goals and finances will help you work with your agent to identify which housing type is right for you.

Renting vs Buying: Which is better for you?

How do you define a house?

Of the three housing options, detached single-family houses offer the most freedom and privacy, but they’re also typically more expensive than a condo or townhouse. They provide the opportunity to personalize your home and make renovations as desired, barring local zoning laws. Houses don’t share walls like townhouses and condos, and typically offer private outdoor spaces. Situated on their own lots, owning a house puts the responsibility of maintaining and improving the structure and accompanying land in the homeowner’s hands.

A single-family two-story house with a large front yard, a covered wraparound porch, and an attached garage/bonus space. There are several windows lining the first and second floors and a white fence lines the porch.

Example of a single-family detached house. Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: JamesBrey

What’s the difference between a townhouse and a condo?

Owners of townhouses can personalize and renovate their homes (within reason) since they bear the responsibility of the home’s exterior, outdoor areas, and yard. Having said that, changes to the home’s exterior and/or additions are not permitted. Here’s the tradeoff with condominiums: although you typically have less control over things like renovations and exterior spaces, they usually require less maintenance.

Townhouse: A townhouse building is a narrow, multileveled structure, usually with a small parcel of property in front of or behind the home. Whereas row houses share a common façade along a street, townhouses may be grouped throughout a development and may not share a consistent roofline with the other units. Somewhere between a house and a condominium, townhouses may offer the best of both worlds for some homeowners.

Like a house, townhouse owners are responsible for exterior (roof and siding) maintenance and repair. Most townhouses tend to have a small footprint and modern upgrades, and may have lower Homeowners Association (HOA) fees than condominiums due to a lesser focus on shared amenities.

Condominium: Condominiums are divided, individually owned units of a larger, unified structure. Due to their smaller size and lack of land ownership, condominiums can often be less expensive than a townhouse or a house. However, HOA fees on top of a monthly mortgage payment can increase the cost of condominium living, depending on the amenities offered in a building. A unique characteristic of condominiums is that the exterior of the units is considered a common area, with ownership shared amongst the building’s residents.

Unlike townhouses, as a condominium owner, you’re only responsible for the inside of your unit. Residents live in close proximity and typically share amenities like gym and pool access, laundry, and other facilities.

A row of white two-story townhouses with underneath garages on a sunny day. Each townhouse has a small balcony with metal fencing on the floor above the garage and multiple windows on each floor.

Example of townhouses. Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: AnthonyRosenberg

A three-story condominium housing development with gray siding and wood accents. Each condo unit has a small balcony with glass panes extending from the corners of the building. The units share a grassy yard surrounding the building.

Example of a condominium complex. Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: AlbertPego

Regardless of what your specific transaction looks like, saving for homeownership costs requires planning. Knowing your budget will help you work closely with your agent to find the right home. To get an idea of what’s affordable, use our free Home Monthly Payment Calculator by clicking the button below. With current rates based on national averages and customizable mortgage terms, you can get estimates of your monthly payment for any listing price.

How does your home align with your life?

House: For homeowners looking at their property as an investment in their financial future, houses are a strong choice. Houses allow homeowners to plan long-term with the knowledge that their home will build equity over time. If you are planning on putting down roots and starting a family, houses provide the best opportunity to grow into your future and are better suited for significant life changes.

7 Signs You’re Ready to Buy a Home

Townhouse: Townhouses present a great steppingstone in the homeownership spectrum. Often located in residential neighborhoods, they are a fitting choice for those looking to graduate from rented dwellings. They’re also a great option for those wanting to downsize from a single-family home. With a townhouse, you’ll share the walls with your neighbors on either side, but not above and below. Townhouses fit into the category of “missing middle” housing types because they are considered dense housing, but fit nicely in neighborhoods with detached single-family houses.

Condominium: Condominiums appeal to homeowners looking for a low-maintenance residence, with access to shared amenities amongst a community. Condos are usually found in denser areas closer to downtown centers, shopping, and entertainment. Typically found in metropolitan environments, they are a great housing option for buyers looking to be located close to city centers and cut down on commute times to downtown areas.

After all the research, do what feels right. Whether it’s a house, townhouse, or a condo, work with your agent to find the best option for you and your future. To begin the decision process, connect with an experienced, local Windermere agent today:

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: benedek

Sellers • November 8, 2022

Remodeling Projects to Avoid When Selling Your Home

by Don Koonce

It’s common for homeowners to feel compelled to remodel their homes before they sell. Renovating the spaces in your home can increase its value and help you compete with comparable listings in your area. However, some remodeling projects are more beneficial than others as you prepare to sell your home. Always talk to your agent to determine which projects are most appealing to buyers in your area.

Remodeling Projects to Avoid When Selling Your Home

When preparing to sell your home, you want to strike the right balance of upgrades. Making repairs and executing renovations will attract buyer interest, but you don’t want to dump so much cash into remodeling that you won’t be able to recoup those expenses when your home sells.

So, how do you know where to focus your efforts? Your agent is a vital resource in understanding your specific situation and will offer guidance on your remodeling efforts to sell your home for the best price. Here are a few projects sellers will want to keep off their to-do lists for the best return on investment.

A man and woman discuss a renovation project with their real estate agent as construction contractors work in the background

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: skynesher

Minor Cosmetic Upgrades

Whether you’ve made small cosmetic upgrades throughout your home typically isn’t a make-or-break proposition for most buyers. Let’s say you’re questioning whether to invest in a new toilet, vanity, and shower for your primary bathroom before selling. Unless these appliances are damaged and you can repair them without spending too much, it’s okay to sell as is.

Major Upgrades with Long Timelines

For any remodeling project, your agent’s analysis will help you determine its risk/reward potential. This dynamic is heightened with major remodeling projects and home upgrades, due to their higher costs. Four of the six lowest ROI remodeling projects found in the Remodeling 2022 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com)¹ are upscale or major upgrades, all with roughly a 50% return on investment.

These projects come with hefty price tags and longer timelines than minor repairs and upgrades, which can complicate factors as you prepare to sell, especially if you have a deadline to get into your new home. They have the potential to temporarily displace you from the property, meaning you and your household may have to find somewhere else to stay until the project is complete.

The Bottom Line: To go through with a major home upgrade before you sell, its schedule must fit with your moving timeline. It should also align with buyer interest in your local market. If the project doesn’t meet these criteria, it should be avoided.

Building Code Violations

The rules dictating whether you can sell your home with building code violations vary region to region. It also depends on what the building code violation is and whether neglecting to update it is deemed a safety hazard. The buyer’s mortgage lender may also have stipulations saying that the loan may not be used to purchase a home with certain features that aren’t up to code, which could lead to them backing out of the deal.

If you’re selling an older home, you’re not obligated to update every feature that may be out of code to fit modern standards. These projects are often structural and require a significant investment. If the violation in question was built to code according to the regulations at the time, then a grandfather clause typically applies. However, you’ll need to disclose these features to the buyer.

Trendy Makeovers and Upgrades

Lastly, it’s best to avoid remodeling projects that target a specific trend in home design. Trends come and go. Timeless design is a hallmark of marketable homes because it appeals to the widest possible pool of buyers. Keep this in mind when staging your home as well. Creating an environment that’s universally appealing and depersonalized allows buyers to more easily imagine the home as their own.

Learn more about remodeling your home as you prepare to sell here:

Should I Remodel or Sell My Home As Is?

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: eclipse_images

Living • November 3, 2022

13 Appliance Tips & Hacks for Household Chores

by Don Koonce

Modern home appliances make our lives so much easier. They tackle dreaded household chores, saving us time and effort. There are lots of ways to use them, however, that you may not have thought of before. Here are 13 little-known tricks for getting more than your money’s worth from your appliances.

13 Appliance Tips & Hacks for Household Chores

1. Regularly Clean Toys

Regularly clean your children’s toys. Use your dishwasher to wash teething rings, small plastic toys, mouth guards, and even baseball caps. Place items on the top rack and run the dishwasher as usual with detergent (without any dirty dishes). Put smaller items in a small mesh laundry bag so that they don’t move around.

2. Clean Ceiling Fixtures

At least once or twice a year, remove and clean your glass ceiling fixtures and light covers in an empty dishwasher. Light fixtures can be a magnet for dust and cleaning them will help your lighting shine bright in all its glory. Run the dishwasher on the normal cycle.

3. Eliminate Wrinkles

To smooth out wrinkled clothes or linens left too long in the dryer, toss a damp, lint-free cloth in with them. Run the load on the lowest setting for 10 to 15 minutes. Newer dryers also feature a steam setting that removes wrinkles and refreshes clothing between wears.

A woman wearing rubber gloves cleans and disinfects the handle of her oven range as she cleans the kitchen

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: VioletaStoimenova

4. Reduce Germs in the Kitchen

Disinfect sponges and dishcloths. Kitchen sponges and dishcloths contain billions of germs. Clean and disinfect them daily by zapping them on high in the microwave for two minutes to kill germs. Disinfecting these items periodically as opposed to throwing them away can help you cut down on waste in the kitchen.

5. Clean Upholstery

Freshen up your curtains. Vacuum heavy drapes with the upholstery attachment. Use the dusting brush attachment for lighter drapes. Wash sheer curtains in the washing machine on the delicate cycle, then hang them up while they’re damp to prevent wrinkles.

6. Remove Wax from Fabric & Carpet

To get the most out of your flooring and fabrics around your home, they require cleaning. To get rid of wax on a tablecloth, place it in your freezer until the wax is hard. Then put a flat paper bag over the wax and another under the fabric. Iron the top bag with a medium-hot iron until all the wax transfers to the bag. To remove wax from a carpet or rug, place an ice pack on the spot until the wax hardens. Shatter the wax and vacuum up the chips.

7. Clean Baseboards

Along with fans, vents, and underneath furniture, baseboards are not as frequently cleaned as other more common home surfaces but cleaning them can make a big difference in how your home feels. Dusting baseboards can be a backbreaking chore. Use your vacuum cleaner and the dusting brush attachment to avoid having to bend down. Do the same to clean chair and table legs.

A man wearing rubber gloves mops his hardwood floor in his living room

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: milan2099

8. Organize Your Refrigerator

Use the built-in features of your refrigerator to organize food by category. Designate certain shelves or areas for leftovers, preferably front and center, so you don’t forget they’re in there. Use special-purpose bins for their intended use: crispers for vegetables, deli trays for deli meats and cheeses, cold storage trays for meats. Newer models also feature convertible cooling zones to keep food fresh.

9. Dust Blinds

Extend the blinds fully and turn the slats to the closed position. Use the dusting brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner to clean the slats from top to bottom. Then open and re-close the slats in the opposite direction and repeat the process.

10. Clean Your Microwave & Range

The best time to clean your microwave is immediately after using it. Thanks to residual steam, all you have to do is wipe it out with a paper towel or damp sponge. To clean old messes, microwave two cups of water on high for five minutes. The steam will soften cooked-on spills, which you can wipe off with a paper towel or cloth. Your gas/electric range needs regular cleaning as well, especially if you use it frequently.

A father and his young son work together to clean the kitchen, spraying the countertops with an all-purpose cleaning solution

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: PeopleImages

11. Exterminate Dust Mites

Dust mites live off human and animal dander and other household dust particles and can lower your home’s air quality. They thrive in sofas, carpets, and bedding. Use the upholstery attachment to vacuum your mattress and upholstered furniture regularly to minimize dust mites. Be sure to empty the canister in an outdoor trashcan.

12. Groom Your Pet

After you’ve groomed your dog or cat, use the dusting brush attachment to clean up after. It’s an easy way to collect shedding fur, especially from carpeted areas or upholstery.

13. Remove Grime in Shower

Wash plastic shower curtain liners in the washing machine with hot water and detergent on the regular cycle. Throw in a small bath towel to help “scrub” mildew and soap scum off the liner. Then rehang the liner and let it air-dry. Regularly clean your bathtub and light candles to keep your bathroom smelling fresh.

For more information on home appliances, protecting your home from damage, and more, head to the Living section of our blog:

Windermere Blog – Living

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: LumiNola

Sellers • November 1, 2022

How to Price Your Home for Sale

by Don Koonce

It’s natural for sellers to want to get every step of the selling process right, but a successful home sale depends on an accurate listing price. Your agent will work closely with you to set the price, but in the meantime, you can use the following information to better understand what goes into this process.

What’s your home worth?

Nothing can replace the professional knowledge and local expertise of a real estate agent, but automated valuation models (AVMs) can be a helpful first step in determining what your home is worth. Like comps, AVMs assess your home by comparing its information with the listings in your area. Windermere’s Home Worth Calculator evaluates your property and the surrounding market to give you an idea of how much it’s worth. Try it here:

What factors influence home prices?

Understanding what factors influence home prices will give you a deeper knowledge of the market, give clarity to the selling process, and help you work with your agent to accurately price your home.

Comparable Home Sales

Comparable home sales—or “comps”—have a major impact on the price of your home. Comps refer to the comparable homes in your area, both pending and sold, within the last six months. Your Windermere agent can provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to better determine the price of your home. CMAs factor in aspects such as square footage, age, and lot size compared to other homes in your area, to determine how your home should be priced among the competition.

Your Home’s Location

Naturally, your home’s location plays a significant role in its asking price. Depending on the market conditions in your area, whether you reside in a metropolitan, suburban, or rural location, and the home’s proximity to amenities, schools, and entertainment all contribute to the price.

A female real estate agent shakes hands with her client at a conference table

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: VioletaStoimenova

Your Home’s Condition

If you have recently invested in upgrades or other remodeling projects for your home, they could increase your asking price. However, the price increase potential depends on the kind of renovation, its ROI, and how valuable it is to buyers in your area. If the home needs repair, it will likely generate less interest from buyers than better maintained homes at your price point. Any outstanding repairs or projects looming overhead will make the home less attractive to buyers and could lead to a low appraisal.

Seasonality

Any factors that impact market supply and demand are worth taking into consideration when preparing to price your home, and seasonality is one that cannot be overlooked. Typically, market activity slows in the winter and picks up during the spring and summer months. However, market seasonality varies region to region. Talk to your Windermere agent about the seasonality trends in your area and how they factor into your asking price.

Market Conditions

Naturally, all sellers want to price their home competitively, but what a competitive price looks like depends on the market conditions, such as whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market. Some sellers think that pricing their home over market value means they’ll sell for more money, but the opposite can often be true. Overpricing your home presents various dangers such as sitting on the market too long, which can result in selling for well below what it’s worth.

Periodic Price Adjustments

Pricing a home isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it proposal. As with any strategy, you need to be prepared to adapt to fast-changing market conditions, new competition, a lack of offers, and other outside factors.

These are the basic tenets for understanding what goes into the price of a home. When you’re ready, a Windermere agent will interpret and expand on this information, perform a CMA for your home, and guide you throughout your selling journey.

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: SDI Productions

SOLD • October 27, 2022

SOLD: Charming West Seattle rambler

by Don Koonce

6329 17th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98106
Listed at $599,000

MLS #1982739
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
1,060 sqft
Days on Market: 11

Charming 3 bedroom, 1.75 bath rambler in West Seattle! This tastefully updated home features new interior paint, laminate and tile flooring throughout, updated bathrooms, a wood burning fireplace, and a fully fenced backyard that includes a large deck – perfect for entertaining. The primary bedroom features a stylish updated ensuite bathroom. The updated kitchen boasts white cabinetry, SS appliances, quartz countertops, & loads of storage. Ample parking with one car garage, plus a covered carport. Near the South Seattle Campus Arboretum, the gorgeous Seattle Chinese Gardens, and the West Seattle Greenway for outdoor activities.

Design • October 25, 2022

What is Gothic Revival Architecture?

by Don Koonce

If you’ve ever seen a home like the one in the photo above, certain words like “romantic” or “medieval” may have come to mind. The architectural style shown here is Gothic Revival, a unique branch of design that grew popular in the mid-19^th century. Though it fell out of fashion shortly thereafter, this signature architectural style has left a lasting impression on home design.

What is Gothic Revival Architecture?

The most defining characteristics of Gothic Revival architecture are its pointed arches, steeply pitched roofs, intricate wooden trim, and its preference for vertical elements. As opposed to the horizontal nature of the rambler home style, Gothic Revival architecture reaches skyward. Gothic Revival also borrows elements of castles, such as towers with parapets and/or spires.

The architectural style eventually took on other variants. Victorian Gothic borrowed from elements of the Victorian era, and the North American adaptation Carpenter Gothic used a Gothic influence as the basis for a new style of home design popularized in the late 19^th century.

A light blue Gothic Revival home with brick trim on top of a hill on a sunny day. Corners of the home have exposed white-washed brick while the walls are light blue stucco. The windows have ornate white trim and has a double front door. The home has three sections, with the middle column the tallest, the right side is slightly protruding out and the left is tucked back behind the center tower, each has a roof with inverted gothic arches.

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: glasslanguage

A low angle shot of a three-story brick Gothic Revival home on a corner lot with a colorful garden. The corner of the house has a round tower with a pointed roof, calling back to rounded tower castles, with a rounded wrap-around porch underneath.

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: fotoVoyager

Although Gothic Revival most naturally translated to larger buildings such as churches, mansions, prisons, and schools, the Gothic Carpenter style maintained many of the key characteristics that define the unique style with slight twists to accommodate for residential home life.

Beyond the vertical visuals, steep roofs, and arched doorways, residential gothic architecture also incorporated elements like board and batten wood siding, roof gables, ornate crown molding, and slim porch columns. Gothic-style homes are easily identifiable and much rarer than ubiquitous home styles such as craftsman, cottage, and mid-century modern.

To learn more about the different architectural styles, visit our Architectural Styles page.

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: akaplummer

Living • October 20, 2022

5 Pet-Friendly House Cleaning Tips

by Don Koonce

Pets make a house a home. But as much as you love your furry friends, they do add a few entries to your list of chores. Keeping your home clean requires a bit of extra work, and some methods of upkeep are more pet-friendly than others. The following tips will help you keep your house clean and your pets happy.

5 Pet-Friendly House Cleaning Tips

1. Safely Clean Up Accidents

When pet owners buy a home, they proceed knowing full well that pet accidents and messes are bound to happen. Cleaning up messes quickly is important for keeping your home clean, but it will also remove the scent, so your pets don’t come back to that same area with the same intentions. When shopping around, look for cleaning products that are safe for animals and don’t contain any toxic chemicals.

2. Deep Clean to Reduce Smells

Pets have a knack for leaving a scent behind. Every pet owner knows the feeling of going through their normal cleaning routine to extinguish the pet smell from their home, only for it to linger after they’re done. To really get your home smelling fresh again, you’ll need to target your pets’ favorite areas as well as the commonly missed cleaning spots throughout your home like underneath furniture, along the baseboards, etc. You’ll be surprised at how much dirt and fur you find in these places.

An orange cat watches her owner work on his computer as he sits on the living room couch

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: Marco VDM

3. Clean Pet Toys Regularly

Your pets’ toys are magnets for dirt, fur, drool, and other unwanted substances. It’s a homeowner’s nightmare to imagine spending hours cleaning your home top to bottom, only for a muddy ball your pets have been chewing on to roll across the carpet. Cleaning toys regularly is also healthier for your pets as it helps to reduce the spread of germs. If your pets’ toys are dishwasher safe, pop them in the dishwasher every once in a while to get them squeaky clean.

4. Keep the Air Clean

Even after you’ve exhausted all your cleaning efforts on the surfaces throughout your home, pet fur and dander can still travel through the air. It’s important to clean the air in your home, especially if members of your household have allergies. Consider investing in an air purifier, which will filter air particles to remove dust and odors, giving everyone in your home—pets included—cleaner air to enjoy.

5. The Importance of Well-Groomed Pets

In the context of a clean, pet-friendly home, there’s one surface that’s more important than any—your pets themselves. Every pet owner has their routine; whether that’s regularly maintaining their cat’s litter box, wiping off the dog’s paws in the mudroom before letting them inside, regular baths and brushing, or keeping nails trimmed to avoid furniture and carpet damage, these are the boxes that must be checked to keep your home clean. For all your cleaning efforts, if your pets are still messy, then the spaces in your home will follow suit.

Read the following blog post for more information on maintaining a pet-friendly home as you look to sell:

Selling a Home with Pets

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: Prostock-Studio

Buyers • October 18, 2022

How to Save Money to Buy a House

by Don Koonce

It’s no secret that buying a home is a serious financial undertaking, but aspiring homeowners are often left wondering what the methods behind the process actually look like. One of the telltale signs that you’re ready to buy a home is having substantial savings to use toward the purchase. The following information goes under the hood of the buying process to explain how much you need to save and some useful methods of saving money.

Making a Down Payment on a Home

The down payment is a large payment made by the buyer upfront to help fund the purchase of a home. Although a down payment of 20 percent of the home’s purchase price will avoid the need to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI), down payments of this size are not the norm. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, in 2021, the typical down payment was seven percent for first-time home buyers and 17 percent for repeat buyers (NAR)¹.

So, how long does it take to save up for the down payment? The answer is unique to each buyer. It depends on your needs as a homeowner, whether you have a deadline, and what you’re able to afford. Your mortgage will factor into the equation, too. Different mortgage types have different down payment requirements, with certain loan products requiring as little as 3% down to qualify. Remember that in general, a higher down payment equates to a lower interest rate and lower monthly payments for your mortgage.

To get an idea of what’s affordable, use our free Home Monthly Payment Calculator by clicking the button below. With current rates based on national averages and customizable mortgage terms, you can experiment with different down payment amounts to get estimates of your monthly payment for any listing price.

Adult man calculating finances in his home office as he prepares to buy a house

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: damircudic

How to Save Money to Buy a House

No matter where your savings stand, these strategies can help to beef up your savings account as you prepare to buy a home.

Reduce Debt: Carrying extra debt can weigh you down throughout the home buying process. And even if you make progress on your savings, you’ll be stuck in limbo if you’re not able to qualify for a mortgage. Consider refinancing existing loans and explore ways to reduce credit card debt to set yourself up for success. This will also put you in a better position when you enter the pre-approval process for your mortgage.
Rethink Your Budget: Are your streaming subscriptions piling up? Is now the best time for that five-star vacation you had planned? Saving up to buy a home doesn’t mean you need to abandon all your leisurely expenses, but it is worth it to look at them from a new perspective to find ways you can save. It’s also a good time to examine your bills and self-audit your current living expenses.
Increase Your Savings: Once you go through your expenditures with a fine-toothed comb, you may find there’s ample opportunity to increase your savings. Regularly contributing to a high-yield savings account will put you on the fast track to pile up your extra funds and ensure that you’re setting them aside.
Additional Streams of Income: If you’ve ever thought of using your unique skills to generate some extra dollars, now is the time to act. Whether it’s teaching music lessons, offering tutoring classes, selling your handmade goodies at the local farmer’s market, etc., the extra revenue from a side hustle can help you purchase a home.

Budget for Additional Home Purchase Costs

Once you’ve got your head wrapped around the down payment and formed your saving strategy, you can shift your financial preparations toward the remaining costs of buying a home. Here are a few to keep in mind:

Closing Costs: Closing costs for buyers typically range anywhere between 2% and 6% of the home loan amount but vary by transaction.
Homeowners Insurance: Lenders will usually require that your purchase a homeowners insurance policy, which covers your home, your belongings, injury or property damage to others, and living expenses if you are unable to live in your home temporarily because of an insured disaster.
Repairs and Remodeling: The home you end up buying may very well be in need of repair, and you may have certain remodeling projects in mind. These costs can stack up quickly, so be sure to carve out ample room in your home buying budget accordingly.
Homeowners Association (HOA) Fees: If the home you’re purchasing is governed by a Homeowners Association (HOA), you will be required to pay monthly HOA fees on top of your existing mortgage monthly payment.

For more information on preparing to buy a house, visit our Guide to Buying a Home:

1: National Association of REALTORS® (2021) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: tdub303

Design • October 13, 2022

Designing Your Rental To Feel Like Home

by Don Koonce

When you own your living space, it’s natural to feel attached to every square inch. But for renters, creating that sense of ownership is a unique challenge. Whatever limitations you face as a renter in how you’re able to make alterations, it’s no less important to your home life for your space to convey a sense of ownership and self. To make a rental unit feel a bit more like home, we collected a few ways to imbue your abode with your own spirit, without risking your security deposit.

Designing Your Rental to Feel Like Home

Storage

Sufficient storage space is a common shortcoming of rentals, leaving renters in a position where they either need to invest in a public storage space or get creative at home. But even getting creative at home can be tough, since most rental properties have limitations on what renovations and customizations renters are able to make, especially if the property is governed by a Homeowners Association (HOA).

So, what’s a renter to do? Add some simple, no-to-low damage shelves to make room for décor accents, accessories, and house plants that reinforce your design choices.

Shop around for freestanding bookshelves, baskets, or use under-the-bed storage bins to free up additional space and declutter the areas of your home where items are stacking up. Search for furniture that doubles as storage, like an open-top ottoman or a side table with a drawer or shelf.

Blinds and Curtains

How you decorate your windows can greatly personalize your rental. Consider swapping out your blinds for curtains to add a splash of color and a more regal aesthetic to your living space. But don’t be too quick to throw away your blinds—you may not get your entire security deposit back! Before making these kinds of changes, or adding hardware like curtain rods, be sure to ask your landlord for permission.

A young man relaxes in the living room of his rental looking out his window with beige curtains and house plants around him

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: Adene Sanchez

Accessorize

When decorating, it’s the smaller things like pillows, throws, candles, and books that will really tie your home together and make it feel unique to you. If you’re able to change your light fixtures, it can make a world of difference. Find the right lighting by thinking about what temperature of light appeals to you, and whether you want accent, task, or ambient lighting.

Gallery Wall

Hanging up your art collection with hooks and nails can damage the walls, so be sure to use a stud finder to make the process of creating a gallery wall easier. And besides, when you’re preparing to move out, a few hanging holes from nails and screws is nothing that a little spackling paste, a putty knife, some sandpaper, and a new coat of paint can’t fix.

Again, ask your landlord before you add any holes in the home. When you’re touring, ask the landlord to keep the existing holes in the walls so you can use them, or ask if you can get the paint color information so you can patch and make touch ups yourself. Many landlords keep matching wall and trim paint on hand for such instances.

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: KatarzynaBialasiewicz

Carpet and Flooring

If your flooring is worn, cracked, or damaged in any way, there’s likely little you can do to replace it other than documenting the damage and running it up the flagpole. Fortunately, you have carte blanche to decorate with carpeting as you please. Carpets also serve as a protective layer to avoid further damage to your floors during your tenancy.

Bolder rug materials like shag, tufted cotton, and wool will automatically make your space cozier. If your choice in carpeting is more driven by style, consider vibrant colors, bold patterns, or geometric area rugs to spice things up.

For more tips on home design, read our blog post on Colorful Modern Design Trends for Your Home.

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: Capuski

Living • October 11, 2022

How to Handle Asbestos in Your Home

by Don Koonce

Throughout the mid twentieth century, asbestos was commonly used throughout the homebuilding process. It was typically used as insulation, but would also pop up in vinyl flooring, cement siding, walls, pipes—you name it. After it was discovered that inhaling asbestos fibers has serious health effects, its domestic production slowed, and legislation was put forth to ban it altogether.

However, just like lead paint, homes that were built in the asbestos era still carry a dormant risk. If your home contains asbestos, you should be aware of its dangers, how to handle it, and how to go about removing it safely.

How to Handle Asbestos in Your Home

Having asbestos material in your home is not inherently hazardous if the material is left undisturbed. So, if your asbestos material is intact and in good condition, the best thing to do is to leave it be. However, the moment asbestos material becomes damaged—either from degrading over time or because of a sudden accident—it becomes dangerous. Once asbestos fibers are released, it can spell trouble for you and your household.

Testing for Asbestos

If you find damaged asbestos material, you should cordon off the area to the best of your ability to limit exposure. If restricting the area means you could disturb the asbestos, then it’s best to refrain from interacting with it and let a professional handle it.

DIY asbestos testing is possible, but it can be highly toxic if you don’t take the proper precautions. An asbestos inspector will conduct a thorough examination of your home to determine the extent of its presence and provide their recommended course of action. It is advised to test for asbestos before making an addition or a large-scale remodel to your home.

Asbestos removal professionals wearing white protective suits pry open the exterior siding of a home.

Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: ricochet64

Removing Asbestos

You can either repair existing asbestos exposure or have it removed. Repairs can be cheaper in the short term but may simply be prolonging the inevitable. Making repairs on your own is generally not recommended, since the slightest mishandling of the exposed asbestos can create a much bigger problem.

When it comes to removing asbestos, you’ll want to enlist the help of a professional. As with any contractor, ask for quotes and make comparisons before deciding who you’ll hire. Before the job is finalized, have your home tested to ensure that all asbestos has been safely removed from the premises.

For more tips on home safety, home maintenance, and avoiding dangers caused by the systems in your home, read our blog post on How to Prevent and Deal with Mold.

Featured Image Source: Getty Images – Image Credit: BanksPhotos