Living • May 9, 2024

Easy Earth-Friendly Energy Fixes

by Don Koonce

There are plenty of good reasons to make your house a little greener, including saving money on energy expenses and ensuring a more livable planet for future generations. No matter what your motivation, making eco-friendly changes doesn’t have to be a daunting proposition.

The following relatively simple tips will help to not only reduce your carbon footprint to realize savings but also bring the peace of mind that comes from making smart choices for the environment.

Reduce Water Usage

For many homeowners, the highest utility expense is the water bill. We all know that taking shorter showers and only running the dishwasher when it’s full can help reduce water usage, but there are other ways to find savings.

If you are an ardent gardener, collect water in a rain barrel during the wetter months to use on plants and yards when outside temperatures go up. Installing a low-flow or dual-flush toilet (or retrofitting your existing toilets) can also reduce the amount of water that goes down the drain.

More tips on reducing water, click here.

Invest in Energy Star® Appliances

If your appliances—including your washer and dryer, refrigerator, water heater, or television—are more than ten years old, buying new ones could be all it takes to save money.

For an even bigger bang for your buck, invest in Energy Star appliances. To be certified as Energy Star, appliances must meet strict standards for energy efficiency set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The upfront cost of these products can be a little heftier than other appliances, but rebates and federal tax credits can help offset that initial expense.

Get a Smart Thermostat

Many thermostats have a scheduling feature to help manage your heating and cooling. This can be helpful if you have a consistent daily routine of when you will be home and out of the house to save energy during the hours when you’re away or asleep.

You can now find thermostats that meet the EPA’s criteria for energy efficiency. Energy Star smart thermostats are Wi-Fi-enabled and give you better control over the heating and cooling of your home. Many of these options have apps on your smartphone that give you the power to adjust from your fingertips. And over time, they can learn your preferences, including times you are away from home and when you sleep, to improve efficiency. They can also provide insight into your energy usage so you can make adjustments yourself for optimal performance.

Plant a Tree or Two

Trees not only suck carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere while producing the oxygen we need for fresh air, but they also provide shade for homes in the summer months, which can cut down on the time you need to run an air-conditioning unit or the AC function of your HVAC system. Plant trees on the south and west side of your home for the best results. Trees that shed their leaves in the fall can provide mulch for your yard or garden, thus reducing the amount you’ll need to water them in the summer and fall.

For other ideas on creating a more sustainable home to bring your energy expenses down, read 7 Tips for Sustainable Living at Home.

Interior Design • May 7, 2024

Protecting Your Home’s Air Quality

by Don Koonce

Most of us tend to think of air pollution as something that occurs outdoors where car exhaust and factory fumes proliferate, but there’s such a thing as indoor air pollution, too. Since the 1950s, the number of synthetic chemicals used in home products have increased drastically, while homes have become much tighter and better insulated. As a result, the EPA estimates that Americans, on average, spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors, where the concentrations of some pollutants are often two to five times higher than typical outdoor concentrations.

Luckily, there are many ways to reduce indoor air pollution. We all know that buying organic and natural home materials and cleaning supplies can improve the air quality in our homes, but there are several other measures you can take as well.

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Real Estate News & Information • May 2, 2024

Ten Qualities to Look For in Your Real Estate Agent

by Don Koonce

Windermere Blog:

Buying a home is one of the most significant financial and emotional purchases of a person’s life. That’s why it is so important to find an agent that can not only help you navigate the home search process but one who can also answer your questions and represent your needs from start to finish. Most importantly, your agent should care about your happiness and ensuring that you find the home that best fits your needs.

Here are some qualities to consider when selecting a real estate agent:

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Buyers • DIY • April 29, 2024

Buying with Gardening in Mind

by Don Koonce

Every home buyer has a list of must-have amenities that they’re just not willing to compromise on. For some, it could be an open floor plan or maybe a certain number of bedrooms. For others, that priority is a place to garden.

A garden provides a place where one can nurture the earth, feel connected to other living things, and have a positive impact on the environment. If you’re a home buyer who requires space to garden, here are a few things to consider:

The Hardiness Zone

When searching for a home, location is always high on the list of priorities, and for gardeners, it’s no different. If having a garden is important to you, the first thing you should do is check the hardiness zone to determine what you can realistically grow at any home you are considering buying.

Hardiness Zones are used by gardeners and growers around the United States to determine which plants will grow best in their region. The USDA uses the average annual minimum water temperature in the area to establish the zones, making it a great place to start when looking for your next garden.

Hardiness Zones don’t change by street like neighborhoods do but knowing where you are in the zones map can be a helpful guide to what to expect, especially if you’re moving to a completely new region.

Outdoor Space

Your Windermere agent will be able to use a combination of property metrics, photos, and land surveys to help narrow down your search to homes with adequate outdoor space for a garden.

Ask your agent about lot size versus the home size to make sure there is enough land to build and sustain a garden. Prior to visiting homes in person, check the exterior photos to get an idea of the area.

Local Wildlife

Local wildlife organizations have resources about the animals that might appear in your backyard. Knowing this will not only help you protect your veggies, herbs, and other plantings, but also aid in creating a wildlife-friendly sanctuary. The National Wildlife Foundation offers suggestions on how to do this and offers tips on how to attract songbirds and butterflies to your garden.

Infrastructure Requirements

Depending on the size of your garden, you may need to set up appropriate infrastructure for easier care, like a sprinkler system, raised beds, or outbuildings. If the land is uneven, consider installing raised beds that will help flatten the growing surface for your veggies and fickle flowers. A greenhouse can help you control humidity and light levels but be sure to consider the construction costs alongside your home loan amount.

Living • April 25, 2024

A Quick Guide to Urban Farming

by Don Koonce

Urban farming can be a fun way to produce your own nutritious and sustainable food supply for your household while learning about self-sufficiency and gardening. Though urban farming likely won’t replace your household’s entire food intake, it is an environmentally friendly complement that can help lower your reliance upon commercial grocery stores over time.

A Quick Guide to Urban Farming

What is urban farming?

Urban farming or urban agriculture comes in many forms. Whether it’s a backyard or rooftop garden, a community agricultural space, or a small balcony plot, urban farming is the practice of cultivating food by those who live in cities or densely populated areas. Typically using raised garden beds to house produce, urban farming promotes sustainability, health, and a connection to nature. Whether you’re looking to grow a few simple fruits and vegetables or seek to cultivate a flourishing garden, here’s how you can get started.

Plot Out Your Garden

Whether you have a spacious backyard waiting to be tilled into gardening heaven or a smaller, unused section of your flower beds, how much space you’re working with will determine the arrangement of your urban farm. Research the crops you intend to plant and how much space they require, then take measurements in your gardening space before buying materials. Your raised gardening beds should be anywhere from six to thirty-six inches deep. Keeping them less than four feet wide will make it easier to reach across when watering, weeding, and planting.

Planting Your Garden

Once you’ve plotted out your garden space, there are a series of decisions to make about your garden; namely which crops you want to grow, how you’ll pot other plants and flowers, whether you’re going to start from seeds or seedlings, and deciding between manual and automatic watering. If you’re starting from seeds, know that the growing process will take longer, whereas seedlings can help to speed things up. Creating an automatic watering system requires an upfront investment, but you’ll save time, and you won’t have worry about under-watering or dehydrating your garden.

Raising Chickens and Keeping Bees

Keeping animals on your property presents new opportunities for sustenance, but it also introduces new challenges. Two animals urban farmers often choose to raise are chickens and bees, which take up a lot less space that other livestock. Before starting either venture, check your local zoning laws.

If you intend to raise chickens, you’ll need to build a coop first. The size of your chicken coop will depend on whether your chickens are able to forage outside the coop or not. If you have the space to let the chickens out, allow two to three square feet per bird in the coop. If the chickens must stay in the coop, you’ll want to make sure they have plenty of space, so it’s recommended to allow five to ten square feet per bird.

The key features of a chicken coop include roosts, nest boxes, dust baths, lighting, and protection from local predators. Search online or locally for pre-made chicken coops that fit your property’s needs or make it a DIY project. A commercial poultry feed will provide your chickens with the basic nutrients they need, but keep in mind that many foods outside of their normal diet can alter egg flavor and have adverse health effects. So, if you’re thinking about incorporating table scraps into their diet, make sure those foods agree with their systems before doing so.

To keep bees at home, start by reaching out to local beekeeping associations to inquire about purchasing bees and when you can expect your colony to arrive. Once you have a timeline set, you can go about gathering supplies. There are two common hive systems used for keeping bees: a Langstroth hive; which is a system of stacked rectangular boxes with removable frames, and a top-bar hive; which is a series of horizontally connected boxes. Gear up by purchasing protective beekeeping clothing, tools, and feeding supplies. After you introduce your bees to their new hive, continually monitor their behavior and tend to their seasonal needs. Spring is generally the best time of year to start a hive, since it gives bees plenty of time to build up their colony and produce and store honey before winter arrives.

For more information on sustainable gardening practices, read our blog post below:

10 Tips for Sustainable Gardening

SOLD • April 23, 2024

PENDING: Brand New Columbia City Home

by Don Koonce

5907 44th Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98118
$910,000

MLS #2206014
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Size: 1,920 sqft
Days on OneHome: 41

CHARMING BRAND NEW 4Bd/3Ba Listing in Columbia City! Fully Fenced & Gated Oasis in the City w/Covered Front Porch, Back Deck, Lawn & Garden spaces. Refreshed Liv & Din Rms w/Laminate Floors plus 1Bd/1Full Bath on Main w/NEW Kitchen w/Espresso Cabs, Quartz Counters, Full Tile Backsplash, SS Appliance Package w/Large Island which opens to Private Outdoor Living Space w/New Deck. Upper Primary Bd w/En Suite Full Bath w/Custom Tile + 2nd Bd. Fully Finished Basement w/Sep Entry, 2nd Kit w/Quartz, Tile, SS, Dining, Fam Rm, 1Bd/1 Full Bath w/Custom Tile + Laundry Rm. Rare 1-Car Garage + 1-Car Off Street Parking Space. Remodel Includes: NEW Windows, Roof, Insulation, Furnce, Lighting, Appliances, Floors, Finishes & White-Painted Millwork & Doors.

Sellers • April 17, 2024

Seven Steps to Yard Sale Success

by Don Koonce

As you prepare to sell your house and move to a new one, you may be taking a fresh look at your belongings. You might be wondering how they’ll work in the new home or if you’ll need to upgrade to new ones. If you’re staging your current home and need to declutter, you are probably considering which items you can live without. A yard sale is a great way to get rid of old items, reduce what you have to move with you, and make room for the new. Here are some tips to make your yard sale a success.

Determine What to Sell

A good rule of thumb when deciding what you want to sell is, if you haven’t used it in more than a year, get rid of it. This doesn’t hold true for keepsakes and heirlooms, but if it’s not sparking joy and it’s been in storage for a year or more, add it to the “for sale” pile.

Make It a Neighborhood Event

Consider contacting your neighbors to coordinate having one large neighborhood sale on the same day. This will help attract more buyers. Have each participating household pitch in a few bucks for signage you can post around the area directing people to your sales. When the buyers have left and you’re finished packing up, bring out the grills and make it a block party!

Helpful hint: check your local laws or HOA rules to see if you need permits for a community sale or outdoor party.

Get the Whole Family Involved

If you have kids and they want to sell some of their things, have them help by putting price stickers on their items or, depending on their age, making change when people pay for their purchases. If you aren’t selling children’s items but you have young ones who still want to be involved, help them set up a lemonade stand or host a small bake sale.

Promote on Social Media

Create a Facebook event page and invite all your friends. Tweet about it and create a fun hashtag, then offer a prize to those who repost about your sale. Post a carousel of the images for sale on Instagram. Use Nextdoor or another neighborhood app to invite people you may not know in other neighborhoods. Whatever old knick-knacks you may uncover are sure to be a hit for somebody, and spreading the word of your sale beyond those who are nearby will help them find you.

Offer Multiple Payment Options

Not everyone carries cash these days. If you offer them the ability to pay via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, or another peer-to-peer payment platform, you’ll make more sales. You’re also more likely to turn passers-by into buyers, especially if they are walking or on a bicycle and aren’t carrying their wallet.

Be Flexible with Prices

Decide which, if any, big-ticket items you will not haggle over, and then be willing to adjust your prices and leave room for some friendly negotiation for everything else. The idea is to get rid of things—not get rich.

Donate the Leftovers

After your sale is over, do not put the leftovers back in your house, garage, or storage. Immediately box or bag them up and drive them to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or other donation center. That way, there is no chance of procrastination, second guessing, or keeping things you do not need.

Real Estate News & Information • April 11, 2024

Local Market Update – April 2024

by Don Koonce

It’s the time of year when for-sale signs typically start popping up like tulips and daffodils. Houses show well in the spring, just as the number of homebuyers peaks and sellers feel more ready to list. While we are seeing the market thaw this spring, challenges remain, especially for buyers. There remain more buyers in the market than available homes, an imbalance that’s driving up prices despite mortgage rates that still hover in the upper six-percent range.

Following suit from the prior two months, King County home and condo prices rose again in March. The median residential sold price of a single-family home was $945,000, up 13% from a year ago. The percent of homes selling above asking price increased by 14% year over year, with those properties selling in less than a week. Supply dropped to just 0.8 months of inventory, feeding the competition for single-family homes. King County condo prices also jumped last month, with the median sold price up 7% from a year ago, to $540,000.

Seattle’s supply of available homes – as measured in months of inventory – remained stable month to month. The median sold price for a Seattle single-family home landed at $925,000 in March, up 10% from a year ago. Conversely there was a 4% month-over-month drop in the portion of homes selling above asking price, yet nearly 60% of sold homes still closed at or above asking price. Seattle condo prices leapt by 10% year over year, up to $587,500, despite there being 19% more active listings than there were a year ago.

Eastside single-family home prices jumped 19% in March compared to a year ago, up from $1,411,500 last year to $1,682,500 this year. Competition remains fierce among Eastside buyers, with more than half of all sold homes closing above asking price, and 85% going under contract in 30 days or fewer. At 0.6 months of supply, inventory is very low, having decreased by 46% year over year. Eastside condo prices increased at a more modest pace last month, up 4% year over year, from a median of $585,000 to $610,000.

The median sold price of a Snohomish County single-family home rose to $760,000 in February, up 5% from a year prior. Supply – as measured in months of inventory – remained low at 0.6, resulting in almost half of all sold homes closing above list price and 83% going under contract in 30 days or fewer. Snohomish condo prices also rose, up 4% year over year, from $495,000 to $515,000 last month.

In this spring market, buyers who find a home they love will typically need to be prepared to act fast and compete against multiple offers. The current market’s dynamics are fueled by low supply, with not enough new listings coming on the market to offset the number of listings going under contract each month. Prospective home and condo sellers may be motivated by the multiple offers, fast market times and higher sold prices being generated by so much buyer competition. But many still wait on the sidelines, watching to see when mortgage rates drop so they can feel better about giving up their current lower rate in order to jump back into the market.

When faced with a fast-moving and shifting market, it’s important to have a knowledgeable expert by your side. Your Windermere broker is ready to provide the insight you need regarding your local market, as well as the context and direction to help you make the best decisions as either buyer or seller.

More.

Design • April 9, 2024

Decorating for a Stress-Free Home

by Don Koonce

Your home should be your sanctuary—a place to relax, spend time with loved ones, and unwind from the stresses of everyday life. But with many of us working from home, even partially, the lines between life and work can become blurry. And with other stressors bleeding over into personal time, home can start to feel less like a sanctuary and more like the focal point for life’s anxieties.

If you are looking to reduce stress when you’re home and turn your space back into a place of respite, a few DIY redecorating projects could do the trick.

Lighting

How we light our homes (and when we turn the lights off) can have an enormous impact on our mental health. Natural light from unobstructed windows is ideal for boosting your mood during the day, but if you don’t have many windows or prefer your privacy, lamps that produce warm light can be soothing.

Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the best ways to manage stress. Once the sun sets, dim the lights in your house and use blackout curtains to achieve full darkness while you sleep. Avoid lightbulbs that claim to mimic daylight unless you are using them for Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter months.

Décor idea: Turn off overhead lighting and invest in lamps with variable or dimmable light settings.

Declutter

Though some homeowners are bucking the trends for simple and opting for a “maximalist” style, clutter stresses many of us out. You can go through your house and get rid of all the items that aren’t sparking joy, or you can invest in attractive storage systems that allow you to hold onto your things while keeping them organized. At the very least, make sure you don’t have “to do” stacks or piles in the bedroom.

Décor idea: Try a flip-top bench in hallways or at the foot of your bed to hide away infrequently used items.

Cozy bedroom with made bed in the center and clean bed side tables on either side. Hanging sconces have are on with warm light, creating a stress-free space.

Example of a clean bedroom with warm lighting and a bench at the foot of the bed. Image Source: AI Generated Image for Inspiration Only

Feng Shui

The ancient art of Feng Shui has been helping people create calm inside their homes for thousands of years. Whether or not you believe that sleeping with the head of your bed on the north wall of the bedroom promotes deeper sleep, it’s hard to argue with other Feng Shui practices. One such principle is bringing nature indoors. This can be accomplished with living plants or even art featuring wilderness landscapes.

Décor idea: Select one wall in your home and devote it to photographs of living plants or natural settings.

Rounded shapes

Though clean lines and order may feel comforting to some, too many right angles can be overly stimulating. Circles and ovals, on the other hand, feel more organic and soothing. While you may not be able to round out the corners or entry ways in your home, you can add round touches with circular ottomans, oval frames for mirrors and art, and spherical elements such as a globe or orbs on a bookshelf.

Décor idea: Consider wallpaper or wall designs the include flowing, organic shapes such as wood grain or florals.

Color

The hues and shades you use in your home can have the biggest impact on your mood. Bright colors can be energizing, and reds are great for stimulating appetites in kitchen and dining rooms. But if you are looking to bring a sense of calm to a room, muted shades of blue and green or earth tones are best. Don’t mistake “muted” for “light” though; deep ocean blues and forest greens can be soothing while still making a statement.

Décor idea: If you’re hesitant to commit to painting a whole room, experiment with calming colors by incorporating throw blankets, pillows, and artwork.

Buyers • April 3, 2024

Eco-friendly Upgrades to Consider When Buying a Home

by Don Koonce

Buying a home is one of the largest investments you’ll make in your lifetime, which is why it’s important to take a long-term approach when looking at potential properties. In addition to imagining what your living situation will be over the next few decades and how your future home will accommodate it, you may also want to consider the impact you and your household will have on the environment.

Whether you’re buying a fixer-upper, a home that is move-in ready, or something in between, here are some eco-conscious things to consider as you’re shopping for a home.

HVAC Systems

How you heat and cool your home’s interior is one of the biggest contributors to your energy expenditure.

As you look at homes, be sure to look at the furnace, heat pump, or AC unit. Are they up to date or could you replace them with something more efficient? If you have the opportunity, check to see how well insulated the house is. If that’s not an option, be sure to ask during the home inspection to see if there is enough to keep your home warm in winter and keep the heat out during warmer weather.

If you are one of the many would-be homeowners who are considering going solar, look for homes that have a significant area—usually the roof—that faces to the south and isn’t obstructed by trees or taller houses.

Appliances

In most cases, the home you purchase will come with the appliances that are already in it. Do the homes you’re viewing have Energy Star-certified appliances in the kitchen and laundry room? If not, is upgrading to a more energy-efficient oven, refrigerator, washing machine, or dryer in your budget?

. And be sure to look for rebates or tax credits in your city or state that reward these kinds of upgrades.

Windows

It doesn’t matter how efficient your heating and cooling systems are if your windows are letting the air escape through leaks in the seals or old, thin glass. Upgrading to properly sealed dual-paned windows can seem costly, but the savings in energy bills will quickly show an ROI. Tax credits and rebates may apply here as well.

More: Top Things to Consider When Choosing Your Window Style

Roof

If the home you’re making an offer on needs a new roof, you have lots of eco-friendly options to consider. Homes in sunnier climates could see energy savings by installing a “cool” roof that absorbs less heat due to its light or white color. Today’s roofing can be made of reclaimed materials, including recycled shingles, slate, or tile. These may cost a little more, but the peace of mind you get from keeping these things out of landfills is priceless.

If you’ve got a green thumb and want to show it off with the top of your house, a living roof may be right for you. Living roofs rely on native vegetation to both clean the air and insulate the home as well as absorb rainwater. This kind of roof is best for houses with less of an angled profile and that have easy access to the roof for regular maintenance.

Landscaping

The greenest yard isn’t the one with the most luxurious grass; it’s the one that requires the least amount of water and chemicals to maintain. Native plants and xeriscaping are natural choices for low-maintenance outdoor spaces. You can also consider gravel, paving stones, or turf instead of grass and decorate with large rocks or reclaimed wood. Trees that shed their leaves in the fall provide shade in the summer months, habitats for hibernating animals and insects in winter, and mulch for the rest of your yard in the spring.

More: Landscaping Tips that Can Increase Your Home’s Value

Water Heater

We all love a warm shower, of course, but traditional water heaters are one of the least efficient appliances in our homes. Heating up water takes a lot of energy and keeping it at a high temperature takes even more. Tankless water heaters, on the other hand, heat water on demand rather than wasting energy to maintain it. In addition to the energy savings, tankless water heaters mean you never run out of hot water—no more frigid showers!