Staging Strategies For Your Home

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Staging your home is all about putting the best foot forward for potential buyers. By highlighting its most desirable features, you can draw more interest for your home and leave a lasting impression that is sure to help you sell it more quickly. Here’s what you should keep in mind as you prepare for your next open house or viewing!

Help them visualize it as their own. Make it easier for buyers to imagine themselves making your house their home by removing personal memorabilia, knick-knacks, and photos. Instead replace them with simple décor, such as paintings, nature images, and plants.

Think sleek instead of comfy. Modern-day buyers are leaning toward modern, crisp, clean interiors over comfy, homey looks. When staging your home, keep a minimalist mindset and incorporate bright colors and metal accents.

Deep clean the small spaces. It’s obvious to say you should clean your home before viewing, but don’t forget to cover your bases by deep cleaning the small spots. Take time to scrub porous areas like grout that may hold on to stains and baseboards where small pet hairs and dust love to cling.

Spruce up your landscaping. The first impression of your home gives to potential buyers is its exterior. Ensure you have a freshly mowed lawn, neat hedges and shrubbery, bright flowers, and a clean driveway.

Set the mood. A home is so much more than just the way it looks, so you need to appeal to the other senses. Prior to having potential buyers over, set the mood by burning delicious smelling candles and selecting an upbeat, happy soundtrack to play in the background.

JUST LISTED IN PLEASANTON! UPDATED CONDO @ $419,000! LOWEST PRICED PROPERTY IN PLEASANTON!

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3466 Smoketree Commons Dr, Pleasanton, CA

$419,000 | 1 bed | 1 bath | 648 SqFt

Fabulous top floor condo located near Historic Downtown Pleasanton. Lots of updates! Corner unit overlooking trees and park. Vaulted ceilings create a nice open feel. New quartz countertops in kitchen and bathroom. New faucets and sinks as well. New stylish tile floors in kitchen, bathroom and entry. Newer carpet. New 5 inch baseboards. All interior walls, doors, cabinets and fireplace repainted. New interior door and cabinet hardware. Replaced all light switches and outlets. New shower head and shower doors. Cedar flooring in closets. Installed new space efficient shelving system in master bedroom closet. New furnace. Replaced water heater. Newer kitchen appliances including refrigerator, dishwasher, stove and oven, garbage disposal, stackable washer and dryer plus microwave mounted over stove w/dedicated electrical circuit. All this plus a 1-car garage and garage shelving w/exterior access including large hall closet and outside closet for extra storage. Nestled in a secluded setting just minutes to downtown.

FULL LISTING

SALE PENDING IN ALAMEDA!

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817 Park St, Alameda, CA 94501

$850,000 | 2 beds | 1 bath | 1,078 SqFt

Charming and delightful home filled with nostalgic character! Many quality improvements and upgrades make this property truly special. Wonderful front porch to enjoy and relax in. Tasteful exterior and interior paint colors, gleaming hardwood floors, refinished kitchen cabinets and pleasant garden back yard are all so pleasing to the eye! Major benefits include newer central air conditioning system, furnace, duct work, dual pane widows, insulation, security system, water heater, roof, driveway and fencing. Wonderful location in the heart of the city as well!!

FULL LISTING

SALE PENDING IN 3 DAYS IN PLEASANT HILL!

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324 Grapevine Pl, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523


$549,000 | 2 beds | 2 baths | 1,133 SqFt

Tucked away in a lovely enclave of this special neighborhood, is a home that is delightfully charming! Step inside and experience the bright and open floor plan with attractive flooring and lighting that is so appealing and efficiently functional as well. Freshly painted interior and extensively updated. The renovated white kitchen is a true joy! Both bedrooms upstairs feature vaulted ceilings and open to a pleasant deck/balcony. No rear neighbors and a sense of “country”. Also plenty of greenbelt and walking paths to enjoy! Great location and close to shopping, dining, commute access and services.

FULL LISTING

SALE PENDING IN 6 DAYS IN DUBLIN!

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11576 Manzanita Ln, Dublin, CA 94568

$1,075,000 | 4 beds | 3 baths | 1,936 SqFt

Beautiful home on the cutting edge!! Updated and renovated to please the most discriminating Buyer! Great location in the much sought after west side. Very practical floor plan with a very trendy decor. Gorgeous, modern kitchen with all the conveniences to please. The main floor features one bedroom plus a full bath. The flooring and all 3 baths have been tastefully updated. Lovely grounds, including a pleasant, good size back yard. There are great views all around as well! Located close to schools, shopping, dining, services, commute access and BART. Don’t miss this great home – it shouldn’t last too long on the market!!

FULL LISTING

SOLD OVER ASKING PRICE OF $1,749,000 BEFORE GOING ON THE MARKET!

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319 Amelia Ln, Danville, CA 94506

$1,749,000 | 5 beds | 3 baths | 3,469 SqFt

Located in the desirable Oakgate Community, this home has 5 bedrooms (one on the main level), 3 full baths (one on the main level), 3 car garage, approx 3500 square feet, situated on approx 1/3 acre lot. Open floor plan with updates throughout, relaxing pool, walking distance to Diablo Vista Middle School, short drive to Blackhawk Plaza and all the great shops and restaurants! CALL ME FOR MORE INFO!

How To Decide If It’s Time To Replace Your Windows and Where To Get Started

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Before you dive into replacing your windows, the first step is to carefully evaluate the pros and cons. Replacing your windows is no small investment. The average cost to replace the windows in a home is in the five-figure range. Even if replacing your windows results in huge energy savings, it can take years and years for the investment to pay off.

If you’re truly ready to replace them—whether it’s for energy and comfort, an aesthetic upgrade, or your current windows are simply beyond repair—here are a few things to keep in mind.

Pick the right materials
Window materials include vinyl, fiberglass, composite, wood, and aluminum. There are several factors that should go into deciding on the best material for your home, such as durability, energy efficiency, maintenance requirements, and even the style of your home. Some materials look great on one architectural style, but totally clash with others.

Carefully consider add-on features
Beyond choosing a window material and style, you’ll face another series of choices for add-on features. There are impact-resistant windows, extra panes, gas-filled windows, climate control coatings, and more. Most add-ons will significantly increase the price for each window, and in many instances, the long-term savings don’t justify the extra cost. Do the math and consider how long it will take for the extra features to pay for themselves.

Spice Up Your Kitchen With A Pop Of Color

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In the past few years, the biggest kitchen trends revolved around stainless steel appliances, bright white or light gray cupboards, granite countertops, and minimalist decor, maintaining a clean, sleek look. And although this style maintains its popularity among homeowners, color is creeping its way back to the forefront. But it is definitely not how you’d expect.

Introducing the rise of colored appliances. Consumers have been asking and kitchen appliance manufacturers have listened. Instead of your standard white, black, and stainless steel, these companies are now producing baby blue ovens, green vent hoods, pink standing mixers, teal grills, and more. Some of these companies have produced specific color lines while others are going above and beyond, offering the ability to match any color swatch or metal treatment you wish.

On top of these pops of color, according to BHG.com, consumer research indicated a 150 percent increase in interest in shades of metallic, including brass and copper, and a 364 percent increase in interest in gold cabinetry.

However, a brand new appliance may be outside your budget, especially if you are a new homeowner. Not to worry! There is always the infallible accent wall, counter base, or pantry door. This cost-effective, do-it-yourself option is an easy way to refresh the look of your kitchen. You can also consider bringing in bright-colored stools or chairs or introducing bold tiles into your backsplash.

Create A More Energy-efficient Home Without Breaking The Bank

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Many homeowners would love to invest in making their property more energy-efficient. Going green can save you a lot of money over time and is great for the environment, but the up-front costs can be significant. Fortunately, there are some energy-efficient changes you can make to your home without draining too much of your bank account.

Seal air leaks: As much as 20 percent of the energy used to regulate temperature in a home can be lost to air leaks. You can seal doors and windows with weather stripping and the project will usually cost less than $200.

Smart thermostats: Older thermostats are usually inefficient because they only have a few settings. A smart thermostat like Nest can be programmed to reduce heating/cooling when you’re not at home or during the hours when you’re asleep. The energy savings you will see usually equal the cost of the thermostat after a year or two.

Change your light bulbs: LED light bulbs are expensive, but require just a small percentage of the energy incandescent bulbs require. A cheap incandescent bulb uses about $15 of electricity a year (if it lasts that long). An LED bulb costs $25, but uses less than $5 worth of electricity per year and will last up to 11 years.