CasaSugar

Open House: Home Ownership Blues?

CasaSugar — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 04:30:00 -0700

I'm sure that, like me, you've been following the news of the mortgage crisis in the United States, and the drop in home prices due to it. Even if you don't want to follow it, you can't help but hear the coverage! While lower home prices are potentially good news for home buyers with stellar credit and a down payment, it's not so great for folks who bought their houses during the housing boom. We bought our home four years ago, and while our home has appreciated in value, thanks in part to work we've put into it and its great location, it certainly has been affected by the market downturn. Unfortunately, I also know some people who bought their house at a higher price than it's now worth, thanks to the market downturn.

What about you? Do you own your home? Does the downturn in the real estate market have you singing the home ownership blues? If you don't own, are you happy about it? Will you take advantage of the lower home prices now? Has the housing downturn affected your ability to sell your current home, or make a cross-country move? Tell me by commenting below.

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Before and After: A DIY Kitchen Reno

CasaSugar — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:15 -0700

Su Casa member and ambitious home renovator Jenn1979 and her husband recently bought a home. However, they also assumed ownership of a not-so-pretty, poorly working kitchen in the process.

Jenn writes, "We bought our house just over a year ago. It was built in 1900, and the kitchen had been partially renovated sometime in the '50s or '60s. The faucet had very little water pressure, there was only one small drawer (the rest were fakes), and the countertops were only 32 inches high with only 15 inches between top and bottom cabinets. Plus, the ventilation for the stovetop was the ceiling fan (which was also the main source of light)."

To see how Jenn and her hubby took this kitchen from dysfunctional to fabulous, read more.

With a lot of hard work, the new kitchen looks great. Jenn and her husband demo-ed everything, and then rewired the kitchen themselves to bring it up to code. One of the real wow factors, in my opinion, is Jenn's smart decision to rip up the vinyl floors and refinish the original, beautiful fir floors.

It took Jenn and her husband seven months of "weekend warriorism" (as Jenn aptly describes it) to rebuild their kitchen, but their efforts were well worth it. Now, the kitchen has 11 drawers instead of one, as well as a coffee bar, additional counterspace, a new window over the sink, a baking nook with butcher block and beadboard behind the fridge, and a lot more lighting. Amazing effort and result!

Have you joined my Su Casa group yet? Show off your home reno projects, just like Jenn did!

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DIY: Quick Fix For Pet-Gnawed Sofa

CasaSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:30:54 -0700

For those of us who live with a cat or a dog, the joys of pet ownership are nearly endless. There's the thrill of returning home from a busy day to an enthusiastic pup, or the contentment of having a kitty curl up in your lap while you're reading at night. However, one thing that both cats and dogs are often guilty of doing is wrecking furniture. Even though my dog isn't allowed on the furniture while we're home, we still have to throw a sheet over the sofa because we know that as soon as we close the door and leave for work, Ozzie will jump up on the sofa and settle in. It's even more of a bummer when a pet rips up furniture.

Instead of replacing her sofa when her dog went a little nuts on it, one Craftster member came up with a creative solution to remedy her ripped sofa arm. To see what she did, read more.

With the use of some felt and her glue gun, Craftster member Wristslapsandtoetaps was able to create a whimsical, unique solution for her doggie-ripped sofa. I think that her solution goes perfectly with her Dwell Studio For Target bird pillows.

For the whole story, as well as pictures of the cute pup who did the damage, check out the story on Craftster.

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Five Tips For Increasing the Property Value of Your Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 09:15:09 -0700

In anticipation of the new TLC series Hope For Your Home, which premieres this Saturday, I thought I'd share with you host Kirsten Kemp Becker's five tips for increasing the value of your property. A veteran Realtor, author and real estate company, and owner of a successful design company, Becker knows a thing or two about acclimating your home to the current economic climate. Here's a few ways she says you can do so yourself:

Plants on the outside. "The most economic way to achieve curb appeal is by refining your landscaping at the front of your house and by making sure the front door is the focal point. Guests, buyers, and appraisers will take notice of the entry experience and homeowners/sellers need to establish that emotional connection from the moment they pull up to your home. Remember the details: trim weeds, fix broken screens, hide the trash cans from view, and plant some fresh flowers in prominent planters."

There's four more where this came from, so read more.

Paint on the inside. "The biggest transformation in the shortest period of time results from paint. It can lighten a room, create an accent wall, and provide flow from one space to another."
- "If you can't afford new lighting or higher ceilings try painting a neutral color on the walls and a shade lighter on the ceiling."
- "To give a room a focal point or create more drama around one wall, try your hand at some color by painting it a shade of chocolate or charcoal to achieve a designer's touch."
- "If you can't afford to remodel the entire house and change your floor plan to make each room transition smoothly, try using the same shade of paint in all the public areas and down hallways - consistency of tone adds a feeling of congruency and openness."

Kitchens and baths. "Invest time and money into updating kitchens and bathrooms, but it doesn't mean ripping it all out and starting over - you can enhance what is already there. Learn to distract buyers' eyes from that which is not perfect by directing them towards areas that have been completely updated. A coat of paint and new hardware on existing cabinets and bathroom vanities can instantly update dated countertops tiles and fixtures. Take it one step further by using epoxy over existing tile or regrout to avoid demolishing and installing new tile, which saves time and money."

Declutter. "Stick with the timeless tried and true paint colors, accessories, and furniture in order to maximize the length of time and enjoyment out of your investment. Paramount to this is how you maintain your home. There is nothing like clutter to bury a home's value. If a professional can't see the space, appreciate the finishes or easily navigate around personal belongings and oversized furniture, they can't appraise it or sell it for top dollar."

Clean, clean, then clean again. "Even if a house has a poor floor plan, limited landscaping, or outdated bathrooms and kitchens, everything looks more valuable when it is well maintained and dust free. Pride of ownership shines through in a house that is clean and well cared for, which translates into higher profits in a sale and more attractive loan options for a refinance."

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Casa Beta: Ordering Furniture Online

CasaSugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 14:00:25 -0800

Way back in early September, I ordered a sofa and chair from Macy's. I'd been looking for a new sofa for several months, and with the killer deals at Macy's annual Columbus Day Sale, I took advantage of the reduced prices on furniture and grabbed the Corona sofa and chair, whose modern lines and dark color appealed to both my design sensibilities and my dog ownership. Unfortunately, as is often the case with ordering furniture online, the pieces I wanted were on backorder, and they wouldn't arrive in the warehouse until November.

To find out the rest of the story, just read more

When I called Macy's in November to check on the status of my furniture, I was dismayed to learn that my furniture was again on backorder! The nice woman on the phone, who took my annoyed questions in stride, told me to call back in two weeks. Luckily, two weeks later the furniture was in the warehouse, and we were able to set up a delivery date. Macy's gave me a three-hour window within which their delivery guys would arrive, and I headed home early from work one afternoon to meet them.

The Macy's deliverymen arrived well within the allotted time and worked quickly. From arrival to departure, they were at the home for no more than 10 minutes! They were speedy and efficient, and the furniture had surprisingly little packaging - there was some plastic wrapping, and recyclable cardboard encasing the removable feet, but that was about it.

I'd recommend furniture delivery from Macy's or a similar retailer with a few caveats:

Be prepared to wait several months for your furniture to be delivered.
You may have to take time off of work to meet the delivery truck at your home.
If you're easily frustrated by unforeseen delays, or if you need the furniture by a certain date, it may be better to buy new furniture directly from a shop that can deliver the furniture immediately.

What's your experience with furniture delivery been like? (And on a sidenote, no, that's not how we arranged our living room - it's just how it looked in the immediate aftermath!)

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Kanye West To Sell His Beverly Hills Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 12:30:27 -0800

In the market for a celebrity-owned crib? Hip-hop star Kanye West is selling his Beverly Hills home, and it can be yours for the measly price of $8,699,000. According to Big Time, the house, which he purchased in February for $7,150,000, is "back on the market after eight months of ownership and no months of inhabiting the property." I'm not sure whether this 631 N. Crescent Drive address is the same sleek West Coast crib that I gave you a sneak peek into in September. But, it would be sad to think of that hip pop art pad disturbed in any way. I'm sure Kanye will bring his interior design talent wherever he goes though, that and his prolific blogging skills...
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