May 2018 Newsletter
Submitted by RonHanson on Tue, 05/15/2018 - 10:27
Time for May flowers after the April snow showers!
Have you ever wondered how long it takes from having your offer accepted to moving in? Find out why it takes as long as it does. Also in this issue, the first mistakes an interior designer notices in any home and ideas for outdoor decorating that don't involve plants and flowers.
How long does it take to close?
After months of searching, your realtor has found you the perfect home. You’re sure this is the one and you can’t wait to move in. What is the average timeline from having your offer accepted to the day you move in? On average you’ll have plenty of time to pack because for most people it takes 50 days.
Why so much time you wonder? Well, here’s a general breakdown of what has to happen before you can string that new house key on your keyring.
Get financing. It takes approximately 45 days from the time you apply for a mortgage to the time the funds are released to you
Inspections. Inspections can take up to 15 days depending on the time of year and how busy you and your inspector are.
Repairs. After the inspection, there may be necessary repairs. The time it takes to make all the necessary repairs depends on their urgency and complexity.
Title issues. A full title search could bring up liens on the property. Those issues must be resolved before the title is turned over to you. That could require a simple note from the bank or a search for a long-lost relative to resolve an ownership issue.
Homeowners insurance. You have to get insurance on your new home, too. This could be quick or your insurance company might have a few hoops for you to jump through.
Other contingencies. These could take months. If your sellers need to find a new house first, or if you need to sell your existing house before you move in. These contingencies could take a week or six months.
It’s good to know what to expect.
Design elements that experts notice
What would an interior designer immediately notice in your house? Realtor.com posted this question in an August 14, 2017 article on their website.
This information can be helpful if you’re thinking of selling your home or bring to help a friend or client get a home in shape for selling. Read on to see if you’re guilty of any of these flaws.
Poor traffic flow
One of the first things designers admit to noticing is the general furniture placement and whether or not it promotes a good traffic flow. Open floor plans can be especially tricky when the homeowner assumes more floor space needs more furniture. If you have to weave and wind around your furniture to get from room to room, you’re guilty.
FIX: Remove pieces and open up pathways. Removing some side tables, or extra chairs is a quick simple fix.
Darkness
Poor lighting is the next deadly sin of interior design. If your home is dark and gloomy simply because you don’t have enough light or the right kind of light, it’s kind of hard not to notice. Not every house is situated with windows facing the sun and bursting with natural light, that doesn’t mean you need to sit in the dark.
FIX: Make sure you can comfortably read from every chair in the room. If you can’t add a floor or table light. Do not rely on the plain old overhead light.
Stuff
Mess and clutter are not design elements. Overly large “collections” are not decorative items. Just because you own it doesn’t mean you have to flaunt it. Designers love clean, clutter-free homes. You might think your collection of ceramic unicorns is totally gorgeous but to others, it just looks like a lot of excess stuff.
FIX: Have a place for everything. For your collections, display a few delightful pieces and keep the rest in their special place - away.
Mismatched
Designers look for a theme and a unified style. If you’ve got a modern sofa, mixed with Victorian side tables and no unifying color scheme it can ruin the room or the home. A theme helps bring everything together and foster a sense of calm and order. Decor gets out of whack when there are too many colors, too many textures, or mismatched style elements.
FIX: This one can be a little bit trickier to fix but simply choosing a neutral palette highlighted with two or three coordinated colors, can go a long way. (photo credit: http://property.sulekha.com/5-interior-design-disasters-you-must-avoid-at-home_630551_blog)
Odors
Every house has a smell, and we become immune to the smell of our own homes. Pets, food, laundry, candles, and air fresheners can all lend to good and bad smells. Even if you can’t smell it, you need to do something about it.
FIX: Open the windows and air it out, especially the kitchen and bedrooms.
Bathroom cleanliness
It has to be spotless, top to bottom. From the sink and countertops to the corners in the shower. A dirty bathroom sends a message that the whole house is dirty.
FIX: Clean it. Always have fresh, neatly folded towels on display. The shower and bath should be sparkling. Sink, counter, and faucet should be gleaming. All the lotions, hygiene and makeup supplies should be out of sight. And it should smell fresh and clean.
Size and scale
When your small living room holds a giant oversized sectional. Or your giant great room has a teeny, tiny hanging light fixture. The furnishing and fixtures in your home should be on the same scale as the room that houses them.
FIX: Pay attention to the size of things and try to maintain a balance of scale.
Outdoor Decor That Isn’t Plants
As Michiganders, we cherish outdoor time in the summer. Our winters are long and force us to be indoors for most of the year. So when the temperatures warm up we bring out the patio furniture or porch swings and enjoy the fresh air and warm sunshine. Making our outdoor spaces inviting and attractive makes it all the more comfortable. Of course, the easiest way to decorate a patio is with plants and flowers. But what do you do when your patio isn’t plant friendly? Or what if you don’t want to make time to care for plants? Here are some colorful outdoor decorating ideas to spruce up your outdoor space without adding items to your summer chores list.
Lighting
There are lots of choices for outdoor, decorative lighting. Hanging a string of outdoor lights along a railing or from your patio umbrella is a quick simple way to add interest to your patio. Another relatively new option is the LED candle. These can be indoor or outdoor use and often come with remote control. Add an LED candle to a decorative or colorful lantern and you’ve added interest, color, and light to the patio.
Speaking of lanterns, there are many choices and do-it-yourself projects for creating decorative hanging lanterns. Here are just three of the many choices available from Pier1’s online store. As you see you can go ornate or simple.
Metal sculpture
These flower sculptures from Wayfair.com are the perfect way to add the color and visual interest of flowers without the watering and weeding. Selecting artistic versions of plants to accent your patio area will look intentional and interesting. Avoid using plastic or silk flowers because these will just look like fake plants and will fade as the season progresses.
Other sculptures
A well-placed pedestal with an interesting sculpture is another way to spruce up your outdoor living spaces. Go for something classic or something funking depending on your personal style. Here a few choices from Houzz.com.
Flooring
Try adding a colorful outdoor rug to set off space. There are lots of options for outdoor rugs. Or make one of your own by painting a tablecloth with a water-based polyurethane. Here’s a link to a tutorial to make one >>
Holidays in May...
May 1 - May Day and National Day of Prayer
May 5 - Cinco de Mayo
May 11 - Mother's Day
May 12 - Nurses Day
May 13 - Buddha's Birthday
May 15 - International Day of the Family
May 22 - International Day for Biological Diversity
May 26 - Memorial Day
May 31 - World No Tobacco Day
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