How to Use Pinterest & Houzz for Your Home Remodeling & Decorating Needs

PINTEREST 

Rebekah and I have been followers of Pinterest for some time now. If you don't know what Pinterest is, it's a social networking site that allows you review the "pins" of others and "pin" ideas you like to an online bulletin board. The pins are photos or articles that have been "pinned" by others to this online bulletin board. They can be about virtually anything. Decor, landscaping, recipes, funny quotes, you name it. To make it easier to review, you can search by category or key words for things that interest you.

For example, if I wanted inspiration for bathroom decor or a bathroom renovation I could search "bathrooms" on the site and it would pull up more "pins" than I can look at in one day. Further, if I see something that I like, I can "re-pin" the piece to my online board. Your board of pins is always there for you to come back to and review.

Another great source of ideas is Houzz. The headliner on their site is "Create an Ideabook for your next remodeling project." Unlike Pinterest, this site is dedicated strictly to house renovations & decor. There are millions of photos from designers of homes, rooms, interiors, and exteriors. If you see one that you like, you place it in your "Ideabook" and you can review it at any time by logging in and going to your "Ideabook." Houzz also allows you to search for area contractors and designers. This site is fabulous.


So what do these things have to do with Real Estate you say?

Both of these sites are great sources for remodeling projects, decorating, staging, or just adding some simple curb appeal. Both Pinterest and Houzz have mobile apps for your IPhone or IPad as well.

For our homeowners or sellers, we invite you to explore these sites to gain ideas on decor, staging, and curb appeal. If you're planning a remodel, there's tons of inspiration. If you've lived in your home, but haven't really worried too much about the the decor and just want to spruce it up for showings there are many ideas. Here's a few we found:

                                        



If you want your house to smell heavenly, boil some orange peels with a 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon on medium heat. My favorite smell in the entire universe!

For our buyers, buying a new home is such a wonderful experience, but decorating and furnishing it can be overwhelming if you don't have anywhere to start with ideas. If you're on a budget, there's also some inventive and cool do-it-yourself furniture pieces and decor that look great! There's even ideas on how to makeover your existing furniture. You could even hit up the thrift shop for pieces and completely re-do them. Here's some ideas of what you can find:

And guys...men...boys....don't be afraid to tap into these sources. If I hear another man say that Pinterest or Houzz is for girls I'll scream! After all, I'm pretty sure you get called in to paint, remodel, or landscape from time to time. Why not be a part of the design? In fact, after your wife/girlfriend or partner starts to peruse these sites I'm sure your "honey-do" list will explode!

Happy Pinning!

The Highest Priced Listings in Butts, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, and Rockdale Counties!

The Highest Priced Listings in Butts, Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Henry, and Rockdale Counties!

 

Check out these beautifully unique properties!

Butts County:

1501 Fincherville Road, Jackson                 $850,000

Click here to view additional photos of this property!

 

Clayton County: 

3287 Bay View Drive, Jonesboro             $1,900,000

 

Click here to view additional photos of this property!

 

Coweta County:

 



90 Walton Road, Newnan                          3,499,000

Click here to view additional photos of this property!

 

Fayette County:

 



319 White Springs Lane, Peachtree City   $2,700,000

 

Click here to view additional photos of this property!





Henry County:

3435 Jonesboro Road, Hampton                $2,400,000

Click here to view additional photos of this property!

 

Rockdale County:

 

2101 Adel Drive, Loganville                    $1,900,000

 

Click here to view additional photos of this property!



 

 

We must give credit where credit is due!
These awesome properties are provided courtesy of:
1501 Fincherville Road   Butch Springer | Springer & Associates Realty
3287 Bay View Drive   Bill Barton | Bill Barton Realty Co.
90 Walton Road   Clay Henderson | Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's 

319 White Springs Lane   Joan Velsmid | Harry Norman Realtors

3435 Jonesboro Road   Clay Henderson | Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's
2101 Adel Drive   Felicia Parker | Mutual Home Realty Co.

 

NOTE: This information was gathered from the GA MLS system and is deemed accurate as of 1.24.13

 

 

 

 

 



Kitchen Renovations/Makeovers = $$$

Have you ever noticed how one can almost identify the decade in which a house was built by checking out certain features .... cabinets, fixtures, paint colors, tile, etc. Some things specific to time periods are charming such as archways and hardwood flooring; however, there are some things you won't find on a buyers "must have" list (i.e. pink/mint green countertops or tilework, dark green shag carpet, etc).

Check out these cabinets and their time periods:

There's nothing wrong with having these types of cabinets but if you're looking to sell, many buyers prefer an updated kitchen. Remember that the kitchen and the master bedroom are often deciding factors for buyers and upgrades/renovations in these rooms can get you an awesome return. Kitchen renovations can be expensive though and new cabinets may put a dent in your bank account. If you're looking for a budget friendly way of updating your cabinets, check out these ideas:

(Source: Photo via)

So how did they do it... here's the secret:



Who would have known? What a budget friendly and easy way of giving your kitchen cabinets a face lift. Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity to update your home! To view the entire kitchen makeover along with other neat ideas by clicking the following link: Kitchen Makeover

Looking at the before and after photos, which kitchen do you think a buyer would choose? Which one do you think would add value to the home?

Here's another example of a budget friendly makeover. This blogger spent less than $3500 for her awesome makeover and that included brand new Bosch appliances! She simply painted the cabinets, switched out the cabinet hardware, added a tile backsplash (that came from Costco), changed the faucet and lighting, and a few other small things. Amazing!

To read more about this kitchen makeover as well as additional photos, click on the following link: Kitchen Makeover

What a difference!!




(Selling homes in Fayette County [Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Brooks, Senoia], Henry County [McDonough, Hampton, Locust Grove, Stockbridge], Coweta County [Newnan, Sharpsburg, Moreland], Clayton County [Jonesboro, Lake Spivey, Morrow, Forest Park, Rex, Ellenwood], Rockdale County [Conyers], Butts County [Jackson], etc)

Southern Living Idea House in Our Backyard - Senoia, GA

Did you know there's yet another great home to tour right in our own backyard?

The Southern Living Idea House opens tomorrow, Saturday, June 2nd in Senoia, GA!

Photo from http://senoiaideahouse.wordpress.com/tag/southern-living/

In case you didn't see our post a couple of weeks ago....we last blogged about the HGTV Green House available to tour at Serenbe (click the following link to read that blog and get the info on how to tour that home- http://stephensandstephens.blogspot.com/2012/05/check-out-hgtv-green-house-at-serenbe.html ). We're crazy about homes, which is why we love our job. Touring homes is like shopping for shoes to us....instant bliss!

You don't want to miss this charming circa 1830's farmhouse renovation. It's a first for Southern Living because it's a "renovation" idea home (instead of a building a new home they took an old home and renovated it). The home was lifted and setteled just a few yards away from its original location and has undergone a beautiful transformation. We're so glad that Southern Living and the builders/developers saw the value in saving a beautiful historic home. Too many of our historic homes in our area are being torn down or sit vacant or are left to deteriorate. We love our historic homes and "squares" here in GA. Congratulations to Senoia as well because this is the first time Southern Living has returned to a town to do a 2nd Southern Living home. There's just something about Senoia!

Here's the details on the Southern Living Idea House:

1. Location - 57 Morgan Street, Senoia, GA 30276

2. Grand Opening is Saturday, June 2nd from 11:00am - 5:00pm. After the grand opening, the home is open through December 23rd. It's closed on Monday & Tuesdays, open Wednesday - Saturday from 11:00am - 5:00pm, and open Sundays from 1:00-5:00.

3. Ticket cost is $12.00 at the door. If you'd like to purchase tickets in advance, visit: https://2012southernlivingideahouse.eventbrite.com/ . If you purchase online, they charge a $1.65 convenience fee. A portion of every ticket sale goes to benefit our local country musician, Zac Brown (of The Zac Brown Band) and his local charity "Camp Southern Ground." It's a wonderful cause!

Below are some links that may interest you:

To plan your visit (where to stay if you're from out of town, what restaurants to eat at, etc. : http://www.southernliving.com/marketplace/plan-your-trip-to-the-2012-idea-house-00417000078186/

To see a time lapsed video of the renovation and more info on the renovation: http://www.southernliving.com/home-garden/idea-houses/idea-house-00417000077170/

ENJOY!

It's always nice to have fun and affordable events in our own backyard. Enjoy Senoia, it's so charming! If you decide you want to move there, or if you want to find your own farmhouse to renovate, give us a call or email, we'd love to help! : ) 

Check Out the HGTV Green House at Serenbe - Right Here in Metro Atlanta

HGTV, the popular home and garden television network, recently sponsored their HGTV Green Home 2012 right here in Georgia! Located in Serenbe, a sustainable community less than 30 minutes from Atlanta, the Green Home includes all the luxuries of the modern life combined with an environmentally friendly and eco sustainable process and lifestyle.

Wondering what the Green Home looks like on the inside? You’re in luck! This Monday, May 21st, our company, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Metro Brokers, has the day exclusively to ourselves to tour the home and bring our clients from 10am - 7pm. Tickets are discounted and only $15 (typically they are $20). Tickets must be purchased at the door for this special tour on May 21.

Why Tour the Home?

• Preview the finished home that’s currently being showcased on the HGTV show.

• View the latest trends in green living from professional designers.

• Snacks and drinks available throughout the day.

• Check out one of the hottest up and coming neighborhoods. There will be other homes open at Serenbe, and you can have breakfast or lunch at the Blue Eyed Daisy Café located in the heart of the community.

If you'd like to go, give us a call or email and we'll make sure you're in. We can't wait to see it ourselves!

P.S. If you can't go this Monday, but still want to go, the home is open until June 24th from Tuesday throught Sunday 11am - 7pm each day (closed on Mondays). The cost is $20 on regular days.

Tours last approximately 30 minutes.

For more information about the home, or to see interior photos, check out: http://serenbe.com/greenhome/


      

Worst Celebs To Live Near

Americans Rank Best & Worst Celebrity Neighbors

Forty-two percent of Americans say they wouldn’t want a celebrity as a neighbor, and they especially wouldn’t want to live anywhere near the cast of the reality TV show “Jersey Shore,” according to the fifth annual Zillow Celebrity Neighbor Survey for 2012.

On the other hand, 11 percent of those surveyed, said they’d most like to be neighbors with Tim Tebow, the Denver Broncos quarterback. Tebow had the highest ranking among celebrity neighbor wannabes.

Meanwhile, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt as well as Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux followed close behind for top celebrities to live near.

As for this year’s worst celebrity neighbors, Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, and Kim Kardashian came in behind the Jersey Shores cast. The Jersey Shores cast has nabbed the No. 1 spot for worst celebrity neighbors for the past two years in the survey.

The poll found a growing number of Americans saying they wouldn’t want to live near a celebrity, up from 27 percent compared to last year’s survey.

"As a voyeuristic culture that breathlessly tracks every celebrity movement, it's extremely surprising to see so many Americans saying they wouldn't like to live next to any celebrity at all,” Amy Bohutinsky, Zillow’s chief marketing officer, said in a statement. “In fact, more people opted out of a celebrity neighbor in 2012 than in any of the past years we've run this poll. We may want to watch, read and talk about celebrities, but when it comes to sharing a back fence, many Americans think it's just too close for comfort."

Source: Zillow

A Side Note from Us: This was an article written on the Zillow website, not something we wrote, and doesn't necessarily reflect our viewpoints of celebrities.....heck, we could use the spicing up that the Jersey Shore cast may offer....Fist Pump!

And...on a serious note....if you or anyone you know need to relocate to a state or area where you can do some celeb watching...think Los Angeles, Nashville, the Jersey Shore, New York, etc. we can help you find a good Realtor in any area in the US or the world! No kidding! Give us a call for that free connection to a reputable Realtor instead of having to scour the phone books and Realtor magazines (does anyone use those anymore anyways?)