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!

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)

How to Increase Curb Appeal!

The weather was absolutely beautiful here in Atlanta this weekend!! It was so beautiful that it made me want to do some "spring cleaning" projects outside so that I could soak up some sunshine! While my husband prepped our yard for spring landscaping, I took on a project that I never completed last summer .... I gave our front door and trim a facelift. It was in need of a good scrubbing and a fresh coat of paint! We always recommend that anyone looking to sell their home take on these simple projects to increase curb appeal before putting the home on the market. I'm not looking to sell my home anytime soon, but as I sang along with my iPod (my poor neighbors!!) and worked away, I realized what a suprisingly easy task this was and it made such a difference! Check out the following examples of before and after photos to see what a few hours can do in terms of increasing curb appeal which is oh, so important!!!!

Inspired? I hope so! Sprucing up the entry way can be a very easy and low cost job. Remember that buyers' form opinions about properties before they ever go inside. We've pulled up to some houses in which the buyers didn't even want to go inside of based on what they saw on the outside. Give buyers something to get excited about!!