Posted on

8 Best Upgrades to Personalize Your New Home

Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:

Before you move into your new house, you may want to make upgrades. These add value to your investment, improve your home’s function and allow you to express your personality. Plus, making upgrades before you move in reduces inconvenience later. Consider the following upgrades to make your new house feel like home.

  1. Enhance the Kitchen
    Quality kitchen upgrades ensure the room meets your family’s needs, and add value to your home. Consider several changes that improve the quality and function of your kitchen:
  • Get high-end, energy- or water-saving appliances.
  • Lower the bar counter from 42 to 36 inches so it’s more accessible.
  • Install quartz countertops.
  • Add lighting under the counters.
  • Choose matching fixtures and hardware.

Worried about staying on budget while renovating the most expensive room in the house? According to HomeAdvisor’s Kitchen Cost Guide, it costs the average homeowner between $12,500 and $33,500 for a full kitchen remodel.

  1. Redo the Flooring
    It’s definitely easier and more affordable to upgrade a house’s flooring before you arrange all the furniture. Consider stain-resistant carpeting in high-traffic areas, or install hardwood in connected rooms for a sleek appearance.
  1. Update the Bathroom
    Spruce up a bathroom already in the house or add an additional bathroom before your move. When renovating a bathroom, consider your current and future needs, such as your family size or entertaining habits. Several possible changes include:
  • Install a double sink.
  • Install a walk-in shower or Jacuzzi tub.
  • Choose decorative shower, floor or wall tile.
  • Customize the lighting or fixtures.
  • Hang extra shelves for storage.
  1. Bring in New Cabinetry
    Before you unpack all your possessions, install new cabinetry that helps you get and stay organized. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets have a big effect on your home’s function and appearance. Choose cabinet finishes and designs that match your personal style and color scheme. You can hang the old cabinets in the garage or attic to expand your storage space.
  1. Update Electrical Wiring
    Older houses may have outdated wiring, or you may find that you need additional outlets in certain rooms. Walk through your house, visualize how you will use each room and plan any electrical wiring updates. With help from an electrician, you can add outlets in the living room to accommodate your gaming systems or wire the den ceiling for a new fan.
  1. Wire for Internet Service
    Improve security and speed in your new home with wired internet throughout the house. It allows you to install and use a variety of electronics, including security cameras, in any room. Full-house wired internet also prevents outside users and hackers from accessing your network and potentially harming your family.
  1. Add Lots of Storage
    Getting extra storage throughout your house before you move helps you completely unpack and organize your home the way you want. The price of installing a new closet is about $1,800, as found on HomeAdvisor. Choose from a variety of cabinet types, shelving, and overhead storage designs and materials that match your needs and preferences.
  1. Transform the Laundry Room
    While you probably plan to use your laundry room primarily for laundry, you may wish to transform it into a functioning pantry, drop zone or mud room. Rearrange the washing machine and dryer hookup to make room for pantry storage. Consider adding a bench and hooks for shoes, backpacks and umbrellas, too.

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post 8 Best Upgrades to Personalize Your New Home appeared first on RISMedia.

Posted on

Consumer Confidence Keeps Improving

Consumer confidence kept improving in August, posting a 122.9 reading in the latest Consumer Confidence Index® from The Conference Board. The Expectations reading of the Index rose to 104.0, while the Present Situation reading rose to 151.2. July’s reading was 120.0.

“Consumer confidence increased in August following a moderate improvement in July,” said Lynn Franco, director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board in a statement. “Consumers’ more buoyant assessment of present-day conditions was the primary driver of the boost in confidence, with the Present Situation Index continuing to hover at a 16-year high. Consumers’ short-term expectations were relatively flat, though still optimistic, suggesting that they do not anticipate an acceleration in the pace of economic activity in the months ahead.”

The percentage of consumers who believe business conditions are “good,” as defined by the Index, increased from 32.5 percent in July to 34.5 percent in August; the percentage of those who believe business conditions are “bad” decreased from 13.5 percent in July to 13.1 percent in August. The percentage of those who expect business conditions to improve decreased from 22.4 percent in July to 19.6 percent in August; the percentage of those who expect business conditions to worsen decreased from 8.4 percent in July to 7.3 percent in August.

The percentage of consumers who believe jobs are “plentiful” increased from 33.2 percent in July to 35.4 percent in August, according to the Index; the percentage of those who believe jobs are “hard to get” decreased from 18.7 percent in July to 17.3 percent in August. The percentage of those who expect more jobs in the coming months decreased from 18.5 percent in July to 17.1 percent in August; the percentage of those who expect less jobs in the coming months decreased from 13.2 percent in July to 13.0 percent in August.

The percentage of consumers who expect higher incomes increased from 20.0 percent in July to 20.9 percent in August; the percentage of those who expect a decrease increased from 9.5 percent in July to 7.8 percent in August.

Source: The Conference Board

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Consumer Confidence Keeps Improving appeared first on RISMedia.

Posted on

WalletHub: 10 Best Housing Markets

What makes for an attractive housing market? Analysts at WalletHub recently identified several indicators of desirability, using a 100-point scoring system in 300 markets to rank the top 10 in the nation:

  1. Frisco, Texas
  2. McKinney, Texas
  3. Allen, Texas
  4. Cary, N.C.
  5. Richardson, Texas
  6. Seattle, Wash.
  7. Bellevue, Wash.
  8. Carrollton, Texas
  9. Nashville, Tenn.
  10. Denver, Colo.

The indicators applied in the ranking included average days on market, median home price appreciation, the share of homes selling for a gain, and the share of underwater homes.

Five of the top 10 markets are in Texas, which also dominates as the state home to four of the top five in the ranking. No. 1 Frisco boasts the second-lowest home maintenance costs of the 300 markets evaluated, while No. 3 Allen has the third-lowest and No. 4 Cary has the fourth-lowest. No. 6 Seattle is tied for first for the lowest average days on market, while No. 7 Bellevue has the fourth-lowest foreclosure rate.

View the complete ranking and methodology.

Source: WalletHub

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post WalletHub: 10 Best Housing Markets appeared first on RISMedia.

Posted on

Research: Gardening Knows No Borders

Homeowners the world over get down and dirty in the garden, according to recently released findings by market researcher GfK, with outdoor grooming most common Down Under. Forty-five percent of Australians spend time in the garden daily or weekly—the most of the 17 countries surveyed. Gardening is also popular in China, Mexico, the U.S. and Germany, where one-third or more of those surveyed get out in the yard daily or weekly.

Green-thumbing is a chore in some countries, however, especially in Argentina, Japan, Russia, Spain and South Korea, where most of those surveyed do not garden at all.

Twenty-four percent of survey respondents across all the countries surveyed garden at least once per week, while 7 percent garden “every day” or “most days.” Thirty-six percent of those aged 60 or older garden daily or weekly—on par with the 35 percent of those in their 30s who do the same.

Unsurprisingly, homeowners are twice as likely to garden daily or weekly than renters.

Source: GfK

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post Research: Gardening Knows No Borders appeared first on RISMedia.

Posted on

14 Times Pop Culture Predicted Future Technology

Editor’s Note: This was originally published on RISMedia’s blog, Housecall. See what else is cookin’ now at blog.rismedia.com:

When the film-makers of yesteryear contemplated the future, it didn’t look like a very happy place—and not much has changed. You don’t need to look much further than the dystopian dramas that Hollywood is so fond of producing. But while sci-fi movies rarely predicted the nature of society, they did happen to predict a few items of futuristic technology. Did you know that 3D printing, the Roomba and Siri were all predicted by movies and television shows decades before they existed?

So the next time you scoff at a Hollywood blockbuster for being too far-fetched, take a minute to ask yourself if your grandfather would have believed that he would see a flying car in his lifetime. In the meantime, check out this visual guide which explores the 14 times pop culture accurately predicted the future!

Pop_Culture_Tech_IG

For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.

The post 14 Times Pop Culture Predicted Future Technology appeared first on RISMedia.

Posted on

Exclusive Elegance in the Club at Longview

Formerly a 500 acre dairy farm, the Club at Longview is so much more now. Elegant homes, a premier golf course, and club are all housed within this serene community. This privately gated community offers 24-hour security. The lush grounds throughout are meticulously maintained, and residents enjoy amenities on par with the finest luxury resorts.

The Longview community is in Waxhaw and straddles Tom Short Road just south of Ardrey Kell Road and north of Rea Road. Residents enjoy low Union County taxes, and also top ranked Union County schools. Children attend Rea View Elementary, Marvin Ridge Middle, and Marvin Ridge High Schools. Please verify school assignments as they are subject to change. There are also many private, preschool, mother’s day out and daycare options nearby.

Homes in Longview are grand. They range from $700,000 up into the millions. Lot sizes range from 0.5 to 1.7 acres. Homes range from 3,500 square feet up to 18,000 square feet. Phase three still has lots available along the 3rd, 4th, and 5th fairways starting at $250,000. Longview offers gorgeous manor style custom estate homes with distinctive architectural designs built by some of Charlotte’s most elite custom builders.

Amenities of Longview include premier and casual dining in multiple dining areas in the 28,000 square foot club. The club also features a state of the art workout facility, complete with massage and steam room. An onsite personal trainer is always available, as is a full-service concierge. There are weekly events for members and their guests including clubs, dining and wine tasting events, and more. Onsite childcare and a youth lodge are in the 10,000 square foot activity center just across the street from the clubhouse. There are two pools, one for families, and one just for adults complete with hot tub. Competition style tennis courts have incredible views of the community.

If golf is your game, there is truly no better course in the Charlotte area. The 18-hole course at Longview is the only signature Jack Nicklaus one in the region. It features a variety of elevations, numerous water features, and tree-lined fairways set among the Carolina hills. There is a full-service practice range as well as putting and chipping areas. Onsite instructors are available to help refine your game. They also have a junior bears program with golf lessons for children as young as three.

Full Longview membership application is required before the purchase of a home here. The club offers different membership categories including: Golf Memberships, Social Memberships, Corporate Memberships, and National Memberships. Private residences and Longview Club amenities are extraordinary! Home site & club tours are available by appointment only. If you would like to learn more, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can also view current listings here.