How to Paint an Accent Wall

Want to bring a splash of color into your room, but afraid to take the plunge? Try an accent wall—it’ll add a focal point to the space without overwhelming the whole room. Here’s how to get started.

1. Choose a Color

Generally, an accent wall is supposed to be the focal point of the room, so select the color wisely. “I tend to work with accent colors that are within the same color palette as the space,” says interior designer Abbe Fenimore. “That way, the space has depth, looks cohesive, and is tactfully layered. If a really bold color is used, it’s important to incorporate that color around the room using art, accessories, or a great rug.” For the finish, interior designer Sara Story suggests using choosing paint with a high sheen level (which means it’s shinier), to make the wall even more interesting.

2. Prep

“To prep, make sure the surface is clean—that means removing cobwebs from corners, dust, and grease or smudges if it’s a kitchen wall,” says interior designer Timothy Brown. “Then, lightly sand the surface.” Go here for more painting prep tips.

3. Paint

Even though it’s only one wall instead of four, painting an accent wall still takes some time and patience. “The number of coats depends on your desired saturation of color,” says Brown. “Generally, that means one to two coats if you want a light color, and two to four coats if you want a dark, rich color. The best technique is slow and steady, especially with darker paints.”

4. Or Take It to the Next Level

If you like taking risks in design, paint isn’t the only way to create an accent wall. “Instead of using paint, choose a patterned wallpaper to add texture and vibrancy,” says interior designer Amanda Reynal. “Then, paint the other three walls in either a neutral tone or a color from the wallpaper. The room will be unified and alive, and the wallpaper will act as artwork.”

5. Think About Furniture Placement

After the accent wall is finished, the next task is deciding how to incorporate your existing furniture and home accessories. “For a bedroom, I would recommend placing the bed in front of the accent wall,” says Story. “For a living room, I would recommend placing the sofa in front of the accent wall.” Reynal is a fan of creating an accent wall in the dining room. “It’s a place that’s often hard to create visual interest,” she says. “By styling the wall with a mirror, sconces, and a sideboard, it becomes part of the space and acts as a beautiful backdrop.”

By Realsimple.com
Courtesy of the Lina Arbelaez Group.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. The Lina Arbelaez Group’s commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why Lina Arbelaez Group’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, Our objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739,  visit our website, or e-mail premiersouthfloridahomes.info@gmail.com 

The Sweet Spot Of Pricing Your Home

 

When you and your REALTOR^® sit down to price your home, you'll be looking at competitive homes that are the most similar in size, location and amenities as your home. You may find that prices can be thousands of dollars higher or lower. It's tempting to pick the highest price and say, "Let's list it here." But what if your home doesn't sell at that price?

High prices are a strategy that can work in an accelerating market, but it's risky. Your home can sit for months without selling and you'll end up marking the price down, perhaps lower than it should have sold for in the first place.

Pricing your home is a science. The science is choosing the right price at which your home will sell quickly. How do you do that? By analyzing your local market conditions and where your home fits in the spectrum.

The only way your home will sell at the highest price possible is if your buyer agrees to your home's value. To best determine market value, you have three important tools: CMAs, appraisals, and your REALTOR's^®knowledge of the market.

The comparative market analysis

A comparative market analysis (CMA) is a side-by-side comparison of similar homes for sale as well as homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood. REALTORS^® use CMAs to compare the features that make each home unique, including age, location, number of bedrooms, baths, room sizes, updates, condition, etc.

As a seller, you should be able to see where your home fits -- in the top or lower price range of similar homes. For example, if a similar home to yours has been recently renovated with a new kitchen, expect it to sell for more than your home if your home has not been improved.

The appraisal

An appraisal is a market analysis performed by a professional appraiser using a variety of sources, including multiple listing system data and conforming loan formulas.

Appraisers most often work for lenders to determine market values, so that lenders can weigh the risk of making a loan to a homebuyer. Appraisals come after an offer is made when the buyer applies for a loan. Even though the buyer pays for the appraisal, the lender uses it to determine whether or not to make the loan at the contract price.

Other market data

Your REALTOR^® has access to data that may not be public through the Multiple Listing Service. This data is provided to broker members to track market trends over weeks, months and years. Some brokers pay data companies for specific markets that help them plan their business, such as the number of listings on hand, which zip codes are the hottest, and whether closings are trending up or down over last month or last year.

Your REALTOR^® uses all this data to help you hit the sweet spot of pricing. That's high enough to reflect your home's value, but attractive enough to buyers to get it sold quickly. 

Article on Realtytimes.com

Courtesy of the Lina Arbelaez Group.

 

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. The Lina Arbelaez Group’s commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

 

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why The Lina Arbelaez Group’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, Our objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739, visit our website, or e-mail premiersouthfloridahomes.info@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

18 Inexpensive Ways to Improve Curb Appeal When You're Selling a House

When you’re selling a house, you don’t want potential buyers to drive by and keep on going. But if your home doesn’t have curb appeal—if it doesn’t look so great on the outside that people have to stop and take a look—that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

“A home’s curb appeal is always critical, since it’s the first impression for potential buyers,” says National Association of Realtors President Steve Brown, co-owner of Irongate, Inc., Realtors in Dayton, Ohio. “That’s why exterior replacement projects offer the greatest bang for the buck. Projects such as entry door, siding, and window replacements can recoup homeowners more than 78 percent of costs upon resale.”

But don’t freak out and exclaim, “I can’t afford to replace my windows and siding.” Oftentimes improving curb appeal can mean just doing a few small projects that can have a large impact. Many don’t cost a lot of money.

I spoke with three real estate professionals for their suggestions on how to improve your home’s curb appeal on the cheap. Here are their tips.

• Wash the windows.
• Evaluate foundation plantings, and trim back or replace as needed.
• Update the light fixture at the front door.
• Repair or install a new mailbox.
• Replace window treatments inside the house if necessary. “Take a look at the window treatments in the rooms on the front of the house,” suggests DeeDee Bowman, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Hearthside in Lahaska, PA. “How do they appear from the street or front walk? Update or eliminate if needed.”
• Repair the front walk if it is cracked or heaved.
• Remove dead tree and shrub branches.
• Mow the lawn.
• Power wash your house. Before you hire a professional for this service, check out the Windex Outdoor Multisurface Cleaner, which attaches to a garden hose. I used this product when I was selling my old house, and it cleaned up our vinyl siding and windows so easily.
• Clean the entryway, front lights, and walkway of cobwebs, tree debris, dust, dirt, etc.
• Add colorful, potted plants along your walkway or entryway. “You can often find smaller plants on sale at hardware stores, flower markets, or gardening and home improvement stores,” suggests Romunda Craft, a Realtor with Century 21 Imperial Realty in Daly City, CA. “Another alternative—small succulents planted together in larger containers.”
• Paint your front door. “Doors leave a first impression as you enter the home,” says Inez Tomonelli, a Realtor with Lyon Real Estate in Roseville, CA. “Be sure that it is clean, or even add a fresh coat of paint or new stain.”
• Clean and sweep the driveway.
• Store all yard equipment, including children’s toys.
• Find somewhere else to park any extra cars, boats, trailers, or RVs.
• Do not use the porch for storage.
• Clean up after your pets.
• Store garbage cans where they are not visible from the street.

Curb appeal is the difference that sells nearly half of all houses on the market, so says the National Association of Realtors. If you’re getting ready to sell yours, investing some time and a little bit of money in improving your home’s curb appeal seems like a no-brainer.

Article on Parade.com

Courtesy of the Lina Arbelaez Group.

When you are buying or selling property in today's market, it's important to have confidence in your Real Estate professional. The Lina Arbelaez Group’s commitment as your REALTOR® is to provide you with the specialized Real Estate service you deserve.

When you are an informed buyer or seller, you'll make the best decisions for the most important purchase or sale in your lifetime. That's why The Lina Arbelaez Group’s goal is to keep you informed on trends in Miami Real Estate. With property values continuing to rise, Real Estate is a sound investment for now and for the future.

As local Broward & Miami-Dade area experts with knowledge of the communities, The Lina Arbelaez Group’s objective is to work diligently to assist you in meeting your real estate goals.

If you are considering buying or selling or would just like to have additional information about Real Estate in your area, please don't hesitate to call 954-600-8739, visit our website, or e-mail premiersouthfloridahomes.info@gmail.com