Powder Room is getting a Face Lift

The two dead pine trees near our driveway came down today!!  Each day that I walked out to a branch-free car I felt like I had dodged a bullet.  I'm breathing a bit easier now and item #1 on our 2013 list is complete.  We were very, very happy with Professional Tree Service of Lexington.  They promised to leave the yard cleaner than they found it, and indeed they did.  We have 26 more pine trees that we hate, so we'll definitely be using them again in the future.

I've added another item to the 2013 list: The 1/2 bathroom.

Like the other baths in our home, it needs to be gutted.  It hasn't been touched in 43 years.  Though it isn't as offensive as our guest bath (green tile, sink, tub) and the master bath (powder blue tile and sink), the sink doesn't work well anymore and the grout on the floor remains stained no matter how much I scrub it with a toothbrush.  I'm over it!  This will be our first foray into hanging sheetrock.  I'll keep you updated.

This is what it looks like now:

Over the last few weeks we purchased a new vanity, mirror, lighting fixture, and faucet. We are going to dip into my giant stash of Lowe's "clearance" tile for the floor. I can't wait to get started!!

1. Oval Bronze Mirror 2. Pendent Light w/ Crystal Shade 3. Oil-Rubbed Bronze Faucet

4. Crystal Acrylic Knob 5. Espresso Vanity 6. Almond Porcelain Floor Tile

 

On an even more exciting note, my dad is closing on his house in town today!!!  We are so excited to have he and his family 7 miles away instead of 1,000... not only for the free babysitting but also because we love them :)



Get a Survey!!

I have people ask me all the time if they should get a survey when buying a home.  Most cost between $350 and $400.  If there is an old plat on file with the county, many buyers would like to keep a few dollars in their pockets by not ordering a new one.

I try to help clients make their own decision by give examples of what can go wrong if you don't get a new survey.  Yesterday I added a great story to my arsenal.  One of my current clients is a family member, so I told him that he should get a survey... other clients get to make their own decisions, but I tell relatives what to do :)  When the survey came back, we found that a brick parking pad was extending over the neighbor's property line by 1.2'.  The current owners hadn't had a survey completed and had no idea that there were boundary infringements.  The person they had bought the home from used the parking pad for boat storage and it didn't appear on the plat that is currently sitting at the county office.

Let's just say, for example, that this client of mine had opted out of having a survey and the next-door neighbors decided to sell.  If those buyers had a survey completed, and they probably would because of the age of the area and boundary issues on Lake Murray, my family member would have been responsible for the removal of the infringing parking pad... even though it was built three owners ago.  A parking pad is a very, very small issue in the world of boundary infringements.  It could have been much worse.  Do yourself a favor and get a survey!!

AOTM

One letter different and would be America's Next Top Model (HA!).  It has finally happened.  After four months in second place, I hit the jackpot in December.

I have a parking spot right in front of the door of the office for the month, and I'm headed to lunch with the Broker-In-Charge of our office today to celebrate.  I am a giant nerd for being so excited about this.  There are some incredible agents in our office who win month after month, so it's fun for a newbie like me to get into the mix.  My goal was to win it once to make sure that I was keeping up with the "top producers."  The Lexington ERA Wilder Office is the #1 office of the #1 company in the Midlands based on sales volume, so it's kind of a big deal.  Squeaked that one out of 2012, huh?

Ps. Agent of the Month is based on production.  Points for pending sales, points for new listings, points for closed sales, etc.

House Projects!!

There is no project that I love more than a house project.  I think it is important to beautify your nest.  The place you choose to live says so much about you... and our home has not been a great reflection of us over the last four years.

We fell in love with our 1970's brick ranch because of its charm and character.  We were in our early 20's, and most people our age were purchasing "starter homes."  Knowing that these can be difficult to sell when you are ready to upgrade, we opted for a home that we could grow into.  Our 2200sf home with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths has been great.  However, it has zero curb appeal.

The outside of the house was peach brick.  U-G-L-Y.  In November, we finally had it painted a beautiful "Mountain Smoke" gray.  We couldn't be happier with the way it turned out.  The new painted started to make everything else look shabby, so we are rolling down the tracks in the reno train.  in December we had the wood soffits replaced with vinyl vented soffits.  It looks so fresh and clean!  We have years of projects ahead of us, but here is what we hope to accomplish in 2013:

1. Cut down dead pine trees (we have gotten the estimate, and they should be down by the end of the month)

2. Replace old front door with stained Mahogany door (It was on backorder.  It will go up in February)

3. Refinish Hardwood floors in dark walnut shade

4. Replace landscaping according to design that we got in July

5. Replace 1970's wooden windows with vinyl windows

We have kitchen and bath projects to do along the way.  We'll see what we have the time and money to complete over the next 12 months!!  I'll keep you updated.