Queen Anne Real Estate - April 2015

Gray Trending as a Home Exterior Color

Giving your home’s exterior a fresh look starts with color.

And this year, many home improvement trend-spotting experts say the leading color family is gray, with its neutral yet refined elegance.

“Gray is an important home exterior color because it works equally well on all home styles, from historic to contemporary, and in every part of the country,” says Kate Smith, president and chief color maven of Sensational Color. “Quite versatile, gray tones can range from cool, clear bluish gray to a true neutral gray through a warm French gray or even taupe. With gray, it’s really hard to go wrong.”

While you may know whether you like something once it’s in place, achieving a look you love before making a commitment is crucial. Smith is offering tips for picking the perfect hues for your home:

• The best gray for your home exterior is one that blends well with your roof and other fixed features, such as brick, stone or permanent design elements. For a middle tone that will work on most homes, look

for a classic gray that will never go out of style.

• Light, clear gray is fresh and airy -- just be sure to look for any undertones. What appears as light gray on the swatch could seem light blue or lavender once applied.

• If you’re going with dark gray as the main color, look for one that is rich but soft. Deeper shades with a harder edge are great as accents.

• Gray comes alive with dramatic accent colors. Paint your door a bold color to create a strong focal point. Use other accent colors to play a secondary role.

• A touch of brass, bronze or copper warms up gray; gold or orange adds a spark of color.

• Both warm and cool greens look fresh against gray; from thyme to palm or forest, green naturally brings out the beauty of gray.

• Tried and true blue -- soft raindrop, bold blue paisley or admiral blue -- keeps gray fresh and clean.

• Go all neutral with gray on gray ➧ EXTERIOR, Page 3

Make Your Home the Envy of the Neighborhood

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but you can judge a home by its exterior. Making your home the envy of the neighborhood starts with boosting its curb appeal. From general maintenance to home upgrades, here are three ideas to refresh your home’s look:

Update Windows

Replacing your windows with beautifully designed products will give your home a great first impression, not to mention reduce your energy bills and increase your home’s value.

After a window replacement, taking care of your new window is just as important. Wash windows every few months so they always look as good as the day they were installed.

Avoid scratching the surface of the glass, or frame, by utilizing non-abrasive agents. Water and a soft cloth is usually all you need to clean windows thoroughly, but a mild cleaner may also be helpful.

Choose Sleek Siding

If you are looking to boost your home’s energy efficiency and attain a new look for your exterior, replacing your siding is a great investment that can achieve both of these goals. Just be sure you get a superior product to avoid maintenance down the line. For example, vinyl siding is an ideal product because of its

low maintenance and longevity. No matter what color siding you opt for, you can make your entire home’s exterior pop by choosing a distinct trim color. Use a complimentary online design center, like the one

Avoid scratching the surface of the glass, or frame, by utilizing non-abrasive agents.

on the Window World website, to help visualize color options for windows, siding and doors. While there, check out their full-line of ENERGY STAR qualified replacement windows backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal. In addition to offering stylish siding, Window World also professionally installs the Prodigy

Insulated Siding System, which is both moisture and impactresistant. The Prodigy system has the thickest EPS foam insulation on the market, helping you increase comfort while decreasing energy consumption.

A Grand Entry

It is said that the front door is the focal point of your home’s curb appeal. When creating your entryway, customize a new front door with smaller side window panels or glass panels within the door itself. Look for an exterior remodeler that can custom design and install entry doors to match your exterior décor. If it’s not time for a door replacement, consider adding a splash of color to your exterior by painting or staining your existing door.

More information regarding windows, siding and doors is available at www.WindowWorld. com.To love your home, you must give it some love. Making the necessary home upgrades and maintaining your home’s exterior is a surefire way to turn heads. (StatePoint)

Is There a Best Time to Sell Your House?

Home sale trends in Queen Anne and Magnolia and what they mean for homeowners, buyers and sellers

By Kim Wesselman

The top question I get as a real estate agent: “When is the best time to put my house on the market?” If “best” is defined as “receiving the highest possible price” then the answer is: put your home on the market when the demand is high and supply is low. This is commonly referred to as a “sellers’ market.” We’re clearly in a seller’s market right now. The number of homes available for sale this March was down a whopping 40% over March 2014.

According to conventional wisdom and sales data, April, May and June are when the most homes go up for sale. The second annual peak is the month of September. Of course, our current seller’s market might suggest that for a while, any time of year will be the “best time.”

There are a many factors to consider when choosing the time to sell your house. Market dynamics, your life situation, your property’s features, interest rates and more help determine your individual optimal timeframe. The best time to sell depends on you.

Life happens – you have to move

You can’t always strategically

select when to sell your house. A new job means moving out of town.

A surprise set of twins is on the way – you need more room! You stumbled onto the home of your dreams and it’s time to take the leap. These circumstances might not coincide with one of the peak months, but remember, houses sell year-round.

The luxury of time

In a seller’s market, you have the luxury of time – you can match the timing of your sale to your lifestyle AND the market.

You probably have your own timing constraints to consider. “We can’t even THINK about selling until we fix that bathroom… the kids are out of school… our adult child has moved out,” etc.

Perhaps there are characteristics

of your home that make it more appealing to buyers at specific times of year. A garden that’s drop-dead gorgeous in the fall or a kitchen that’s perfect for cooking big holiday meals.

Right now, empty nesters are looking for one-story homes with a basement. Families are looking for the coveted three bedrooms on the 2nd floor. And there’s frenzied demand for homes with four bedrooms on the 2nd floor. If you have any of these, then your house is saleable any time of year.

Homes sell in every season

Spring is the busy season. Put your house on the market now and you’ll have more competition, but you’ll benefit from more buyers on

the hunt.

Summer slows a bit since buyers may be distracted with vacations. But families can be motivated to get settled in a new home before school starts or buyers may want to enjoy summer barbeques on your gorgeous deck.

September is the second annual peak, with a gradual slowing as we approach the winter. Some buyers may want to get settled in their new home before the holidays or close before the end of tax year.

Winter is a slower season for the market, but put your house on the market in winter and you can benefit from decreased seller competition. In 2015, buyers started looking at the end of January.

Now is the time of year when, historically, most homes go on the market. Let’s see what April, May and June bring. Here’s hoping a lot of homes come onto the market with a bevy of 2nd-floor bedrooms!

What do you want to learn about?

Do you have specific real estate topics or questions you’d like to hear about? Please send your ideas and questions to kwesselman@windermere.com.

Kim Wesselman is Managing Broker at Windermere Real Estate. She has advised clients on buying and selling properties in Queen Anne and Magnolia for 12 years.

Home Improvement Trends are Driving Innovations in Tools

If you’ve hired a contractor to work on your home, you may not recognize the impact you had on trends and innovation in the home improvement industry.

For example, as more homeowners look for ways to become eco-friendly, a growing number of contractors are using newer material, such as “Green Insulation Technology,” a sustainable insulation alternative.

Likewise, design trends create a need for new tools. Indeed, one out of three tilers expects “stoneeffect” to be the most popular tiling style within the next 12 months, according to a recent survey of 400 contractors conducted by Lab42. And to do a good job with such tiling, nearly three out of five

contractors said they wish they could cut holes in porcelain tile more efficiently, citing it as one of the most time-consuming tasks on the job. Enter tool bits such as the RotoZip XCores, a high-speed diamond hole saw that can cut tile, stone and granite, and operates at speeds ten times faster, lasts four times longer and can withstand more heat than comparable tools. A companion tool, the RotoZip RotoSaw, along with RotoZip ZipBits or XBITS, make quick, controlled cuts in a variety of materials, including drywall, up to one-inch thick.

As homeowners demands are met, more innovations in materials and tools are blossoming.

(StatePoint)

Check out the Queen Anne ReAl estAte Section featured the second week of every month!

Many Shades of Gray

www.sensationalcolor.com.

For a home update that will signify stability, elegance and dependability, consider going gray. (StatePoint)