How to Prepare Your Home for Retirement
Apart from all the traveling, new hobbies, and countless adventures you’ll enjoy, retirement is also a time to rethink your current living space. It’s a fact of life that as we age, our body also loses its strength and endurance. Staircases will be like mountains, and slippery flooring will be more dangerous than ever. Since you will have more time & money to invest in your “forever home” by then, you’ll be able to accommodate renovations and other home improvement projects for your golden years. In preparing your home for retirement, the goal is to transform your place into one that will provide you comfort, ease of access, and security for the rest of your life. So go and look around your home, jot down enhancements you’d like to get done, and talk to your family for assistance. To guide you in this undertaking, here are our top home improvement tips that’ll help you age in place: 1. Build your life around the first floor If you live in a multi-story home, it’s time to quit the stairs and settle living on the first floor alone. This means relocating all amenities on one level, including the master bedroom, bathroom, and laundry area. Depending on the space, you can either build these rooms from scratch or go the more cost-effective route of converting existing rooms on the first floor. Not only will your knees thank you for this, but limiting traffic on just one level will make your home easier to maintain and clean up. Pro-tip: When relocating your bedroom, choose the quietest area away from traffic noise. This is because as you enter your senior years, it’ll be much harder to sleep deeply. Catch those zzz’s by doing this! 2.Set up a fitness spot Don’t have a personal gym yet? Now’s the time to dedicate an area for fitness equipment such as a treadmill, yoga mat, and senior-friendly dumbbells. You can do this within the first floor or set it up outdoors to catch some sun while working out. 3. Choose a slip-resistant flooring Switching from slippery flooring to slip-resistant is your first step to catching yourself from falling over or tripping in the future. Some options include vinyl, linoleum, cork, and carpet. These are also resilient floors, meaning they were engineered for comfort, giving your legs a break from all the other rigid floor choices. 4. Create an accessible entry point As you age, little things– like climbing two or three steps leading to your front door – suddenly become a daunting task. To ensure that you can step in and out of your house without hassle, you can install a ramp or a gradually-inclined walkway with a handrail. Through this, you will still be able to access your home should you need the help of a wheelchair or walker one day. While you’re at it, you can widen interior doorways by adding in a few extra inches. To fit a wheelchair, set your target doorway width at 32 inches or higher. 5. Make your bathroom senior-friendly A couple of upgrades will help you avoid fall-related incidents in the bath. A common tip would be installing grab bars in the shower, toilet area, sink, or other areas where you’d lean on. Plus, you may want to replace a bathtub with a walk-in shower unit with a handheld shower head. This type of shower head gives you more flexibility while you bathe. 6. Invest in tech & security solutions Does tech freak you out? We sure hope not ‘cause smart home devices would make for valuable upgrades when you retire. If you haven’t heard of the concept, your home becomes a ‘smart home’ when you furnish it with electronic gadgets designed to perform automated tasks when you command it. Lights, heating, door locks, and appliances can be voice-activated. Futuristic, isn’t it? If you don’t have one yet, you may want to consider setting up a CCTV and an alarm system for you and your property’s protection. Also, don’t be shy in plastering signs that say your home is under constant surveillance. This measure shoos away potential criminals who might take advantage of your vulnerability as an elder. 7. Repaint and redecorate to match your style Have you always wanted to paint your house a certain color but never did? Don’t let this turn into another ‘what if’ and do it! While it is recommended to choose a calming palette, the color of your forever home will be solely up to you. You can also perform other mini aesthetic projects such as redecorating the living room with plants, spicing up a bland wall with photo frames, and placing fresh flowers in the kitchen. As your retirement draws near, may your home become a sanctuary to you in your golden years. Happy planning! Rabecca Ranaldi As an Associate Broker at EXIT Realty Mountain View - I help home buyers and sellers along Colorado’s Front Range including Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, and Peyton. As your Local Resource, I am happy to help! Associate Broker for Exit Realty Mountain View 719-426-0949 cell
9 Ways to Add Personality to a Cookie Cutter Home
When you think about your dream home, what picture comes to mind? Probably a mansion? A literal palace? Or are you picturing more of a simple structure full of life and personality? Most of us have ideas of what our dream home looks like. However, not everyone can afford to fully achieve that ideal. A huge number of American households continue to move in to mass-produced cookie-cutter homes in the suburbs — these are rows and rows of houses with the same interior and exterior layout and style. If you own or are planning to buy this kind of house, we’ve got some gorgeous ideas to share on how you can personalize and add charm to a cookie-cutter home — even your neighbors will turn their heads! 1. Revamp the house’s trim work to fit your style Cookie cutter homes usually come with plain trim work along with its floors and windows, but not every homeowner will like how they look. Don’t settle for boring trims when you can customize them by painting over with your favorite color or totally replacing them for good. There are numerous types and styles of trim out there; we’re sure you’ll find one that suits you well! 2. Paint your front door or the whole exterior If you really want to stand out in a sea of lookalike homes, consider painting your front door. Or why stop there? Paint the whole house exterior instead! It’s totally up to you how far you want to go and how much you want to commit to this, but if you’re interested, we recommend going for colors that aren’t seen much in your neighborhood. For example, if the standard color is neutral, go for vibrant tones. 3. Create unique accent walls Your interior doesn’t have to be bland. Put your aesthetic taste on display by creating an accent wall, a.k.a. feature wall. There are tons of ways to do this, so here are some ideas: Add a pop of color on just one wall. It’s up to you if you want to paint it or use the inexpensive yet trusty wallpaper — just pick a design that matches your character Play around with your accent wall’s trims and molding Go for a classic look for your feature by adding a wainscot 4. Spruce up your space with lovely light fixtures Lighting is such an important element to consider when you want to achieve that homey feel and ambiance, so don’t feel sorry when you’re removing the boob lights that came with your cookie cutter house. Instead, incorporate who you are by installing beautiful light fixtures anywhere you want – the living area, foyer, kitchen island, dining table, or even the front porch. What’s great about this is that you don’t have to restrict yourself to just one style. Give each room a distinct personality with different light fixtures that look either modern, eccentric, quirky, etc. And while you’re at it, make sure to choose the right color temperature for your home. If you want to energize everyone at home, go for a cooler color temperature. But if you want to relax and get cozy with the family, go for a warmer color temperature. 5. Rethink your knobs and handles When you buy a cookie cutter home, chances are your knobs and handles look the same as those of your neighbors’. Quit using these common hardwares and get something that fits your style, whether it’s vintage, traditional, or contemporary. 6. Make your outdoor space truly yours The entirety of your property should be able to mirror your taste, which means that your front or backyard must have a touch of ‘you’. Apart from decking it with outdoor furniture and decoration, your yard should also be able to support your family’s lifestyle. If you have a pet, set up a playpen for them outside. If someone in the family is a green thumb, give them space to grow their garden. If another likes to cook, allocate an area for grilling and dining. Don’t get intimidated by the idea of redesigning your yard for your needs and wants because a quick Google search is all it takes to see multiple ways to do it on a budget. 7. Rework your ceiling’s paint Turn your dull ceiling into an eye-catching ‘fifth wall’ by painting it with vivid color. Just use the color theory to figure out which color should be applied. 8. Place stunning window curtains or drapes When you’re done letting natural light in, ensure that your family gets the privacy they need from prying eyes through window curtains or drapes. There are a variety of textures and designs readily available in the market, so you’re sure to find one that works well with the rest of your house’s look. If you can, try to avoid plastic blinds as they tend to look characterless. 9. Decorate with your mementos and heirloom items Your home should be filled with things that spark happiness. It’s time to bust out those family photos, frame them, and hang them on a wall to remind you and your loved ones of those good memories. If you love reading, why don’t you display your most treasured books on a custom shelf? Additionally, if you receive a piece of family heirloom like a prized painting, using it as decoration will surely add more charm to your cookie cutter home. While some of these ideas require more extensive work, most can be DIY-ed by you and your family. We hope this inspires you to spruce up your place, because with dedication and perseverance, you, too, can turn your cookie cutter home into your dream home. Rabecca Ranaldi As an Associate Broker at EXIT Realty Mountain View - I help home buyers and sellers along Colorado’s Front Range including Colorado Springs, Woodland Park, and Peyton. As your Local Resource, I am happy to help! Associate Broker for Exit Realty Mountain View 719-426-0949 cell
Best Exterior House Color When Selling Your Home
The reality is that paint color packs a serious punch in the real estate game. Unlike interior colors, exterior hues can affect the entire street — and that puts a lot of pressure on homeowners when it comes to choosing a palette. In addition, a number of factors come into play that you don’t have to deal with on the inside of a house: landscaping, hardscaping, roofing and more. Use these tips, along with the help of a professional, to choose a color scheme that works both for your style and for your home’s surroundings.. So, what is the best house color to sell your home to a potential buyer? When you go to social events, do you make an effort to snazzy yourself up? Of course you do. The simply fact is attraction is a key factor in forming relationships and the same applies to your house. When you put the house on the market, you need to make it look good for the dates with potential buyers. The color of your house can make all the difference. First, there is absolutely no correct answer to the BEST color. Instead, the decision depends on the makeup of your home and the surrounding landscape. Let’s take a look at some issues: 1. Your neighborhood. Whatever color you choose, make sure it doesn’t clash with the other homes in the neighborhood. An otherwise unappealing color could end up making your house an eye-sore. You want your home to have beautiful curb appeal and you don’t want to make any color mistakes. 2. The Roof. What color is the roof on your home? If it is a red tile roof? Off-whites are probably going to be the best choice. Dark green will not. Whereas, if you have a black or neutral grey, you don’t have to worry as much about color clashing. So unless you are going to invest money in a new roof, make sure the paint color doesn’t clash with it. 3. Highlights and accents. If there is a particular part of your house that should be emphasized, used light colored paint around it to draw attention. Keep in mind, if you want a white exterior or white accents, you will also need to choose a warmer white otherwise your home will have a blue cast to it. 4. Hide It! Conversely, if there are parts of the house that are mundane, use darker colors to draw attention away from them. As you pull all of this together and I know it’s a lot to think about, I want to really help you by mentioning that less is more when it comes to exterior colors. Anything more than 2-3 colors is too much on the exterior. So keep this in mind when choosing the multiple necessary colors for your home. 5. Lastly, On large flat surfaces, such as the side of a garage, keep in mind the color you choose will have a washed out appearance. Be sure to look at your samples at morning, mid-day and at dusk. This is such a critical step, especially when choosing exterior paint colors because the sun can pull out strange undertones that you may not see on the paint card.
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