Found 43 blog entries tagged as Improve Your Home's Curb Appeal.

 Are you working on decorating your home? Perhaps you want to spruce up your décor, but you aren’t sure where to start. 

Where can you find inspiration for your Santa Cruz home décor, besides the obvious home décor magazines and websites?
Here are some fun and creative ideas that will inspire you when designing your décor:

Luxury Hotels
The next time you go on a vacation, you can find décor inspiration at your hotel. Most hotel rooms in mid-range to luxury hotels have beautiful, comforting and understated designs, so take photos if you find something that you like.
Perhaps you can invest in plush throw pillows for your bed, a sleek bed table lamp or thick white towels for your bathroom to recreate the look of a luxury hotel.

Art Galleries
Take a…

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Houseplants are great for decorating. They can brighten up any room. Plus, houseplants can increase the air quality in a room. That makes you happier, healthier and reduces stress. Speaking of stress, these plants won’t create any at all. All of the plants on this list are great at producing oxygen and require very little care.

10. Heartleaf philodendron
A tough plant that’s a good filter for toxins like formaldehyde, Heartleaf philodendron makes a great houseplant. The only downside is that it’s toxic to eat, so it may not be the best choice for those with kids or pets. But if you can control your appetite, the Heartleaf philodendron is an excellent indoor Houseplant for air quality.

9. Snake plant
Also called Mother-in-Law’s tongue, the Snake plant…

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After all of the excitement of the holidays, the sparkle of the lights and the overstimulation of decorations, the rest of winter can seem lackluster. Don’t let your home add to the dreariness of the season. Spruce up your curb appeal with the tips below and inspire your neighbors to create well-groomed street that will make driver’s passing through smile.

Tend The Plants
If you’re currently located in a winter wonderland, then dig up any dead plants that won’t grow back. Replace them with cold-loving flowers, such as snowberry or lambs ear. In warmer climates, this is the time for any landscaping changes you’d like to make. It will give your plants a chance to flourish by spring and have solid roots before the harsh heat of summer.

Light The Way
With…

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Making the decision to build a home might be one of the biggest you make in your life. You’ve found the perfect plot of land and have a vision of what type of home you want, but you need someone to bring your dream to life. That means it’s time to start interviewing architects.
 
Hiring an architect isn’t as simple as just calling up a few and seeing who might have the time. You’ll want to ensure you choose a professional that understands your design aesthetic, communicates well, can design on budget and has an upstanding reputation. Below are a few key questions to ask when deciding whom to hire.
 
Do You Have A Specific Design Style?
When interviewing architects, be sure to ask each one if they have a specific aesthetic and if you can see a portfolio of his…

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You’re absolutely sick of looking at the popcorn ceiling of your 1980’s home — it’s time for a change. However, behind the façade of a ceiling is a mess of plumbing, wiring, joists and structural beams, so you have to be careful and creative when updating your home.

Whether you’re dealing with an older home, a tricky duct system or an unfinished basement, below are several ceiling solutions to brighten up the space above your head.
 
Bring back wood paneling.
The 70’s are making a comeback. If you have a flat or slanted ceiling, wood paneling is easy to affix and can create a cozy cabin-like feel. This works well in living rooms, bedrooms and basements where you want generate a warm, comfortable atmosphere. 

Create an industrial vibe.
If you like the…

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Buying a Santa Cruz home can be a great investment. And growing that investment by making it more valuable before you sell means more money in your pocket. While a lot of projects can be expensive and time consuming, there are a few quick and easy upgrades to make your property worth more to buyers.

Update Kitchen Cabinets
You don’t need to completely replace kitchen cabinets to make them appealing. Switching out the doors and drawer fronts can make them appear new. You can also add a fresh coat of paint and replace the hardware on the front of the cabinets to create a new look.

Replace the Front Door
The entry point of your Santa Cruz home is the first and last thing potential buyers see. If your front door is old, outdated or looks like it has…

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When it comes to selling your Santa Cruz home, you’ve probably thought of the most common staging tricks, such as clearing out the clutter to make your rooms look bigger and bringing in more light to brighten things up. However, have you considered that the colors in your house might have an effect on whether buyers are interested?

Color has a psychological effect on people, whether they are aware of it or not. First impressions are everything when you are selling a house, so think about how the colors you choose will influence your potential buyers. A new paint job could be a simple and effective way to make your house more appealing.

Choose Mellow, Neutral Shades

When a potential buyer is looking at your house, they want to be able to imagine…

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Selling a house in the current market can be tricky, but there are certain mistakes an owner can make that will cause a Santa Cruz home to sit still without a decent offer and cause the listing to go stale. In order to prevent that from happening, make sure you are not making one of the following mistakes when putting your property on the market.

Overpricing

While your Santa Cruz home may hold sentimental value, that value does not translate into dollars. Be realistic about your asking price and know the market. Look at the list price of similar houses on the market to get a rough idea of what you should ask for your property. Your real estate agent can also give you their expert opinion based on experience and comparables.

Neglecting Repairs

…

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Without a doubt, spring is the best time of year to get your Santa Cruz home on the market and sold fast. The reason behind this trend is understandable. Most people don’t want to look at new houses, pack everything up and move in the cold of winter. Also, families want to wait until the kids get out of school for the summer, so they’ll start shopping in the spring. Thus, when the warm weather returns, so do the buyers in the real estate market.

Before your real estate agent lists your Santa Cruz home, it’s essential for it to look its best. Examine your living space and see it as a buyer would — then double check this list of staging tips to make sure you haven’t overlooked any important details.

• Clear out the clutter. Tidy up counter tops,…

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Have you ever walked into Santa Cruz homes and looked down to see stained carpet or flooring? It definitely makes you want to keep your shoes on. Imagine if you were a buyer looking at the same floor.

The right type of flooring and whether it is well taken care of can make a big difference to buyers. If your floor is questionably clean, here are a few fixes to help remedy the issue to make sure your home sells.

Does your home have hardwood floors?

You’re in luck. Buyers love hardwood floors and some will actually pay extra to get them. In fact, they could be that final selling point. If your hardwood floors are covered by carpet, painted over or showing anything but the natural wood grain, it’s time for an overhaul. Pull up those carpets and get…

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