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Larry & Kathy Reichle

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Backyard Structures: The New Necessity

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Take a look at your current outdoor space. Maybe you have a terrace, patio, or deck. Maybe you have a table and chairs or some outdoor sports equipment. But what if you could put that space to really good use? What if you could use your backyard to create a space that adds value to your home’s equity—and to your everyday life? For many homeowners, the best new home improvement or addition isn’t connected to the home at all—it’s a specialty backyard structure.

Whether you’re looking for space for your new work from home lifestyle or you want to build more financial security into your life, a separate exterior space offers convenience, flexibility, and privacy. Here are some ideas for making that backyard space more useful than ever.

Guest House

For those with big families or a home located in a desirable resort area, a guest house is a great option for an upgraded backyard space. Keep in mind storage options for your guests’ luggage and include basic toiletries like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and shampoo. While you might not need a full kitchen in a guest house, a wet bar with an ice maker and small beverage refrigerator is a great option and a welcome addition to your guest house design.

wood pool house

Pool House

Long a staple of elegant luxury homes, the pool house is beginning to look like a necessity. Here you’ll find a great place to store pool toys and floats, with floor coverings and furnishings that can stand up to wet bathing suits and flipflops. Include a cabana bath for added convenience, and WiFi for quiet rest time when kids need to get out of the sun.

She-Shed or He-Shed

Whether it’s intended for the man of the house or the woman of the house, an outdoor structure can provide a place for peace and privacy. Create a football-themed media room for the ultimate backyard man-cave. Create a serene space for her to pursue her hobbies or just get away from the hustle and bustle inside the main house.

Granny Shed

If you have in-laws who frequently come over to help with the kids or are looking to integrate elderly parents into your household, the so-called Granny Shed is a great option. It preserves the privacy and autonomy of grandma and grandpa while providing the support that they may need as they age and mobility becomes more of an issue. The single-story design and smaller size will help with home upkeep and safety. Consider adding features like extra lighting, additional handrails, and grab bars to provide extra security and comfort for aging family members.

row of treadmills

Fitness Studio

Whether you’re looking for a standalone home gym or a yoga studio, you’ll be more inspired to keep up with your daily workout routine when going to the gym is as easy as stepping out of your back door. Create a combination space with a variety of gym equipment, mirrors, and a barre so that the whole family can take part, from the smallest ballerina to the strongest weightlifter.

Homeschool Classroom

As COVID-19 shut down schools, many parents found themselves struggling with helping their students study at home. One of the reasons? Too many distractions. If your school district is planning to remain closed for part or all of the school day over the next year, or if you’re thinking of continuing to homeschool your children, it may be time to create a separate space devoted to study.

 

A remote learning environment can help your child separate from their normal spaces, like a bedroom or playroom, and focus on schoolwork. Add bookshelves and tables as well as educational posters to create a stimulating learning environment. Include upgraded WiFi for fast access to the online classroom.

Home Office

As businesses decide to offer work from home as a permanent role for more and more of their workers, many two-income households find themselves struggling to create space for dueling Zoom meetings and uninterrupted work-time. A separate workspace creates the distance you need to be more productive while still remaining at home. Make your separate home office the dedicated workspace for one of you, or make it a rotational space for either person’s virtual meetings, phone calls, and work that requires undivided attention.

Rental Unit

Economic disruption caused by the pandemic has some people rethinking their financial planning. If you have the space, a separate structure may be a great option for conversion into a small rental unit. If you live in a college town or in an area with a large population of renters, you may want to use the space for long-term leases. If you live in a resort area, you may want to host short-term and vacation renters.

Remember to determine what structural elements are required for rental properties in your area and whether your HOA sets limits on rental properties in your community. In addition, consult with your CPA or financial advisor on the tax implications of a rental property, consult your lawyer on the legal liability associated with such a unit, and determine what adjustments you’ll need to make to your insurance coverage.

Design Options for Your Backyard Structure

One of the best features of your backyard structure is that it doesn’t have to conform to the style of your residence. In many cases, you can indulge your own individual design aesthetic and add a touch of whimsy with a fanciful guest house or other exterior space in a style totally different from that of the main home. Here too, be sure to check with your HOA to ensure that there are no restrictions governing the design or placement of your secondary structure.

By: Christy Murdock Edgar

Seattle-area housing market in one sentence: ‘What a difference a month makes’

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Home prices rose in the four-county metro area in June, but they climbed more in outlying areas as buyers sought to move to less congested areas.

Compared to a year ago, the Puget Sound region’s single-family housing market is in the dumps, but compared to earlier this year, it’s moving ever higher.

Record-low interest rates are fueling the market, with the region among the nation’s markets that are seeing the strongest recovery from the pandemic.

Strong demand and low inventory drove prices up in June, according to data the Northwest Multiple Listing Service released Monday. In the four-county metro, Pierce logged the largest increase, nearly 9%, followed up Kitsap (6.6%), Snohomish (5.2%) and King (4.3%).

Demand is especially strong in areas farther afield as buyers look to escape crowded cities and suburbs due to Covid-19 and urban strife

Median sale prices rocketed up from 12% in Thurston County (Olympia) to nearly 31% in Kittitas County (Ellensburg and Suncadia). Prices similarly rose in the counties that are home to Shelton, Port Townsend and Wenatchee/Chelan.

More space and lower prices and taxes make these areas more attractive now that people have discovered they can get most of their work done from home, Dean Rebhuhn, president of Village Homes and Properties in Woodinville, said in the NWMLS news release.

The extraordinarily low supply of homes for sale indicates prices could further climb in outlying areas still relatively close to Seattle, said James Young, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research.

A lack of housing stock is holding back the market. In the four-county metro, there were nearly 4,350 fewer homes for sale this June compared to last, a 48% decline. New listings were down 11%, closed sales were off 13% and pending sales were about even.

But compared to May, the June numbers were downright muscular. New listings were up 35%, closed sales were 39% higher and pending sales increased nearly 13%.

 

By   – Staff Writer, Puget Sound Business Journal

Sheltering In Place Is Changing What People Want From Their Homes

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Sheltering in place during the Coronavirus pandemic has inspired homeowners to tackle home improvement projects that better suit their needs. There are many reasons to renovate that run the gamut from accommodating remote work to sprucing up or adding outdoor living spaces.

“Our homes have come under the microscope like never before during the months-long sheltering in place,” says Dan DiClerico, home expert at HomeAdvisor, an online home improvement resource. “The quarantine has caused an intense assessment of what works and doesn’t work, first and foremost with functionality, but also with the home’s overall design and aesthetics.”

The process is ongoing, he added, explaining “we’re already seeing a new set of preferences and priorities emerge as homeowners consider which features matter most, whether they’re making improvements to their existing home or looking to move to a new one.”

Updating functionality, efficiency

“While it’s always possible to put on an addition or refinish the basement, most homeowners have a finite amount of floor space in the home to work with,” says DiClerico. “That’s forcing some reapportioning of square footage as new needs emerge. The most obvious example is the home office—at least for those people who have the luxury to work from home. In the past, people might have been happy to work at the kitchen table or cram their office into an oversized closet.

In an era of virtual meetings, interior design for Zoom calls and webinars is uncharted territory.  “Today’s home office also serves as a public staging area, so form and function are equally important,” DiClerico says. “In homes with large master bedroom suites, many homeowners are co-opting floor space that might have functioned as a reading nook or grooming station for their newly elevated home office. Along with the essentials of a working office — desk, chair, printer, etc. — it features a personalized backdrop for video calls, say a bookcase with relevant titles or a favorite piece of artwork hanging on the wall.”

HomeAdvisor is also seeing more interest in so-called flex rooms, or rooms that serve multiple functions. “The room might be your staging area for the home office, but it also serves as the home gym, with room for the Peloton bike or yoga mat, and maybe even a guest bedroom, with the addition of a pull-out sofa and side table,” says DiClerico.

He notes that in new construction, some builders are reducing the size of the garage to make room in the floor plan for these essential flex spaces.

A focus on outdoor living

Staying at home is the new going out, and outdoor living spaces reflect the same expectations many people have for their home’s interior. DiClerico says the outdoor living trend was building before COVID-19, but it’s now supercharged.

“The quarantine forced people to see their outdoor spaces with new eyes,” he says. “In the past, a deck or patio might have been seen as a nice amenity for occasional barbecues. But now this outdoor space is an essential expansion of the home’s living space. Again, think flexibility and multi-functionality. Sure, it’s a place to grill hamburgers for an open-air meal, but with the right furnishings and shade protection, it might be a place for kids to do their home schooling. Or maybe there’s a wellness corner, with room to roll out a yoga mat or put down a meditation cushion.”

Related to outdoor living is the idea of biophilic design, or the creation of homes that foster a connection to nature.

DiClerico says, “At the high-end, we’re seeing expansive walls of glass, which create a seamless transition into outdoor living rooms. When that’s not in the budget, homeowners are using outdoor plants, natural materials and nature-inspired paint colors to enhance their home’s feeling of biophilia.”

Eliminating clutter

“As the months of quarantine wore on, the clutter piled up, forcing homeowners to take storage and organization to a whole new level,” says DiClerico. “We’re seeing a ton of interest around closet organization systems and kitchen pantries, addressing two hotbeds of disorder in the home.”

The pandemic led to a major uptick in online-shopping. “That meant more packages being delivered, and also more packages going missing, whether from theft or simply because they get lost in the chaos of quarantine living,” explains DiClerico. “That’s creating the need for a dedicated package receiving center. It might simply be a freestanding drop box near the front door. But we’re also seeing more high-tech solutions, such as automated pass-throughs connected to a mudroom or other utility space, allowing delivery persons to safely deposit packages inside the home.”

DIY pet grooming stations

Pet adoption has skyrocketed during the pandemic as more people look for additional sources of companionship at home.

“Families don’t want to wash their four-legged friends in the same tub they bathe the kids, which has led to an increase in dedicated pet-grooming stations,” says DiClerico. “Outdoor stations might consist of a raised freestanding bath with showerhead that attaches to the garden hose. Inside grooming stations could be located in a basement or utility space, perhaps next to the washing machine, to take advantage of nearby plumbing and drainage.”

4 Easy Ways to Fix Your Yard Before Selling Your Home

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With baby #3 on the way, we’ve decided our home is just too small for our growing family. We’ve loved our home and our neighborhood, but there’s no way five of us can fit into a 1200 square foot home and still be sane. Luckily, the inside of our home is in excellent condition with one-year-old carpeting, custom paint, and even upgraded counters. It’s absolutely beautiful inside! The yard, however, is another story…

Unfortunately, this is often the case. The money runs out before landscaping is ever completed or the landscaping already in place is just too hard to maintain. Not everyone has a green thumb, right?! It may not seem like that big of a deal since you don’t live in your yard. Maybe you’ll just let the next owner deal with it… But is that really the best solution?  Your real estate agent informs you that even with an amazing interior, your house–if it sells–will come in at a much lower price than you had hoped. First impressions are very important, and the curb appeal of your home will be the difference between someone taking a look or driving by. So the bottom line is if you’re serious about getting top dollar, you may have to spend a few dollars first.

When sprucing up your yard to appeal to prospective buyers, what are the most important areas to concentrate on?

1. Your lawn.

Prospective buyers will overlook a lot of landscaping issues if your yard is well-maintained. If it’s summer, they are looking for a well-maintained, freshly mowed, lush, green lawn free of dandelions and other weeds. If there are large dead spots, you’ll need to plant grass seed or sod to fill them in.

If you don’t have a green thumb, this is the time to call a professional lawn care service to get your lawn in parade-of-homes condition. A lawn service will be able to deal with your trouble spots and make sure that it makes a great first impression to those potential buyers.

2. Your flower beds.

When sprucing up flower beds, a little dirt under the nails is required–whether it’s your own nails or the teenaged neighbor’s nails–someone is going to need to get dirty. Weeding comes first. Next, comes fresh mulch, wood chips, or colored rock to spread across the flower beds for a clean, fresh look that will provide contrast to your main flower bed attraction: the flowers.

When choosing flowers, pick flowers that will bloom or stay bloomed throughout your projected time frame for selling your home. Annuals are generally cheapest and stay bright and cheery through most of the growing season.  If you already have annuals that have bloomed and dried up, replace them if possible.The splash of color that the flowers bring will go a long way in bringing beauty to your yard.

3. Your trees and shrubs.

Trees and shrubs are additional areas where professional lawn care services can help. If you don’t think you can safely climb a ladder and handle a chainsaw in one hand while holding a branch in the other, you shouldn’t attempt to cut down dead or stray branches or shape scraggly bushes yourself. Instead, you should spend the money to stay safe and have the job done properly.

Beautifully shaped shrubs and well-trimmed trees add an extra pizzazz and show prospective buyers that you care about your yard.

4. Special yard features.

You may have special features in your yard such as planters, waterfalls, and ponds. If these features don’t add much to your overall landscape design, you may want to consider removing them altogether. If they were hard for you to keep up, they may be hard for future owners as well. In fact, these types of features sometimes turn future owners away for fear of future upkeep.

If these features add beauty and personality to your yard, refill planters with fresh plants after cleaning out the dead material, make sure waterfalls are clean and functioning properly, and be sure that ponds are clean and stocked with fish if desired.

You may also have playground equipment in your backyard. Ask your real estate agent on advice concerning whether or not playground equipment should stay or go; it may be that future owners will welcome it, but there is also a chance they won’t. The final decision will most likely depend on its condition. If it is rundown or detracts from the home and the rest of your yard, consider taking it down and moving it to your new house where your own kids can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

Getting your lawn professionally taken care of, sprucing up your flower beds, trimming your trees and shrubs, and taking a hard look at any special features in your yard are great places to focus your attention when trying to sell your home. None of these fixes require major changes nor are they too expensive, but taking the time and money to focus on them will go a long way toward increasing your curb appeal and helping you sell your home faster and at a more competitive price.

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15 Home Decor Trends That Will Be Major in 2020

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1 Vintage Accents

Spacecrafting/Bria Hammel Interiors

What goes around comes around — especially when it comes to home decor trends. “One thing we’re starting to see is more of a nod to vintage and traditional detailing — things like spooled legs, spindles, and other things we saw in furnishings from the 1800s and early 1900s,” says interior designer Bria Hammel, CEO of Bria Hammel Interiors.

But don’t expect to see all vintage everywhere. This time around, designers are incorporating just one or two statement pieces.

 

2 Navy Blue

Zeke Ruelas

The 2020 Pantone Color of the Year is Classic Blue (a navy shade), which means you can expect to see a lot of the color in the new year. Fortunately, it’s totally versatile and sophisticated.

“Navy blue provides the perfect amount of contrast for interiors and exteriors in both traditional and modern home styles,” says interior designer Kerrie Kelly, founder of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. “Whether a kitchen island gets a quick upgrade or a room gets a dramatic new look with contrasting white trim and woodwork, the shade provides a stately look without going completely black,” she says.

3 Floral Wallpaper

home decor trends 2020 - floral wallpaper

Studio Ten 25 Interiors

If the thought of flower-power wallpaper makes you flinch, then 2020 might just be the year you change your tune. “Floral wallpaper has been around for years and you will continue to see the pretty pattern but with a much more modern update,” says interior designer Abbe Fenimore, founder of Studio Ten 25. “Large scale, bold color, and even metallic versions are here to stay.”

Fenimore says they’re a particularly good choice in powder bathrooms and foyers. Plus, there are tons of stick-on options if you’re not ready to fully commit.

4 High-Contrast Decor

home decor trends 2020 - high contrast

Spacecrafting/Bria Hammel Interiors

High-contrast designs are currently having a moment — which means if you’ve always wanted to paint your home black, now is the time to give it a whirl (in moderation, of course).

“For a long time, it was white, white, white,” Hammel says. “But now, for example, maybe we’d see a chair with black fabric and a white frame. Or a console table in a dark stained wood with light-colored hardware.”

5 Non-White Kitchens

home decor trends 2020 - kitchen

Spacecrafting/Bria Hammel Interiors

If there was one defining design trend of the 2010s, it was the all-white kitchen. But in 2020, designers predict there’ll be a shift toward spaces that go beyond just white. For example, Hammel expects to see more natural wood cabinets, islands, and shelves — all of which allow homeowners to keep a bright and airy vibe without restricting themselves to all-white-everything.

6 Color-Pop Cabinets

home decor trends 2020 - colored cabinets

MICHAEL KASKEL

If you really want to leave the all-white kitchen trend behind, opt for another 2020 home decor trend: colored cabinets. According to the experts at Modiani Kitchens, “the trend in 2020 is to choose one or several elements, like the kitchen island, kitchen wall cabinets, or base cabinets in daring colors, like dark red, bright yellow, green or navy blue.”

7 Canopy Beds

home decor trends 2020 - canopy bed

Studio Ten 25 Interiors/Heather Hawkins

Now is the time to make all of your regal canopy bed dreams come true. “Canopy beds no longer need to be draped in heavy fabrics and chunky headboards,” says Fenimore. “Modern versions made with acrylic, metal, and sleek upholstered frames are making a comeback.”

RELATED: 55 Decor Ideas to Transform Your Master Bedroom Into a Haven

8 Patina Accents

home decor 2020 - patina

LAURA OPFEL

“One of the emerging design trends is an appreciation of patina and age,” says interior designer Breeze Giannasio. In addition to more vintage furniture, expect to see this played out in color trends such as clay and terracotta, as well as decorative items such as earthenware and ceramics.

9 Olive Trees

Faux Olive Tree & Large White Fluted Planter Set

If 2019 was the year of the dramatic fiddle leaf fig, then Hammel expects 2020 will be the year of the much subtler olive tree. Instead of blooming bright green, these trees are a more sophisticated sage.

10 Antique Art

home decor 2020 - antique art

ANNIE SCHLECHTER

Make 2020 the year you start — or continue to grow — your art collection. “If any type of antique is making a comeback, it’s art,” says Hammel. “People love that it looks aged and that it has a story to it.”

11 Kitchen Art

home decor 2020 - kitchen art

ZIO AND SONS

While you’re collecting those pieces of art, be sure to scout some for the kitchen. “There’s always a focus on making the kitchen a room in the house and not a machine for cooking,” says Giannasio. That can be accomplished by hanging art in the kitchen, or using open shelves to display items that show off your personality, she says.

12 Curved Sofas

This 2020 home decor trend will transport you back to another decade. “We’ll see some ’60s and ’70s throwbacks with a modern twist and a focus on line and curve,” says Giannasio.

13 Rattan and Wicker Furniture

home decor 2020 - rattan and wicker

Victoria Pearson

Nope, these materials don’t need to be relegated to the back deck. “Rattan/wicker is having a resurgence,” interior designer Nicole Fuller told Elle Decor. “It warmly reminds me of my childhood and has evolved in fresh and exciting ways whether in chairs, tables, or lighting. It is the perfect layer to balance modern and traditional style.”

14 Free-Standing Tubs

home decor 2020 - free standing tub

LINCOLN BARBOUR

Need a fresh master bathroom idea? Try a luxurious soaking tub. According to the 2019 U.S. Houzz Bathroom Trends Study, 38% of homeowners added or replaced a bathtub as part of their master bathroom project, and 50% of those folks chose a freestanding flat-bottom tub shape; another 9% chose a free-standing claw-foot tub.

15 Cozy Fabrics

home decor 2020 - texture

TREVOR SMITH

Fortunately for everyone who loves to cozy up with a good book, Giannasio says comfy fabrics will be everywhere in the new year. “Instead of luxe grand velvet, we’ll see shearling, imperfect leathers, and soft textured mohairs.” Count us in.

Remote work may trigger a ‘suburban boom’ in real estate

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SEATTLE – With large tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft extending their work-from-home policies until the fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economists are predicting that real estate trends might shift and cause a “suburban boom” in the housing market.

In a newly released survey, the Seattle-based Zillow Group found that 75% of Americans working from home due to COVID-19 would prefer to telecommute at least half of the time once the pandemic subsides, and 66% said they would consider moving if their job allowed them to continue telecommuting.

These trends in the job market are leading economists to predict that post-pandemic housing preferences may move away from dense metropolitan areas due to the virus and more lenient work-from-home situations.

“Moving away from the central core has traditionally offered affordability at the cost of your time and gas money. Relaxing those costs by working remotely could mean more households choose those larger homes farther out, easing price pressure on urban and inner suburban areas,” said Zillow senior principal economist, Skylar Olsen.

As people reconsider housing options in conjunction with remote work, the amount of space desired by home shoppers will also shift. Zillow predicts that larger homes, especially those with extra rooms or home offices, will be in high demand.

Additionally, the growing affordability crisis in cities may also have a major impact on the suburban real estate surge. But proximity to a metropolitan center is still crucial. Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman predicted that people will move to nearby suburban areas like Tacoma to be able to make office visits in Seattle when necessary.

“More permissive policies around remote work and a rising wariness about close quarters will likely accelerate that trend,” Kelman said in a May earnings call. “More people will leave San Francisco, New York and even Seattle, some for nearby towns like Sacramento and Tacoma that are close enough to support a weekly office visit, others for a completely remote life in Charleston, Boise, Bozeman or Madison.”

According to the Pew Research Center, only 7% of American workers had the option to telecommute as a benefit prior to the COVID-19 pandemic although over 40% of jobs could be performed remotely. With more employers seeing that remote work is a possibility, this gap may narrow once the pandemic is over.

However, a shift to living further out of the metropolitan core is not without its drawbacks, which is why Olsen and other economists do not predict that the market surge will extend to more rural areas.

“However, [moving way from cities] means they’d also be moving farther from a wider variety of restaurants, shops, yoga studios and art galleries,” said Olsen. “Given the value many place on access to such amenities, we’re not talking about the rise of the rural homesteader on a large scale. Future growth under broader remote work would still favor suburban communities or secondary cities that offer those amenities along with more spacious homes and larger lots.”

by Callie Craighead | SeattlePI.com

Despite pandemic, Seattle’s real estate market isn’t slowing down

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SEATTLE — The next time you drive through town, don’t be surprised if you still see homes up for sale.

“I feel pretty lucky for sure. I’m really excited about the place, I’m living, or going to be living at,” said Daniel Montoya.

Montoya is closing on a condo in the Gridiron Building in Seattle’s Pioneer Square. He started his search a couple of months ago.

It started out normally but then the state shut down to halt the spread of COVID-19. Because of social distancing, there are no more open houses. Instead, buyers are doing drive-bys, virtual tours, and requesting private showings.

“There’s have been times my realtor has had to join me via Facetime rather than in-person to meet the number of people requirement,” Montoya added.

The pandemic may have upended the way realtors do business but the real estate market has not slowed down, said John Scott, CEO of John L. Scott Real Estate.

“We’ve had such strong job growth over the last five, six years. There’s a pent-up demand of homebuyers and during this time, interest rates have come down to historically low levels,” Scott said.

New listings are at 60% from this time last year. And the backlog of buyers, Scott said, is serious. Even with the economy teetering on the brink of recession, and a record number of people applying for unemployment in Washington, most homes are still getting multiple offers and selling at or above listing price.

 

“Below $1 million and a half, and $1 million, close to the job centers of Seattle and on the east side, we’re seeing just this shortage of inventory, back-to-back showings for the properties,” Scott said.

As for Montoya, he said he felt pretty fortunate to be where he is. His advice for others on the market – have patience and flexibility.

“It’s certainly strange times, definitely a time of financial insecurity for some. But I feel pretty confident moving forward.”

Mortgage Rates Reach All-Time Low

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April 30, 2020

The size and depth of the secondary mortgage market is helping to keep rates at record lows. These low rates are driving higher refinance activity and have modestly helped improve purchase demand from their extremely low levels in mid-April. While many people are benefiting from low mortgage rates, it’s important to remember that not all people are able to take advantage of them given the current pandemic.

Primary Mortgage Market Survey®

U.S. weekly averages as of 04/30/2020

 

30-Yr FRM   
3.23%
0.10 1-Wk
0.91 1-Yr
0.7 Fees/Points
15-Yr FRM
2.77%
0.09 1-Wk
0.83 1-Yr
0.6 Fees/Points
5/1-Yr ARM
3.14%
0.14 1-Wk
0.54 1-Yr
0.4 Fees/Points

Average commitment rates should be reported along with average fees and points to reflect the total upfront cost of obtaining the mortgage. Visit the following link for the Definitions. Borrowers may still pay closing costs which are not included in the survey.

 

4 Things You Can Do To Get Your Home Ready To Hit The Market After Coronavirus

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While the spring market would typically be in full force right now, coronavirus has put a temporary halt to most real estate activity. However, that doesn’t mean that you can’t take the time to get your home ready to go up for sale once the pandemic is under control.

With that in mind, I’ve brought you four suggestions on things you can do to get your home ready to hit the market after quarantine. Read on below to learn more.

Address any minor repairs

Even the most conscientious of homeowners typically have a list of minor home repairs that they’ve been meaning to get around to when they have time. For example, you might have a toilet that’s been running for a while or a patch of broken fence that needs to be mended.

Whatever fixes may be on your to-do list, it’s important to take care of them before you put your home up for sale. While these repairs typically won’t take a lot of effort on your part, they will go a long way towards improving buyers’ opinions of the overall condition of the home, which can lead to higher-priced offers.

Pump up curb appeal

The term “curb appeal” refers to the way your home looks when viewed from the street. To that end, when you’re selling your home, the way it looks from the outside is just as important as the way it looks on the inside, maybe even more so. After all, the view of your home from the street often serves as the buyers’ first impression of the property.

That said, as the seller, you’ll want to take the time to make sure that your home’s exterior looks its best. Make sure your lawn stays mowed and that any plantings are weeded and pruned. If you want to take things a step further, consider power-washing your home’s exterior, as well as your deck or patio.

Start de-cluttering

On the inside of your home, quarantine is the perfect time to start de-cluttering. Often, when there is too much clutter laying around a home, it makes it hard for potential buyers to be able to picture themselves living in the property. Given that is an important step for many buyers before deciding to make an offer, your goal should be to make it as easy as possible.

With that in mind, do your best to get rid of some of the clutter around your home. Start tackling projects like cleaning out closets and reorganizing the various rooms in your home. Each task you take care of now will also be one less thing that you have to do once it’s time to move.

Get your paperwork in order

Marketing your home is about more than just making it visually-appealing to buyers. It’s also about providing them with the information they need to be able to make an informed decision about buying the home.

In light of that, you’ll want to start collecting any important documents that might be of interest to a potential buyer. These could include recent utility bills, the permits for any renovations that you’ve done to the home, or a land survey, which outlines the boundaries of the property.

Dining in: savor the flavors of Downtown Issaquah!

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While eating in at your favorite Downtown Issaquah restaurants isn’t an option right now, you can still enjoy delicious takeout or delivery meals from most, including Fin’s Bistro!

Sitting down for a meal at one of the many and varied restaurants in Issaquah’s “Historically Hip” Olde Town neighborhood has been a staple of the region’s culinary scene for years.

In the new COVID-19 reality that has changed, but you can still enjoy quality meals from most of these beloved eateries – takeout or delivery style!

“It’s a great opportunity to create a date night at home, without having to worry about making reservations,” says Terri Thorne, Interim Executive Director and Program Manager for the Downtown Issaquah Association (DIA). “Just call ahead, pick up your food or order online for delivery and have a romantic night at home.”

Home and gourmet cooking made fresh

Whether you’re a fan of ethnic foods or prefer West Coast or pub-style cooking, you’ve got LOTS of options for takeout or delivery in downtown Issaquah.

Classically trained chefs working here, include Pa Jallow at Levitate Gastropub and Jeff Maxfield at Fin’s Bistro, not to mention Max’s World Café’s Edna Noronha and Rick Ragan at Montalcino. Their eateries feature a cross-section of styles and specialties, from steak and seafood to Italian, Portuguese, Indian and more. Call ahead or visit their websites to check availability and menu options!

Looking for a global dining experience?

“While we can’t hop on a plane, we can enjoy around-the-world dining,” Terri says.

Got a craving for Asian cuisine? You’ve got Khao San, Japan Ginger, Macky’s Dim Sum, Coconut Thai, Bukhtara Bar and Grill for Indian food and the Asian-inspired Krawbar seafood restaurant at your service. If you like Italian, there’s Montalcino for a fine dining experience and Flying Pie Pizzeria for grab-and-go. For tastes of the south, try Stan’s Bar-B-Q or Las Margaritas, and to find locally sourced American cuisine, check out Jak’s Grill, Sunset Alehouse or El 42 Cantina.

Many of these and other local restaurants are family-owned, Terri adds, and operate with a real sense of community and local pride.

25 years of supporting community

This year DIA is celebrating a quarter century of “creating community, preserving culture and strengthening business” in Issaquah. While the association’s event-based activities are on pause, its support for merchants continues in different ways. One is to promote businesses still providing service: visit their What’s Open section and check out their Facebook, Instagram (#wegotthisissaquah) and Twitter pages.

“Small business operators are the base of our downtown historic district,” Terri says. “They’re the ones who help create that vibrancy and are staying open in this crisis. It’s an entertainment option our residents can continue to take advantage of.”

Stay up to date at downtownissaquah.com or email Terri at ExecDirector@downtownissaquah.com for more information.

In consideration of how we voice our opinions in the modern world, we’ve closed comments on our websites. We value the opinions of our readers and we encourage you to keep the conversation going.

 

Whether you’re a fan of ethnic foods or prefer West Coast or pub-style cooking, you’ve got LOTS of options for takeout or delivery in downtown Issaquah, including Montalcino.Whether you’re a fan of ethnic foods or prefer West Coast or pub-style cooking, you’ve got LOTS of options for takeout or delivery in downtown Issaquah, including Montalcino.

Whether you’re a fan of ethnic foods or prefer West Coast or pub-style cooking, you’ve got LOTS of options for takeout or delivery in downtown Issaquah, including Montalcino.

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Issaquah real estate

Larry & Kathy Reichle
371 NE Gilman Blvd. #160
Issaquah, WA 98027

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