The kitchen is the heart of a home and one of the most important parts of a kitchen is the flooring. There are more types of flooring than ever to chose from. Here are a few examples:
Tile
Tile is one of the easiest surfaces to clean. It is also resistant to stains and bacteria. There are also a wide variety of styles, sizes, and materials to choose from.
The hardness of tile is also one of its weakness. If you have joint problems you are not going to want to stand on it for hours cooking.
Wood
Hardwood is great if you want to flow your kitchen floor into a dining room or great room. It gives you a more cohesive look. There is also the choice of prefinished wood. The finish on prefinished wood tends to hold up better than hardwood.
Wood can warp around sinks, dishwashers, and freezers where leaks are possible.
If hardwood gets flooded, you will most likely will have to replace all of it. That is a big expense.
Cork
Cork is one of the greenest floors to put down. It is design-oriented, functional, easy to care for, comfortable, and comes in a variety of finishes. It is also easy to install, hypoallergenic, and soft, so its easy on the joints.
Vinyl and Laminate
Vinyl today is very different from the 1960’s. Today’s vinyl is made to look like rock, slate, hardwood and tile. They use techniques to make it look more expensive and feel like it too. It is durable, easy to install, inexpensive, easy to maintain, and gentler on the joints.
Laminate is also very different than in the past. Laminate is much more durable than hardwood, it does not absorb stains quite as fast, and it offers many design options. This might be your best choice if you have mess kids or animals.
Before you paint, redo any landscaping, or declutter one room, you must make sure your house is priced correctly. Nothing is more important than price! To price your home correctly choose a real estate agent that uses all the research tools available (MLS, tax records, etc…), but don’t necessarily pick the realtor who quotes you the highest listing price, because what good is it to have your home on the market if its overpriced. Base your choice on what they have to offer as a realtor and what they can do to sell your home.
In the current market we have an oversupply of houses and sellers need to be more aggressive on price if they want to sell. According to experts the oversupply of houses is not going away for at-least three to four years. The homes that are selling are the ones that are priced properly.
The value of your home is determined by the homes that have recently sold in your neighborhood and the surrounding areas. The unfortunate fact in today’s market is you have to compete with short sale and foreclosure properties. These properties tend to bring the values down due to the fact that the banks will take less than what the property is actually worth.
To help your property be more appealing to a buyer eliminate any turnoffs. If you have worn out carpet, water stains on ceilings, damaged tile or chipping paint, you must fix these issues or any others that may occur. The next step, now that you have your price and all major issues addressed is to spruce up your property. A nicely landscaped yard, a freshly painted front door, decluttering, and newly painted walls go along way.
Last but not least, When is a good time to list your property? Some Realtors say you should wait until the spring sales season to list your home, but others say it’s not necessary. If your home is priced right it will sell anytime of the year.
Last week I was picking up my wife from the Norfolk Airport and I saw a young family waiting in the same area I was. My first thought was that they were waiting for the arrival of a Grandparent, since I am now one twice, but what I observed was that it was a good bye to the father, who must have been a solider. The little boy, maybe 3 years old, just would not let go of his father and finally the mom had to pick him up and walk away. It was sad, it was real life, it was a reminder of how much our young service families sacrifice for us. We hear often that Freedom is Not Free, but we forget until we see what it means. God bless our troops and all those that serve, we owe them more than we will ever realize.
Here’s a different idea for Halloween this year – Go on an Owl Prowl! Sponsored by the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, this walk will keep you wondering what lurks behind the next tree, and at least you can be sure it won’t be another face with fake blood dripping down it.
Owl Prowl
Owls and a few stray ghosts! Dare you walk through the Great Dismal Swamp on Halloween’s eve?
Guide: Don Schwab, Refuge Biologist
Place: To Be Announced
Date: Saturday, October 30, 2010
Time: 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Registration: Reservations suggested. Contact Refuge Office at 757-986-3705
When looking to buy a house, most families put a stellar school district at the top of their list of non-negotiables. But be careful, says Yahoo! personal finance expert Laura Rowley. People pay more to live in high-ranked school districts, although the better value may actually be a less-expensive house in a lesser-ranked district. For one, ranking alone does not determine school quality. “When you compare schools, look at what different courses and enrichment are,” she advises, “not just test scores.” And she notes recent research showing that the difference between the best and next-best schools is negligible. Finally, remember that situations change. “Even if you do buy in the best district,” she says, “your kids may not end up there.” She cites recent cases in which so many parents flocked to particular districts, “ there’s now overcrowding-and rezoning,” Ultimately, she says, factoring in stress and time burdens of a mortgage that overstretches you. “you’re better off buying a house you can afford.”
From September 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens
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Specializing in properties in South Hampton Roads, Virginia.
