Curb Appeal

We often focus on the inside of a home when planning to sell it and forget about the outside. Curb appeal gives a buyer a first impression, not only of your home — but also of you. To a buyer, a well kept home on the outside tends to reflect pride of ownership on the inside. Whether or not the assumption is true, is irrelevant when you are selling your home. You may never get a second chance to make first impression.

When we live for awhile in the same space, we often become blind, deaf and well, sometimes even dumb. How many times have you walked around that overgrown bush that has taken over your walkway, instead of just trimming it back? How often do you look at the weeds in your planting beds and try to convince yourself they are wild flowers? We all do it to varying degrees, so here are some reminders of things that need tending to when you are going to sell your home — clean the gutters, weed and mulch planting beds, cut back bushes, paint or power wash if the house looks dirty.

Sellers worry about the foyer in the entry, because in their minds it is the first thing a buyer will see. The truth is that the first thing a buyer sees is the front lawn.

7606 Latta Drive Open Sunday Featured in Austin Statesman

7606 Latta Drive

Little Bit of Country in the City

7606 Latta Drive – Open Sunday, June 19th from  1:00-4:00

Home will be featured in Sunday’s Austin American Statesman

Tradtional farnhouse style colonial located on nearly 3 park-like acres, minutes away from William Cannon retail stores including Costco.  Set along the Edwards Aquifer, and backs to Williams Dry Creek, this niche property provides nesting for the Black Capped Vireo and Golden Cheek Warbler.  The mature, wooded landscaping is a nature lover’s delight with walkable trails and plenty of tree canopies. 7606 Latta Drive is a great property for 4H and nature lovers.

Built in 2001, 7606 Latta Drive features a traditional floor plan with a formal dining room and eat-in kitchen.  There is a large lemonade front porch ideal for a rocking chair or hammock.  7606 Latta Drive is gated and includes 3 sheds for lawn supplies and equipment.  Three RV hook-ups are also located on the property. 

7606 Latta Drive has no HOA.  There are city restrictions,  but note that horses and other live stock are permitted on the property, providing set back requirements and other restrictions are met.

7606 Latta Drive is  zoned as a single family residence.

Square footage:  1,664 (per tax records)

Bedrooms:  3

Baths: 2.5

Acres:  2.93

7606 Latta Drive is on city sewer – no septic!

Visit me on Father’s Day from 1 – 4

Doreen Zelma

Flooring has a Fashion Season

When I bought my first home way back in 1993, I installed hardwood floors. My options were pretty basic, so it was an easy choice, simple traditional oak floors that would match the aesthetic of my 1929 built home. Oh how 18 years have changed the options for hardwood flooring. Now we have engineered hardwood, a greater selection of green materials, exotics and colors galore. We have a variety of textures to choose from and sheens as well, making the selection not only overwhelming, but somewhat confusing, since not all of these newer woods hold up the same over time.

Sometimes we remodel because we want to and other times it is because we have to. Foundation repair may require drilling through those hardwood floors, dishwashers leak or at some point we decide to replace the carpet in bedrooms with wood. It’s important to note that flooring whether  wood, tile or even carpet goes in and out of style these days just like clothing. Matching up flooring becomes a nearly impossible task, so plan ahead. Buy extra tile and wood flooring, so if disaster strikes, you have some backup. My clients picked a home last year, purely because it was original. From the bathroom sink to the tile floors, it was mid-century modern throughout and it was being sold by the owners who built it. The house failed the static test which required the plumbers to go in through the 1965 tile flooring in order to fix the leak. It was so wonderful that the owners had planned ahead and had two extra boxes of the original tile, which really saved the aesthetic of the house. So, when you think about flooring, think ahead it may save you some grief and money in the future.