Mar 09
dyagelMiscellaneous
There is a lot of talk about staging these days. Today, many families are ready to build their dream home, but that dream is put on hold because they are unable to sell their existing home. Now more than ever staging is so important. What is staging and why is it so important? Staging is simply presenting your home in a way that appeals to buyers and it can make the difference between your home sitting on the market for months or even years or selling it in a timely fashion.
Let’s start at the curb. If you’re selling your home, your goal is to get your future buyer inside the house. Walk down your street to your house and take a good look at the outside from across the street. Does it look inviting? If you have paint chipping, your house would appear to be high maintenance. Everything in good repair, an attractive entry and a well manicured lawn and flowers will inspire people to come inside your house. If your house has no “curb appeal”, people will not be interested in what’s inside.
Once inside, there are simple rules that help your potential buyer to view the home as an inviting new space where they would love to reside. The exterior maintenance issues apply to interior as well. If your potential buyer sees areas that need repairs, they will be discouraged and uninterested in making that offer. Moving itself is an undertaking and making repairs, even as small as fixing cracks in walls or drywall repairs, missing pieces of trim or projects that were never completed could make your potential buyer think twice as to whether or not they want to be bothered.
As far as decorating, styles can be different for every individual. It is a matter of taste. What one person likes, another may not. Themed rooms or bold colors might really appeal to you, but staying neutral appeals to a much wider audience. A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color will lighten and brighten any room. Finally, two MUSTS that are so elementary it seems silly to mention them, but they are often missed: 1) Get rid of the clutter. Buyers don’t want to see your junk. Having spaces that are cluttered, whether it is too much furniture, paper or toys makes your potential buyer think that you don’t have enough storage in your home to put everything where it belongs. And that is unappealing. The same goes for closets. If you have your home on the market, make sure your closets are clean and organized. Have a yard sale, donate items or put them in storage if needed, until you build that larger home. And finally, 2) Clean. Everything should sparkle from top to bottom. Keeping these things in mind will help you prepare your home for that potential buyer that will look at your home and say “I’ll take it”. And this will allow you to move ahead and build your dream home.
Mar 01
cackermanWhat's New, Woman-Centric Designs Building Green
A couple goes to a local builder to have a new home built. They don’t have much money, just enough to build a house big enough for some family growth and a few upgrades to the home. What upgrades do you think they have in mind before sitting down with their builder? ceramic tile, hardwood floors, whirlpool tub, and a three car garage for the husband’s toys?
What about insulation in the walls, ceiling, and floor? My experience has shown that things such as insulation, as important as it is, finds its self low on the priority list of amenities customers must have when building or remolding. Not a statistic that gives me a warm and cozy feeling, how about you?
Have you ever given much thought to the amount or type of insulation in your existing home? My guess is that you haven’t. Don’t feel alone though, I’ll bet that if you took a poll of people building a new home this year, you would find that most really don’t care or don’t understand the importance of adequate insulation in a home. People generally give more consideration to things you can touch, see, and feel instead of what is behind the walls.
Here is something to ponder the next time you are faced with building or remolding:
HEAT IN / HEAT OUT
Insulation not only keeps you warm in the winter, but it also keeps you cooler in the summer. My definition of insulation within a home? “A MATERIAL WHICH RESTRICTS TEMPATURE TRANSFER.” That’s right! Not only does insulation benefit you in the winter, it helps keep your summer cooling costs in check as well. Insulation prevents the transfer of heat or cold! Amazing stuff right? That’s not all! There are the side effects of saving energy when heating or cooling your home. How about minimizing your carbon footprint for one! That’s right, insulate your home properly and save the planet. Not a bad deal. Oh, I almost forgot the second very important side effect….. lower energy bills! I got your attention now didn’t I?
Don’t panic if you already own a house and do not plan on building. There are answers for your heating and cooling savings as well. Replace old single pane windows with energy efficient thermal insulated windows along with replacing old drafty exterior doors. Even though you might not be able to re-insulate your walls, you may want to look into evaluating the insulation in your attic along with insulating your basement ceiling. These are two areas which are generally accessible and can be upgraded at a minimal investment when compared to the amount of energy you are wasting.
In conclusion, if you are thinking of building a new home or even doing some renovations to your existing home, give insulation proper consideration and add it to your checklist of items to be aware of when in the designing / choosing stage. You will be glad you did, not to mention how happy mother earth will be with you.
Chris Ackerman
Feb 05
lgordonMiscellaneous, What's New, Woman-Centric Designs flexible living spaces, floor plans, home plans, house plans, large closet, new home designs, rear foyer, two-story home plans, woman centric home designs
2010 Plan Book
The 2010 Plan Book has just been released and it is a beauty. Please take note of our (2) new floor plans….The Stanford and Meridian – these were plans that were originally derived from our Harrisburg designs. They are both Two-story home plans with a Women Centric focus.
We have revised many of our existing plans to include Woman Centric features such as rear foyers, flexible living spaces and tremendous amount of closet space.
One more exciting announcement…..we are now painting all of the trim….a great savings of time and money.
Please e-mail us or call so you can get the 2010 plan book sent directly to you……hope to hear from all of you soon.
Sep 08
RickWoman-Centric Designs
Mark Bitner, sales manager for Fine Line Homes, discusses Woman-Centric Building in a September 2009 HappeningsMagazinePA.com article. Read the article here.
Apr 14
RickMiscellaneous
Grand Re-Opening Saturday April 25, 10 – 4 and Sunday April 26, 12 – 4. The new Ashland model home is located on Rt. 150, ¾ mile North of the Nittany Mall. The Ashland shows some new design concepts such as the optional Rear Foyer where you come in from the garage and have a drop zone for bags, a bench to remove and store shoes and lockers for organization. Stop in at 1426 Benner Pike to save a few grand on building a home or up to $15 grand on Move-In Ready homes.
Apr 13
RickMiscellaneous, What's New
The Fine Line Homes office located on Rt. 220, 7 miles South of Sayre, received the Top Performing Office of the Year award at the Annual Sales Meeting. Fine Line Homes with five locations has constructed stick built homes throughout Central PA and Southern NY since 1972. The Sayre office earned the award based on sales goals, homes started and sales volume. Caring and dedicated employees, an excellent reputation, affordable prices through volume purchasing and fifty seven exclusive home designs are some of the keys to their success.
(Left to right ) Ben Craig, Manager and John West, Housing Consultant, receive the Top Performing Office award from Scott Newman, Senior Vice President.
Jan 11
John SHarrisburg, PA, Miscellaneous, New Home Options, Tips, What's New, Woman-Centric Designs Bedroom Island, Design Idea
What is it about an island that is so desireable? Traditionally, an island was a tract of land surrounded by water. Something one might go to for a vacation or something on which you might get “stranded” ie Gilligans Island.
Today, islands are much more than tracts of land surrounded by water. They are often functional elements in Parking Lots, Public Parks, and even our Homes. What makes them so desireable is that they are often an interesting design or style feature and they are approachable from different sides and directions.
Bedroom Island
Many of us are familiar with Kitchen Islands. They’ve been around for a while.
Newer to the scene are islands that can be framed and drywalled inside a large room to create a “private space” or facilitate a special function. The “Bedroom Island” is an interesting way to create some privacy in a large bedroom for a sitting area. It can also provide an additional wall in a large bedroom that can be used for a Headboard, a Large Screen TV, a Fireplace (pictured above), Bookshelves, etc. etc. It is limited only by our imagination.
Harrisburg PA Builder, Fine Line Homes, has a “Trousseau” Model (“Woman-Centric” Design) that provides the opportunity for a Bedroom Island. Fine Line Homes maintains a large portfolio of plan designs from which to choose. It’s Plan Portfolio is constantly updated and all plans can be customized to suit individual needs and preferences.
Jan 02
John SHarrisburg, PA, Miscellaneous, New Home Options, Tips, What's New, Woman-Centric Designs Home Style, Prairie Windows
Prairie Style Window View from Inside
It’s surprising what a difference a window style can make on the overall appearance and function of a home.
“Prairie” Style Windows are like a breath of fresh air in Central PA.
They have a dramatic impact on the exterior elevation as well as the view from inside the home.
This style is a “bridge” between the “Traditional Colonial” style window (quite common and popular in the Northeast and MidAtlantic Region) and a window with no grills at all. As do “Traditional Colonial” grills, the “Prairie” grills add style to the exterior elevation. From the inside, “Priarie” grills provide more viewing surface (as do no grills) because the grills are confined to the edges of the window.
Pairie style windows - appearance on the outside
As “Neo-Traditional” Designs in the Northeast Region become less “Colonial” and less “Traditional,” the “Prairie” window can be a great compliment to the home design.
For example, “Prairie” windows work
well with One and a Half Story Designs
and Craftsman style homes. They also
can make an otherwise Traditional
Colonial Style Home look modern and
updated.
Fine Line Homes in Harrisburg, PA introduced the “Prairie” Window into the Region’s first “Woman-Centric” Design located in Autumn Ridge, Lower Paxton Township. The home is the Company’s “Trousseau” Model and would have a much different appearance without the “Prairie” windows.
Dec 24
John SHarrisburg, PA, Miscellaneous, Neighborhood Living Homeowners Association, Neighborhood
Fine Line Homes, Harrisburg, PA is mostly a Neighborhood Builder.
Neighborhoods are places where people live near one another. People in a neighborhood have a common interest preserving the character and property values in the neighborhood.
Community Amenities
Many of today’s Suburban and Rural Neighborhoods have shared amenities maintained by a Homeowners Association. Such amenites can enhance property values and make your property more desireable when you go to sell. A well managed and active Homeowner’s Association can be a form of investment protection for each Homeowner.
If a Neighborhood has Covenants and Restrictions and provides for a Homeowners Association, there may be architectural review for changes and possible enforcement of restriction violations. It depends on the documents recorded for the neighborhood and the rules, regulations, and bylaws provided.
When purchasing a property in a neighborhood, ask the Real Estate Agent, Builder, etc. to provide you with a copy of the recorded Restrictions and other documents that govern the Neighborhood.
Dec 14
John SHarrisburg, PA, Miscellaneous, Tips Open House
Years ago, Builder Open Houses were more of a novelty and sort of a pastime for many on a Sunday Afternoon…. especially when there were fewer of them. Today, in markets like Harrisburg, PA there are hundreds of Sunday Afternoon Open Houses.
There are no rules or protocol or bad reasons for visiting a Builder Open House. Everyone is welcome and hosts don’t assume every visitor walking through the door is there to buy a house or even discuss buying a house.
Welcome to our Open House
I have the occasion to host some Open Houses for Fine Line Homes along with our Agents. I find it to be an enjoyable and valuable experience.
Most Open House Hosts enjoy meeting and greeting people and really enjoy when there is a question to answer or an opportunity to be of assistance.
Years ago, the Open House was often the beginning of the sales process and a relationship between the Builder and Buyer. Today with the Internet, many people have already done quite a bit of shopping online and have narrowed their choices. They are now going to the Open House to see in person what they might have seen online.
When you go to the Open House Model, keep in mind that the design is only one of perhaps several offered by the Builder. If you don’t care for the Open House design or floorplan, colors or features, there may be other designs and homes to choose from.
Why Visit? The Open House provides that unique, no obligation, opportunity to Inspect Construction Quality and Ask Questions in person.
When to Visit? It may not be where all of today’s homebuyers start their search or quest for a new home, but it’s still a vital ingredient. The best time to visit a Builder Open House is….when you want to and feel comfortable.
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