Tag: BUILDER magazine

EXCELLENCE IN ALEXANDRIA

EXCELLENCE IN ALEXANDRIA

This classic home is modeled after the historic Raleigh Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg and steeped in tradition. Key architectural and interior design elements offer unmatched livability and flexible living for family and guests. A special and unique experience awaits in every room on every level. All of this comes together beautifully on .50 acre with a year-round swimming pool, patio and fully fenced backyard in the City of Alexandria. Plus, there’s an oversized, two-car garage, workshop, and extra storage. Love where you live on a quiet street in one of Alexandria’s favorite communities. King Street Metro, Old Town Alexandria, local shops, restaurants, and amenities are right around the corner.

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Main Level Library Walls,Floors,Molding built from wood from retired boxcars

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Great Room Wall of French doors
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Great Room Fireplace reminds you of Mount Vernon

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Chef’s Kitchen
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Kitchen island, cabinets, designer tile and granite
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Impressive foyer

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Luxury Suite, Cedar Closet, Spa Bath
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Main Floor Suite Fireplace
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Upper Level Master Suite

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Marble Surround, Spa Tub
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Lower Level Fitness Room

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Lower Level Family Room, Built-ins, Fireplace, Entertaining Kitchen

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Gorgeous brick patio, pool, and yard
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Year-round swimming poolSTEEPED IN TRADITION

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Impressive Interior Transformation

Impressive Interior Transformation

 

IMPRESSIVE RENOVATIONS ON FOUR LEVELS. SPECTACULAR .42 ACRE LOT!

The story behind the home starts with key elements of today’s best features, upgrades, and community location. 1212 Trinity Drive is all wrapped up in today’s best upgrades, an expansive, open floor plan on four levels. Over-sized bedroom on UL or LL can easily be converted to 4th bedroom. Enjoy stunning garden views from updated sunroom that overlooks an impressive .42 acre fully fenced backyard.

*NEW OPEN KITCHEN RENOVATION *UPDATED SUNROOM ADDITION *NEW EXTERIOR DOORS *NEW SYSTEMS *NEW ELECTRICAL PANEL *NEW LOWER LEVEL RENOVATION *CUSTOM BUILT-INS *WALLS OF WINDOWS IN EVERY ROOM

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All of this and more offered in one of Alexandria’s most convenient communities close to Metro, Bradlee, Alexandria Commons, and Old Town.

LUXURY OPTIONS AND SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Open, Contemporary Kitchen Renovation
  • Wall of Windows
  • Hardwood Floors
  • French Doors
  • Oversized Master Bedroom
  • Oversized Upper Level Bedroom, Full Bath, Built-Ins, Walk-In Closet
  • Extra Storage, Lower Level Rec Room, Utility, Storage, Workshop Area
  • Family Room Renovation adds living space and tons of natural light
  • Updated Sunroom Overlooks Spectacular Garden
  • New Exterior Doors
  • Closet Organizers
  • Decorative hardscape, plant beds
  • Certified Wildlife Backyard Habitat
  • Decorative accents, fixtures, lights

 

CURRENT OWNER UPGRADES AND IMPROVEMENTS

  • New Wood Floors
  • Sunroom Overlooks Spectacular Garden Oasis
  • New Exterior Doors
  • Manicured Grounds
  • Fresh Interior and Exterior Paint and Trim
  • Spectacular Open Kitchen/Dining Room
  • Stainless Steel Gas Range
  • Stainless Steel Refrigerator
  • Brand New Electrical Panel
  • Lower Level Bedrooms and Family Room Renovation
  • Custom Built-Ins
  • Two Wood Burning Fireplaces

**UL Bedroom can be converted to offer office, 4th Bedroom or Sitting Room

**Sunroom Roof and Outdoor Patio Area to be updated

Continue reading “Impressive Interior Transformation” →

The Great Space Debate

The Great Space Debate
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Open, Contemporary Floor Plan at PRESTON at Potomac Yards

 

 

The story behind the home focuses on key elements of history, design, location, and community. When all of these come together, we create a value story that defines your home’s distinctive value, style, and luxury that connects people to the best properties available in any market.

As you know, I am a certified residential specialist proudly serving professionals, military, and foreign service professionals across VA and MD. A common thread when listing or buying homes is the concern over square footage. It’s typically the first thing that sellers want me to know. More often than not buyers will start out with a certain amount of square footage requirement as they search online or among the selections I provide during their search.

Sure, square footage is an important consideration. But, consider this: focus on the floor plan! Take a look at how the square footage of your home is used. In essence, is your floor plan functional? For sellers: If your home boasts a great amount of square footage think about how you use that space now. Then, think about what areas you use a certain way that may be taking away from the layout potential for buyers who walk through. When we meet, I typically walk through the house with potential clients so the floor plan becomes more familiar to me. That way, when we discuss the market analysis I can offer distinct differences–pros and cons–about livability. In the end, it’s easier to connect with those spaces most similar to how you live in your current home.  As you encounter different spaces, you can continue the comforts of current life and imagine better ways to use living areas, new rooms, and indoor and outdoor spaces at your new home. It solidifies the reason behind a move or makes a move happier. You know, “that feeling” you get as soon as you walk through the front door.

Most buyers search tirelessly for “that feeling” which I emphasize is the intangible that the data, numbers, and analysis just can’t do for you. So, the space debate among buyers takes on a unique perspective as we tour your favorite properties. When asked about how much space buyers need or want the response I get most often is a number i.e. 2200, 3000 or more and then the number of beds and baths. Clients narrow down my suggestions and add their own preferred properties to visit. Let me be clear that while the debate starts at the first meeting with a typical response in numbers, it doesn’t really take on true meaning until we actually visit homes and experience a floor plan first hand. For example, do you love or not love your kitchen? Need more cooking or counter space? Look for similar layouts like these from BUILDER magazine. More Kitchen Less Hallways You don’t have to build your own home to find a floor plan that fits your favorite places at home.

I encourage you to think about, talk about, and walk through every inch of space and think about how you live at home. Then, decide which elements of each property reflect your current favorites and connect with your expectations for your new home. When the debate is considered in that context, it tends to be easier to prioritize properties, and rank your preferred properties that have potential to meet and exceed your expectations. Here’s a real life example of a recent listing in Vienna Woods. More Can Be Better

What do you think?

 

Hopefully, you’ve found some guidance here and some floor plan food for thought ;-). That way, you can decide for yourself as you consider a sale or purchase. Here are some real examples from BUILDER magazine and how space, style, and design make the most of 1600 square feet for the best use of every inch of these 4 house plans.Best Use of 1600 Square Feet

Read this. Then comment. Considering a sale or purchase? Contact Me. The story behind the home connects people with the best properties available. Clients connect with a home’s existing story or they can create their own. I’d love to show you how.

 

The Story Behind Your Home Remodel

The Story Behind Your Home Remodel

I admit to being a bit nostalgic. I love people, places that bring back great memories. Most of those memories include a time, place, people, and things I’ve learned that I still rely on and build upon personally and professionally. In fact, my best memories and experiences bring back some of the most educational and useful data and resources that I have been using and sharing to keep growing, improving, and educating clients, their friends, family, and colleagues. A special resource that harkens back to my Hanley-Wood special projects days is the annual Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling Magazine.

It happens often. In fact as recently as a few weeks ago, a past client sent a description and photos of his fantastic kitchen and bath renovations. I was initially impressed with the photos that looked great. We didn’t get into specifics until I see it in person after an additional family room upgrade happens soon. So, when he asked–and I get this a lot– if these projects would help with resale value prior to a sale, I responded as I typically do with this: “… according to the Remodeling 2016 Cost vs. Value Report (www.costvsvalue.com) …” and then this:  2016 Cost vs. Value Report for Virginia and MD clients. Remodeling magazine is a trade journal published by Hanley-Wood, Inc., utilized as a key resource among licensed, professional remodeling contractors across the U.S. You’ll find a systematic, descriptive, and data-filled report broken down by region right down to the city in which you live.

For my relocating clients, military families and Foreign Service folks who live outside of the South Atlantic states identified, you’ll find a drop-down menu for each region in the U.S. It covers 30 markets and 100 projects from mid-range to upscale. You’ll find project descriptions along with estimated costs and projections of your potential return on your investment.

The measure of quality and value of any resource, report, or metric is how you utilize the data. I’ll break it down into 3’s so you can better understand which clients find it helpful, how, when, and why you may use it as you plan and prepare for your next remodeling project.

Hopefully, the Q & A format will keep it simple and you can easily decide how to work with the report for positive results. Here we go:

Q: I’VE HIRED A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL. HOW IS THE REPORT STILL USEFUL FOR ME?

A:Remodeling magazine is the leading industry resource among licensed contractors nationwide. The report AND the magazine provide industry trends in project scope, pricing, and product information. I also recommend that you review and consider previouse reports for a retrospective approach to the data. You can compare not only prices and estimated values over time. It’s interesting to note how the projects and products have changed and/or improved how you can live in the space. Then, you can better set your own expectations for your own project, contractor, and life in your home when its all said and done:

Q. HOW DOES THE INFORMATION APPLY TO ME IF I JUST BOUGHT MY HOUSE?

A. I provide this for buyers who have just moved so they can plan ahead in a few ways. First, you can get familiar with project scope and pricing. That way when you’re ready you’re more familiar with what the professionals will assess and how they may price your requests. Plus, you’ll find that the report includes advertisements of remodeling products as industry standards so you can educate yourself on products and materials.

Q. I OWN AN HISTORIC HOME. DOES THE COST VS. VALUE REPORT CONSIDER THE DELICATE NATURE AND MANY REQUIREMENTS FOR REMODELING AND/OR RENOVATING AN HISTORIC HOME?

A. Every remodeling project or home renovation has its own nuances and delicacies when dealing with design, architecture, city and homeowner standards, of course. Historically, the Cost vs. Value Report addresses estimates and average projects that can guide homeowners and their contractors to work toward a positive end result in price, project, and completion. In an effort to provide help for clients remodeling an historic home, I did ask the editor, Craig Webb, Editor-in-Chief, Remodeling and ProSales Magazines, Hanley-Wood, Inc. And while he’s not seen any data specific to historic homes and notes that this report may not be useful for such specific properties, He offers, “…We all like to say that every house has unique qualities and unique repair/remodel issues. For historical properties, I’d think that is doubly true…”

Q. I own a home on or near the water. How can this help understand the nuances of an addition or garage on the water?

A. Waterfront and historic properties are unique in location, restrictions and nuances in general. So, the best approach is to identify licensed, professional remodeling professionals with knowledge, experience, resources, and references for similar properties and projects.

Q. DOES THE REPORT IDENTIFY TRENDS?

A. Yes, in fact, I have used this element of the report for my own edification about what’s trending year over year in terms of types of projects, scope of projects, and the average return on these projects across the board. It’s been interesting to take a step back and look at all of this from a National level and how it lines up with resale pricing and sold prices across the U.S. compared to the regional and city data over the years.

Report content © 2016 Hanley Wood, LLC. Complete data from the Remodeling 2016 Cost vs. Value Report can be downloaded free at  http://www.costvsvalue.com.