Monday, January 2, 2017

10 HOMEBUYER MISTAKES TO AVOID


 Click below for a brief overview and video.

GOT A NEW HOME IN 2017? GET READY TO DESIGN LIKE A PRO WITHOUT BREAKING THE BANK! (TIPS 1&2)


It's 2017 and decorating your first home is definitely exciting. Some of us could even say consuming! But where do you start? Especially when fixing past decorating mistakes isn’t in your post-closing budget?

6 Ways to Decorate Your Home Like a Pro (on a Budget)

During the week we’ll be sharing these tips in increments of two.  Here are the first two tips:
1. Make a plan and assess what you need
2. Avoid buying matching sets of furniture
Decorating a new home can be expensive.
While you may not have $20,000 to overhaul the design of your home, that shouldn’t matter, says Ariel Farmer, an interior designer with Homepolish, a popular interior decorating startup. Homepolish is among a crop of new sites — like HemRemodo, and Houzz — that help homeowners decorate their homes at reasonable budgets.
“A small budget doesn’t mean you should settle for subpar design. There are so many opportunities to create big impact at an affordable cost. My go-to design trick is the Ikea Rens sheepskin — whether on the floor or thrown over a lounge chair. It never ceases to be chic and sophisticated,” says Farmer.
To help you find the right design for your home, Farmer offers six simple home design guidelines for you (and your decorating budget) to follow.  Here are the first two tips/guidelines:
1. Make a plan and assess what you need
The first question Farmer advises you ask yourself is what are the pieces of furniture you want to keep and which are the ones you’re willing to part with?
If you have the budget to buy a set of new furniture, Farmer suggests you look into buying foundational pieces that are color-neutral.
“If you’re going to look for new sofas or chairs, I would go with either a nice beige or a light gray color,” she adds.
For those homeowners who may be reluctant to part with existing pieces of furniture, they can always mix in new pieces with the old. If you’re looking for new furniture, Farmer suggests homeowners visit online sites that sell attractive furniture at favorable prices, like WayfairOne Kings LaneTarget, and Dot & Bo. If you’re operating with a tight budget (like $1,500 and under), Farmer says sourcing thrift stores and Etsy, which you can use to find furniture items close to where you live, are affordable ways to find new furniture.
2. Avoid buying matching sets of furniture
Furniture stores that offer a $699 deal for a furniture set that includes a sofa, a love seat, and an ottoman may sound appealing. But Farmer suggests you avoid those deals altogether.
“Your furniture will actually have much more longevity if you focus on each item individually,” says Farmer.
Instead, Farmer advises you dedicate more of your decorating budget toward a new sofa. You can also find a new lounge chair or ottoman in a thrift store and reupholster it.
“It’s better to have a living room full of furniture that is collected over time than a big box store deal that looks dated in six months,” says Farmer.
Source:  The Home Story
Link: https://www.thehomestory.com/6-ways-to-decorate-your-home-like-a-pro-on-a-budget/
Monique is a Neighborworks Certified Housing and Lending Professional, Author, Radio talk Show Host and Community Advocate.

Nikki is VP Homeownership Initiatives & Lending/Program Director Fannie Mae Mortgage Network with Wealth Watchers, Inc.  She is an experienced Mortgage Professional with expertise in Lending, Compliance, REO, Foreclosure, Loss Mitigation, Risk Analysis, Asset Recovery, Portfolio Management, Career Development, Capacity Planning, and Property Preservation. She is goal oriented and driven to succeed with 15+ years in the public and private housing  sector serving in numerous leadership capacities while developing, facilitating and implementing ground breaking programs in the affordable housing market.