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As Featured in West + Main Home Magazine: Rising to the Challenge

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Katie Foreman W+M Agent

 

"I have a background in architecture and my husband is a mechanical engineer who grew up doing house projects." said West + Main agent Katie Forman.

 

"It was hard! This was our first house project and we had to learn how to delicately tear up and relay wood flooring, build an island from scratch, move and install all appliances, and sand, prime and paint cabinets after rebuilding them."

 
 

The one thing Katie and her husband hired out was the gas line relocation on the fly! They started demolition before they had anything planned or selected, but had saved inspiration photos on Instagram for about a month.

"We made decisions as they came up and ordered finishes when needed," Katie explained. "We had very limited money for this project, so some of things were limited to what Facebook marketplace had: the white enamel sink, sink faucet and West Elm wall sconces."

 

"We didn’t have much of an ‘original vision’ other than ‘anything else’. We created a vision as we went," said Katie. "Because there was no planning at the time we started demoing, we didn’t know where the project would take us. Each time a design element needed to be chosen, we would look back through our inspo photos and then quickly make a decision that we thought was best. We had a VERY limited budget and decided to wait another year. However, we worked and worked on finding a layout that would let us reuse all the cabinets, the majority of the appliances and the wood floor."

 
 

One night at 11pm, they sat on the couch looking at the wall dividing the living space and kitchen. That night, they tore down the dividing wall…and from there Katie had to scurry to find designs they liked, the finishes and paint colors. Nothing was ordered or planned fully!

"We used a small local company to do the countertops with a lead time of only a few weeks," said Katie. "Everything else was time-dependent on our own work schedules. We did almost the entire kitchen between 9pm-12pm on weeknights once our babe was asleep!"

 
 

KITCHEN REMODEL TOTAL: $8,500

 
 
 

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As Featured in West + Main Home Magazine: A Backyard Pond Renovation

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Corey + Rick, clients of W+M agent Becky Elhardt

 
 

It all started with Corey + Rick inheriting a small pond when they purchased their home with the help of West + Main agent Becky Elhardt. The space was perfect for it, but they wanted a bigger, 7500-gallon hybrid pond instead.

 
 
 
““Be patient, do your research, and remember to have fun - part of the adventure is getting there.””
— Corey

The original pond was small, and they wanted something much larger to house their fish. As the avid do it yourselfers that Corey + Rick are, they quickly jumped onto the project. It started with removing their original pond - digging up some concrete and dirt. From there, the project got much more tedious. It took them lots of trial and error and more professional help than originally intended.

 
 
 
 

They knew they wanted to incorporate lower maintenance, fish and a natural rock infrastructure. However, they didn’t fully realize this would entail a much larger budget. Corey + Rick were lucky enough to have the help of one of their close friends, Craig Gagne of  Gagne’s Concrete. Bringing Craig onto the project was a life saver, as he has “an impeccable attention to detail and commitment to seeing every aspect of the project through to completion and excellence.”

 
 

Corey's favorite moment was watching Rick and Craig transform her backyard into a sandbox playground, gleefully playing with the Bobcats like children. After a much anticipated journey to completion, Corey + Rick have a fully functioning and beautiful koi water garden pond.  

 
 
 

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Get Ready for Fall Weather With These Expert Roofing Preparation Tips

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Fall is just around the corner, and as the temperatures start to drop, it's important to start thinking about your roof.

The colder and wetter weather can wreak havoc on your roofing system, causing leaks, damage and all sorts of issues that require expensive repairs. To avoid these problems, it's crucial to prepare your roof for the fall weather.

Inspect Your Roof
The first step to preparing your roof for the fall season is to inspect it thoroughly. Look for any signs of damage, such as cracked shingles, missing tiles or slates and debris on the roof. You should also check the gutters and downspouts for any blockages or damage. Any issues you find should be addressed as soon as possible before they turn into bigger problems.

Clean Your Gutters and Downspouts
A clogged gutter or downspout can cause water to back up and damage your roof and its foundations. Therefore, it's essential to clean your gutters and downspouts at least twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. You can use a trowel, a garden hose, or a special gutter cleaning tool to remove leaves, twigs and other debris from your gutters.

Trim Tree Branches
Fall is a beautiful season, but it's also a time when trees shed their leaves and branches. These branches can damage your roof if they fall on it during a storm, so it's important to trim them back before the fall season. You should also make sure that there are no overhanging branches that could damage your roof tiles or shingles.

Check Your Attic Insulation
The insulation in your attic plays a vital role in keeping your home warm during the fall and winter months. If your attic insulation is old or damaged, you may experience heat loss, which can increase your energy bills and make your home less comfortable. Therefore, you should check your attic insulation before the fall season and replace it if necessary.

Hire a Professional Roofing Company
If you're not sure how to prepare your roof for the fall season, or if you're unable to do it yourself, you should hire a professional roofing company to help you. A professional roofing contractor has the experience and expertise to inspect your roof, identify any issues, and provide the necessary repairs and maintenance.

Preparation is key when it comes to getting your roof ready for the fall season. By following the tips outlined in this blog post, you can ensure that your roof is in excellent condition and ready to withstand cooler and wetter weather. Remember to inspect your roof, clean your gutters, trim tree branches, check your attic insulation, and, if necessary, hire a professional roofing company. With these expert roofing preparation tips, you can have peace of mind knowing your roof is well prepared for the fall weather ahead.

Keep reading.

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8 Painting Tips to Avoid Common Painting Problems

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Got a painting project on the radar? AD It Yourself has just the painting tips to make sure the experience is as smooth as the fresh coat of paint you’re about to apply.

Turns out, the frustration every time you attempt to paint a room has much more to do with incorrect technique than bad paint or weird walls. Specifically, you’re probably using your paint roller or brush wrong. Even high-quality materials can’t save bad form. It’s not your fault though! Unless you’re a professional painter, you aren’t schooled in painting techniques or painting tools.

Behr Paint’s national trainer Jessica Barr offers painting tips on the most common errors novice painters make with their tools. Read on to get the deets on eight DIY painting tips you can employ to avoid common problems, therefore preempting a paint-induced shame spiral next time you decide your bedroom needs a makeover.

1. Prep your painting space
Like most home improvement projects, a little prep will go a long way when you’re painting walls. Make sure you’ve laid out your drop cloths, placed painter’s tape along the baseboards, windows, outlets, and light switches, and opened your windows for good ventilation if you’re doing some interior painting. Be sure to clean your walls before getting started, so that the new paint goes on smoothly.
If you plan to use multiple cans of paint, mix them together in a gallon bucket, as the color can sometimes vary from can to can. This way, there won’t be any variation in the color of the painted surfaces. For a DIY paint refresher, we’ve got those tutorials too.

2. Remove lint from rollers
Lint from new paint rollers can find its way onto your walls, which is decidedly not ideal. Instead, roll the new cover over some painter’s tape and preemptively remove some of that fuzz. If you do end up with paint fuzz on your interior walls, you’ll need to use high grit sandpaper to remove it. Tread carefully, especially if you're using a high sheen finish.

3. Don’t use a bone-dry paint roller
Before you start a paint job, you actually want to wet the paint roller cover with water. “This primes the roller cover to soak up as much paint as possible,” Barr explains. But don’t go too crazy—Barr suggests removing excess moisture with a paper towel and a good shake of the roller so it’s just slightly damp. “If your roller cover is completely saturated with water, it won’t be able to take on any more liquid [in this case, paint].”

4. Choose a paint roller based on your project
Fun-ish fact: The best roller depends on the job and the type of paint you’re using. Barr recommends a 3/8-inch thick roller cover for most finishes, but for high-gloss you should use a thinner, 1/4-inch thick cover. For textured walls like brick, you’ll need a 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick cover to get in all the nooks and crannies.

5. Don’t wipe the paintbrush on the rim
Using the paint can rim to wipe off excess paint is a bad habit that needs breaking, Barr says. When you go to put the lid back on later, you’ll be faced with a mess. Instead, let the brush drip over the can to remove excess paint or, if you must, gently tap the bristles of the brush against the inside of the can of paint to avoid splatter.

6. Don’t dip your paintbrush all the way to the handle
It’s tempting to saturate the brush, but according to Barr, that’s not a good idea. When you’re holding the roller frame, the paint should only come up to the halfway point on the bristles. “Any more, and you’ll be at risk for unnecessary messes and wasted paint,” she says.

7. Don’t make paint strokes shorter than 12 inches
Short paint strokes are how you end up with the dreaded uneven finish. Barr suggests making your strokes longer—the length of your arm. For smoother paint application start in the middle of the wall and avoid stop-and-go movement.

8. Don’t leave your paint tools out during a break
As the paint dries on your walls, make sure it’s not doing the same on all of your tools. This is especially important if you’re planning on touch-ups or adding another coat of paint. When you come back, you’ll be faced with a crusty, unusable paint roller or brush.

Try this method instead: “If you’re reusing the paint color and applicator the next day, wrap or place the applicator securely in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and place it in the fridge,” Barr says. “This will save you the step of washing the applicator and starting the saturation process from scratch.”

Read the whole article on Architectural Digest.

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More Jobs and Better Pay Leads to More Buyer Demand

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There’s been talk about a recession for quite a while now. But the economy has been remarkably resilient.

Why? One reason is employment and wages have stayed strong. Let’s look at the latest information on each one and why both are good news if you’re thinking about selling your house.

More Jobs Are Being Created

Instead of facing the job losses typical of any recession, the economy has been growing and adding jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 187,000 jobs were created in July, which is up from the 185,000 created in June. That means more people are finding work. In fact, so many jobs are being added that the unemployment rate is far lower than the long-term average of 5.7% (see graph below):

 
 

A low unemployment rate means that most people who want to work are finding jobs. When people have jobs, they have steady incomes – and that can help set them up to consider homeownership.

People Are Making More Money

And data also shows hourly earnings have been going up pretty steadily over the past few years (see graph below):

 
 

When wages rise, people have more money that they could save or use toward buying a home. This increase in income helps offset some of the affordability challenges in the housing market today. Affordability depends on three main factors: wages, home prices, and mortgage rates. With higher home prices and mortgage rates right now, Builder Online summarizes how growing wages can help:

“The housing market has been a beneficiary of the strong economy and labor market. Many of those employed have saved money over the past few years and used those funds toward a down payment on a home.”

If you’re thinking about selling your house, a strong job market, growing wages, and the resulting buyer demand is fantastic news. It means there’s a larger pool of potential buyers out there who are in a position to pursue their dreams of homeownership.

Bottom Line

With more jobs and rising wages creating eager buyers, there’s a lot going in your favor. Reach out to a local real estate agent so you have someone who can guide you through the process of selling your house, from setting the right price to getting your home ready to show.

Get more like this on Keeping Current Matters.

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