A mantel is often the focal point of its room, so it can be the perfect place to set the tone and ambiance of your interior. With this incredible amount of potential, you may need some tips and tricks for decoration. Luckily, with these 10 ideas on how to decorate an inviting mantel, yours will bring warmth, dimension, and personality into the room.
www.bhgrelife.com
Check out the deals and fun at Mount Sunapee Ski Resort in Newbury, NH. The snow has been falling with more to come tomorrow. 5 lifts and 17 trails are open with a base of 12-26 inches. And don't miss Ugly Sweater Day on Thursday, December 29. Take part in a parade from the Sunapee Express to the North Peak Triple. They'll have prizes for the Ugliest Sweater and Most Spirit! Dust off your skis and snowboards and hit the slopes!
Now that winter has arrived, it brings a new set of challenges for sellers. In order to keep your home in top showing condition, here are a few common sense tips to follow.
- Always keep your driveway plowed and entryways clear.
- Clear snow and ice from walkways, stairs, and decks.
- Make sure there are interior rugs in front of entry doors to protect your floors.
- Have a vacant house heated to at least 50 degrees. A warm house holds more appeal and encourages buyers to take their time looking. Buyers will rush through cold homes and it leaves a negative impression.
- Maximize lighting. Open drapes and turn on lights to shake off winter gloom.
- Have a good map to show where your septic system is. If your house goes under contract and a septic inspection is scheduled, it will speed along the process.
If you are looking for an experienced Realtor with the common sense to help sell your house in any season, then give me a call! 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
It’s not unusual to downsize to a smaller home at one point or another; a smaller home is something that many people look forward to and take advantage of as they get older.
You may be wondering if it’s time for you to start downsizing and start a new chapter in a smaller space. Whether you’re an empty nester looking for fewer maintenance requirements or simply interested in a smaller space, there is one thing that is inevitable: You will have to get rid of some of your stuff. This is somewhat bittersweet, but you get a chance to go through all of your belongings and determine what truly needs to make the trip to your new destination in life. Follow these tips to make the downsizing process significantly easier.
List or leave it -The first step to downsizing is to make a list of the things you absolutely need. Items that don’t make the cut shouldn’t come to your new house. It’s important to do this at least three months prior to the move to ensure you have an ample amount of time to go through your items and think about whether or not you need them.
Sort and sell - Once you have determined the items not coming to your new house, you can start getting rid of them. This can be a difficult task, as your items will have different values and varying degrees of wear and tear. Grab three boxes and label them for selling, donating, or throwing out. As you sort through your belongings, you can quickly assign them to the correct box and get rid of them accordingly.
Compare new rooms with current rooms that have similar dimensions - It can be hard to determine how much room you will actually have when downsizing. Get the dimensions of each room in your new house, and compare it to rooms in your current house that have similar dimensions. This gives you the opportunity to see what kind of space you’re working with, and more importantly, what furniture will fit in your new downsized home. When trying to determine what furniture pieces will make the move, look at your new floor plan: determine if it’s plausible to keep those all sofas, or chairs, or if you should part from your old furniture all together and upgrade with newer pieces.
Downsize your kitchenware - If you’re an empty nester, there is truly no need for ten mixing bowls and seven spatulas when you move into your new house. Narrow down your bowls, plates, forks, and spoons to reasonable amounts, and use paper kitchenware when hosting in the future.
Target the garage - Depending on the kind of home you’re downsizing to, you may not need a lot of the items in the garage. If your new condo handles lawn maintenance and snow removal, you can get rid of the shovels, your lawn mower, and possibly even the ladder. Determine what tasks will be taken over by someone else when you make the move, and sell any equipment you will no longer need.
Downsizing your home can be an emotional task. It can also be just as exhilarating. Follow these tips to de-clutter and reorganize your belongings as you head into a new chapter in your life.
Reprinted from www.bhgrelife.com
Join in the fun at Spring Ledge on Saturday, December 3rd at 10am for a wreath-making workshop and bow-making tutorial.
Learn how to craft a hand-made wreath using fresh balsam brush. Then make your own bow using ribbon offered at the farm. Cost is $18. and includes the instruction, wreath supplies & bow supplies. You'll finish with a beautiful wreath just the right size for your front door. Additional decorations will be available a la carte.
Call 526-6253 to reserve your spot at Spring Ledge Farm, 37 Main St., New London, NH.
The National Association of REALTORS recently published their annual survey of recent home buyers and sellers. This covers information on national housing data such as demographics, housing characteristics, and consumer experiences. Below are come interesting highlights from the 2016 survey.
- First time home buyers made up 35% of the total buyers - up 3% from 2015.
- 'Buyers typically searched for ten weeks and looked at a median of ten homes before purchasing.
- 88% of buyers used an agent in their buying process.
- 88% of buyers got a mortgage to finance their purchase.
- Sellers typically lived in their home ten years before selling.
- 89% of sellers worked with an agent to sell their home.
- Only 8% of the homes sold were for sale by owner (FSBO) and sold for less than agent-assisted sales.
Contact me if you want to work with an agent who knows the pulse of buyers and sellers in today's market! 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
The 10th Annual 5K Sunapee Turkey Trot will be held in Sunapee Harbor this November 24th at 9:00am. Online registration is now open at http://sunapeeturkeytrot.com/. Bibs and pins can be picked up at Pre-Registration on Wednesday, November 23 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm at the Lake Sunapee Protective Association. They can also be picked up on race day (November 24 from 7:00-8:00 am; however, due to a large number of people registering on race day, we urge racers to pick up their bibs and pins at the pre-registration. Race day registration is from 7-8am and the 1K Chicken Run begins at 8:15am for the children.
The Sunapee Parent Teacher Organization will hold a pie sale during the Pre-Registration as well as on race day. Pies will be $10 each, and it is a great way to support the SPTO as well as get out of having to bake!
In an effort to reduce waste, Prospect Hill Antiques will be setting up water stations at the start and finish lines. Please bring your own reusable bottle, and fill up whenever you’re thirsty. Thank you Prospect Hill Antiques!
Gather the family and make this your morning Thanksgiving tradition! No dogs please!
Are you thinking about selling but wonder if it would be better to wait until spring? There is no right or wrong time to put a house on the market – just different influences on the selling process. Here are some great reasons to put your house on the market now vs. waiting until spring.
- There is less competition. Fewer homes for sale greatly increase the chances of buyers looking at your house.
- Buyers are more serious. Buyers looking this time of year most likely have been looking all summer and are very motivated to buy.
- The process will be quicker. Fewer sales means the appraisal can be done sooner, the inspection can be lined up earlier, and the processing time for the mortgage can move right along.
- You can stage your home even more. Holidays provide a great way to give buyers an emotional tug.
You need to decide what timing works best for you, however, choosing the right Realtor with the proper pricing will ensure your house will sell regardless of the time of year. Contact me if you are looking for the “right” Realtor for you! 603-526-4116, DonnaForest.com, Donna@DonnaForest.com.
By Deirdre Sullivan
It’s been a long day at work and you just want to get home and relax on your deck. But nooooooo, it’s already dark outside and that chill in the air is telling you it’s time to pull out your parka. OK, inside it is. But then it hits you: Indoors feels more like a dank cave than a welcoming oasis. Depressing.
You don’t have to succumb to the winter blahs. Just implement a few of these ideas, and you’ll be warm and comfy inside until winter’s worst blows over.
1. Clean Your Light Fixtures and Bulbs
Your home will appear 30% brighter — without turning on more lights.
Related: Did You Know Dirty Bulbs Are Energy Wasters?
2. Keep the Cold Air Out
It’s not just window and door leaks killing your cozy vibe. Don’t forget to plug stealthy gaps around recessed lights, electrical boxes, and wall outlets. Use a lit incense stick or scented candle to hunt down drafty spots while leaving behind a cozy scent.
3. Dig Out Your Slow Cooker
Nothing says warm and cozy like opening the door to an enticing aroma that makes your mouth water. Even better, slow cookers are more energy efficient than electric ovens, typically using less energy than a light bulb.
4. Bring Home Some Nature
Many indoor plants, like golden pothos and gerbera daisies, are particularly adept at sucking up nasty VOCs — the vapors emitted from household cleaners, paints, and dry cleaning. And since plants increase humidity levels, they help decrease household dust.
5. Vacuum With Your Thermostat Fan On
Run the fan to help filter dust that gets kicked up while cleaning. Leave it on for about 15 minutes after you finish vacuuming, and switch it back to “auto” afterward. HVAC blowers aren’t intended to run all the time.
6. Change the Furnace / AC Filter
Change your filter every couple months (monthly if you have pets) to prevent excess dust and allergens from circulating. All that bad air just gets you down.
7. Let the Sunlight In (It’ll Make You Happy)
Clean your windows. Sparkling glass not only lets more natural light into your home, it’s a feel-good task, according to a survey by the American Clean Institute. When ACI asked consumers what clean surfaces make them happy, “gleaming windows” made the top five above a “spotless sink.” Besides all that, daylighting is a great mood booster.
8. Put Your Window Screens Into Hibernation
They trap dirt and can make your home appear darker inside and out. It’s a good curb appeal booster, too.
9. Add an Interior Window
A dark room with no sunlight will look and feel warmer if you paint the walls in reds, oranges, or yellows. dark room that’s next to a sun-drenched space, putting a window in the shared wall will let the natural light in.
Visit Houselogic.com for more articles like this. Reprinted from Houselogic.com with permission of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
Teamwork from the Team that works –Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team
Come to the Sunapee Coffeehouse tonight at a special location - The Livery Building, 58 Main Street, Sunapee Harbor at 7pm.
Performing tonight is Kate MacLeod whose voice has been said to sound as pure as water from a mountain stream. And while singing from the Wasatch Mountains in Utah, her highly acclaimed songs often precede her as other artists sing them on stages across the country. Her songs compel music publications such as Sing Out! Magazine to claim that Kate MacLeod "channels the spirit of the great Carter Family classics." She has opened for artists such as Rosanne Cash, Dan Fogelberg and Greg Brown, but performs winning concerts of her own across the country. Her songwriting style and live performances display an unbreakable link between traditional music and cutting-edge contemporary songwriting. Kate has written music based on historic events and personalities, a collection of songs based on books, and some commissioned for cultural projects. Whether in a song or on her violin, she captures our history, our landscapes, and our lives in the varied music that she creates. This is no more obvious than in current projects she is developing. 2016 marks the release of her songbook, including music notation, chords, and lyrics, of a large collection of her original songs, many of them inspired by people and places that she has come across while traveling. Kate is also compiling a book of original violin/fiddle pieces.
For tonight's presentation, a donation of $15 is suggested.
Next Friday's performance will be the Click Horning Trio. Click on www.sunapeecoffeehouse.org for the schedule of performances