Did you know you can get unlimited spring skiing for the rest of the season at Mount Sunapee for $129? Another foot of snow has just fallen, so don't miss out on the beautiful conditions!
The We Are Sunapee Pass includes unlimited skiing and riding from March 1st through the end of the season for only $129. One price fits all! Discover how awesome Mount Sunapee is with great spring skiing and riding!
How to Purchase
The We Are Sunapee Pass is available for purchase at Spruce Lodge Guest Services or online right now. Once you have it, you're ready to start skiing and riding for the rest of this season! This card is direct-to-lift and once you receive it from Guest Services, you can go right to the lift every time you come to Mount Sunapee (with the We Are Sunapee Pass in your pocket). Buy online here.
You always know a luxurious bathroom when you see one. It sparkles, shines and looks like something straight out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. However, a luxurious bathroom makeover doesn’t have to be expensive. You can increase the value of your home and achieve the effects of a luxury makeover by implementing these unique, budget-savvy renovation tips.
1. Pay Attention to the Decorative Details
The details in your bathroom make a powerful statement. Ignoring them can make the space look mediocre and plain. To achieve the effect of a luxurious bathroom on a budget, place importance on the small things instead of large, costly items.
Ornamental items, such as artwork, statues, candles and other décor can change the appeal of the entire space. Think about the tones that are often associated with luxury, such as gold, silver, chrome and sparkling, shiny elements. Focusing your decorative details on fancy materials and colors will add a spark of luxury.
Additionally, the color of your bathroom holds great power, as it can create an astonishing visual effect that impacts the ambiance. Keep this in mind when choosing decorative elements.
2. Add Character with an Accent Wall
If you’re not looking to do a complete renovation, focus your luxury design aspirations on an accent wall. Pick one wall and add crucial details that will take your bathroom to the next level of luxury.
Finishes and textures can be expensive if you’re adding them to the entire room. They’ll also blend in rather than making the powerful statement you want to achieve. An accent wall is an affordable way to add impact.
Add textured wallpaper that has the appearance of luxury materials, such as stone or marble. It’ll instantly add dimension and elegance into the space.
Match luxury finishes to your accent wall to create the effect of a luxurious bathroom makeover. Add large decorative details such as mirrors with a gold frame, or large art pieces that will turn a plain wall into a masterpiece.
3. Natural Materials are Timeless and Luxurious
If you look at any luxury bathroom, you’ll see one common element – almost all of them incorporate natural materials into the space. Whether it’s on the walls, floors or in the small details, fancy spaces take advantage of natural aesthetics. They’re timeless, elegant and can instantly increase the value and style of your bathroom.
Marble and onyx are certainly among the top natural materials used in luxury bathrooms. However, they’re also among the most expensive options. The good news is that any natural material will work wonders when trying to achieve a fancy ambiance.
New wood flooring, wooden vines and green plants can add a spark of nature, ambiance and luxury into the space for a fraction of the cost. You receive all the benefits of luxury without the big price tag.
4. Lighting is Everything
If there’s one thing you’ll continuously hear associated with flawless interior design, it’s lighting. Lighting holds the power within any space. It can make a small room appear larger, a dark room appear livelier and a boring room appear more luxurious. Lighting affects the ambiance and design of your home, which is why it’s so important when creating the effect of a luxurious bathroom makeover.
There are two options available. You can go grand and extravagant with large, statement light fixtures, or you can go with a subtler approach and use strategically placed accent lights. Both will have a similar affect when used properly.
Large light fixtures such as a gold-toned chandelier will achieve a powerful statement of luxury, while spotlights throughout the space offer a sweet, softer glow.
Since the bathroom is one of the most important rooms in your home, it’s time to give yours a little TLC. Bathrooms are a huge selling point when you decide to list your home. Create the effect of a luxurious bathroom with these home decorating tips, and increase the value, aesthetics and enjoyment of your home.
Source: www.bhgrelife.com
Teamwork from the Team that works –Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team
The National Association of REALTORS conducts a survey* every year on recent home buyers and sellers. Below are highlights on buyers from their most recent report.
- 34% of buyers were 1st time buyers.
- The median purchase price of a home was $235,000.
- 84% of buyers purchased in a suburb, small town or rural area vs. an urban area.
- 83% of buyers bought a single family home.
- 87% used a real estate agent.
- 95% searched online.
- 65% of buyers were married couples, 18% were single females, 7% were single males and 8% were unmarried couples.
- The typical home purchased was 1870 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and built in 1991.
Thinking of selling? Contact me if you’d like to know how these facts could impact your sale. 603-526-4116, www.DonnaForest.com, Donna@DonnaForest.com
*2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers – National Association of REALTORS
After a record 2017 in the New Hampshire residential housing market, 2018 showed no signs of slowing with a brisk first month of the year. There were 911 closed sales in January, a 2 percent increase from the same month a year ago, and the median price of those homes was $260,000, a better than 5 percent jump from January 2017. Click here for statewide January statistics
Discover space you didn’t know you had by saying adieu to little-used items throughout your home.
We’ve all got a closet that barely closes, or a pantry that’s stuffed to the ceiling with nonperishable items (and yes, that can of beans does have an expiration date). Getting rid of what you don’t need can be a very freeing experience—but it can also be hard to know where to start. Putting your home up for sale is great impetus for a clean out: a home-moving checklist priority should be dealing with clutter so potential buyers don’t consider it a home-buying warning sign and move on to a less-cluttered option.
The scout
If you love that family and friends can rely on you to handle any situation, but your tendency to keep things comes from the anticipation that you might need it someday, you might have a scout’s organization personality. In order to let go, try creating a catch phrase that will help you identify items you no longer use frequently. Try asking yourself, “How often am I really using this?” or “In what situation will I really need this?” You‘ll soon start to realize that you’ll never need a lot of the items you’re holding on to. You can also set boundaries before you begin to declutter. Determine how many of the same type of item you should realistically keep, and then make yourself follow those rules.
Purge old paperwork
Plenty of us keep old tax returns, receipts, mortgage statements from 1992—out of the fear that we’ll need it some day. But be realistic: do you really need the warranty to the microwave you got rid of two years ago? Getting rid of old office paperwork is extremely liberating. Tossing random notes and old checklists and files quickly transforms an office into a place where you can think. Create a box to hold papers that need shredding as you sort, and then shred them while you watch television to make the time go by quickly. When you’ve cut through the backlog of papers, start fresh and shred papers immediately after you’ve sorted the mail.
Shop your pantry
For some people, being prepared means having enough food to feed an army. But the more you store, the more likely you are to forget what you have. In an effort to cut pantry clutter, explore new recipes for a few weeks to utilize what you already own. Avoid buying more nonperishable items until you run out of something. You’ll save grocery money and free up room so you can restock in a more orderly fashion. Make note of how long it takes you to clear out your cupboards, and use that as a guideline for how much food you really need to store in the future.
Restful retreat
Make your bedroom a haven by surrounding yourself with things that bring you comfort and peace. Let go of furniture and other objects in the room that take up space without adding value. If space allows, carve out a nook for a reading chair and ottoman or a chaise. Install artwork or use paint to customize and brighten your space, rather than relying on useless objects.
Organize for your needs
An organized closet can help set the tone for the day ahead. When you can see everything you own, you can find things faster, get dressed with confidence and feel ready to tackle the day. When deciding how you should organize a clothes closet, ask yourself the following: How do I look for things? How do I get dressed? How do I put things away? Sort your items into categories based on your responses. To make things even easier to find, try color-coding items within your categories, and look for cheap storage solutions, such as plastic shoe boxes or bins for belts, socks or scarves.
Declutter and do good
It’s easy to hold on to bath products such as soaps and lotions, especially those received as gifts. But don’t let these items steal prime countertop space or crowd out items you need to access every day. Create a boundary, such as a basket or bin, for “relax” items; when it’s full, follow a “one in, one out” rule. Have extras worth sharing? Local shelters are always looking for supplies.
Play stations
When toys, books and dress-up clothes have proper homes, children can participate in the cleanup process and help keep clutter to a minimum. Consider dividing a bedroom or playroom into activity stations to create clear separation. Make sure children have easy access to items they gravitate to frequently, such as a basket for books. Avoid oversize containers that make it hard for children to find toys, and keep lids to a minimum—except on items you want to control access to, such as art supplies.
Source: www.bhgrelife.com
Almost every sale entails having a home inspection. Sellers can take steps ahead of time to ensure this goes smoothly. Below are some tips to help prepare for inspection day.
- Make repairs in advance of the scheduled inspection and don’t try to hide what’s not working. If something breaks with no time to fix it, leave a note and how it will be corrected.
- The house should be clean and in showing condition. The inspector and buyers will be going through it in much more detail.
- Provide easy access to the attic, furnace, utilities, and under sinks. An inspector should not have to spend time moving your belongings to inspect.
- Replace any burned out light bulbs.
- Leave a sketch of the septic system so it can be easily found.
- Make plans for both you and any pets to be gone from the property for at least 3 hours.
While it’s a little nerve-racking to have your house so thoroughly examined, taking steps to get ready will help ease the process. Contact me if you would like more tips on preparing your home for sale! 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
Teamwork from the Team that works –Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate - The Milestone Team
You can create a home office anywhere—but it helps to have a plan for corralling clutter and organizing your workspace first.
Look beyond the boring cubicle walls and get inspired to create a home office that’s just that: part of your home. You don’t need a whole room reserved for an office (although that would be nice!); a desk, a chair and some good organizational and storage strategies are all it takes to carve a nook out of your home for an office.
Corner office
A fully functional home office doesn’t need to have its own separate room. Tuck it into the corner of a dining room and give plenty of storage and ample work surfaces. Use space wisely by installing shelves above the desk and cabinets below the work surface.
Write away
If your office needs are more sporadic, consider a simple writing desk for the occasional bill-paying sessions or mail sorting. This writing area is stylish but serves the function of an office as needed.
Compact office
A handsome secretary can turn any room into an office. Paint it to match the bedding and draperies and it will blend into a cottage-style bedroom while providing a spot to write and a place to store stationery, books and more.
Color coordinate
Put your walls to work in your home office space. Floating shelves can be stacked with binders, magazine boxes and more. Wall-mounted baskets are an easy way to file mail or to-do tasks.
Perfect office setup
Create a corner office at home by zoning a section of a larger room (such as a living room or family room) as a work zone. For more storage, hang floating shelves along the wall. When planning your home office, make sure there are adequate outlets nearby for computers, printers and task lighting.
Inspiration point
Surround yourself with beauty while you are hard at work. Hang art that you love above your desk, or add a few decorative items to your desktop. Improve function by adding a pretty lamp or wall sconces for better lighting.
Pretty space
Old desks often have plenty of drawers and storage, but might not be up to par in the style game. Paint a secondhand desk a fresh color that suits your room’s style.
Smarter office storage
In a small space, take office storage to the walls to keep work surfaces clutter-free. In this space, cubbies were mounted to the wall and magazine holders were screwed into the bottom of the cubbies for an innovative mail sorter. For an easy and affordable work surface, transform a slab door into a desktop by mounting it to a wall and placing bookcases or file cabinets beneath it for support.
Kitchen office
A small desk tucked into a kitchen is suited for many tasks, such as doing homework or jotting down a grocery list. Incorporate a few drawers and cubbies to maximize the space’s storage capacity.
Office with a view
Bump a desk up against a window with a deep windowsill and use the sill as an improvised shelf for baskets and boxes. Plus, placing a desk near a window provides plenty of natural light.
Cozy work space
Turn an awkward closet into an office with a few quick changes. Remove the closet doors and paint (or wallpaper) the interior. Hang shelves along the wall and tuck in a desk for a quick-fix office that packs efficient function into a small sliver of space.
Build a desk
For a simple, do-it-yourself desk, employ sturdy file cabinets as a base and a large desktop, or painted panel, as the work surface. Position the desktop on the file cabinets and screw into place.
Living-room office
Inconspicuously add an office to a living area with a few simple tricks. Incorporate as much concealed storage as possible without distracting from the rest of the room. Take steps to add in elements to tie the space to the rest of the room. A bamboo chair and burlap-covered bulletin board harmonize with the living room’s natural look and help the office adhere to interior-design principles.
Check out JOSA - Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon in Grantham, NH. During the winter, amazing jazz musicians are performing from 4-7pm at The Center at Eastman, 6 Clubhouse Lane in Grantham. Purchase a beverage and culinary delights from Bistro Nouveau while enjoying the music. Adult tickets are $20; seniors and students are $18. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 603-763-8732 or bill.wightman@comcast.net. They can also be purchased the day of the show at the venue after 2pm or by calling 603-863-8000. To see the schedule of upcoming shows visit www.josajazz.com
New Hampshire home sales continue on an upward trend and ended the year with the largest dollar volume of sales in its history. It was 7% ahead of last year for a total of $5.5 billion in closed residential sales. Below are some of the highlights reported by New Hampshire REALTORS.
- The median sales price was $266,000, the 2nd highest in NH history and just $4000 off the historical high point in 2005.
- The average days on market dropped to 68 days.
- About the same number of homes sold in 2017 as 2016.
- The average % of list price received was 98%
To put a more local spin on it, below are some stats for New London, Newbury & Sunapee combined:
- The median sales price was $345,000. ($372,500 at peak in 2005)
- The average days on market was 127 days.
- 203 homes sold, the average % of list price received was 96%.
Whether buying or selling, contact me to see how the market impacts you! Donna Forest 603-526-4116, Donna@DonnaForest.com, www.DonnaForest.com
Figures are based on information from the Northern New England Real Estate Network, Inc. for the period 1/1/17 thru 12/31/17
Come out for a night of fun and patriotic comraderie at the 19th Wheelchair Basketball held at the Sunapee Jr. and Sr. High School gym on North Road in Sunapee, Tuesday, January 23rd. It will be the Sunapee Fire Department vs. the Disabled American Veterans and admission is free. There will be a 50/50 raffle and the fun will start at 7pm!