How To Quickly Update Tuscan Style Homes

Tuscan home photoIn the early 2000s, home decorators heavily installed and implemented uber-popular Tuscan décor in their clients’ homes.  This style is represented by dark wood furniture, rich fabrics, gold and darker brown color schemes, and intricate ironwork.  While this style is still arguably beautiful, and works in some homes, in many homes, Tuscan style appears outdated.  Simply put, most buyers today aren’t drawn toward the more formal, darker and heavier style that goes hand in hand with Tuscan décor.

So, if you’re currently living in a Tuscan-style home, but want to broaden the appeal of your home to prospective buyers, you may want to consider some of these tips to tone down the Tuscan décor.  First, consider repainting your walls and trim, especially if they are in a gold tone with dark trim.  Simply applying fresh paint in a lighter taupe or gray-beige, and bright white or even creamy ivory on the trim, will go a long way toward brightening and updating your home.   Carrying this light and bright paint color through to your kitchen cabinets (if they’re a dark wood) will also help to update your home’s style.

Another simple way to convert your Tuscan-style décor to a more modern look that appeals to the majority of home buyers is to swap out your décor, such as bedding, curtains and throw pillows.  Replacing any tapestry or dark-colored fabrics with simple, light colored fabrics with minimal design will help update your home’s look instantly.  Lampshades are another inexpensive way to update your home’s look; simply replacing a more ornate lampshade with an unadorned drum shade, even if the base is in a heavier Tuscan style will do wonders.

Finally, with regard to your Tuscan-style home’s fixtures, consider swapping out any heavier iron or bronze lighting fixtures and faucets with lighter brushed nickel or even brushed gold fixtures to update your home’s look.  I’d be happy to walk through your home to give you guidance on how to accomplish this transition from Tuscan to updated.

Are you considering selling your home?  Get started with a free Home Value Estimate.

Spa Days!

Montelucia Resort Spa photoWhether you’re looking for a gift for Valentine’s Day, birthday or anniversary, you typically can do no wrong when you give a gift certificate for a spa day to that special someone.  Here are some of the top picks by Yelp!  Reviewers for day spas in North Scottsdale . . .

One of the top picks by Yelp! Reviewers is the New Serenity Spa located at 15609 N Hayden Rd.  This day spa is in the moderate price range and offers services ranging from facials to massage.  There are at least a dozen different massage packages.  New Serenity also offers a wide range of facials, from anti-aging and chemical peels to teen facials.  If you are looking to surprise your loved one with a spa day, there are also several combination packages offered.

Next up is Well & Being Spa, located inside the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess Resort.  This luxury spa offers a full spa day experience, thanks to spa visitors being permitted to partake of the resort amenities such as the fitness center, the lounge facilities and the resort pools.  Services offered by this spa include a dozen different types of massages, body scrubs and wraps, several different facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, haircuts and hair color.

Another popular day spa option is the Spa810 Scottsdale located at 23425 N Scottsdale RdThis spa features a detailed menu of services from many types of facials, massage, laser hair removal and chemical peels.   North Scottsdale spa-goers appear to be fans of the Millennium Day Spa, located at 7609 E Pinnacle Peak Rd.  This moderately-priced spa and salon offer a deep range of services from haircuts, color and style, to manicures/pedicures, makeup services, spray tanning, massages, waxing and facials.

Keeping Your Home Secure While It’s on the Market

Home For Sale photoAdmittedly, listing your home for sale can be a stressful, and often disruptive life event.  One of the concerns that home sellers may have is keeping their home secure and safe while it’s on the market, and open to the public for showings.   Therefore, here are some tips to help you maximize keeping you and your family safe during this time.

First, while prepping your home for sale, take some steps to maximize your family’s privacy.  Remove anything in your home that contains private information such as personal photos, items with your family’s names on it, your children’s school information/team sports, and any financial information about you and your family.   As a corollary to this, also go through your home and remove (and secure) valuable items that you may have on display.  For example, items such as valuable musical instruments, jewelry, electronics, guns/gun safes, and artwork, are items that may be enticing to those with nefarious motives.

Another area to consider is items that may tip off people in your home that you will be absent for extended periods of time, such as calendars with upcoming vacations clearly marked.   And, do you have any medicine (especially narcotic pain medicine) in your medicine cabinets?  Prospective buyers do open these, to check out storage capacities, so be sure to secure these items before showings.   Finally, don’t leave extra keys out in the open (for your home, your vehicles, etc), or any key codes displayed where people can see them, or any extra remotes for your home’s garage.

Taking a few small steps to secure your home’s belongings as well as the security of your family will help to make this often-stressful time a bit less difficult to navigate.  Having this peace of mind will prove to be invaluable in the long run.  I’d be happy to give you more tips that are specific to you, and your individual situation.

Are you considering selling your home?  Get started with this free home value estimate.

High-Speed Adventures

Penske Racing Museum photoSometimes, dinner and a movie just isn’t going to cut it.  Sometimes, we feel the need for a high-speed adventure.  Here are a few places to consider paying a visit, to feel that wind in your hair:

  1. Located in Eloy, approximately a 30 minute drive from Phoenix, is SkyDive Arizona, which is one of the largest sky diving facilities in the world.  You can try tandem jumping, attend ground school to learn how to skydive solo, or for those who aren’t quite as daring, enjoy indoor skydiving in the vertical wind tunnel, where every minute in the tunnel is equal to a minute of free-fall skydiving time.
  2. Located in Scottsdale just west of the 101 freeway, Octane Raceway features a 1/3 mile indoor/outdoor track where you can race one of 32 electric Sodi RTX racing karts from Europe.  These karts have 10,000 RPM for maximum torque and a top speed of 45 MPH. Minimum height requirements are 54 inches, so even those under the age of 16 can join in the high-octane fun.
  3. Another go kart option can be found at K1 Speed, centrally located near the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.  The 20HP electric carts reach speeds up to 45 mph and racers will enjoy the large track.  Junior racers must be at least 48 inches tall.
  4. For a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience some REAL speed, check out the Bondurant High Performance Racing School.   Located in Chandler, AZ, Bondurant features a 1.6-mile, 15 turn multi-configuration race track on a 60-acre facility, designed by world champion driver Bob Bondurant.  Known as “The Fastest 60 Acres in America”, Bondurant also has access to the 3 racing tracks at Firebird International Raceway.  Drivers have access to over 200 cars equipped for racing on the tracks, and will receive full instruction and safety training before beginning one of multiple programs and passes available.  Bondurant also has a SuperKart Track for go karts, perfect for group outings, corporate kart leagues, for anyone at any skill level.

Be sure to check out www.groupon.com and www.livingsocial.com for coupons and deals for the above attractions.

Click here to learn about neighborhoods and  view homes for sale by map.

Sonoran Hills Open House Saturday 2/18/17 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

We will be holding an Open Houses this weekend on Saturday 2/18/17 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s Sonoran Hills neighborhood at 7949 E VIA DE LUNA DR, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely updated. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see.

Grayhawk Open Houses Saturday 2/11/17 & Sunday 2/12/17 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

We will be holding an Open Houses this weekend on Saturday 2/11/17 and Sunday 2/12/17 from 1-4 pm both days in North Scottsdale’s Grayhawk neighborhood at 21313 N 73RD WAY, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely remodeled. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see

Grayhawk Open House Saturday 2/4/17 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale

We will be holding an Open House this weekend on Saturday 2/4/17 from 1-4 pm in North Scottsdale’s Grayhawk neighborhood at 21313 N 73RD WAY, Scottsdale, AZ 85255. Call us at 480-754-9477 or 480-754-9077 if you would like more information. This gorgeous home has been completely remodeled. We hope to see you there.

Also, if you would like to see homes in other Scottsdale neighborhoods such as Grayhawk, McDowell Mountain Ranch, DC Ranch, Gainey Ranch, McCormick Ranch, Desert Mountain, Troon, Sonoran Hills, Desert Ridge, Terravita, etc, please let us know. We can send you listings for homes in your area of interest, preview homes for you and schedule showings for you to see any homes that you would like to see