Sometimes, if I am lucky, a client will want to employ my real estate services AND ask me to help them re-design the space.
This is like entering a new love relationship; it is exciting and thrilling and implies a long-term commitment. Yesterday I was over the moon to view a square timber log home on a lovely piece of property which the clients have been working on for the last few years.
The romance of log homes is that they are decorative just by being what they are – a log home.
The walls each have character and story and the colours are rich and earthy. Like snowflakes, no two logs are the same and each carries life and energy with it and a history of where it came from.
The scent of cedar drifted to me as soon as I entered the house which was instantly relaxing and invigorating. Usually houses smell like people or dinner or pets but this place smelled like a walk on the West Coast on a spring afternoon.
The design aspect of log homes is easy for me as the structure is design itself.
This home is getting ready for market by way of a few detail finishes and some improvements in the kitchen. It can be difficult to see your own space and be neutral about where to fix and where to renovate and sometimes it takes an outsider to see the house for what it is – a piece of artwork created by nature.
What the clients saw was the obvious, the big things if you will.
What I saw were the details, the things that a prospective buyer would see as work for them. I looked at the home through a buyer’s eyes and through a designer’s view about what would make the home more sellable and the result was a huge dose of focus for the home owner as they go forward to preparing this home for sale.
Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees and we focus on the big picture, big money renovation when what is actually bugging us about our homes may be the small repairs and finishing work that never got done.
The fireplace may be screaming at us for a makeover but in reality, it’s just the mantle that needs a coat of paint and the stone hearth that may need some cleaning. The feel of a proper finish is seriously underrated, if you have never gotten around to doorway transitions or baseboard finishing give that a try first.
Simple things like new light switches, faucets or door handles can brighten up a space immediately and give new life to any interior.
It may not always be about demolition and ‘new everything’ and it can be a challenge to restrain yourself from tearing out items in your home which may be easily restored and improved.
Simple changes often can have an enormous impact!
Your home may need a major overhaul and it might just need some fine-tuning. The best advice is to get a professional in your space that is trustworthy and not just wanting to spend all your dollars. They will give you sound advice on what will truly make the space more functional, more enjoyable and possibly more sellable!
Kim Wyse is a Central Alberta designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a Designer/Ask a Realtor’.
