J'aime...

Aujourd'hui j'aime cet appartement à Stockholm, en vente ici.

Today I'm loving this flat in Stockholm, for sale here.

Source Fantastic Frank

white fig tree

I love the look of Fiddle Leaf Fig trees. I've been craving some greenery in our home and had my mind set on a fig tree. A few weeks ago I found an assortment of large Fig Trees at Sheridan Nurseries,  With great excitement I purchased one (it was quite pricey) and had it loaded into the car and my Mom and I drove away. I kept turning around to look at it where the tree lay in the back seat - It was gorgeous. It was also huge. Within us driving a few blocks, reality started to sink in about how big the tree really was.  With great disappointment and embarrassment at my inability to judge size, I realized we had to turn the car back around and return it. There was no way it was going to fit in my house.

Last week I was walking by my local flower shop and I spotted a small little potted tree that had a handwritten sign: "White Fig Tree, $10". I walked back later that night and bought him and carried him home. He's perfect. :) Although the leaves are a little different (not as rubbery as the Fiddle Leaf Fig) it still gives me the look I wanted, was easier on the pocket book and small enough for our house. Success! Let's see if I can keep him alive.

A Simple Way to Get Feedback from People Who Tour Your Home

Do you know what people really think  of your home?
Here's how to get inside buyers' minds.

Hey, homesellers. Are you sick of people coming to look at your house and then never hearing from them again?

Do you wonder why they didn't make an offer? Do you question what they liked? Do you want to know what bothered them? What they thought of the price? The neighborhood? The floor plan? Your decor?

Whenever I have a house for sale, I want feedback. It’s never too late to tweak the staging, add a simple upgrade, get rid of a minor problem, or …dare I say it… lower the price.

Even when working with a realtorand doing all the right homework (like reading my eBooks), without feedback, you’re guessing how the market sees your home.

Not everyone who views your home will tell his realtor what he really thought about your home. If a client acts disinterested, a good realtor will probe for reasons, because a good realtor wants to know what’s important to a client.

But some people feel bad saying negative things, or they may not understand fully what made them react to your home the way they did. So, not all feedback is helpful or complete.

If a potential home buyer says, “The house is nice, but …”

• But they don’t like the carpeting. 
• But kitchen is too small. 
• But the appliances have to go. 
• But they’re not crazy about the neighborhood. 

What they are really saying is the house is overpriced.

These comments mean they are seeing bigger kitchens, or better flooring, or newer appliances, or nicer neighborhoods for the same price. Without choosing the exact phrasing, they are saying that they know they can get more for their money.

Buyers typically look at similar homes in similar neighborhoods, at a similar price point.
This means you need to know your competition to arrive at a fair asking price.  

It’s all about perceived value.

Staging is one way to increase the perceived value of your home. Another way is pricing it correctly. Getting feedback will help you in both cases.

If you're going to hire a realtor, she'll help you set your asking price. There are objective methods to arrive at fair market value, but fair market value also depends on how the market responds to your home. That's where feedback comes in handy.

Here is how one realtor makes it easy to tune into what home buyers are saying about a listing. She simply sends this questionnaire out to every realtor who shows the property. She asks them to email or query the client, and get quick answers to these multiple choice questions.   

How would you rate the home's curb appeal?

• Excellent
• Good
• Fair
• Poor

Some homes have curb appeal on two sides. This home for sale in Florida on the
Intracoastal Waterway needs to look good from front and back. 

How did the home's interior look?

• Very comfortable and stylish
• Clean and organized
• Average
• Needs improvement 

Are there parts of the home that need improving or updating?

• No improvements needed
• Some exterior improvements needed
• Some interior improvements needed
• Appliances need updating or upgrading

A home in a subdivision is bound to be compared to the other homes in the same
(and nearby) subdivisions. A seller needs to match or beat these competing homes  

How is the home priced compared to other homes?

• Price is very appealing
• Price seems fair
• Home is somewhat overpriced
• Home is substantially overpriced

A charming entrance is the beginning of what could become a purchase offer.
Knowing how buyers respond to your home can help you fine tune your property. 

Are you considering making an offer on this home?

• Undecided
• No
• Yes

Get the facts! 

It takes less than a minute to get answers to these questions. I encourage you to share this idea with your realtor, so you’ll be on your way to knowing what’s good about your property and what might need some attention.

Fix your home to get the best grades possible from potential buyers. 

Start by downloading my $5 eBook, 

DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.

too pretty to eat. but we ate it anyways.

We had a little celebration tonight at my Mom's, one that required a cake. I purchased this cake from Knead Bakery that is in our neighbourhood. This is your classic neighbourhood bakery - Small, and tucked off the main road, it has the most delicious breads and sweets. The cake was so gorgeous that I felt as though it was worthy of its own post. I have yet to see a cake ever decorated like this before. Even if you can't visit the bakery - you may find this photo as inspiration for your own cake decorating adventures. xo Lindsay

2 Villas 3D Front Elevation 3D Max Rander Views

Max V Ray Result 3D House View

Helsinki

Helsinki est la capitale mondiale du design 2012, et j'étais bien évidemment ravie de faire un tour dans cette jolie ville en début de semaine. J'ai passé la plupart de mon temps dans le Design District, un carré de 25 rues qui regorgent de design, mode, art, musées et restaurants. Je me suis aussi arrêtée au pavillon officiel de la capitale du design, mais je regrette de ne pas avoir eu le temps d'explorer le musée du design avoisinant (mais la boutique était très chouette).

Parmi les magasins visités, voici quelques uns de mes préférés... (toutes les photos sont les miennes)

Helsinki is the world design capital 2012, and I was of course thrilled to pay a visit to this beautiful city earlier this week. I spent most of my time in the Design District, 25 streets filled with design, fashion, art, musems and restaurants. I also stopped by the official pavilion of the design capital, but I regret not having enough time to explore the Design Musem next door (but the shop was great).

Here are some favourites among the shops I visited... (all photos are mine)

Mon coup de coeur était la boutique éphémère que Finnish Design Shop a ouvert dans un ancien entrepôt des douanes près du port (ouverte jusqu'à fin septembre). Un lieu immense tout en brique, rempli du meilleur du design finlandais et scandinave. On y trouve aussi un café. Superbe!

The highlight was the pop up store that Finnish Design Shop has opened in an old customs warehouse near the harbour (open until the end of September). A huge brick space filled with the best of Finnish and Scandinavian design. There is also a café. Fantastic!

Je ne pouvais pas aller à Helsinki sans visiter un magasin Marimekko. Leur vaisselle me fait toujours autant craquer!

I couldn't go to Helsinki without visiting a Marimekko store. Still loving their kitchenware!

Pino propose une jolie sélection d'articles basiques pour la maison, ainsi que du design plus innovateur.

Pino offers a nice selection of basic articles for the home mixed with more exciting design.

Chez Peroba, on retrouve un style plus industriel, avec une grande sélection de produits House Doctor.

At Peroba you'll find more of the industrial style, with a large selection of products from House Doctor.

Pour déjeuner, on s'est arrêté à Sushibar, un joli petit restaurant ou les meubles d'Alvar Alto et la vaisselle d'Iittala et de Marimekko se marient à merveille à la cuisine japonaise.

For lunch we stopped at Sushibar, a lovely little restaurant where Alvar Alto's furniture and the kitchenware from Marimekko and Iittala fit the Japanese kitchen perfectly.

full wall of tile

I'm not holding back "reveal" photos of our kitchen on purpose ... we're really still working away on it! :) So I'll keep blogging showing you the steps that we're taking to really make our big box store kitchen look custom. For example...we're tiling an entire wall in white subway tile. I was a little nervouse taking the leap to do this but I'm really glad we did as it shows off our tall ceilings and really adds great detailing. It reflects light, and makes this once dark corner sparkle. Can't wait to show you the "after"!! Eeek!

Ps., Looking for some inspirational "wall of tile" pins from Pinterest? Check out this, this (although it's a bathroom) This photo from The Home Depot "Dream Book" was inspirational too.

Sweet Home 3D 3D Projects