Selling Your Home?

One of my friends has been looking to purchase a home, but hasn’t fallen completely in love with anything.  She recently saw a lovely house outside Albany with a huge master bedroom, a spacious den and private deck off the back. Unfortunately, the kitchen was miserably outdated, so she turned the place down.  That got me thinking, why not help people as they are selling their homes.

Selling a home can be daunting and stressful (especially in this market). The seller needs to prepare for the possible objections from the potential buyers…and if the kitchen needs renovating, those objections are sure to come. In preparation to putting a home on the market with an outdated kitchen, renovation prior to listing is an option that the seller should consider. Be aware that even in today’s market there’s a 75%-80% return on investment simply by remodeling the kitchen. (Not a bad return, I’d say!).  But what if you don’t have the time or finances to pull off a kitchen makeover?  That is when CCW comes in. 

For a limited time, CCW is offering a FREE on-site measure, plans, renders and estimates that can be used by the seller to present to prospective buyers.  So when a prospective buyer tours the home and says, ”I like it but the kitchen’s all wrong,”…the seller or his realtor can whip out a plan and render so they can imagine what it could look like.  The pricing estimates will also be available to help in the sale price negotiations.

Remember, the kitchen is the first room a potential buyer sees and the last they forget!  So if you’re trying to sell your home and your kitchen is outdated, give us a call.

-Laura

Cabinetry Design Outside of the Kitchen

Since I started this blog, most of the topics about our projects and cabinetry have involved the kitchen and bathroom.  Sometimes customers are looking for other areas in their home for renovations.  We once had a client that needed some help with a design for a stand alone piece within her walls.  Originally, she had customized a fish tank to be built into the cabinets and after 10 years she was ready for something different. After all, the cabinetry that surrounded the fish tank was starting to show wear from the salt water.  She came by our showroom after receiving a promotional postcard in the mail and Ray worked with her to create this stand alone piece.  There were many measurements and calculations that were needed to make sure it would fit properly into the space and ensure the crown molding returned to the wall where needed.  After a month of going back and forth with different designs, she decided on a white finish. This finish would blend in with the trim of the house and the built-in entertainment center in the adjacent room.  The installer for the project was also able to customize a Brazilian Cherry countertop to accent the piece. 

-Laura

Ventetian Plaster for the Parade of Homes

Recently, CCW was part of the Parade of Homes and we were honored to win the Best Master Bathroom Award for Natalie’s House, The Elms.  Now this project was previously part of the Saratoga Showcase of Homes in September.  Natalie had originally envisioned the bathroom to have a detailed texture for the walls. Unfortunately, there was not enough time to complete specific details to the walls before the showcase began. When the showcase finished, it was decided that before the Parade of Homes began, Natalie’s vision should be realized…so a Venetian plaster was used as a decorative wall feature.  This modification adds an extra layer of beauty to the bathroom with the illusion of depth and texture.    

Check out Natalie’s updated master bathroom photos!

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

-Laura

Computers in the Kitchen? Yes!

As everyone knows, technology has come a long way in the kitchen.  People are always searching for the coolest and newest gadgets and tools that will make cooking easier.  But technology doesn’t stop there. We’ve added TVs, iPod docking stations and one growing trend seems to be the computer.  I believe that computers are great for the kitchen.  Now, computers are pricey, so you do have to be careful not to damage them.  No one wants to have cake batter slung onto the computer screen or boiled over liquids flow onto and in-between the keys.  It’s definitely best to have a work station, or keep the laptop tucked away until needed. 

One of our senior designers thought it best to have a small desk in her kitchen. She customized her Victorian home with a beautiful Wood-Mode kitchen.  Her desk is home to a weather station, desk calendar, an antique mail sorter and also a small laptop.  She keeps a laptop in the kitchen for convenience to read recipes online, check out ingredients and even create grocery lists.  Although, she admits she doesn’t use the laptop to surf the internet in that part of her home, she’s glad to have carved out a little space in her kitchen and uses it daily.

Having a work station in the kitchen is growing in popularity for its convenience to a computer.

My laptop is in the kitchen, as well.  I have a computer in my office, but I don’t use it because the kitchen is where I like to be.  It’s definitely been handy for recipes and also to keep the kids close by to help with homework.  Of course, when family and friends are visiting, it’s nice to have the computer around for those pesky questions you can’t think of the answer to – about TV shows or the name of a song or what actress was in that movie… I guess you can say Google and Ask.com have become welcomed guests in my kitchen.

-Laura

Best Master Bathroom at the Parade of Homes

CCW and everyone involved with The Elms project couldn’t be happier!  Last night was the award ceremony for the CRBRA’s Parade of Homes, and BCI Construction won every category.  We’re very thrilled that our master bathroom won for its cabinetry and design.  Thank you BCI Construction for extending us the opportunity to be a part of this amazing home project! 

For those who may not know, this project was also recently part of the Showcase of Homes a few weeks ago.  There were a few minor changes, but you can check out our past blog posting below to learn more about our involvement.

Showcase of Homes Post

Two of our designers, Justina and Amy, will be checking out the homes this weekend and we’ll have updated photos soon.  If you’re in Saratoga, you should purchase tickets to check out this award winning home!

Purchase Your Tickets for the Parade of Homes

-Laura

Couples and the Kitchen Dilemma

When it comes to couples who want to renovate their kitchen, one may think to a scene out of Defending the Caveman or a 1950’s sitcom.  But from my experience, actually men and women are pretty much the same when it comes to ideas about the kitchen.  First, many more couples both like to cook or at least share in the responsibility of preparing family meals. And believe it or not, women are not all about high-end appliances and men are not all about the latest gadget…well…sometimes! If the couple has children, usually both want to carve out a cheerful space for children to do homework and projects, close-by but not in the way of where dinner needs to be prepared.   

Modern Black and White

Now of course, our designers have witnessed certain details that are more popular with each gender.  Men typically enjoy the idea of having stainless steel appliances, while women would rather have panels to conceal the fact that the large cabinet in the corner is really the refrigerator. Women appreciate the idea of having more storage – I hear a lot about how they hate to go searching for that rarely used item in the basement or attic, and how it would be better to store it in the kitchen, even in hard to reach spaces.  Men often don’t mind storing the non-essentials in other rooms. I like to try to help one see the other’s view point without taking a side and keep the ideas and discussion flowing.

Hudson Valley

All in all, every kitchen is pretty unique to the couple’s (and an individual’s) wants and this seems true regardless of gender.

-Laura