Karen Brewer

Home Staging for Sellers….If You Do One Thing….

When you live in a home, it is obvious when you need a new roof or the furnace is on the fritz.But when it comes to selling your home, we all have a blind eye about certain things. I don’t have my house on the market right now but I did have an  personal home staging epiphany.

One of my daughters thought it was time to remove some dated wallpaper from her room and she was correct.We did that and  then painted.No biggie right? Right. After we finshed, I realized that her bed looked well, kind of yucky. I launder and (when the stars are aligned) have even been known to iron sheets each week. But after a while old bedding becomes well -old.Nothing is crisp or ever quite,white .With this in mind,I went to Home Goods, the Darien version TJ Max -but for housewares.

For $100 bucks I found new sheets and a comforter set that looks like it came out of a swish New York hotel.I cant believe the difference in the room!

Now armed and dangerous with another couple of bucks in my pocket,I replaced the sheets, etc. in my other kids rooms’. VOILA. Crisp, clean,like Id redecorated. For $20 each I also got some new pillows,a welcome change from those flattened,polyester things  that have been around for too many years.

Ive watched countless HGTV shows that espouse painting and changing linens.Duh basic…..but I never realized how true it was!

If you are thinking of selling your Darien home take a cold, hard look at the bedrooms.In terms of staging it will make all the difference in the world.

Property of the Week…Shhhh its a secret,Darien Homes

From time to time I like to give hints about homes that I know are coming on the market or that I will be listing,particularly if its going to be a “goodie”.One such home will be listed (by me) in the next few weeks. Its a four bedroom colonial on a much sought after cul-de-sac close to town,shopping and schools.

The house was built in the 70′s has a new kitchen and updated baths and a full finished basement.Thats all I can tell you for now but I can tell you more and even show you the house before anyone else sees it,if you give me a call. at 203-554-0951. The price  is under $1.5million.Now thats inside information!!!!

Thinking of Moving to Darien CT? Bring your Mittens.

Check out this cool time lapse video of the blizzard that “ate” Darien this past weekend. It’s extremely cool. Whats this got to do with Darien homes and real estate? Well ,nothing really, but if you’re coming here from warmer climes you should know that this sort of thing is happening more and more often. (but so far only in the winter.)

 

[December 2010 Blizzard Timelapse from Michael Black on Vimeo.

Property of the Week….Great Beginnings….Darien Homes.

Back in the “salad days” when a great home came on the market, potential buyers often had to decide  “on the spot” whether or not to purchase it. Since Darien is such a great community and with mortgage money flowing freely, there was A frenzy among potential homeowners.Now, even as an agent, I can’t get used to it when a great house is listed and then doesn’t sell quickly.

One such house is 9 Raymond Heights in Darien. The house has only been listed for a couple of  months and its a real gem. This is a  farmhouse on a darling street of similar homes.It’s a neighborhood in the truest sense of the word.Homes are close together but Raymond Heights is full of young families and some long time residents as well.

 9 Raymond Heights is a first time homeowners’ dream.A white picket fence leads you  to the front door and an adorable furnished,front porch.The house is deceptively large and has been completely renovated and decorated.One buyer even offered to buy the house, furnishings and all.There is a brand new mudroom,courtesy of the present owners and,an over sized kitchen with granite countertops and full eating area. The basement has been finished and is perfect for football games or a kids playroom.And there’s an attic that has the potential to be expanded for extra space.                                                                                                                                      

There are three bedrooms upstairs,including a master bedroom with a balcony and a great, over sized bath. The bathroom has a soaking tub and is and has been totally redone and is very much in keeping with the style of the house. Outside is a stone patio and yard great for kids and a pooch.

This is the qunitessential starter house for a young couple with a growing family. At one time, it was owned by a bachelor who kept it all for himself so that could work too.

At $735K, it’s a house that won’t last through the spring market. Showings have been plentiful  and it’s my DARIEN ,CT PROPERTY OF THE WEEK.

TAKE THE TOUR;.http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?SK=13&T=2313191

FOR A SHOWING CONTACT ME AT KBREWER@wpsir.com or 203-554-0951.(but don’t wait too long.There were multiple showings this past weekend alone.)

More Evidence Of Darien, Ct Housing Recovery

Building permits are published locally in a number of newspapers as such is the law.I was perusing the Fairfield County Business Journal the other night and casually remarked to my husband that it appeared that  the number of building permits were rising.For a while there ,particularly in 2008 you could drive around town and never see a new construction project or evidence that a homeowner was renovating. Read the rest of this entry »

Darien Real Estate,2010 Year End Market Report

I’ve published a snapshot report of how the real estate market in Darien fared over this past year. In spite of gloomy reports from other markets around the county, Darien is bouncing back from a poor 2009. All the numbers are headed in the right direction for recovery,owing largely to the recuperation on Wall Street. For those of you who don’t know,Darien, Ct is to Wall Street what Silicon Valley is to Northern California.It’s the engine that drives this market. As  Wall Street bonuses and income go-so does Darien real estate.

As you can see, volume has picked up over the past year.There were 436 homes sold in 2010 versus 426 the prior year which is not huge but compared to other local markets, is terrific.Additionally, average price is up indicating that homes on the higher end of our market are also being sold.In fact in 2009, only 5 homes in the $3million plus range were sold compared to 13 in 2010 including several in the $6million plus category. The entry level of $600k-$1.5million accounts for the lions’ share of the market, which is not unusual. The” days on market” or average time it takes a home to sell has not decreased much and I attribute that to lingering, unrealistic expectations on the part of many sellers.

If we have learned anything in 2010, it is that if you price your home correctly, a buyer will turn up quickly.Most sellers,however, afraid of leaving “money on the table” prefer to start their pricing high and take their medicine in small,protracted doses.

Darien condos remain a soft spot int his market.Few were marketed and sold and I don’t have a good explanation for that.In 2010 only three condos here in town were sold compared with 13 in the prior year.

Basically,if you’re looking for a rebounding market with good value,great schools,waterfront and  a terrific commute to New York City,Darien and environs is the place.This market,combines with historically low interest rates provides the long anticipated “bottom” for Darien,CT homes and condominiums.

New Darien Town Video

 

This is a brand new town video produced by my office at William Pitt Sothebys International Realty in Darien.I helped with the production and personally I think it turned out well. It gives a good feeling of what Darien, Ct is all about . Im even in the video a couple of times.See if you can spot me.

Looking to Build in Darien CT?

I have a client/builder in town who is looking for anyone interested in building a home here in Darien Ct. The lot he would build on is on a premier street a full 1/2 acre in Darien that has not been fully developed nor built on, in the last 15 years or so. It is walk to town,train and Royle school . This home could be between 2000-3000 sq ft, full finished basement,two car garage and custom designed for a family or downsizing couple. If you or anyone you know might be interested,contact me at 203-554-0951.

Christmas in Darien CT

Come Christmas time in Darien, there is nothing ho ho hum.Streets are lined with lights,the Darien Sport Shop lights its 30 ft tree and entire parking lot and best of all residents spruce up their homes from understated New England elegance to over the top merry! Guess which one this is!

                                                                                                                                                                                                            photo by Kara Glover Billhardt

Darien Real Estate and Sotheby’s International Realty, A Growing Partnership

This comes under the heading of unabashed promotion but if you are a seller and want to know what Sotheby’s International Realty can bring to the sale of your  Darien home that the local firms cannot, simply read on. I leave this article behind on all my listing appointments. Very few of the other local Darien Realtors are in this league and in a market such as ours, sellers need all the help they can muster. RIS media has written a great article for buyers and sellers alike.