Daniela Pluviati Home Staging

Happy Friday!

There are so many decor changes that you will want to make in a new build. Every change usually requires you to spend money, so we upgrade on fixed items that we do not want to change later.

With open floor plans where the kitchen is open to other spaces in the home I think It is a good idea to spend on upgrades on the kitchen. In our particular model The Alexander the three main rooms are open to one another. I am happy that eQ Homes deals with Deslaurier Kitchens. They have a nice selection and great products to choose from.

I definitely want a more contemporary style with this home. The trim and doors of a home can influence the interior style. Upgrading the trim and doors is a good choice to make. Changing the trim afterwards is a lot of work.

I love the look of wider planks for the floor, but I stuck with a standard oak floor but upgraded on the stain.
Although eQ Homes has popular Sherwin Williams colours to choose from I splurged on upgrading to Rhinestone from Sherwin Williams.

I enjoy choosing my own style of lighting. Having keyless light fixtures in the bathroom allows you to do that. EQ Homes does not charge for keyless light fixtures which is great.

Another item worth mentioning is the upgrade to high density underpad  for the carpet.

See you Monday!

The Alexander eq Homes

Happy Wednesday!

I have to admit we are a little picky when it comes to a new build. Okay maybe a lot picky. There are some things in a new build that excites Scott (okay that sounds strange) but it is true! Scott is an Aerospace engineer who just happens to be a qualified home inspector too! I guess the whole combination makes him just a little particular. Here are a few things he really likes in a new build.

• Flat ceilings make such a huge difference. eQ Homes now offers flat ceilings as a standard feature.
• Architectural Shingles are nicer that standard shingles and we are glad that they are standard for eQ Homes.
• Coloured window frames. Having window frames that compliment your brick or stone is nice to have and looks better than white.
• Large windows and lots of them. eQ Homes has great almost floor to ceiling windows in their Alexander model.

Some other features that Scott likes include the auto close mechanism that is built into the hinge of the garage door. The house is sheeted with OSB that has rigid foam insulation that adds extra R value to the walls, they cut control joints into the basement concrete slab, and install oversized egress windows.

Here is a look at the Alexander from eQ Homes. Design team Marc Lalonde, Carol Anne Tippins, Stephane Dazé.

 

Happy Monday!

Not all builders in Ottawa are equal. We all know the big track builders in Ottawa, Minto, Cardel, Tartan, Mattamy etc. What sets them apart from…….let’s say Uniform or Talos Homes. Price point and location are generally the two most common factors. You obviously pay more for a custom home. What sets them apart as well is the workmanship. With all  big builders in Ottawa workmanship varies.

In the past Scott and I have found garbage left in the attic of a new build. As well as razor blades and cigarette butts underneath the carpet. We have also had to deal with crooked walls and generally overall mediocre workmanship in a new build. All builders contract out the services they need and sometimes contractors contract out again! (If that makes any sense). It is however the builders obligation and responsibility to make sure that their tradespeople are appreciated and well paid. This in turn will reflect on the workmanship of your home. Scott and I are firm believers in this. Tradespeople make the builder! This I think is truly what sets home builders here in Ottawa apart.

There are standard items that make a difference in a home like flat ceilings, energy neutral homes etc but the quality of materials and construction is extremely important. Check out your builder before you buy.

Check Out Your Builder

Visit their model home. Look at the workmanship.

Visit Tarion.com for information.

Word of mouth and social media. Talk to people you know and listen to what they have to say.

See you Wednesday!

Happy Friday!

I love staging kids rooms. I know from personal experience how much clutter a child can accumulate. Potential buyers want to see rooms that look……well roomy! Too many toys can make a bedroom look cramped. Decluttering a kids room can be a daunting task, but worth the effort.

Often times closets can act as a catch all for clothes and toys but less is always more when preparing a home for sale. Removing toys from closet floors, storing most away and  leaving some toys in a bin or basket works best. Organizing and putting away extra things on closet shelves makes for an overall neater appearance. Colour coordinating clothes makes a closet space look more unified as well and removing clothes helps a small closet look more spacious.

Themed rooms do not appeal to all buyers as well. Sometimes homeowners simply do not want to paint, but decluttering and removing heavily themed linens or pictures can help. Painting a kids room a more neutral colour works best. A neutral pink for example can work well for a craft room or study making the room move in ready for potential clients.

Sometimes agents will want you to work with the existing wall colours and making the right choices with decor and encouraging clients to declutter is all part of the job.

Take a look at some colourful kids rooms just below!

Daniela Pluviati Home Staging – Before

Daniela Pluviati Home Staging – After

Daniela Pluviati Home Staging – After

Daniela Pluviati Home Staging – After

Artistic Designs for Living, Tineke Triggs

Clean Design

Happy Wednesday!

EQ Homes allows home buyers to choose one paint colour from Sherwin Williams paint collection.

I love blue so deciding on a paint colour with blue undertones from Sherwin Williams was were I was heading. Our home will be south facing, so we will get plenty of light. I still prefer lighter walls so I finally decided on Rhinestone from Sherwin Williams. With fantastic large sized windows I think Rhinestone is the perfect backdrop for a slightly west coast feel.

I also chose a standard oak floor and we paid extra for the stain that we wanted. I wanted wider planks but it was too expensive. Our floors will provide some warmth since there is an abundance of white cabinetry and light walls.

The one negative is the hardwood manufacture that eQ Homes deals with does not provide flush vents. Well, they do but they are not manufactured finished flush vents. The cost of a vent was pretty much astronomical for them to finish and install. I think the quote was around $160.00 per vent. So, this means that Scott will be buying the vents, staining them and installing them. There is always work even if you buy a new build!

Take a look at the photo featuring Rhinestone from Sherwin Williams right below!

Blue Tangerine Art

Sherwin-Williams – Rhinestone SW 7656