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Sprucing Up Your Home

By Ramon Gomez, Jr.
Aug 12, 2020

This week we are looking at how to spruce up your bedrooms and living room for potential buyers. Even if you are not looking to sell at this moment, these tips can brighten and lighten your mood. Do you have an empty wall in need of some love, check out What’s New on Park City’s Gallery Scene with Park City Magazine. Park City’s art scene is gaining global momentum, especially with a few new galleries on the proverbial block. Before summer ends, take time out to stroll around and enjoy all this colorful town has to offer. The Park City Gallery Association continues to host the monthly stroll from 6-9 pm on the last Friday of each month—with social distancing protocols in place; currently, masks are required indoors in Summit County. Visit pop-up gallery, CREATE PC (825 Main St), rotating work from local artists and doubling as a cooperative artist studio and retail gallery.

Are the bedrooms in your home putting potential buyers to sleep—and not in a good way? Here are 4 Bedroom Mistakes to Avoid When Selling Your House, according to Wendy and the Team at Apartment Therapy. From nurseries to kids’ rooms, guest bedrooms and main suites, it’s important to showcase sleeping areas as relaxing refuges from everyday life. Here’s how to transform these spaces so buyers can picture themselves having sweet dreams in your house.

Your bedroom is the designated dumping ground - Put a hand up if your bedroom features things like: abandoned exercise equipment, a “home office” corner that’s really a folding table strewn with papers and an outdated desktop computer, piles of clean laundry you haven’t had time to fold, or tired bedding from when you first moved in. Ditch the clutter and attract buyers with a commanding focal point, like an awesome headboard or accent wall. Low-profile bed frames can help make a room feel bigger. You also shouldn’t shower or use the ensuite restroom within a few hours before an open house so they can be show-ready.

Your nursery doesn’t deliver - Just because a baby sleeps here doesn’t mean this bedroom should look cramped and boring. Stick to gender-neutral paint colors and steer clear of decals on the walls, which can feel cumbersome and permanent. Buyers who don’t have children might want an office or TV room instead of a nursery, so appeal to the space’s potential by tricking the eye into thinking it’s bigger.

Your kids’ bedrooms look like a kaleidoscope - If your child’s room contains several toppling towers of toys, buyers will assume your house doesn’t have adequate storage. That means stashing games, stuffed animals and toys in baskets that can be stacked in the closet. Limit furniture, and avoid bright colors like hot pink and lime green too.

Your guest room has no glam factor - It’s natural to want your in-laws to have plenty of space if they’re restless sleepers, but cramming in a bed that’s too large for the room is a big no-no. Less is more, so organize and purge any unnecessary household items, and use all-white bedding, which is easy to clean and looks inviting. In all bedrooms, avoid staging the bed against a window; have room to walk on either side.

Your bedrooms are not the only thing buyers are looking at, here Antonia DeBianchi shares 6 Tricks Home Stagers Use to Make Your Living Room Feel Way Bigger. If you love entertaining, a cramped living room can put a damper on your hosting plans.Even though it can feel impossible, there are ways to maximize space in a small living room. While you’re spending extra time at home these days, take a minute to employ these home stager-approved tricks to make your living room look bigger.

Spring for a large area rug - A small rug in the middle of the room makes a tight space feel smaller. Keep it with a five-inch border around the room and keep the pattern simple with a seagrass or stripe pattern. Anything too busy will cause mental clutter.

Trick your windows into looking taller - Curtains will heighten the room and make the whole room look bigger. Depending on ceiling height, always mount your curtains above the casing or molding—never on them. Take your window game one notch further by mounting a mirror across from it. Its reflection will open up the room as if there’s another window.

Ditch lighter paint swatches  - If you thought lighter colors made rooms look bigger, think again. Darker colors like navy blue add depth to a living room and make it come alive. Balance the dark walls with neutral-light upholstery. If you’re not ready to take the leap, experiment with an accent wall.

Think vertically with wall shelving - Using hanging wall shelves or bookshelves reduces floor clutter. But be wary of overcrowding. If you’re filling [the shelf] up with books, make sure you’re breaking it up and putting in some accessories and matching baskets can hide all your storage while still looking neat.

Reduce furniture—and buy proportional pieces - Minimizing furniture is key. Hiding an ottoman under a coffee table or bringing in chairs from your office when you need extra seating helps make way for necessary furniture. To make a less obstructive walkway try investing in coffee tables with softened curves. And as for patterns, the more simple the upholstery, the bigger the room will feel.

Invest in lots of lighting - Make sure that you have ambient lighting, put a lamp in the corner to compliment overhead lighting.

Stay well and have a great week.

Beautify Your Backyard

By Ramon Gomez, Jr.
May 22, 2019

Snow may have found its way to Park City over the weekend, but summer is around the corner. This week we have 8 Ways to Beautify Your Backyard, how to make a good impression with your home and visiting the dinosaurs of Utah.

Whether you're considering selling your house or you want to improve the appearance of your current property, there are many ways to beautify your backyard. A well-maintained backyard can make you enjoy coming home to relax and make you proud when you have friends and family over.

Here are nine tips to help you improve and beautify your backyard:

Add a Custom Shed - If you have random lawn equipment out on your yard, it can be unflattering. When you build a shed, you have a place to store your gardening and lawn equipment.

Create a Walkway - Most people put stone walkways in the front yard but neglect to add them to their backyard landscaping. Use stone or pavers to create a walkway that'll be inviting and give a clear path to your patio or pool. This will limit the amount of traffic going through your lawn, which could damage your grass. It will also make your yard more eye-appealing.

Pergolas, Decks and Patios - Creating a definitive entertainment location can be a beautiful addition to your backyard. By adding a pergola, deck, or patio, you're making a place that immediately attracts your guests. You can add flowers and potted plants. A grill and outdoor lighting around your pergola or patio will make for the perfect finishing touches.

Outdoor Kitchen - An outdoor kitchen is great for locations that don't get a lot of rain and for people who like to entertain often—include a built-in grill, mini fridge, sink, etc. Anything that you would need to access inside your house, include it in your outdoor kitchen. This will eliminate much of the foot traffic through your house and give you a beautiful backyard.

Paint Your Fence - If you have a fence in your yard that you don't necessarily like the looks of, you can paint it to make your backyard look better. Depending what look you want, you can either go with one standard color, or paint a mural on the fence to make it a talking point, rather than an eye sore.

Add Outdoor Seating - If you want your guests to feel comfortable and at home, add cozy outdoor seating to your backyard. Use wooden pallets, long benches and Adirondack chairs to give people an option of where they want to sit. Also, add a wrap around tree bench or a daybed and get creative with fabrics and color schemes.

Give the Kids a Place to Play - A tree house or playset can really add a cool note to your backyard. Get creative with walkways and ladders, add lighting and tree swings. The options are unlimited.

Add Eye-Popping Landscaping - Beautiful landscaping can be a wonderful addition to your backyard. Add hydrangeas, butterfly gardens and flower borders. You can change the entire look of your yard just by adding some pretty plants.

There are so many ways that you can beautify your backyard. With these tips you can have a stunning place for guests to visit and a relaxing spot to unwind at night.

Homes That Make a Good First Impression Have 5 Things in Common - My Domaine - It takes just 26 seconds for a guest to form an opinion of your home when they walk through the front door. What does your space say about you? While we try to resist the urge to judge, there's no doubt that first impressions count. Whether you're expecting guests or you're hoping to transform your spare room into a rental, experts agree there are five key areas that friends notice first about your house. Make these simple changes for a home that makes a lasting impression.

"A clean and welcoming entryway is crucial in leaving a good first impression—it's the first thing a guest sees!" says Cresswell. When transforming a home into a OneFineStay property, she says it's crucial that the entrance introduces a design theme. "A good first impression—that moment when a guest's breath is taken away—comes from stepping into a home with striking, deliberate design," she says. "Think bright, organized, and neutral. There's a place for the eclectic or quirky, but the entryway is not that place."

Instant fix: If you don't have time to restyle your entryway, Cresswell says updating wall décor is a simple way to unify the space. "Rather than cobbling a bunch of different frames or odds and ends together, choose a few specific things that pair perfectly. A precisely placed mirror can make a space look much bigger and brighter."

If you only pay attention to the look of your home, you're missing one of the most important factors that influence guests: fragrance. A Trulia study suggests it could also increase the value of your home; 30% of real estate agents said scent was the single most important sense during an open house and named vanilla and fresh scents as the most popular among house hunters.

Instant fix: Light a vanilla or citrus candle in the living room or near the entrance to infuse your home with an uplifting scent. If you're turning your home into a rental, be sure to use a tall lantern to shield the open flame. "Flowers always add an elegant but subtle fragrance, and baking cookies is another great way to get a welcoming air on arrival," says Cresswell.

It's time to address that discarded pile of magazines or strewn shoes—when it comes to first impressions, clutter counts. 73% of real estate agents said cleanliness is the most important sight-based feature during a viewing, possibly because unnecessary furniture and décor can make a space feel small.

"A foyer should have absolutely no clutter," says Cresswell. "Everything, from decorative knickknacks to practical things like shoes, should have a designated place. Keys should be hung neatly on a key rack, and shoes should have a rack or boot tray. As for cleanliness, dusting and vacuuming go a long way."

Instant fix: Use decorative baskets to mask mess. Position them by the doorway, under a coffee table, or beside a sofa to fake a cleaner-looking home without removing any items.

The color you choose to paint your home can have a big impact on its value. A report by Zillow Digs found that slate gray was among the most disliked colors among guests and cut the value of a home by over $1000. If you're painting a guest room, real estate agents told Trulia that white, ivory, and eggshell are the most appealing shades to create an inviting space.

Instant fix: If repainting your home isn't an option, pay attention to lighting. A carefully chosen floor lamp with the right colored bulb can subtly change the intensity of paint and is a perfect way to make a slate-gray room feel bright and fresh.

To turn a good first impression into a lasting one, Kaye says personal touches matter most. "A well-made bed is the most important thing you can offer your guests. It is the key to making your visitors feel completely comfortable, cozy, and relaxed!" When creating the brand's first-ever hotel, Kaye channeled five-star vibes with a few expert touches. "You should always provide at least two pillows of varying firmness per guest and dedicate a few sets of towels and sheets for guest use only. This will allow them to last longer than if you added them to your daily rotation of linens."

Instant fix: Caught off-guard by unexpected guests? Try this hotel-approved towel folding method for a thoughtful guestroom touch. "First, lay the towel flat on a surface, and smooth out any wrinkles. Then, starting with the long side of the towel, fold the length in thirds," says Kaye. "Grasp the short side, and fold the towel in half. Repeat this step," and you should be left with a neat square.

Looking for something to do this weekend, visit the Dinosaurs in Utah by Only in Your State - If you want to learn more about some of Utah’s first residents, there are several places to check out. There’s the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City, the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding and of course we have an entire Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal. There’s another dinosaur park in Utah that many people don’t even know about: the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden. Check it out!

Did dinosaurs live in Utah? They certainly did! Dinosaurs once roamed all over the Beehive State during the Mesozoic Era, 225 to 65 million years ago. Most of the dinosaur bones found it Utah are from dinosaurs who lived here during the Late Jurassic Era through the Late Cretaceous Era. Just imagine what it must have been like when these giant beasts walked around here.

Are there dinosaur fossils in Utah? Absolutely. Because of Utah’s dry climate and high altitude during the time of the dinosaurs, their bones were perfectly preserved. Utah is a world-renowned site for paleontologists who come here to study dinosaur fossils. Bones of many species have been found here, including Allosaurus, Seitaad, and several species of Sauropods, Ornithopods, and Ankylosaurs. Utah even has two dinosaurs named after it: the Utahceratops and the Utahraptor.

What museum has the best dinosaur exhibit in Utah? It’s hard to pick just one favorite dinosaur museum in Utah. Visit the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding, and the Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal.

What are the best dinosaur attractions in Utah? Dinosaur lovers living in Utah are lucky indeed, because we have tons of great dinosaur attractions here. In addition to the Eccles Dinosaur Park and the museums we’ve mentioned above, you’ll want to visit the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, the BYU Museum of Paleontology in Provo, the Utah Field House of Natural History in Vernal, the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry near Price, and the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site in St. George. You’ll also want to take a hike on the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail near Moab.

The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is open during the spring Monday – Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (the museum closes at 5:00 p.m.). During summer months, hours are extended until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for seniors and students; $5 for children ages 2-12; free for children under two years old.

Dinosaurs in Utah by Only in Your State - If you want to learn more about some of Utah’s first residents, there are several places to check out. There’s the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake City, the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding and of course we have an entire Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal. There’s another dinosaur park in Utah that many people don’t even know about: the George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park in Ogden. Check it out!

Did dinosaurs live in Utah? They certainly did! Dinosaurs once roamed all over the Beehive State during the Mesozoic Era, 225 to 65 million years ago. Most of the dinosaur bones found it Utah are from dinosaurs who lived here during the Late Jurassic Era through the Late Cretaceous Era. Just imagine what it must have been like when these giant beasts walked around here.

Are there dinosaur fossils in Utah? Absolutely. Because of Utah’s dry climate and high altitude during the time of the dinosaurs, their bones were perfectly preserved. Utah is a world-renowned site for paleontologists who come here to study dinosaur fossils. Bones of many species have been found here, including Allosaurus, Seitaad, and several species of Sauropods, Ornithopods, and Ankylosaurs. Utah even has two dinosaurs named after it: the Utahceratops and the Utahraptor.

What museum has the best dinosaur exhibit in Utah? It’s hard to pick just one favorite dinosaur museum in Utah. Visit the Museum of Ancient Life at Thanksgiving Point, the Dinosaur Museum in Blanding, and the Dinosaur Quarry Exhibit Hall at Dinosaur National Monument in Vernal.

What are the best dinosaur attractions in Utah? Dinosaur lovers living in Utah are lucky indeed, because we have tons of great dinosaur attractions here. In addition to the Eccles Dinosaur Park and the museums we’ve mentioned above, you’ll want to visit the Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City, the BYU Museum of Paleontology in Provo, the Utah Field House of Natural History in Vernal, the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry near Price, and the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site in St. George. You’ll also want to take a hike on the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail near Moab.

The George S. Eccles Dinosaur Park is open during the spring Monday – Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (the museum closes at 5:00 p.m.). During summer months, hours are extended until 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for seniors and students; $5 for children ages 2-12; free for children under two years old.

 
 
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