Featured Archives - Page 26 of 30 - CENTURY 21 MarketLink Realty

Do This, Not That: Tips for Staging Your Home

May 25, 2014 By CENTURY 21

You never get a second chance at a first impression. It is important that potential buyers get a great first impression when they come to your home for an open house or see your listing online. Factors like cleanliness, brightness, and furniture placement all make a big impact on the home’s overall appearance. Making buyers feel comfortable in a new space is key to selling a home. We asked our Facebook friends for their best tips for staging a home to sell.

Here are five tips for staging your home:

“Make sure all furniture is about one and a half inches from the wall, this creates the illusion of more space. Clear all personal pictures. If the front door is worn, paint it an interesting color that is inviting and make sure the path to the home is welcoming.” – Michael L.

“You hope that you will have a lot of people in short period of time, freedom of movement is essential.” - CENTURY 21 Ilford

“Good photos get action. Make sure the lights are on and that you are using a good camera. Don’t use your cell phone!” – Kristy W.

“Everything off the counters! Toilet seats down. Blinds all the way up to show off recently cleaned windows.” – Wayne F.

“Stage with smaller furniture to make rooms bigger and go with light colored furnishings unless the area dictates darker classy designs.” – Peter C.

Find more great tips on our Facebook post, and visit CENTURY21.com for more home selling advice.

10 Incredible Home Organization Tips

May 21, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Organization may seem like a chore, but it doesn’t have to be! Our fun and efficient organization tips will keep your home looking tidy and spacious. Who doesn’t love a great, inexpensive, home hack?

1. Bathroom Towel Rack: Towel space is important in a bathroom. Use a coat rack as a towel rack.

2. Produce Baskets: Baskets are perfect for storing produce and supplies. They also look charming, if we do say so ourselves!

Martha Stewart

3. DIY Chalkboard Bins: Use chalkboard paint to label what is in each of your storage bins. You’ll know what you need – without having to take down the bin.

Here’s What’s Cooking

4. Mason Jar Organizers: Clear jars make it easy to spot what you’re looking for and you can save valuable real estate on your desk!

Shoppe

5. Letter Holder: Recycle an old shutter by using it as a letter holder!

Scraphacker

6. Magnetic Tool Holder It’s easy to lose your tools in a cluttered garage. Keep your nails and bolts neat, tidy, and visible by making a magnetic tool holder.

Listotic

7. Ladder Laundry Rack: Add extra space to your laundry room! Paint a small wooden ladder and hang it from the ceiling. Add hooks and start hanging your laundry to dry.

8. Wine Rack to Office Storage: Turn a regular wine rack into an office storage tool by putting in cups filled with pens, markers, or other office supplies.

Organize and Decorate Everything

9. Magnetic Spice Holders: Yikes! It can be so hard to find the right spice. Organize your spices by making magnetic spice holders that you can put on your fridge. Find the right thing, every time, and save space.

One Lucky Pickle

10. Jewelry Organizer: Turn a mirror frame and fabric into a DIY jewelry organizer. It saves space and it looks beautiful – fashion is art!

The Plunge Project

We’ll be back again soon with more organization tricks that will help your home feel clean and comfortable! In the meantime, you may like our series on styling different areas around your home!

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5 Simple Twitter Tips for Real Estate Agents

May 20, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Twitter is not just a tool for posting selfies and oversharing. It is a valuable tool for business owners. Twitter is a noteworthy resource for increasing brand awareness, sharing pertinent information, and generating business. Use Twitter to generate leads, to position yourself as a thought leader, and to ultimately close sales.

Helpful Terms:

-Profile: Your profile consists of your photo, bio, and location. A good bio explains what you do and what you are interested in – a challenging feat with only 140 characters!

-Handle: You handle is your Twitter username. Shorter handles are usually better due to Twitter’s 140 character limit.

-Timeline: Your timeline is a chronological list of all of the tweets written by the people and brands you follow.

-Mentions: If you write a tweet that contains someone’s handle, but you don’t start the tweet with that handle, then it is called a mention. A mention is visible to those who follow you.

Example: Did you read the lastest @Century21 blog post? It has lots of great tips for first time homebuyers! [link] #RealEstate #Advice

-Replies: If you start a tweet with someone’s handle, it is called a reply. The only people who will be able to see it in their timeline are people that follow you and the person or people that you are tweeting to. If someone clicks on your profile they will be able to see both your mentions and your replies.

Example: @Century21 I also recommend that homeowners light the fireplace or candles at open houses to make the home inviting. #RealEstate

-Retweets: Whenever you retweet someone else, their tweet will appear on your profile and will be visible to your followers.

-Favorites: A favorited tweet is the equivalent to a Facebook “Like.” Favorited tweets won’t appear on your timeline, but others can view what you favorite by clicking on the “Favorites” tab on your profile.

-Hashtags: Hashtags are keywords used written with the # symbol to track and find specific topics, phrases, events, and more. Click on them to see what other people are saying!

Here are five beginner tips to get you started!

1. Write a descriptive profile: What do you want your audience to know about you? Use this space to give a short yet clear description of who you are and what you do.

2. Use Twitter search for social listening: Use social listening as a focus group. Learn what other realtors and potential clients are talking about. This will also help you to determine what you want to discuss when you start Tweeting. You may want to search terms like: real estate, realtor, interior design, home, sell your home, moving, and homeowner.

3. Use relevant hashtags: Now that you’ve learned about what people are talking about, join the conversation! Write Tweets about new listings, blog posts you’ve written, articles you’ve enjoyed, and tips for other agents. You can use the same search terms as hashtags. For example: #realestate, #interiordesign, #home, #sellyourhome, #moving, and #homeowner. Search hashtags by clicking on them in someone’s tweet or entering the hashtag into search (#realestate).

4. Follow and engage with industry influencers: Twitter makes it easy for you to learn from others in your industry. You can find people to follow by using search or Twellow. Twellow is essentially a Yellow Pages for Twitter! Click categories and choose a category you are interested in.

Once you choose a category, you’ll be able to see a list of people that you might be interested in following. Read the person or brand’s bio, see their follower count, and look at their location. If you like what you see you can follow them directly from Twellow!

5. Share relevant content that is not your own: A good rule to follow is the 80/20 Rule. According to the 80/20 rule, 20% of what you share should be related to your brand and 80% should be engaging with other brands, influencers, and Twitter users or sharing content that is not your own. Share your listings, blog posts and resources on your site 20% of the time and focus the rest of your time on engagement and sharing other industry relevant news. This approach will not only help you learn more, but it will also help position yourself as a thought leader.

Now you are ready to set up an account! One added benefit is that this approach will help you to reach Millennials. Millennials use Twitter for news, tips, resources, and conversation. Millennials are also often first time homeowners and, if you market yourself on Twitter effectively, they are likely to turn to you when they are looking to buy a home.

Stay tuned for more social media tips and advice.

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Kitchen Design Inspiration from CENTURY® 21 Homes

May 8, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Your family spends a lot of time in the kitchen, so it’s important that the kitchen is comfortable and functional. We chose a few incredible CENTURY21^®kitchens to inspire your decorating decisions!

This kitchen’s monochromatic color scheme, light colored paint, lack of clutter, and extra lighting makes it seem larger. Build an island with storage and maximize cupboard space to create extra space for cutlery, pots and pans, and appliances. Can you spot the fridge? The clean, streamlined look is maximized because the fridge, dishwasher, and garbage cans are all concealed by matching paneling. The island doubles as a seating area so friends and family members can gather around.

We love a white kitchen! It may seem like white and light gray would feel dreary or sterile, but this kitchen feels bright and airy. The lit up cabinets, track lighting, and large hanging lights make the kitchen seem larger. If you have bay windows, take a cue from this kitchen and make a breakfast nook that your family will love.

This kitchen has an open floor plan, making the kitchen appear to be infinite. The cooking area seamlessly transitions into a larger dining space and seating area. Add a built-in desk so that you can finalize paperwork and projects while you are waiting for your perfect soufflé to be ready. We have a feeling that if you recreate this look, your family will spend most of their time together in the kitchen!

If you take these design suggestions you’ll never say, “There’s too many cooks in the kitchen!”

If you liked this article you may also like some of our other interior design inspiration articles:

-How to Style a Bookshelf

-How to Style a Centerpiece

-How to Style a Coffee Table

-How to Style a Nightstand

-Five Simple Chalkboard Paint Projects for the Home

-Storage Matters

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Let’s Get App-y: 3 Apps for Interior Design

May 6, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Interior design? There’s an app for that. We’ve rounded up five apps that will make your interior design projects easier. These apps seem like something straight from The Jetsons, but we can assure you that they are real and really helpful!

1. Benjamin Moore Color Capture® App (Android, iPhone, iPad): This app has multiple uses that are perfect for helping you choose colors for your home. If you’ve ever chosen paint colors before you know how hard it can be to choose between two colors that look so similar, yet so very different. Use this app to share your favorite colors on social media or by email, “favorite” colors, access the full color wheel (without having to carry it around), and write down notes. One standout feature of this app, is that you can take a picture of something that you love and the app will generate the corresponding Benjamin Moore paint colors! Paint different rooms with the colors of your favorite bouquet, sunset, flower, outfit, and whatever else inspires you!

2. Furnish (Android, iPhone, iPad): Wouldn’t it be great if you could see how your furniture would look in your home before you buy it? This app allows you to do just that! Use the app to browse furniture from their partners, Target, Ikea, Crate & Barrel, Pottery Barn, West Elm, Herman Miller, and Knoll, then upload a picture of the room where you want the furniture and see if you like how it looks!

3. Home 3D (iPhone, iPad): Use the architecture functionality to create your home’s floorplan and rearrange it so that it becomes your ideal layout. Use the interior design functionality to add and rearrange furniture, to paint or wallpaper different rooms and to test different looks. If that isn’t cool enough, you can also use the 3D dollhouse mode to virtually walk through your home!

4. iHandy Carpenter (Android, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch): iHandy Carpenter has a plumb bob, a surface level, a bubble level bar, a steel protractor, and a steel ruler all conveniently located on your phone! This is a great app for carpenters, handymen, and people who are decorating their home. No more tilting your head quizzically to see if the painting or picture you hung is straight!

5. Autodesk Homestyle (Android, iPhone, iPad): Use Homestyler to see how furniture, light fixtures, rugs, paintings, mirrors, and more look in your home! The app has 3D images which give you an accurate representation of what your home will look like. Use the app to browse and buy furniture from a long list of brands including Crate and Barrel, Ethan Allen, Jonathan Adler, and Pottery Barn. We all know that choosing paint is a huge commitment. You can try paint colors and wallpaper to see how it looks in your home! Browse the Design Stream for inspiration and ideas, share designs with friends and family, look through Portfolio Pages of professional designers, and ask the professionals for their advice.

Loving your living space is so important. Interior design can be stressful because you want everything to be perfect. These apps help you try before you buy and make sure everything is just right.

Happy decorating!

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Just DIY It: 5 Natural Cleaning Products

May 5, 2014 By CENTURY 21

You know the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make natural cleaning supplies?” Okay, we made that one up, but there are so many ways to make natural cleaning supplies using things that you may already have at home.

5 Natural Cleaning Products:

1. Toilet Bowl Cleaner (Yahoo Shine): You need a measuring cup, a toilet brush, half of a cup of baking soda, 10 drops of tea-tree essential oil, and half a cup of distilled white vinegar. Pour the baking soda into the toilet bowl, add the oil, then add the vinegar. Let the water sit for several minutes then scrub it with the toilet brush. Flush the toilet and voila you have a clean toilet!

2. Natural Air Freshener (How Does She): You need a spray bottle, eight ounces of water, and five to seven drops of essential oils. Simply pour the water in the spray bottle, then drop in the essential oils. Screw the top back on and spray away.

3. Natural Laundry Detergent (Wellness Mama): You can make natural laundry detergent using just three ingredients! You need Washing Soda, Borax, and a natural bar soap of your choice. Grate the bar of soap or mix it in the food processor until it is finely ground. Mix two parts washing soda, two parts Borax, and one part grated soap then store it in a closed container. Use between one eighth and one fourth of a cup per load of laundry.

4. Homemade Dishwasher Detergent (Happy Money Saver): You need one cup of Washing Soda, one cup of Baking Soda, three packages of unsweetened lemonade drink mix, one cup of Kosher Salt, and one cup of water. Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and start using your new dishwasher detergent. The lemonade makes it smell good and has antibacterial properties. We think that you could also try adding in a few drops of lemon juice.

5. Natural Multi-Purpose Citrus Cleaner (Lexie Naturals): You need a glass container, citrus fruit peels, one tablespoon of salt, vinegar, distilled water, and five to ten drops of essential oil. Cut the orange peels and put them in the glass container, add salt to the orange peels and let them sit for twenty to thirty minutes. Fill the containers with vinegar and water. You can do half vinegar and half water. Now put a lid on the jars and let it sit for two to three weeks. After you’ve waited two to three weeks, strain the solution and fill up a squirt bottle. If you want to add essential oils, you should add them now. Now you are ready to start cleaning!

These natural cleaning products will help you to save money and have a home that is both clean and green.

If you enjoyed this blog post you will also like our cleaning checklists:

-Spring Cleaning Checklist: Bathroom Bacteria Busters

-Spring Cleaning Checklist: Bedroom

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7 Reasons You’re Secretly Jealous of your Dollhouse Family

April 19, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Did you play with a dollhouse growing up? Were you just a tiny bit jealous of the tiny inhabitants of the teeny tiny houses? It’s okay if you were – no judgment.

Here are a 7 reasons to be jealous of your dollhouse family:

1. Someone bought their home for them and they didn’t pay a cent!

2. They don’t pay mortgages, rent, or bills.

3. Your dollhouse family can move easily without the stress of relocating and hefty moving bills.

4. Their clothes, furniture, and food are free. They don’t even have to use the Sims’ Rosebud !;!;!; cheat for more money.

5. They live forever and never look a day older. It’s like Benjamin Button, but better.

6. They have an interior designer, a maid, a chef, full-time security, and more! Daddy Warbucks would be impressed.

7. They don’t have to make difficult decisions or any decisions at all!

We hope you enjoyed this little walk down nostalgia lane!

For entertainment purposes only.

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Everything’s Coming Up Roses: 10 Popular Spring Flowers

April 15, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Spring has sprung! We can’t wait for picnics, baseball games, dining al fresco, and gardening! You know what they say, April showers bring May flowers. We’ve rounded up 10 popular spring flowers that are perfect for your garden, centerpieces, or bouquets.

1. Daffodils: Plant daffodil bulbs in the fall and they will bloom in the spring and summer. Daffodils are bright and cheery flowers! Learn more about caring for daffodils here. William Wordsworth was fond of daffodils. Read his beautiful poem, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.

2. Roses: Roses come in a wide variety of colors and forms. They look beautiful planted or climbing a wall or fence. Stop and smell the roses! Learn more about roses, and how to plant them from Lowes.

3. Lilacs: Lilacs come in red, pink, yellow, blue, purple, and white. Plant multiple colors to add a pop of color to your garden. Learn more from Almanac - then start planting!

4. Tulips: Tulips come in a wide variety of colors including beautiful multicolor flowers! Tulips are perennials so they will grow back year after year, saving you time and money. Marianne Williamson once wrote, “A tulip doesn’t strive to impress anyone. It doesn’t struggle to be different than a rose. It doesn’t have to. It is different. And there’s room in the garden for every flower.” Learn how to plant tulips here.

5. Hydrangeas: Hydrangeas come in red, pink, blue, purple, and white. Sometimes the different colors show up in one plant! Hydrangeas are a classic, preppy, flowers that are commonly seen in beach towns like The Hamptons and Nantucket. Learn how to plant and care for them here.

6. Camellias: Camellias are beautiful! It has been said that there are 3,000 different types ranging in size, color, and form. Camellias are the official flower for Alabama. They are beautiful in gardens and bouquets. Camellias were frequently mentioned in the classic book, To Kill a Mockingbird. Learn how to garden Camellias here.

7. Peonies: Peonies come in red, pink, yellow, and white. They are perennials and some have been known to live for 100 years! The famous writer, Henry Mitchell once wrote, “The fattest and most scrumptious of all flowers, a rare fusion of fluff and majesty, the peony is now coming into bloom.” The Almanac has great tips for planting these beautiful blooms.

8. Dahlias: Dahlias come in all different colors and varieties. The poet, Lord Holland once wrote, “The Dahlia you brought to our isle your praises forever shall speak ‘mid gardens as sweet as your smile and colour as bright as your cheek.” Learn how to plant them here!

9. Irises: In Greek mythology Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. Irises are perennials. They attract butterflies and hummingbirds and look beautiful in flower arrangements. Learn how to plant them here!

10. Azaleas: Did you know that Azaleas are called, “the royalty of the garden?” There are white, purple, red, orange, pink, and yellow azaleas. Bicolor azaleas have different patterns on the same plant! The Azalea Society of America has interesting facts and tips about azaleas.

Fill your home and your garden with fresh flowers this spring. Read our Recommended Reading to learn more ways to style your home with your favorite blooms!

How to Style a Bookshelf

April 13, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Marcus Tullius Cicero once said, “A room without books is like a body without a soul.” We agree! A bookshelf is a great place to store your books and, when styled correctly, it can be a great tool for decorating your space!

Here are four simple tips for styling your bookshelf:

1. Shh…don’t tell any librarians but we recommend skipping The Dewey Decimal System in favor of organizing books by color, height, category (i.e. fiction or non-fiction), or alphabetically by author or title. Extra Credit: Do all of the above!

2. Don’t limit your shelves to just books. Add other items like your favorite pictures, small framed art, topiaries, small statues, vases of fresh flowers, or jars of candy! No one likes it when books fall subject to the domino effect, incorporate bookends that are quirky and fun or sleek and sophisticated.

3. Use your favorite paint color or wallpaper to decorate the inside of your bookshelf and create an unexpected pop of color or pattern!

4. Now that you’ve styled your bookshelf beautifully shine a spotlight on your work by invest in bookshelf lighting.

We hope you enjoy our tips!

For More How-To’s:

Centerpiece

Coffee Table

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Game of Thrones Great Houses: CENTURY 21® Edition

April 6, 2014 By CENTURY 21

Game of Thrones is back! We couldn’t wait one more second so we found the CENTURY 21® homes that fit the mottos of The Houses of Westeros.

House Stark – Winter is Coming

Here

Protect your family by stocking your pantry with non-perishable food and buying salt and snow removal tools.

House Lannister - A Lannister Always Pays His Debts

Here

Use our Mortgage Calculator so that you can also pay off your loans.

House Tyrell – Growing Strong

Here

If you are lucky enough to have a yard full of old trees, don’t cut them down. They may be a source of protection.

House Greyjoy - We Do Not Sow

Here

Don’t sow. Build an outdoor porch.

House Tully - Family, Duty, Honor

Here

Spend time decorating a comfortable and classic family room that the entire family will enjoy from game nights to movie nights and everything in between!

Tune in tonight to watch the debauchery and deception continue.

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