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All Posts By

Raeann Abbott

Mar 02
0

Get Your Garden Ready!

By | Uncategorized

SPRING FORWARD

By the time March gets here, most of us are sick of the snow and ready to start planning for the summer! Landscaping and gardening are such good ways to get out and enjoy the nice weather for the short amount of time that we have it. Get cozy while its cold, grab a notebook, and start planning out your spring landscaping! It’s something to look forward to while we push through the last little bit of Alberta winters.

Landscaping is a great way to make your house feel more like your home – whether it is brand new or just new to you. It adds value to your home while also being something that you can enjoy all summer long! It takes some effort, but early planning now will save you some time in the long run.

Draw out a general plan of what you want your yard to look like – it’s much easier this way to visualize things and make adjustments! Ask yourself questions that will help you decide where to put what – are you looking for a space to entertain or a space to get some solitude? Think about your style and color preferences and what you will be using your space for the most. Figuring out your needs and preferences first will help drive the design plan.

Choosing flowers can be overwhelming as there are so many different options. Many flowers only bloom during the spring, so do some research and pick a few of these to give your garden a spring boost of color.  Alternate with summer and fall blooms so that you will always have some color no matter the time of year!

If you didn’t clean up your garden last fall, now is the time to do it. Remove debris, dead annuals, and prune back your perennials to make room for this years new arrivals. It is also helpful to prepare the soil as soon as it is workable by removing old roots and adding a layer of compost.

Plants and flowers need a lot more than just sun and water. Fertilizer is often needed to help with growth; find out what your plants needs are and make a schedule for them! There are many resources online and nursery workers often have a ton of knowledge about these things. While you are there, also ask about pest control methods that will work for you.

When you are planning your landscape, also take note of the planting distance guidelines. Often times these are over looked and things become too crowded. Your garden may look sparse at first, but soon enough it will be full and lovely.

What are your plans for your garden? We would love to hear about them!

Feb 16
0

Townhome Vs. Single Family

By | Uncategorized

TOWNHOME VS SINGLE FAMILY

Buying a home can be an intimidating process – there are so many decisions you will have to make. Probably the most important one is which type of home to choose! Most people know which type they are looking for, but you might be unsure of which will suit your lifestyle the best. Read on if you need help deciding!

TOWNHOMES

Townhomes have become more popular in recent years for a number of reasons. First, affordability. This is a great option if you are just starting out and want to be conservative with the price of your home. It is a perfect starter home that you can grow with and move onto something bigger once you are ready. Townhomes are also an attractive option for downsizing later in life. When the kids move out, you don’t need so much space anymore! Our Cobalt Beach townhomes are great because there is a range of sizes available, depending on where you are at in your life. The use of space is also practical – there is nothing wasted!

A maintenance-free lifestyle is another factor that buyers consider. If you want more time to travel, get outdoors, or just don’t want the hassle of shoveling and mowing the lawn, this is how you achieve it! Life is so busy on its own and taking one or two things off of your to-do list can help relieve some stress. Plus, you still have a bit of outdoor space to enjoy a garden or a patio set! There is also a stronger sense of community since you will be seeing and interacting with your neighbors quite often. Block parties every weekend? Yes please!

Often times townhome complexes are close to a number of amenities. Take for example Cobalt Beach in Jensen Lakes, where you are a few minutes away from the movie theatre, brewhouse, and a number of shops and restaurants. Also – the beach is five minutes away! If you are looking for an urban, outdoor type of lifestyle, then these townhomes may be a perfect fit for you.

SINGLE FAMILY

Onto single family homes, which are also an affordable option. There are many pros to this as well but we will go through the basics. If you are someone who likes taking care of a yard, having a lot of space, and getting your privacy, than this may be the option for you. It may be a time in your life where your focus is your family and spending time at home. You want a place that can accommodate the lifestyle of a busy family! More square footage, a bigger yard, and maybe a bigger garage to store all of your toys.

Single family homes are great if you are still looking to grow your family. It will be a space for you to call home for years to come! There is usually a ton of space to entertain and to host family get-togethers. More space = more opportunity!

We have many great lot options to choose from, whether you are wanting something close to the lake or something backing onto green space. Any floor plan can be customized to suit your needs – we love getting creative!

Feb 16
0

Velvet Is Taking Over

By | Uncategorized

VELVET IS TAKING OVER!

Once somewhat of a luxury, velvet is now a popular, fairly affordable fabric that can be seen in all of the best design blogs. How did this happen?! We have no idea – but we’re not complaining, and to be honest we hope the trend never goes away. We are big fans of that classy, elegant-yet-boho look and if you looked up velvet in the dictionary, that’s probably the definition you would find. How do you incorporate this into your home without looking like the room got stuck in a time travel machine? We’re glad you asked, and we’ve rounded up some of the most stylish velvet pieces for you to take inspiration from.

The key here is to choose one statement piece – a couch, a chair, pillows. You can’t have everything velvet (even though we know you wish you could – just admit it) so choose wisely. Velvet couches are probably the most popular, but are also a large expense and a bit of a risk considering this is a trend after all. However, they are SO beautiful. You can almost put that in a room with nothing else and people will be amazed at your decorating skills. Really. Try it.

Pillows are probably the easiest way to show off your trendy decorating skills. You’re hip, you keep up with what’s in and what’s out. And the best part? You can replace pillows every week if you wanted to! It’s the easiest décor hack and it really can make a dramatic difference in your home.

Here are a few of our favorite velvet pieces – plus a couple that we have used in our show homes. What are your favorites? Share with us!

Feb 11
0

Open Shelving Six Ways

By | Home Staging & Interior Design, Lifestyle, Sarasota Homes

Open shelving has been one of those things lately that you see everywhere. We have used it quite often in our show homes, as well as in our custom built homes. It is becoming a popular request and we love doing it! It can be a little intimidating to have your kitchen ware or other household items on display, but don’t fret! We’ve got some tips to make decorating easy + effortless.

make life easier

MAKE LIFE EASIER

Open shelving in the kitchen is both beautiful and convenient! Choose the items that you use the most often while cooking, and display them in clear jars on your shelves. Throw in a couple cook books and you have a multi purpose station that makes cooking after a long day a little easier!

thoughtful storage

THOUGHTFUL STORAGE

This built in wine rack is brilliant! It frees up space along your walls or wherever you would normally have your wine rack. More space for more open shelving?! We think so!

consistent color palette

CONSISTENT COLOR PALETTE

Sticking with a consistent color palette makes things look even and uniform. Black, white, and grey are perfect neutrals that mix well with other colors. If you are wanting to add a bit more interest, pull colors from the furniture or rugs that you already have to help everything blend together.

 

create groupings

CREATE GROUPINGS

Choose a few different themes and group like objects together. Here we have a coffee bar that is again both useful and pretty! Stacks of bowls and plates peppered around the shelves are also an easy way to fill the space. Repeat groupings with slight differences across your shelves, playing around with different heights and shapes!

create variety

CREATE VARIETY

Try not to have all of the same type of objects on your shelves. Here there are a few different shapes and sizes to add visual interest to the kitchen! Open shelves also make for great whiskey bottle holders!

negative space

NEGATIVE SPACE

Be sure to keep some open space or choose quieter pieces as to not overwhelm the area. If you want to go the simpler route, choose a couple dishes that you use often and display only those! The rest of the shelves speak for themselves!

Jan 25
0

Staged To Sell

By | Uncategorized

At Sarasota, we offer free staging to all of our St. Albert listings. We think it makes a HUGE difference in how fast a house will sell! It helps that our staging team rocks and can make a bag of potatoes look like it’s worth a million bucks. Here are some examples of the amazing work our staging team does.

Why Should My Home Be Staged?

Your Home is Your Home

When someone buys a home, it is often based on the feeling they get while in the home, and you want to create an emotional appeal for the buyer. When someone walks into your home, they don’t feel the emotional attachment to all of your things like you do. That painting you got while on vacation, family photos, or the desk that a family member built. Of course these things are special to you and make you more inclined to want to be at home! But to a potential buyer, these things don’t mean anything. They don’t see the story behind that slightly awkward picture that your mother forced you to put up. The goal of staging is to make the focus on the house itself and show a buyer what they could do with it. It is to reach a variety of people rather than only yourself! You do want to sell, right?

An Eye For Detail

The Sarasota staging team has an incredible eye for detail. They can see when something needs to be adjusted just the slightest bit to make a huge difference. Some things become so normal to a home owner because they see it every day, like a small chip in paint or a tear on a carpet. These small things become big things when a buyer comes into your home-you want them to be focused on your amazing house, not distracted by things they would need to fix. That’s where we come in-we notice these things and fix them so you don’t have to! Also, the clutter that we all have in our homes can actually make it seem like you don’t have enough space, which isn’t appealing to a buyer. It may not bother you, but it puts that thought into a buyers head.

Vacant Homes

If your home is vacant, staging becomes even more important. Have you ever walked into a half finished house with no furniture and weren’t able to envision it once complete? Some people just don’t have the eye for visualizing these things. You want a potential buyer to come into your house and think “Wow-I can really see myself living here!” Staging a vacant house makes it feel more like a home and that’s what really catches people’s attention.

 

Check out some Testimonials from our sellers that thought it made a huge difference.

“

From start to finish Keir and the Sarasota team were well above the rest. Their staging team and trades people came in and made my home feel like a showhome. From the day I listed the home to the day it sold, I knew Sarasota Realty was the right decision.

Dan Braund
“

After working with Sarasota previously in 2011, choosing to work with them again when it came time to sell another house seemed like an obvious choice. With a busy household it was so helpful to have small touch-ups handled by their handyman service, and knowing that Kristin and her team would have our house staged and looking great gave us peace of mind.

The Lywood Family
“

Thank you so much for your dedication and expertise in selling my condo. I am truly in shock and amazed at how painless, quick and lucrative you made this process for me. You are truly a cut above the rest. After you staged my home I almost didn't want to sell, it looked so good. I had tried for 5 years to find the right arrangement for the furniture and did not come close to the configuration that you had in just a few minutes. You have a keen eye to the artistic talent required for home decor.

Mickey Turner
Dec 02
0

Professional Photography

By | For Homeowners, For Sellers

Sarasota has our very own professional photographer who takes photos of all of our homes- those that we build and also those that we list for sale. You might not think it makes a difference, but trust us- it does! Did we mention that we do this for free when you list with us?

It’s 2018 and almost everything can be done online. Why go to a store when you can see what they have on their website? You are looking for a dress but you don’t want to waste time going to a store before you know what they have. So you look online, the pictures aren’t great and the outfits look frumpy on the models. Would you still go to that store? Probably not! You come across another shop that has amazing photos and the clothes look like they would look good on anyone. Yes! That’s the one you’re going to!

See the difference? Your home needs to be presented the best it can be online because the majority of people looking to buy will check out the website before anything else. They do their homework, so that they have an idea of what they want to see once they contact our realtors. If the photos of your house are eye catching, bright, and beautiful then buyers are more likely to be intrigued to see it in person. Check out some of these professional photos and see for yourself! You want to go see these homes now, don’t you?

 

Photo
home photo
home photo
Jacobs Kitchen
Nov 17
0

Staged To Sell – Meet Our Team: Kristin

By | Uncategorized
Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Kristin Boser: Sarasota Realtor + Décor Fanatic

When she’s not staging homes to sell, you can find her writing up deals, closing realty sales, and showcasing her day to day life on Instagram: @itsaboserlife. She’s a dreamer and she makes her dreams come true – hand selecting staging items for “who would live in this home.” With Kristin on the job, your home will find itself catering to your potential buyers, who she may just bring through later in the week.

Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Staged To Sell

: Staging your St. Albert home to sell – for free. Our multi-talented team of home stagers are well versed in the art of creating spaces that appeal to the tastes and desires of BUYERS.

Learn More
Nov 10
0

Staged To Sell – Meet Our Team: Kristen

By | Home Staging & Interior Design
Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Talented Artist + Interior Decorator

Kristen’s eye for detail goes unmatched! It is no wonder she is our in house creative and perfectionist - meticulously tucking away cords and tags, ensuring each piece of furniture is perfectly fluffed and cleaned, and expertly hanging artwork. With Kristen on the job, you can be rest assured that your home will be staged with excellence as she knows just what to do to make your home shine! When she’s not staging homes to sell, you can find her making memories with her beautiful family and friends, or creating amazing works of art for Sarasota. Follow her on Instagram: @kguiltz

Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Staged To Sell

: Staging your St. Albert home to sell – for free. Our multi-talented team of home stagers are well versed in the art of creating spaces that appeal to the tastes and desires of BUYERS.

Learn More
Nov 03
0

Staged To Sell – Meet Our Team: Lisette

By | For Sellers, Home Staging & Interior Design, The Sarasota Team
Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Home Stylist + Interior Decor Professional

With her education in interior decor and over a decade of experience in visual displays and spatial planning, Lisette has an eye for creating beautiful spaces that appeal to the masses. Whether it’s incorporating the right accessories, accentuating spaces with color, or simply decluttering a space, with Lisette on the job she’s sure to make you and your potential buyer LOVE your LIST. When she’s not staging homes to sell, you can find her laughing the night away with her family, red wine in tow for sure. Follow her adventures in design and motherhood on Instagram: @sluser.

Staging by Sarasota Realty, St. Albert

Staged To Sell

: Staging your St. Albert home to sell – for free. Our multi-talented team of home stagers are well versed in the art of creating spaces that appeal to the tastes and desires of BUYERS.

Learn More

SARASOTA REALTY p. (780) 460 2222 f. (780) 458 4821 25 Carleton Drive St. Albert, Alberta T8N 7K9