Got A House? Things You Need To Know

Remnant Pieces
Remnants are small pieces leftover from jobs, not big enough to use for a large area, but big enough to hold on to. This week we have a lot of small topics to cover. Hope you enjoy these remnants!
  
It's Crazy Out There

The real estate market is hot right now. Here is some current information from some of our favorite realtors:
  
"This is the lowest inventory of homes on the market I have ever seen! If you are considering selling, there has not been a better time in recent history... It is an overwhelmingly strong market, but the house must be ready to go. Mediocre homes are not selling quickly. Houses that are presented well are flying off the shelves."
--Mona ElGomayel, Keller Williams https://monasellsrealestate.com/
  
"2020 has proven to be an unusual year and the Atlanta real estate market is no exception. With the pandemic gaining strength early this year, the usually strong spring market was delayed. Still decent, but the big sales months came in June and July this year (instead of the traditional big bump in April and May). 2020 continues to be a sellers market, with more buyer demand than houses available for sale. The current historically low mortgage interest rate is almost certainly fueling this high demand. A buyer with good credit can lock in a 30-year fixed mortgage for less than 3%. That's good news for buyers and sellers!"
--Kim Kell Stinson, Berkshire Hathaway Georgia Properties Here's the link: https://kimstinson.bhhsgeorgia.com/
  

"Despite the recent impacts to small businesses, home values in Georgia have increased tremendously and are on pace to rise even more so in the next year. Interest rates are low and so is the supply of homes. This creates an uptick in prices and competitive bidding wars. It's a great time to sell and take advantage of the market, but also a great time to buy and take advantage of the great interest rates.  If homes are priced correctly, they are flying "as is". If the house needs significant updating, the price simply needs to match to reflect the current state of the home. It's important to look at some of these details when pulling comps to price the home: age of the home, roof,  HVAC; the floor plan; is the kitchen and master bath updated or not.  All play a role in the price, much like the square footage and school system."
--Arthur Valdez, www.AgentDawg.com
 
"There has never been a better time to buy or sell! Buyers are taking advantage of record low interest rates from 2.5%, and sellers are excited about low turnaround time because of the lack of inventory, especially in the $200,000 - $400,000 range. The market has certainly not followed the traditional trend of dropping off once school started. This year has proven to be unique in every way!"
--Gina Ann Riggs, www.AnsleyAtlanta.com/agents/gina-ann-riggs 
  

"We are definitely in a sellers market. Interest rates remain at an all-time low and housing inventory is low as well, often resulting in bidding wars. Homes that are priced correctly are selling within days. However, unless it's an investor, most people want move-in ready or only minor repairs."
--Laura Presley, Virtual Properties Realty  
https://virtualpropertiesrealty.com/?aios_agent=laura-presley-2
  
"Under $300K is moving quicker than ever. $500K+ is also selling well, but is a little slower and there aren't many multiple offer situations. Homes under 200K are selling like crazy regardless of condition."
--Dale Carnegie, Trend Atlanta Realty
 https://www.trendatlanta.com/1/Trend-Agents
 
Come in today and meet with an Enhance Design Consultant and get started on what you need to do to get your house ready to put on the market.  We can help you make smart choices with a big pay off.
 
White Oak vs Red Oak

When choosing between red oak and white oak flooring, there are some key features and factors to keep in mind:
 
~~Color Difference: To some, the color difference is hard to discern, to others it is really noticeable.  Here's how you can visually tell red oak and white oak flooring apart.  Red oak has a subtle pink undertone, white oak has a browner and often green/yellow tint. And when you stain each, the shades can be very different depending on the stain color selected. The darker the stain, the less you can see the pink or yellow undertones -- but with lighter stains, you can still see a red oak's pinkish hue. 
 
PRO TIP: If you already have oak hardwood floors in your home and need to extend it into an adjacent room, you need to match the existing white or red oak for color and stain consistency.
 

~~Graining: If you appreciate a strong wood grain pattern, you're going to love red oak flooring. Red oak has much stronger graining than white oak, which appears smoother. Overall, the strong graining of red oak also helps hide scratches and dents that may occur, which is perfect for busy households and homes with kids and pets. There are two more noticeable differences in red oak vs. white oak graining. Red oak displays many more rays (groupings of cells in a row), whereas white oak tends to have more mineral streaks that give the floor more character.
 
~~Hardness Level: White oak flooring is slightly harder than red oak. The Janka hardness scale lists white oak at 1360 and red oak at 1290. While it may seem like an easy decision to choose the harder density of white oak, the difference is slight, so there's no need to make your decision based on hardness.  
  

It's Fall Y'all!
It's time to change out your pastel rugs, pillows, and throws for richer deeper colors.  Gold, burgundy, and eggplant are all colors that are evocative of the coming season.  Black and white plaid is very on trend this fall.
 
Need a new rug for a quick update?  We have some beautiful rugs in stock and ready for you to take home. Or are you having a hard time finding the right rug? Come see our brand new custom rug line from Nourison Industries - beautiful wool and wool blend carpets that are gorgeous!
 

Fun Fact
Forsyth County (Cumming) ranks as the top "Work from Home" county in the United States, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®,  measuring several factors of increasing relevance amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The NAR looked at factors including the current share of workers already working from home, internet connectivity, the percentage of workers in office-related jobs, home affordability, urbanization, and a county's population growth.
 

Want A Roomba
Don't buy one, win one! How? It's easy: all you need to do is write a review of your shopping and installation experience with Enhance Floors on Google, Yelp, BBB, or Facebook. Send us a quick email (enhancefloors@cs.com) to make sure we know you wrote it, and you will be entered in our next drawing. Not only are you helping others know about your experience, you could also win a Roomba!
 
Pad's No Fad

There are four main types of carpet pad: rebond foam, urethane (frothed or densified), rubber cushion, and fiber pad. The type of pad recommended will vary for different situations. 
 Think of the pad as the shock absorber of your carpet. The better the pad, the longer before the carpet begins to show wear.  You don't have to replace your pad when you are getting new carpet, but your product warranty is usually made void. People also replace their pad for hygiene reasons.  Our standard (included in our installed price) pad is a 7/16" 8 lb. rebond pad. Pad upgrades are also available. Be sure to ask your Design Consultant to show you samples of a variety of pads so that you are making an informed decision.

Chicken or Egg?

Almost every client asks if they should paint first or install their new floor. For hard surface flooring, you can certainly do your floors first. A reputable painter will not have any problems protecting and not damaging your brand-new floors. By doing the painting last, you don't have to worry about touch-up painting, painting your primed shoemold, etc.  However, if you are installing new carpet, most people paint first. Do be aware that no matter how careful we are, there will be some touch-up painting required after installation.
 
PRO TIP: Don't paint and then try to find the perfect floor color.  There are thousands and thousands of paint color choices, but nowhere near that many flooring color choices.  Make both decisions at the same time so you do not give yourself a much harder task when choosing your new floor.
 
Tired of Your Kitchen

But don't want to do a full gut and reno? Replace your countertops!
In one afternoon, you can have brand new quartz or stone (granite, marble) countertops installed in your kitchen.  Expect to spend a minimum of $4000 for a medium sized kitchen, including installation of one slab, a new sink and the necessary plumbing.  Our best-selling countertops are all lighter colors.  And if you want Carrara marble (super popular!) definitely consider quartz - stain resistant, never needs sealing, and most people can't tell the difference between quartz and the real thing. Yes, the visuals are that good!

What To Look For This Fall

It's been a really strange year, hasn't it? Everything keeps changing. Take out or dine in? School or no school? Get a test or self-quarantine? The only constants are the four basic rules:

--wash your hands, a lot

--social distance 6 feet

--wear a mask

--if you're sick, stay home

Another constant is the changing of the seasons. Fall is fast approaching. Fall is all about outdoor activities like family time around the firepit, hiking, picking apples, picnics - so many fun and safe things you can do outside.

As the days get shorter and the weather cools, we will also be spending even more time inside our homes. We have already been cooped up inside a lot, and most of us are tired of what we're seeing.

  

We recently did a quick unscientific poll, with very interesting results. Here's the survey question:

If you were given $10,000 that you had to spend on one category only for the interior of your home, would you spend it on:

Furniture
Painting
Flooring
Countertops
Electronics
Bedding, Mattresses
Bathroom Redo
Appliances

Kitchen Reno
Windows, Window Treatments 

Here are the results: Bathroom redo was tops with 78 votes. Flooring was next with 60. These two categories won by a landslide. Then painting with 24, kitchen reno with 19, and furniture with 18. There were also votes for countertops and appliances, which are part of a kitchen redo. (NOTE: Keeping a full kitchen and/or bathroom gut and renovation to $10K is probably not possible in anything other than the smallest of kitchens and baths.)

  

This quick survey tells us that we are (hopefully) going to be pretty busy this fall. Floors are on many To Do lists. But it's not going to be as easy as in years past. We are getting price increase notices from our vendors, for a variety of reasons: tariffs on Chinese imports, high demand leading to low supply, manufacturers facing higher raw material, labor, and freight costs. We are also encountering numerous back orders. Imported products have been delayed and many shipping departments are short staffed, so it is taking longer to get product out for delivery. Most manufacturing plants are not working at full capacity. Sadly, you do need to be aware, and understanding, that some things may be extremely hard to get right now and may delay the start of your project or the completion.

 

Everyone is working really hard and doing the best they can in this "new normal." We appreciate your patience and understanding. We are all in this together!

  

Not Exactly Free Money, But

You may still be thinking about our survey question and wonder how you could get that $10K to spend on your home. We can't hook you up with that deal, but we do have a great financing offer available until September 15. 18-month interest free financing is available on installed purchases of Mohawk products - carpet, hardwoods, laminate, and LVP. Only a $2,500 minimum purchase is required. Long term no interest financing is a great way to get your new floor today and get extended time to pay. You can get prequalified now on our website: Convenient Financing Options

  

How Much Does It Cost?

This client took advantage of the 18-month financing offer and had a great looking Mohawk laminate installed in their living room, dining room, kitchen, hall, and powder room. 560 square feet, fully installed for $4700. Their monthly payment is only $262. That's in the budget, right?  If so,give us a call and get your project started.  The financing offer ends September 15.

  

Design Tip

Got a blank wall that you need to cover? Try something different from the usual prints and paintings. Look for a handmade piece of textile art to hang as the focal point. Macramé is big right now, as well as decorative fabric wall hangings. For a really original result, you could also get a statement rug with a bold graphic pattern, not to be used on floor but to be placed on the wall.

  

Take A Look

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Instead of us telling you how great our installations look, why not check them out for yourself? We post pictures almost every day of our installations on Facebook , Instagram , and Pinterest. Follow us and get inspiration for how gorgeous your home can look with beautiful new floors!