A new Real Estate agent "gets it" regarding design early in career....

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma 253 353 2662.

I was reading blogs written by fellow realtors this evening and came across this post by a relatively new realtor writing about improvements made to her very first listing. 

Below is the link, it is a before and after of just the front, but it makes a good point, good for her for "getting it" early on in her career.  Pretty sells, correct price sells, and of course location sells. 
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1862118/before-after

Skyline Loft-Finished product

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty 'Tacoma, 253 353 2662

Well, the Skyline Loft is finished, and wow.  I have to say I am impressed and I am not easily impressed, it turned out even nicer than I thought it would and I expected some wow.  It has the look and feel of a much higher priced property, but it is in the lower price point where properties are still selling.



Kitchen Before.....

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Kitchen after....

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The kitchen was not the only thing greatly improved.....

Main bathroom......Before-

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Main bath after......

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Masterbath, before ( next 3 pics)

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Masterbath after.....Ta Da!

Will post more soon, the whole place turned out beautifully and actually the pics do not do it justice....want to see it in person?  For as long as it is on the market, you can call to see the inside- Anna Matsunaga, 253-353-2662

Want to schedule a time for your very own design workshop?  Call Connie Kay @ 253 691 0709 to schedule your own design consult.  Connie Kay does consults for residential and commercial spaces......

Skyline Loft....the artistic process

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 353 2662


Here is some of the progress that had been made in the kitchen the next time I came to see the project.  I love the red in the cabinets and extra foot in height already was making a huge difference....

This space will sport a microwave unti with vent directly over the stove.

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The kitchen before, notice the same space to the left

Notice also already the difference in focal point, instead of the floor and the side of the fridge and then the micowave being the focal point like they are in the before picture, we will be able to focus on the lighting, cabinets and art work once it is finished.

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Master bath before, wood paneling which is clashing with the door, which is clashing with the floor, which is clashing with the cabinets....and it's all dated, plus poor lighting and a mirror that totally disorients you in every way.  Take a good look @ the cabinets, because Connie Kay is going to save them ( they were high quality and in very well cared for condition)....the next few pics will show you how.

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Here we see  the master bath in progress, notice counter top removed, paneling removed, mirror removed, cupboards just beginning to be sanded a little....

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This pic is in the main bath, but shows the treatment for the cabinets further along, after sanding and painting and sanding more they have a whole new look that will match the personality of the Loft as well as being completely contemporary.  The same treatment was later done to cabinets that had been removed from the kitchen and then they were added to the laundry room above the washer and drier and also in a great pantry area for additional storage.

Any designer can simply yank out the old and replace it with new, but there is really a talent to knowing what can be salvaged and renewed AND what should really go.

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Hope you are enjoying a peek at the inside of a redesign.  Keep in mind this is not a high end property.  It has a spectacular view and is in a great neighborhood, but it is in a range that likely 85% of home owners in the nearby area could afford it.  While more designers work on the high end price point homes, the more reasonably priced homes are where the most money to be made is right now for those who are fixing and flipping.  A spectaular finish can still get you a fast sale as well as a price at the higher end of current comps even in the current market.  To find out more about design for resale and the adventures of doing so follow our blog.  

Want to see Connie's work in person?  If you are in the Greater Tacoma WA area contact Anna Matsunaga 253 353 ANNA, or Connie Kay 253 691 0709 to find out when Connie's next design debut' event, or design workshop will be.

Skyline Loft the beginning of the creative process and the beginning of the work

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Real Estate, Keller Williams Tacoma 253 353 2662

If you have already read some of our blog so far you have seen before pictures of Skyline Loft and likely have a good idea why it was a wise decision to redo it.

So I am now going to share some of the process and pictures of it with you.....

These are some of the choices Connie was considering for the place, color pallets, cabinetry as well as carpet and granite....there was much to consider with these, the exact same color looked completely different on each wall of the place based on the light coming in from so many angles, as well as the greenery outside and the wood on the ceiling and the wall all morphed the color, in the end she chose the basic idea for the colors most of the walls would be ( there actually are several colors now in the unit, but you likely will only notice 2 wall colors..)  In the end Connie custom mixed to get the color that worked best for the space....

Here are some of the colors she was playing with when I checked on the work the first week, notice the stove, an older model that we felt should be replaced, we were happy when the owner agreed and decided to purchase a new one for the unit. Also note, the brick against the wood looked a bit dated and certainly not worthy of being the main focal point in the living room.

More experimenting with custom mixed color

One of the biggest downsides to the kitchen prior to the beginning of the redesign was the fact it felt a bit cramped and the overall effect of the way it was done just did not feel quite "right" one of the main factors was the fact that like many of the residences in Sunset Plaza, the home had a low area from which the cabinets sat with an open area above and a beam that simply came across the kitchen between the kitchen and dining room area.  It was just there, and yes for a good reason, it was supporting the wall on the other side....so Connie wanted the look to better match the high ceiling look of the living room as well as make the kitchen more functional by allowing more room to work on the countertops, as you can see she raised the wall up by at least an entire foot and found another way to support the outer wall so that the beam sitting in the middle of no where could go away.

Also the only light in the kitchen had been a light hanging from a chain in the middle of the kitchen with one bulb....Can light became a better solution added far more light and helped show off the soon to come pretty assets the kitchen would boast in the end.  I felt much better in the space and liked it better than before even with it completely unfinished like this, it felt more balanaced and comfortable to be in and I did not feel cramped at all when I went in this time.

You can see here where the wall was extended upward on the outside of the kitchen....also notice the fabulous wood planked ceilings....and exposed wood beams as the design unfolds we will be able to appreciate them as the beautiful architectural detail that they are....


If you would like to know more....come to see it for yourself 9/10/2010 6-9pm when it will be open for you to see.  Call me for the address and directions....-Anna Matsunaga 253 353 2662.
Want to know more about design, need a proposal or consultation for your property?  Call Connie Kay @ 253 691 0709. 

Will post more in progress pictures tomorrow. :)

Skyline Loft, the before pictures.....

From Anna Matsunaga,  Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma  253 353 2662.

Here are some before pictures of a client's condo......This is a condo located just outside University Place WA, in North Tacoma Narrows area.  Check out our previous blog for more before pictures.....

This is a picture of the main bathroom, it was not disconcerting like the master bath, but felt dated all the same, with all the wood it felt more like it was a sauna than a bathroom and the sliding door became the main focal point of the room.  Pluses to the room were that is has nice large counters and is plenty large so that in no way does it feel cramped.

This is a view giving a good look @ the flooring.

Below is a view of the kitchen.  Again, very dated linoleum, yet another strong patern to fight the nearby elements.  A bit cramped feeling and not an ideal amount of room between cupboards and counter tops.  To me looking @ it the first focal point of the kitchen was the side of a white fridge, followed by the microwave on the counter, followed by the floor, none of it would make me want to live here. The door you see opens to a large laundry room, with just a washer and drier, not really any good storage and alot of wasted space inside along with the a hot water tank.

With all the things fighting for attention in this kitchen I found my eyes having a hard time settling anywhere....the black tile strip and patch did not help.

This is a picture of one of the pluses that all of the condos in Sunset plaza have and one almost none of them have....all of them have this storage area off of the patio, and almost none of them have an enclosed area.  This condo has and enclosed patio with sliding windows and a panoramic view......however you really have a hard time appreciating it or really noticing with the way that the place showed, when I asked the agents who had shown it before we started the remodel for feed back, none of them even remembered the enclosed patio!

Popcorn ceiling....just a tip for anyone out there selling a home.  Not only does it detract, pretty much every buyer will prefer it is removed......I have an investor who decided to leave it despite my advice and Connie Kay's advice recently and it actually cost him a deal...on the next house, it was gone before I even had an opportunity to tell him it should go.  Clearly this is one of the things that has been chaned in the remodel.

Another living room view....funny thing is the way that the elements in the room fought eachother you it took Connie several minutes to notice the most spectaular part of the room, the room has beautiful high high vaulted ceilings with incredible wood panel and incredible exposed beams....the room was just begging for a design that helped you notice them.

Bedroom carpets......

So this is just some quick shots of the place, but I think you get the idea, a potentially really cool place......but very dated.  Well cared for and clean, with a great view, but really not going to sell with out some help.

After Connie Kay saw the place my job was to do analysis to see if it would even be worth redoing, I don't always recommend a remodel....so we did the numbers and I sent them to my client and after seeing him he decided that it would be a good idea to do the remodel.  ( he is financial planner and so numbers were likely his final deciding factor)  He is now in another state, so he really took a step in faith since he has not been able to go see the work and he had never met Connie Kay....

Check back for a peek at the creative process and the blood sweat and tears too.....

Skyline Loft......

From Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum, Keller Williams Realty Tacoma, 253 353 2662

A couple of months ago I was contacted by a client I had worked with in the past to list his Condo, since he was moving out of the area and his renters had just purchased a home of their own he wanted to sell this unit.  This condo was one of the best maintained I have ever seen ( with the exception of carpet damage from the renters) and in a great location ( with a view of the Narrows bridge and right on the cusp of North Tacoma and University Place)....but well, it was dated.....and on top of that all the elements in the place were fighting eachother.

We had it on the market for about 6 weeks with the renters in it while they were closing on their home.  My client intended to replace carpet and do a bit of painting when the renters moved out, so I asked Connie Kay to take a look at it and give us some suggestions for paint and carpet.

I really did not feel up to the job, because for the life of me did not know what should go in there to pull the whole thing together and still I knew it would be dated even with the carpet and paint changed.  Problem was that with all the elements fighting each other in other in the unit and it being so dated as well no one was even noticing the incredible view at all.....there were just too many other things fighting for the eye's attention in the unit.....I really after seeing the feed back we had and updating our analysis felt the tops we could get for the unit in as is condion would be under $130K.....

Well Connie and I went to the unit to take a look.

This is what you saw as you came into the living room and looked @ the wall that opens onto a covered enclosed balcony with a view, as you can see the view was in no way the focal point.

Here was our focal point in the living room.

This was the view of the inside of the front door.

Now mind you I took these pictures that day because I wanted to use some of them for marketing, so I was not trying to get a bunch of bad pictures....but as you can see so far, the elements were fighting eachother and where they were not, the place was simply uninspiring.  Now in any market the home must at least have some real design appeal or you will pay in what the market place will command for it, but in our current market, having design appeal is often the difference between whether or not the property sells at all, or whether or not the owner takes a huge LOSS to get it sold.

Here are some pictures of other parts of the condo.....

This likely was the most disconcerting part of the condo.  What should have been a huge selling point, ( an oversized master bath) was actually a minus.  Why?  Because just walking into the room was disorienting.  Let me explain, since it is hard to tell what you are looking from the picture, and it was hard being there to tell too.  No this room did not and does not now have 2 toilets.....what you are seeing is a large floor to ceiling mirror on the wall, reflecting the cabinets and toilet.  Entering the room gave you a funny feeling like you were seeing into a second room, the floors as you can see were dated and did not go with the door, nor the cabinets, nor the wall treatment.  There was nothing that really felt great about the room....

This is the master bedroom the bath opened to.

Here is a look @ the sink area......

This is the wall opposite the one with the mirror, notice the mirrror reflecting the large mirror reflecting the small mirror over and over, a big design no no. 

This picture should give you an idea of how the carpets went with the flooring in the place....I think the linolium was original.  The carpet was high quality, but was not the best with what was there and also had been damaged by the renters.   Originally we came in and were trying to get a paint color that would look good with these carpets as well as the other things in the unit.....in the end we decided it would be better if the unit was redesigned instead....one of the great things is if there is flooring that will be replaced it makes the whole job easier, you can just work and not worry about protecing the carpet....then when you are done with everything else you can pull out the old and put in the new....in a remodel project if you redo the floor last you will save time and money....do it first and you will be sorry.

So this should give you an idea of what the place looked like when we came to see it.....

Stay tuned for the rest of the before pictures and more design tips and ideas too.....

Looking for a designer?   Contact Connie Kay @ 253 691-0709.....

"I can't afford a designer" or " I can't afford NOT to hire a designer" ?

Why you cannot afford to NOT hire a designer......


As a realtor who works with investors, many of whom do fix and flips I am very aware of being sure my clients buy right AND that they do not put money into a house that they cannot get back out.....however I have come to the conclusion that NO ONE can afford to make improvements to a house with out the guidance of a designer....



Now I know what many of you are thinking...."I cannot afford a designer". I beg to differ. I believe that you cannot afford NOT to use one. Why do I say this?



Well let me list a few reasons.



1. An appealing and well thought out house sells in any market so long as the Realtor marketing does a good job pricing it and their client does a good job of listening to professional advice.



2. Most of us are not talented enough to do a spectacular job. Especially in today's market, anything short of spectacular costs you alot in terms of resale.



3. Designers have resources you do not. ( Just like the Realtor who has their resources since they work full time in the industry.) Why is this important? Well, your designer knows what professionals to have do what and knows who does a good job and who does not. This knowledge alone likely makes what you pay for design work worthwhile. At the same time keep in mind that your Designer can also get prices based on high volumn of business. You and I likely do not do the volumn that a designer does.

With that volumn comes volumn pricing. This saves you money.



4. A designer works with design as their full time job, if you are spending all your time shopping for the right finish, the right deal and so on it will mean time away from you doing what you do. In the end you will get the job done faster and likely less expensively with a designer. ( and have less head aches, less missed work and more sleep!)



5. Over and over I have sold properties in a matter of DAYS when the average days on market was several MONTHS or more because of design work done to the property.



6. Working with a designer helps you really have a well planned and executed project. Often with out this investors as well as home owners make mistakes that cost too much money. ( Example, my husband was excited to go pick out tile for our kitchen since there was some damage to the flooring, however when I consulted with my designer, Connie, she suggested that we do some other work first, especially the counter tops....why? Granite is more expensive than tile. First we need to find a good deal on granite, then once that is in we can find tile that will match. Tile is less expensive than Granite, get the deal on Granite first, put it in and then get tile to match, save alot more than you would going in with no plan....)



7. Pretty sells. Hands down, if the house is truely appealing and very pretty and priced competitively it will sell. People may think they buy on logic, they do not. They buy on emotion and justify it with logic. ( at least when it comes to homes.) They buy a house that "feels" right. Most people decide AS THEY WALK IN if they will buy a home.



8. If you are designing for yourself this is important too. Even if you do not intend to sell....ever....you may end up selling in the end...and you know what? Most people in the end spend more with doing do it yourself projects than they would if they hired some one to help them design something well planned out that they would love. How is that? Most people end up redoing much of the work because in the end it does not work, or does not match or they do not like it, or lack of planning makes it not "quite work" . Wouldn't you love to have a house you LOVE, not like...LOVE? If so, you need some guidance.





Over and over I see homes that could be fabulous, but they do not sell....why? Because the way they are done, they are NOT fabulous....I am reminded of a 4500 sf home all redone in University Place. High end lighting, high end finishes, low price, still on the market after months. Even a good lay out for all but the Master bedroom. What was wrong? Well.....the counter tops ( granite ) did not match the flooring which did not match the cabinets which did not match the hardware....same kind of thing in the bathrooms.....also no color in any of the other rooms in the house AND a redone master that could have been redone just a little differently and likely for less money and would have been an asset, but really was NOT the way it was done. Also new paint on the house....which subtracted for value instead of adding..... The investors who did this house likely felt they could not afford a designer, but as a buyer's agent helping a buyer who looked @ this home, I will tell you they could not afford not to have that help.....the lack of that help was the whole reason they had very high holding cost as well as a price point that was steadily moving in a downward direction.



If you are an investor, how will design save you money?



1. If your Realtor and you Designer look @ homes with you before you buy, you will likely skip some real "duds"



2. The project will be well thought out and will take less time and money in many cases than one that is not well thought out.



3. You will save money on holding costs if the house is very appealing.



4.You will likely be able to compete better with other homes and be able to command a higher price if the house is very "pretty".



5. You will not turn buyers off by mixing styles, by doing things that are new but dated in style or by leaving elements that are likely to turn off a buyer.



6. If your Realtor and your Designer work well together they will hep make sure that you are only investing in things that will actually fetch more money for the house. So often I go to meet with a seller who has decided to do many things to the house before I ever saw it.....sometimes these were really needed and will make a big difference in ending sales price or how fast we will sell. Other times unfortunately, had they met with me prior to spending all the money I would have told them it did not need to be spent, or that it could have been spent in other areas. Sometimes the work and "improvements" will actually have to be removed and redone....extra expense.



Watch this blog for before and after pictures. Subscribe to this blog to see actual projects in progress. Come here often to get ideas and to learn dos and do nots both on selling and design. See projects as we go and learn from our sucesses and failures. We look forward to having fun with it and know you will too!



--Anna Matsunaga, Team Momentum Keller Williams Realty 253 353 2662