E REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Permits 4E, 5E Barry Stone 6E HOUSE PLAN Welcoming An old-fashioned wraparound porch welcomes family and friends to the Clearheart, an otherwise modern home packed with popular amenities. PAGE 8E LISTING OF THE WEEK Brick home The Listing of the Week is a traditional brick home with an open floor plan and fireplace in southeast Moore. PAGE 6E ADJUSTING FOR AGING Creating a home that’s well suited to your needs as you age certainly doesn’t mean turning it into a sterile, uninviting environment. What it does mean is mak- ing some alterations that will help you adjust to your phys- ical changes. PAGE 3E IN BRIEF PLANT BREEDING Wish you could find a disease- resist- ant rose in just the right shade of pink? Make one. Joseph Tychonievich leads readers through the process of breeding new plant varieties in “Plant Breeding for the Home Gar- dener: How to Cre- ate Unique Vegeta- bles & Flowers.” Tychonievich, an avid plant breeder and garden center nurs- ery manager, en- courages readers to try developing breeds that are suited to their cli- mates and their needs, not the needs of a commercial breeder. He instructs them on cross polli- nation and selecting out the best offspr- ing, teaches ad- vanced breeding techniques and a little genetics, and offers instructions for specific plants. The book is by Tim- ber Press and sells for $19.95 in paper- back. TREATING LAWNS ORGANICALLY The makers of Safer lawn and garden products are making it easier for do-it- yourselfers to treat their lawns orga- nically. The system involves three appli- cations of a slow- release fertilizer and one application of a weed preventer. The fertilizer, Ringer Lawn Restore, is made of ingredients including poultry feather meal, bone meal and soybean meal but no manure. It contains no phos- phorus. The weed preventer, Concern Weed Prevention Plus, is based on corn gluten meal. A soil thermometer is included. The sys- tem costs $250 at www.sendmesafer. com, but it’s on sale through summer for $199.99. FROM WIRE REPORTS Kenneth Harney THE NATION’S HOUSING WASHINGTON — With full-fledged sellers’ mar- kets under way in dozens of metropolitan areas around the country, new research has found curious statistical patterns emerg- ing: Even in cities where listings get multiple offers within days or hours, sig- nificant numbers of homes are sitting on the market for six months, 12 months or more with no takers. Call them turnoff list- ings. Despite roaring sales paces all around them, for one reason or another these houses send shop- pers scurrying away, often because of mispricing, ex- cessive restrictions on ac- cess to buyers and agents, failure to clean or make re- pairs, and a variety of oth- er marketing bungles. Researchers at Trulia, a real estate listings site, said the existence of large numbers of unsold houses in the midst of high-activ- ity markets is more com- mon than generally as- sumed. Jed Kolko, chief economist for Trulia, sug- gested that “even in the tightest markets, there is a ‘long tail’ of homes lan- guishing” unsold for ex- tended periods. For example, in one of the fastest-paced sales ar- eas in the country, San Jose, Calif., where the median time from listing to sale is just 20 days, one out of 10 houses has been on the market for 161 days or more. In metropolitan Boston, where houses go from listing to sale in a median 42 days, 10 percent go unsold for 257 days or more. Data provided for this column by MRIS, the mul- tiple listing service cover- ing metropolitan Wash- ington, D.C., indicate that in the hottest neighbor- hoods, houses sell in a median five to 12 days. Yet from 10 percent to 12.5 percent of listings in some areas sit without buyers for six months or more. Nationally, according to new data from the Nation- al Association of Realtors, 44 percent of all new list- ings take 90 days or more to sell, 22 percent take six to 12 months, and 9 per- cent take more than a year. Why the glacial pace for certain homes in even the fastest-moving sellers’ markets? Jeff Dowler of Solutions Real Estate in Carlsbad, Calif., said more often than not, the root problem is the owners of the property. As he guides shoppers from one listing to anoth- er, “I see homes being sab- otaged by owners all the time.” Sabotaged? Not inten- tionally, he said, but by “doing things or not doing things that would make the house easier to sell.” Demanding an unrealisti- cally high asking price — and refusing to negotiate on lower but qualified of- fers — is the top turnoff for Dowler and many other agents showing homes. Imposing severe restric- tions on when and by whom the house can be shown is another. For ex- ample, sellers who will on- ly allow showings between 10 a.m. and noon on Sat- urdays, or who require a 24-hour advance notice before appointments to show during the week, or who won’t let anyone in unless they or the listing agent are present, inevita- bly delay offers and sales. Patricia Kennedy, an agent with Evers & Co. in Washington, D.C., recent- ly blogged on ActiveRain, a real estate site, about “an- noyingly inflexible” re- strictions: “What? You want to show my house in a half-hour? Sorry, but I’m covering my gray. Go away!” But, wrote Kennedy, “If I can’t show it, I can’t sell it. Sorry. If you’re a pill about showings, you are sending the buyer’s agent a message that you’ll proba- bly be a pill throughout the transaction!” Just because houses are selling fast in your area doesn’t mean yours will. You’ve got to think of it as a product you’re market- ing, not just as your home. Get it in shape to sell. Price it realistically. Be flexible and cooperative on show- ings and negotiations. Un- less it has grossly off-put- ting features — costly physical defects, ugly de- sign, bad location, bad schools — your property should sell. Ken Harney’s email address is [email protected]. WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP Real estate listings that turn you off MIDWEST CITY — Even as a stu- dent at Harrah High School, Stan Malaske had a strong hunch about what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. Build houses. Four custom homes construct- ed by Malaske’s SWM & Sons Custom Homes — the company he founded in 1982 with his wife, Bar- bara — are among the 96 featured in the Parade of Homes Spring Festival. The event continues Saturday and Sunday with new homes open free to the public from 1 to 6 p.m. Fifty-one builders are participat- ing. Details about the houses, and maps, are available online at www.paradeofhomesok.com. Malaske, who worked for a re- modeler during his high school years, settled into the craft of stonework while attending vo- tech in Harrah. As a young man he “saw a lot of houses bring built” and “always had ideas about how to improve them,” Malaske said. “So, I decid- ed to plunge into home building.” Malaske said he was always aware of the risks involved in the construction business, but he also knew he was “young enough to re- cover if I went broke.” Even in the tough economic en- vironment of the mid-1980s in Oklahoma, Malaske “built enough customs to make a living.” The skills Malaske developed working with clients and on job sites, starting with his first fin- ished home in 1982, are part of the ethic he shares with two of his sons, now partners in the compa- ny. Chris and Nick Malaske both “spent some time in college,” but left because “they knew they wanted to join the business,” their Spring home parade goes on SWM & Sons Custom Homes built this 3,872-square-foot, four-bedroom home at 12005 Tuscany Ridge in Midwest City. It is one of 96 new homes open to the public from 1to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the final weekend of the Parade of Homes Spring Festival. PHOTOS BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN Stan Malaske of SWM & Sons Custom Homes is shown in the living room of 12005 Tuscany Ridge, a model home in Midwest City that is in the Parade of Homes Spring Festival. SALES | STAN MALASKE’S BUSY COMPANY, SWM & SONS CUSTOM HOMES, HAS FOUR HOMES IN SPRING FESTIVAL BY TIM FALL For The Oklahoman [email protected]SEE MALASKE, PAGE 2E Paul Bianchina HANDY @ HOME
Transcript
EREAL ESTATESATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Permits 4E, 5EBarry Stone 6E
HOUSE PLAN
WelcomingAn old-fashionedwraparound porchwelcomes family andfriends to the Clearheart,an otherwise modernhome packed withpopular amenities.PAGE 8E
LISTING OF THE WEEK
BrickhomeThe Listing of the Weekis a traditional brickhome with an openfloor plan and fireplacein southeast Moore.
PAGE 6E
ADJUSTINGFOR AGINGCreating a homethat’s well suited toyour needs as youage certainly doesn’tmean turning it intoa sterile, uninvitingenvironment. Whatit does mean is mak-ing some alterationsthat will help youadjust to your phys-ical changes.
PAGE 3E
IN BRIEF
PLANTBREEDINGWishyoucouldfind adisease-resist-ant rosein justtheright shade of pink?Make one. JosephTychonievich leadsreaders through theprocess of breedingnew plant varietiesin “Plant Breedingfor the Home Gar-dener: How to Cre-ate Unique Vegeta-bles & Flowers.”Tychonievich, an avidplant breeder andgarden center nurs-ery manager, en-courages readers totry developingbreeds that aresuited to their cli-mates and theirneeds, not the needsof a commercialbreeder. He instructsthem on cross polli-nation and selectingout the best offspr-ing, teaches ad-vanced breedingtechniques and alittle genetics, andoffers instructionsfor specific plants.The book is by Tim-ber Press and sellsfor $19.95 in paper-back.
TREATINGLAWNSORGANICALLYThe makers of Saferlawn and gardenproducts are makingit easier for do-it-yourselfers to treattheir lawns orga-nically. The systeminvolves three appli-cations of a slow-release fertilizer andone application of aweed preventer. Thefertilizer, RingerLawn Restore, ismade of ingredientsincluding poultryfeather meal, bonemeal and soybeanmeal but no manure.It contains no phos-phorus. The weedpreventer, ConcernWeed PreventionPlus, is based oncorn gluten meal. Asoil thermometer isincluded. The sys-tem costs $250 atwww.sendmesafer.com, but it’s on salethrough summer for$199.99.
FROM WIRE REPORTS
KennethHarney
THE NATION’S HOUSING
WASHINGTON — Withfull-fledged sellers’ mar-kets under way in dozensof metropolitan areasaround the country, newresearch has found curiousstatistical patterns emerg-ing: Even in cities wherelistings get multiple offerswithin days or hours, sig-nificant numbers of homesare sitting on the marketfor six months, 12 monthsor more with no takers.
Call them turnoff list-ings. Despite roaring salespaces all around them, forone reason or anotherthese houses send shop-pers scurrying away, oftenbecause of mispricing, ex-cessive restrictions on ac-cess to buyers and agents,failure to clean or make re-pairs, and a variety of oth-er marketing bungles.
Researchers at Trulia, areal estate listings site, saidthe existence of largenumbers of unsold housesin the midst of high-activ-ity markets is more com-mon than generally as-
sumed. Jed Kolko, chiefeconomist for Trulia, sug-gested that “even in thetightest markets, there is a‘long tail’ of homes lan-guishing” unsold for ex-tended periods.
For example, in one ofthe fastest-paced sales ar-eas in the country, SanJose, Calif., where themedian time from listingto sale is just 20 days, oneout of 10 houses has beenon the market for 161 daysor more. In metropolitanBoston, where houses gofrom listing to sale in amedian 42 days, 10 percentgo unsold for 257 days ormore.
Data provided for thiscolumn by MRIS, the mul-
tiple listing service cover-ing metropolitan Wash-ington, D.C., indicate thatin the hottest neighbor-hoods, houses sell in amedian five to 12 days.
Yet from 10 percent to12.5 percent of listings insome areas sit withoutbuyers for six months ormore.
Nationally, according tonew data from the Nation-al Association of Realtors,44 percent of all new list-ings take 90 days or moreto sell, 22 percent take sixto 12 months, and 9 per-cent take more than a year.
Why the glacial pace forcertain homes in even thefastest-moving sellers’markets?
Jeff Dowler of SolutionsReal Estate in Carlsbad,Calif., said more often thannot, the root problem isthe owners of the property.As he guides shoppersfrom one listing to anoth-er, “I see homes being sab-otaged by owners all thetime.”
Sabotaged? Not inten-tionally, he said, but by“doing things or not doingthings that would makethe house easier to sell.”Demanding an unrealisti-cally high asking price —and refusing to negotiateon lower but qualified of-fers — is the top turnoff forDowler and many otheragents showing homes.
Imposing severe restric-tions on when and bywhom the house can beshown is another. For ex-ample, sellers who will on-ly allow showings between10 a.m. and noon on Sat-urdays, or who require a24-hour advance noticebefore appointments toshow during the week, orwho won’t let anyone inunless they or the listingagent are present, inevita-bly delay offers and sales.
Patricia Kennedy, anagent with Evers & Co. inWashington, D.C., recent-ly blogged on ActiveRain, areal estate site, about “an-noyingly inflexible” re-
strictions: “What? Youwant to show my house ina half-hour? Sorry, but I’mcovering my gray. Goaway!”
But, wrote Kennedy, “IfI can’t show it, I can’t sellit. Sorry. If you’re a pillabout showings, you aresending the buyer’s agent amessage that you’ll proba-bly be a pill throughout thetransaction!”
Just because houses areselling fast in your areadoesn’t mean yours will.You’ve got to think of it asa product you’re market-ing, not just as your home.Get it in shape to sell. Priceit realistically. Be flexibleand cooperative on show-ings and negotiations. Un-less it has grossly off-put-ting features — costlyphysical defects, ugly de-sign, bad location, badschools — your propertyshould sell.
MIDWEST CITY — Even as a stu-dent at Harrah High School, StanMalaske had a strong hunch aboutwhat he wanted to do with the restof his life.
Build houses.Four custom homes construct-
ed by Malaske’s SWM & SonsCustom Homes — the company hefounded in 1982 with his wife, Bar-bara — are among the 96 featuredin the Parade of Homes SpringFestival.
The event continues Saturdayand Sunday with new homes openfree to the public from 1 to 6 p.m.Fifty-one builders are participat-ing. Details about the houses, andmaps, are available online atwww.paradeofhomesok.com.
Malaske, who worked for a re-modeler during his high schoolyears, settled into the craft ofstonework while attending vo-tech in Harrah.
As a young man he “saw a lot ofhouses bring built” and “alwayshad ideas about how to improvethem,” Malaske said. “So, I decid-ed to plunge into home building.”
Malaske said he was alwaysaware of the risks involved in theconstruction business, but he alsoknew he was “young enough to re-
cover if I went broke.”Even in the tough economic en-
vironment of the mid-1980s inOklahoma, Malaske “built enoughcustoms to make a living.”
The skills Malaske developed
working with clients and on jobsites, starting with his first fin-ished home in 1982, are part of theethic he shares with two of hissons, now partners in the compa-ny.
Chris and Nick Malaske both“spent some time in college,” butleft because “they knew theywanted to join the business,” their
Spring home parade goes onSWM & Sons Custom Homes built this 3,872-square-foot, four-bedroom home at 12005 Tuscany Ridge in Midwest City. It is one of 96 newhomes open to the public from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the final weekend of the Parade of Homes Spring Festival.
PHOTOS BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN
Stan Malaske of SWM & Sons Custom Homes is shown in the living room of 12005 Tuscany Ridge, amodel home in Midwest City that is in the Parade of Homes Spring Festival.
SALES | STAN MALASKE’S BUSY COMPANY, SWM & SONS CUSTOM HOMES, HAS FOUR HOMES IN SPRING FESTIVAL
father said. Malaske’s thirdson, Daniel, works in theoil-and-gas industry.
Between Malaske, hissons, and 20-year associ-ate Rick Sowder, Malaskesaid, SWM & Sons has aqualified builder in thefield “all the time.”
That field constitutes afairly broad swath, withhomes under constructionfrom Norman to Edmond,in Newcastle, in Shawneeand around central Okla-homa.
In all, Malaske said heexpects to complete 45homes in 2013. The in-crease from 2012, when hebuilt 30, says a lot aboutthe heat in the new-homemarket right now.
The bulk of the homesMalaske builds — and thefour homes SWM & Sonshas in the Parade of HomesSpring Festival — are cen-tered in eastern OklahomaCounty.
The company’s modelhome, at 12005 TuscanyRidge, is a 3,872-square-foot, four-bedroom homewith 3 ½ baths and an up-stairs game room.
The home opens into avaulted foyer with adjacentstudy and formal diningrooms. The open flowfrom the living room intothe kitchen creates a vast
family space, customcooking facilities and a
bright, warm living area.Two kids’ bedrooms on
the ground floor are linkedJack-and-Jill style by aspacious bathroom. Themaster suite, which opensto the patio and outdoorkitchen, adjoins a luxuri-ous, custom bath andwalk-in closets.
Upstairs is the fourthbedroom, a full bathroomand the game room. Formaximum comfort, the at-tic includes a solar boardfinish to reduce summertemperatures by 30 to 40degrees.
Three other SWM &Sons’ other festival homesare:
I A 2,130-square foot,three bedroom/two bathlayout at 10407 SE 23, al-ready sold but shown as amodel.
I A 2,800-square foot,three bedroom/two-and-a-half bath home at 13439Prestwick Circle, offeredat $332,900.
I A 3,174-square foot,three bedroom/two-and-a-half bath home at 3900Newburg Drive, listed at$377,900.
Left: A ceiling arch defines the sitting area in themaster bedroom at 12005 Tuscany Ridge.
PHOTOS BY PAUL SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN
The balcony overlooks the backyard at 12005 Tuscany Ridge, one of 96 new homes in the Parade of HomesSpring Festival.
The home office at 12005 Tuscany Ridge, built by SWM & Sons Custom Homes.
Treatment of the trayed ceiling matches the bedcov-erings, drawing together the master bedroom spaceat 12005 Tuscany Ridge.
Double vanities, mirrors and light fixtures are sep-arated by a linen cabinet in the master bath at 12005Tuscany Ridge.
Malaske: Goal of 45 homes in 2013
SCAN ITFor a related vid-
eo, scan the QRcode below or go toNewsOK.com
FROM PAGE 1E
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 . 3EREAL ESTATE
Certainly none of us likes toface the reality of aging. But it’sunavoidable, and a growingnumber of people are choosingto stay in the home that they’recomfortable in, or are having el-derly parents come back home tostay.
It’s known as “aging in place,”and with the maturing of the ba-by boomer generation, the pop-ularity of remodeling to accom-modate the needs of an agingpopulation is going to increase.
Creating a home that’s wellsuited to your needs as you agecertainly doesn’t mean turning itinto a sterile, uninviting envi-ronment. What it does mean ismaking some alterations to thehome — some large, many rela-tively minor — that will help youadjust to your physical changes.
Contrary to what most peopleenvision with the adjustmentsfor aging in place, these types ofchanges typically don’t meanmaking the home wheelchair ac-cessible. According to designerswho specialize in these types ofhome alterations, only about 1.9percent of Americans use awheelchair. Far more common
are decreases in mobility anddexterity, decreases in strengthand stamina, and hearing and vi-sion loss.
DoorsIf you’re remodeling, you can
consider changing doors tolarger 34- or 36-inch-widedoorways wherever possible,which simply makes it easier tomaneuver. But you might noteven need to go that far. For ex-ample, there are offset hingesavailable that allow you to utilizea larger door in an existing open-ing. In the bathroom, where anin-swinging door might be in theway, consider swinging the doorthe opposite way, or perhapschanging it to a pocket door tocreate more room.
Standard doorknobs can behard for a lot of people to grip, soconsider replacing them withlever knobs. If turning a key isbecoming an issue, there arepush-button exterior locks thatmake a key unnecessary.
LightAs we age, we definitely need
more light — in fact, by age 60
we need about three times asmuch light as we did at age 20.But it’s not simply a matter of in-stalling higher-wattage bulbs,because with that additionallight can come more glare. In-stead, add more fixtures, andadd task lighting wherever possible.
Consider compact fluorescentlight (CFL) bulbs. Many put outmore lumens with less wattagethan conventional bulbs, forbrighter light in existing fixtures.In fixtures that are hard to reach,more expensive light-emittingdiode (LED) lights are worth theinvestment. They last consider-ably longer than other types ofbulbs, which cuts way down onmaintenance.
Skylights should be utilizedwherever possible to flood roomswith more natural light, which
not only helps people see, but al-so adds a sense of well-being. Insmaller areas, like bathrooms,closets and stairways, Solatubescan be used to bring natural lightdown from above relatively inex-pensively. Light fixtures can beadded inside the Solatubes fornighttime lighting, as well.
There are other simple thingsto help with lighting and theability to see better, as well. Forexample, contrasting paint col-ors will help people see certainareas better than uniform colorswill. Also, the use of mirrors willreflect light and make roomsbrighter. In stairwells, add elec-trical outlets so that you can in-stall simple nightlights for stairillumination.
In the bathroomLarger showers are becoming
very popular, with a low curb orno curb at all. Consider a benchfor sitting while showering, andthe bench should be open un-derneath (as opposed to solid tileall the way to the floor) for grea-ter comfort. Adjustable-heightshower heads are also nice.
Taller “comfort height” toilets
are great if you’re replacing yourtoilets, or add a taller seat. Bothoptions raise the height of theseat about 2 inches. For ease inpersonal cleaning, consider add-ing a “bidet seat” with adjusta-ble wash nozzles.
Of course, grab bars are a veryuseful addition in the bathroom,and should be placed in the tub,shower and around the toilet.But most people hate the insti-tutional look of those bulkychrome grab bars. Luckily, agrowing number of manufactur-ers are offering them in designercolors, in both acrylics andpowder-coated metal, as well asin sleek new styles that are any-thing but institutional.
For safety and security, theyneed to be properly anchored tosolid wood, so if you’re remod-eling your bathroom, be sure toinstall some blocking in the walls— it’s a simple and inexpensivething to do, even if you’re notplanning on installing grab barsright away.
Remodeling and repair questions? Email Paul [email protected]. All product reviewsare based on the author’s actual testing of freereview samples provided by the manufacturers.
INMAN NEWS
12 tips for an aging-in-place remodelPaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
NEW YORK — With thehousing recovery gainingsteam, Americans havemore incentives to paintup, touch up and other-wise redecorate theirhomes. But there’s no needto spend willy-nilly.
From finding treasureson eBay.com to taking ad-vantage of new offerings atdepartment stores anddiscounters, there areplenty of ways to makeyour home more stylish onthe cheap.
“There’s no excuse foran undecorated home onany budget,” said CandaceCorlett, president of WSLStrategic Retail, a retailconsultancy. “Home hasas much retail selection asfashion. And you can get alot of buys.”
Walmart, the world’slargest retailer, has ex-panded this year its assort-ment of window treat-ments like blinds, and alsois bolstering offerings onrugs, decorative pillows,bathroom accessories andpatio furniture. Under thediscounter’s Better Homes& Gardens brand, decora-tive pillows range from$11.97 to $13.97.
Meanwhile, TargetCorp., known for its cheapchic home designs, haslaunched a full line for thenew store brand calledThreshold, which offers avariety of goods from din-nerware sets to sheets andtowels. And J.C. PenneyCo. is counting on a newlyrevamped home area thathouses new brands like Jo-nathan Adler, Sir TerenceConran, and Bodum. Mi-chael Graves, who endedhis 13-year partnershipwith Target last year, is al-so joining Penney.
Here are six tips for dec-orating your home:
Do your homeworkFirst, create a budget
and search around to getinspiration. To get ideas,attend open houses to seehow other people are dec-orating their homes. Youcan also find how-to vid-eos and decorating blogson such sites as HSN,HomeGoods, Lowe’s andHome Depot.
There are fewer homedecor magazines thanthere used to be. But youcan always flip throughstore catalogs to get sometips.
Also, experts encourageyou to do broad searcheson the Internet. EBay justlaunched a new technolo-gy called Feed that allowsyou to personalize yoursearches based on yourstyle, like mod 1960s.
“It’s all about gettingunexpected things,” saidChris Benz, an Americanfashion designer who iscollaborating with eBay onvarious fashion collec-tions. He said he has fur-nished his apartment andoffice with eclectic eBayfinds like vintage Italian
turquoise pottery pieces.
Pick and chooseStudy your space and
figure out what pieces offurniture you’ll be usingmore. So if you spend a lotof time in your livingroom, you may want tospend more on a sofa andan entertainment centerthat would house yourflat-screen TV and books.
It’s like investing in goodshoes or a handbag, saidPallavi Naidu, vice presi-dent of merchandising andproduct development atAtlanta-based Ballard De-signs. Spending more onitems that get lots of usemeans they will last longerand give you more satis-faction.
ImproviseYou don’t need the real
thing. If you don’t havemoney to spend on a gran-ite backsplash for yourkitchen turn to peel-and-stick wall tiles. Not sure ifyou want to invest in a car-pet? An area rug could costless and accomplish thesame thing.
Repurpose piecesShop in flea markets and
even your mother’s attic tofind pieces that could bereinvented as useful homedecor items. And think be-yond the original purpose:WSL’s Corlett said that oldsewing machines or leath-er-trimmed luggage canbe used as tables.
Check out financingIf you’re strapped and
need to stagger payments,instead of charging all atonce on your credit card,check out financing dealsfrom various retailers.
Most furniture storeshave some kind of inter-est-free financing deal go-ing most of the time. Justremember to keep up withthe monthly payments orelse you will wind up pay-ing heavy-duty interestand sometimes extra fees.
When in doubt, paintOften, just a fresh coat
of paint will make all thedifference in a room.
“Painting is one of theaffordable ways to changethe decor,” Corlett said.
How to redecorate without overspendingBY ANNE D’INNOCENZIOThe Associated Press
With the housing recovery gaining steam, Americanshave more incentives to paint up, touch up and other-wise redecorate their homes. This image shows apage from the Ballard Designs catalog.
From finding treasur-es on eBay.com totaking advantage ofnew offerings at de-partment stores anddiscounters, there areplenty of ways tomake your homemore stylish on thecheap. A page fromthe Ballard Designscatalog is shown.
AP PHOTOS
4E . SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Oklahoma CityJ2k2 LLC, 13600 N
Western Ave., retail sales,erect, $4,500,000.
The Roberts Group,16368 Morningside Drive,residence, erect, $725,000.
The Roberts Group,16393 Scotland Way, resi-dence, erect, $680,000.
Metro Mark PropertiesInc., doing business asKent Hoffman Construc-tion, 2609 NW GrandBlvd., residence, erect,$650,000.
Lindsey ConstructionCo., 14600 N RockwellAve., apartment, erect,$610,000.
Lindsey ConstructionCo., 14600 N RockwellAve., apartment, erect,$610,000.
Lindsey ConstructionCo., 14600 N RockwellAve., apartment, erect,$610,000.
McNatt (W.L.) Co., 13601High Sierra Blvd., resi-dence, erect, $600,000.
Landmark Fine HomesLP, 9521 Regina Ave., resi-dence, erect, $572,379.
Chuck Robinson HomesInc., 6100 River OaksRoad, residence, erect,$500,000.
Hoss Cooley Construc-tion, 632 N Sara Road, of-fice-warehouse, erect,$500,000.
M. Rose Homes LLC,3237 NW 177, residence,erect, $480,000.
Oak Leaf CustomHomes, 9001 Bella VistaLane, residence, erect,$450,000.
River Rock Construc-tion, 17405 Hawks ViewCourt, residence, erect,$450,000.
The Roberts Group,16377 Scotland Way, resi-dence, erect, $410,000.
Ron Walters HomesLLC, 1440 NE 50, day carecenter, erect, $350,000.
Shops @ Quail SpringsLLC, 14120 N PennsylvaniaAve., retail sales, remodel,$350,000.
St. John’s ConstructionCo. LLC, 17100 TrophyDrive, residence, erect,$320,000.
WASHINGTON — Sales of previously oc-cupied U.S. homes dipped in March as thesupply remained tight. But the sales paceremained ahead of last year’s.
The National Association of Realtorssaid that sales dipped to a seasonally ad-justed annual rate of 4.92 million, from4.95 million in February. February’s figurewas revised lower.
Sales in March were 10.3 percent higherthan a year earlier.
Sales have remained mostly unchangedin the past four months — largely, analystssaid, because of a limited supply ofhomes. Economists expect the housingmarket to continue recovering this year.
The low supply, combined with risingdemand for housing, could accelerateconstruction in coming months. The Re-altors’ group said buyer traffic is 25 per-cent higher than it was a year ago.
“A disappointing result for U.S. exist-ing-home sales, but with inventories stillvery tight, the outlook remains favorable,”Jennifer Lee, an economist at BMO Cap-ital Markets, said in a note to clients.
A steady housing recovery is providing
support to the economy this year. Buildersare starting work on more homes, boost-ing construction jobs. And home pricesare rising. Higher prices tend to makehomeowners feel wealthier and encouragemore spending.
Still, the pace of purchases of previous-ly occupied homes has been little changedin recent months, partly because of thetight inventory. The supply of availablehomes has fallen nearly 17 percent in thepast year to 1.93 million.
At the current sales pace, that supplywould be exhausted in 4.7 months, belowthe six months typical in a healthy market.
The supply rose 1.6 percent from Feb-ruary to March. The Realtors’ group saysit expects a bigger increase in supply thismonth as the spring selling season began.
A larger supply would suggest that
more sellers are putting their homes onthe market because they’re confident theycan fetch a good price.
The tight supply helps explain whyprices have been rising. The median pricerose 11.8 percent from February to Marchto $184,300, the biggest one-month gainsince 2005.
The higher median price partly reflectsbigger increases in sales of more-expen-sive homes. Sales of homes priced from$500,000 to $750,000 jumped 25.3 per-cent from a year ago. By contrast, sales ofhomes priced between $100,000 and$250,000 rose just 7.1 percent.
The higher prices may be discouragingsome investors and weighing a bit onsales. Investors usually seek to buy at asteep discount. Investors bought 19 per-cent of homes in March, down from 22percent in February.
First-time buyers, who usually drivehousing recoveries, are playing a smallerrole in the current rebound. They ac-counted for 30 percent of sales lastmonth, the same as in February. First-time buyers usually make up about 40percent of buyers in a healthy market.
One bright sign in the report is that the
percentage of so-called distressed salesfell sharply. Distressed sales include fore-closed homes and homes in which the sizeof the mortgage exceeds the home’s value.
Those sales fell to 21 percent of the totalin March, down from 25 percent in Febru-ary. That’s the lowest proportion since theRealtors’ group began tracking the figurein October 2008.
Steady hiring and near-record-lowmortgage rates have helped boost sales.More Americans are moving out on theirown after living with friends and family inthe recession. That’s creating more hous-ing demand. Still, sales would have toreach an annual pace of 5.5 million to beconsidered healthy.
Since the housing bubble burst morethan six years ago, banks have imposedtighter credit conditions and requiredlarger down payments. Those changeshave left many would-be buyers unable toqualify for super-low mortgage rates.
Rising demand and short supplies haveencouraged builders to boost construc-tion. U.S. builders started work on morethan 1 million homes at an annual pace inMarch, the first time they’ve topped thatthreshold in nearly 5 years.
U.S. home sales slip as supply remains tightBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The median price rose 11.8percent from February toMarch to $184,300, thebiggest one-month gainsince 2005.
6E . SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
DEAR BARRY: We’vejust made an offer on ahouse, and our agent gaveus a list of home inspec-tors. Two of the inspectorsthat we called soundknowledgeable, but theyprefer to do the inspectionalone and then email thereport to us. We want toattend the inspection, butthey say this is not neces-sary. Do you think it’s im-portant for us to be at theinspection or simply to re-ceive the report afterward?
RaymondDEAR RAYMOND:
Your home inspection isyour exclusive event. It isstrictly for your benefit,and your inspector shouldroll out the welcome mat.Home inspectors who aretruly professional recog-nize the importance of cli-ent participation and ac-
tively invite homebuyers totheir inspection. Unfortu-nately, some inspectorsprefer to work alone andmay discourage your at-tendance. These inspec-tors should not be on yourlist of prospects.
Inspectors who sidesteptheir clients by leavingthem out of the inspectionprocess fall into three cate-gories:
I 1. Some lack the inter-active people skills thathome inspectors need.They prefer to email theinspection report, with no
verbal explanation of anykind.
I 2. Some work with aneye on the clock. Havingbuyers on site takes timeand can mean one less joband one less inspection feein the day’s schedule.
I 3. Some inspectors aremore interested in theneeds of real estate agentsthan of buyers. They pro-vide whitewashed reportsto ensure future referrals.(This, of course, is a highlyprovocative allegation and,fortunately, applies to avery small minority ofhome inspectors andagents.)
Home inspectors shouldsee themselves as personalconsultants, not as hiredtechnicians. Inspectorswho are not willing to con-sult should find anotherprofession, and home-
buyers looking for a qualityinspection should find aninspector who welcomesthem to the process.
DEAR BARRY: I boughta home four months ago.The seller was an elderlylady, living in a nursinghome and unable to pro-vide disclosure. Herdaughter, who was thelisting agent, handled nu-merous repairs, including
replacement of the carpet.Recently, I hired a contrac-tor to install insulation un-der the floor, and he dis-covered that a large por-tion of the subfloor wasrotted. He said there wasno way that the carpet lay-er could have missed thisand that he must have re-ported the problem to theagent. Is this somethingthe agent should have dis-
closed to me?Robin
DEAR ROBIN: If theagent was aware of theproblem, she should havedisclosed it. If your con-tractor is right and the rot-ted wood was seen by thecarpet layer, then someoneapparently has some ex-plaining to do. However, itis possible that the woodrot is visible below thebuilding but not under thecarpet. The only way toknow for sure is to lift thecarpet and find the answer.
You should ask the realestate agent and the carpetlayer to meet at your hometo see what should havebeen disclosed.
To write to Barry Stone, please visit himon the web atwww.housedetective.com.
ACTION COAST PUBLISHING
Home inspector doesn’t want buyers thereBarryStone
INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE
Home inspectors who are trulyprofessional recognize theimportance of client participation andactively invite homebuyers to theirinspection. Unfortunately, someinspectors prefer to work alone andmay discourage your attendance.These inspectors should not be onyour list of prospects.
The Listing of the Weekis a traditional brick homewith an open floor planand fireplace in southeastMoore.
The 1,787-square-foothouse at 1808 SE 18 hasfour bedrooms, two baths,one living room, one din-ing area and an attachedtwo-car garage. The livingroom has a ceiling fan andfireplace. The kitchen hasa pantry. The master bed-room has a walk-in closet,ceiling fan, bath with dou-ble sinks, tub and shower,and private access to the
back patio. Secondarybedrooms have ceilingfans. The home has graniteand quartz counters, win-dow treatments, a coveredpatio, covered porch andsecurity system.
The home, built in2008, is listed for$180,000 with Lisa Moll-man of Century 21 GoldCastle. For more informa-tion, call 210-8736.
Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send a copy of the MLSinformation sheet on a single-familyhome to The Oklahoman, Richard Mize,P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK73125. Nominations may be faxed to475-3996.
LISTING OF THE WEEK
The Listing of the Week is at 1808 SE 18 in Moore. PHOTO PROVIDED
BALTIMORE — LeonardSachs and Lainy LeBow-Sachs have turned theirworld outside-in.
The renovations and ad-ditions to the Baltimorepower couple’s Reister-stown, Md., home make itideal not only for enter-taining large groups, butfor entertaining birds, too.
Fond of plants and flo-wering shrubs as well, Le-onard commissioned a so-larium that defies Mid-Atlantic winters.
And the flagstone thatwas once the exterior ofthe house is now part ofthe study and den and in-formal dining area, givingthe house a rustic, mascu-line quality.
“It is the perfect place tocome home to,” said Lainy,who works as an executivevice president at the Ken-nedy Krieger Institute.
The couple has beenmarried for almost half ofthe 47 years Leonard haslived here, and the househas gone through a num-ber of major renovationsand additions.
“The house has seen alot of different lives,” saidJay Jenkins, the interiordesigner for three of themost important rooms inthe house for the couple:the kitchen, the solariumand the first-floor masterbedroom. “It is a labor oflove for them. A lot of verytalented people havebrought their best efforts,and every job has been ve-ry complementary.”
The first-floor bedroomis surrounded on two sidesby large windows that lookout on a cluster of bird-houses and bird feedersand birdbaths. The couplecan lie in bed in the light-filled room and, if they arevery still, they can watch avariety of birds arrive, eat,bathe and depart.
“We fill the feeders ev-ery Monday,” Lainy said.“And in the morning, welay in bed and watch thebirds.”
“You have to be verystill,” said Leonard. “Theynotice any movement inthe house.” Netting sur-rounds the bird sanctuaryto keep out cats and otherpredators. And it is plantedwith an abundance of flo-wering shrubs and wisteriato attract the birds.
“We worked to make it acomfortable, cleanerplace,” said Jenkins. “In-teracting with the out-doors is very important toboth of them.”
Doors on either side ofthe bed in this bright roomlead to long, narrow, his-and-hers bathrooms, verymodern, practical and lux-urious.
“We can meet in themiddle,” Lainy said,laughing.
The second floor, whereall the original bedroomsare located, now serves asthe pied-a-terre for thecouple’s blended family:five children and ninegrandchildren.
And the kitchen, withfamily pictures every-where, is more than up tothe task of feeding thecrew — or 200 guests at afundraiser.
“I used to do a lot morecooking. I even made myown bread” said Lainy, thelongtime aide to the lateGov. William DonaldSchaefer. “When I stopworking, I will go back tocooking.”
“The den is a little falland winter place to go,”said Jenkins. “The scale ismore intimate, the colorsdeeper and darker, and afireplace.”
Leonard and Lainy havesafaried in Africa andbiked in Switzerland,
France and Holland. Theyhave hiked in Alaska andthe Canadian Rockies andvisited China, Russia andNorway, and gone white-water rafting in Yellow-stone. They will be mar-ried 20 years this May.
Life has slowed for both,and now their favorite des-tination is the solariumLeonard adores. It extendsfrom what used to be thefront of the house downtoward the pool. Glass-enclosed and with an irri-gation/sprinkler system,the in-ground garden isplanted with orchids and avariety of green and flo-wering plants and is gentlylit from the rafters above atnight to magical effect.
“If someone sends me aplant, we find a place forit,” said Leonard, who hasalso taken up painting.“Even in winter, I am sur-rounded by flowers andplants.”
“Leonard wanted tomake it a place that wasmore appropriate for Lainyto be with him,” Jenkinssaid of the space. There area desk, a computer workstation, a television and abeautifully rendered modelof the Pride of Baltimore,on which he had the privi-lege of sailing.
On display in the solar-ium is the flag that drapedSchaefer’s coffin, present-ed to Lainy after the ser-vices, which she coordi-nated. But it was clearlyLeonard’s space before thechanges.
“She wanted to be therewith him,” said Jenkins.“Our job was to make theroom a more special placefor the two of them tospend time together.”
On the coffee table areheavily annotated birdbooks, with colored stripsmarking pages coveringbirds they have seen out-side the windows of theirhome.
“So many differentkinds,” said Lainy. “Some-times we can’t find themin any of our books. Butthey are here for us.”
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Maryland couple’s residenceoffers a home for flora, faunaBY SUSAN REIMERThe Baltimore Sun
Leonard Sachs, left, and Lainy LeBow-Sachs relax with their puppy, Ozzie, in thesunroom of their residence in Reisterstown, Md., a contemporary stone, glass andwood home that brings nature indoors. MCT PHOTOS
Leonard Sachs and Lainy LeBow-Sachs’ puppy Ozzie romps behind a whimsicalsculpture of a seated frog musician nicknamed Franklin the Frog by Lainy, at theircontemporary stone, glass and wood home in Reisterstown, Md.
An indoor tropical garden is featured in the sunroomof Leonard Sachs and Lainy LeBow-Sachs’ home.
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 . 7EREAL ESTATE
Despite the emergingnationwide real estate re-covery, many condomini-um apartments continueto languish unsold. Oldercondos and those in outer-tier suburbs can be espe-cially hard to sell, said Ma-ry McCall, president of theCouncil of ResidentialSpecialists (www.crs.com).
“People definitely wantto buy condos. But with allthe foreclosures and shortsales of the past, it can stillbe very hard to get a mort-gage to buy a condo insome areas,” said McCall, aveteran real estate broker.
“Since the bubble burston real estate, condo priceshave become affordable in alot of areas. But in manycases, you must still havestellar credit or a big downpayment to buy a condo,unless you can make an all-cash offer. The trouble ismost buyers don’t havethose financial advantages.”
Helping to balance outthe problem of slow-sellingcondos is a lively interest incondo buying among in-vestors seeking to ownbargain-priced units theycan convert into rental
properties.Another bright spot for
condo sales involves con-dos in pedestrian-friendlycity neighborhoods andtown centers.
Here are a few pointersfor would-be condo sellersand their listing agents:
I Make sure your unitis priced right from theoutset.
“If you try to push yourprice in an overbuilt area,your unit will just sitthere,” said Mark Nash, areal estate broker and au-thor of “1001 Tips for Buy-ing & Selling a Home.”
Owners seeking to sell ina complex with manylook-alike condos shouldmake doubly sure theirlisting agent does a con-scientious review of otherproperties that have soldduring the prior sixmonths. These are called
“comparables,” or“comps,” and they shouldgive sellers a reasonableidea of the price their unitwill command.
I Ask for a “broker’sopen” for agentsthroughout your area.
Of course, not all con-dos are tough to sell. Everyregion has neighborhoodsthat are consistently pop-ular, said Dorcas Helfant,former president of theNational Association ofRealtors (www.realtor.org).
To compete with rivalunits in your complex,Helfant recommends youask your listing agent tostage one or more “bro-kers’ opens” at your con-do. These are open housesto which real estate agentsthroughout your generalarea are invited. They typ-ically feature food, enter-tainment or both.
“If your condo looksgreat and gets exposed tomany agents, they’llspread the word and bringtheir clients by,” Nash said.
I Make your kitchenmore appealing.
Older condos often havesmall, galley-style kitch-
ens. But that doesn’t meanthey can’t be given the sortof spark that will set themapart.
“If you’re selling a unitwith a dated kitchen, youmay need to spend a fewthousand dollars to im-prove it. Often you can addgreat buzzwords to yourlisting with new applianc-es or countertops,” Nashsaid.
Due to declining prices,granite countertops suita-ble for a small kitchen arenow available for less than$3,000, according toNash, though he said anincreasing number ofbuyers are now expressinga preference for such solidsurfaces as Corian, whichis thought to be easier tomaintain than granite.
I Consider tangible in-centives to increasebuyer interest.
Some in the real estatefield consider it crass forsellers to offer tangible in-centives. But buyers whohave an array of well-priced options in the samecondo complex might picka unit offered with suchextras.
For instance, Nash said
you might choose to givethose who buy your condoa new iPad, a large plasmaTV or a surround-soundstereo system. Or youcould give them super-market gift certificates forseveral months’ worth offood.
“The freebies really
work, I’ve seen it happen.But remember that free-bies are no substitute formaking your condo lookwonderful and pricing itright,” Nash said.
The Oklahoma City metro area is not among the topmarkets for condominiums. Loft 401 houses condomi-niums at 401 E Boyd in Norman.
PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
EllenJamesMartin
SMARTMOVES
REAL ESTATE8E . SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
An old-fashioned wrap-around porch welcomesfamily and friends to theClearheart, an otherwisemodern home packed withpopular amenities. Woodcorbels accent the threefront gables. Gentlyarched windows add graceand charm.
Inside, cozy niches andintriguing ceiling treat-ments abound. In the en-try, for instance, the ceil-ing is high and vaulted,with natural light washingdown through the over-head dormer. The vaultinghere extends into the fam-ily room. Display shelvesoverarch the passagewaysto this large space and thebedroom hallway, as well.
The dining area andfamily room are vaultedwhile a 9-foot ceiling de-fines the kitchen space.And there’s more. A loftyvaulted ceiling adds dramaand volume to the owners’suite, and a coffered ceil-ing enhances the under-stated elegance of thebayed front room.
Both secondary bed-rooms have window seatswith built-in storage be-low. These are ideal forcurling up with a book,displaying prized toys, orjust plain daydreaming.
Display shelves nestleinto a small alcove in theshort hallway leading intothe owners’ suite. Othernoteworthy features in thisluxurious adult retreat in-clude: a large walk-in clos-et, dual vanity, separatelyenclosed shower and toi-let, spa tub, and a built-inseat.
Windows fill most of thefamily room’s rear wall,providing natural illumi-nation on all but the dar-kest days when the fire-
place will be most appre-ciated. From the kitchensink, there’s a clear view ofthis entire space, plus thepatio and beyond. Guestsand family members willnaturally gravitate to the
raised conversation bar.Stairways near the util-
ity room lead down to theClearheart’s basement andup to a large bonus roomover an exceptionally deepgarage.
A review plan of the Clearheart 10-410,including floor plans, elevations, sectionand artist’s conception, can bepurchased for $25 by phone, mail oronline. Add $5 for shipping and handling.Associated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive,Eugene, OR, 97402. www.associateddesigns.com. (800) 634-0123.
HOUSE PLAN
Wraparound porch is welcoming
AKRON, Ohio — Marnie Oursler’s passion started with achallenge. About a year and a half ago, a client ap-proached the Delaware builder with the idea of buildinghim a house using as many American-made products aspossible. There was just one catch: He didn’t want to paya premium for it.
Oursler took the bait and built the client a house inBethany Beach, Del., out of 95 percent American-madeproducts. Now she’s using that experience to encourageother construction contractors to do the same.
Her venture was the impetus for We Build American, acampaign being promoted by 84 Lumber Co.
The Pennsylvania-based building materials supplierannounced the initiative at the International BuildersShow earlier this year in Las Vegas.
Oursler is not the first contractor to take on the issue ofbuilding American. In fact, her client, Bill Gay, was in-spired by the work of Anders and Jake Lewendal, father-and-son builders from Montana who constructed ahome entirely from materials sourced or manufacturedin the United States. (Read more about that project atwww.theallamericanhome.com.)
Nor does 84 Lumber’s We Build American campaignclaim that the products it touts are made entirely fromAmerican-produced content. In today’s global market-place, it’s difficult to find more complex products thatdon’t contain at least some components made abroad.
Still, We Build American strives to boost the percent-age of a house that’s made here, and in doing so, supportour economy and create American jobs.
It should reassure consumers, too. Remember themess that ensued a few years back when some drywallmade in China was emitting noxious gases into homes?
The campaign is fairly simple: It encourages contrac-tors to pledge to build American, and it will make it easierfor them to do so by listing sources of U.S.-made build-ing materials on its website, www.webuildamerican.com. Consumers can also use the site to find builderswho have committed to using American-made products.
Oursler hopes that by doing the research for builders,she and 84 Lumber will encourage more to get on board.
Finding domestic products was her biggest challengewhen she first took on the Gay project, said Oursler, afourth-generation builder from Bethany Beach, Del.
“The first time was hard,” she said. But now that sheknows where to find products, she’s finding it much eas-ier to incorporate American products in the five homesshe’s currently building.
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Campaign toutsbuilding withAmerican productsBY MARY BETH BRECKENRIDGEAkron Beacon Journal
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 27, 2013 . 9EREAL ESTATE
If, like me, you spentthis winter hibernatingand eating baked goods,your home may have paidthe price — just when youmay be thinking of puttingit on the market. Maybe itgot a little disorganized, oris starting to look like anepisode of “Hoarders.”
Spring is a great time toshake off that winter slug-gishness and free yourselffrom clutter.
But where to begin?Spring cleaning can feeloverwhelming if your to-do list is more like a to-donovel.
Never fear: Professionalorganizers are here to offera couple of projects youcan do in an afternooneach:
Hall closetNikki Havens of Seri-
ously Organized in Bloo-mington, Minn., recom-mends starting with yourentry hall closet. Smallcloset or walk-in, use themost convenient spot inyour home to your advan-tage. First, identify thecoats you actually wearand pull out anything youdon’t, along with outer-wear that’s wrong for theseason.
“If you have too muchstuff, you can’t find any-thing,” Havens said.
After culling your coatcollection, she suggestsusing the floor for fre-quently used shoes, andadding two shelves direct-ly above them. Buy twocolor-coded bins for eachfamily member and labelthem with names. (Don’tforget the dog, who comeswith its own clutter.)
Place the first set of binson the bottom shelf. Thesebaskets should be used forseasonal accessories, likehats and gloves in the win-ter or goggles in the sum-
mer.“If you don’t use it a
couple of times a week itshouldn’t be there,”Havens said. “Keep twopairs of gloves — you don’tneed eight.”
Use the second shelf ofbins for what Havens callsthe “clutter control cen-ter.” From hairbands tofinger-painting master-pieces, these tubs are theplace to throw odds andends as you come in thedoor.
Finally, Havens recom-
mends removing thehanging bar and installinghooks in a diamond-shaped pattern for coatsand bags. Kids can take thelower hooks while adultsclaim the top ones.
Bedroom closetOnce you’ve mastered
the hall closet, Brooke Bu-tin and Heather Perrilliatof HeatherBrookes in LosAngeles have a plan fortackling your bedroomcloset.
The first thing to do is
purge, Butin said. Create adonate pile, a consignmentpile and a give-to-friendspile.
Perrilliat suggests tryingon anything you haven’tworn in a while. You couldeven invite a friend andturn the chore into a fash-ion show.
“Not everyone has thebudget to buy newclothes,” Butin said. “Lookfor clothes that could getnew life from an alteration— you could save a couplehundred dollars by spend-
ing 20.”Once you’ve cleared out
the old, take stock ofwhat’s left. Seasonalclothes should be boxed upand put in storage. The restshould be placed onmatching hangers facingthe same direction andcategorized by type — i.e.,shirts, pants, dresses.
“You have to make yourcloset function for you,”Perrilliat said. “If you’re ajeans and T-shirt person,keep those toward thefront.”
After you’ve categor-ized, organize your clothesby color within each cate-gory. Use closet tab divid-ers between categories ifyou want to go the extramile. These can be partic-ularly helpful with look-alike items — no morestruggling to distinguishskinny jeans from boot cutat 6 in the morning.
Butin advises utilizingvertical space for accesso-ries and shoes. The shelfabove the hanging bar canhouse hat boxes and shoesstored in clear plastic box-es. Side walls can holdhooks for handbags, and acorkboard can display jew-elry. Belts get messyquickly, she warns, so roll-ing them and placing themin a basket is your best bet.You can also keep your go-to shoes in a basket on thefloor.
Three quick projects that kill clutterBY CEDAR BURNETTFor The Associated Press
In these photos from Seriously Organized, the left photo shows a cluttered closet of Christmas decorationsbefore an organizing project. At right is a redesigned closet using new shelving and storage bins. AP PHOTOS
.
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