Latest Trends:

Here are the do's and dont's
what's HOT and what’s NOT in San Diego

HOT

• “…Market timing. Many buyers and sellers were on their own timelines in 2006, and they missed opportunities that were created by not recognizing the real estate market's ebb and flow. Spring is high market, the most demand by the largest number of buyers. Summer is a good market, fall is fair, and winter is the remnant market, the left-over buyers and sellers from the high, good and fair markets.
• Third places or officetels. Home offices are on the rise, though those who work from one need more than a coffee shop or hotel lobby for business meetings. Look for alternative work spaces that bridge the home office with hourly rentals of conference room-type spaces that offer technology and privacy.
• Upscale garages. It's no longer the out-of-sight, out-of-mind dumping ground. Today's garage owners want them decked out with cabinet and storage systems, mini-refrigerators, insulation, heating and air conditioning, and durable but residential-looking flooring.
• Caving. Man caves and Mom caves are coming out of the closet. Personal dedicated space where one person in a household can go and work on projects or "chill" without being disturbed.
• Two home offices. Rising gas prices and commuting times have created more two-work-at-home families. Size matters; make sure each is at least ten-by-ten feet.
• Rejuvenation rooms. A one-stop space for exercising, meditation, yoga, sauna and fancy steam showers. Showers are going upscale too. Waterfall fixtures and programmable temperature and water flow are the next trends for "showers."
• Snoring rooms. Offered as options in new homes, adjacent second bedrooms to the master offer relief from the "buzz saw" and an alternative to the couch. A godsend for millions of relationships nationwide.
• Sustainable design. Sustainable design is based on three areas: energy conservation, indoor air quality and resource conservation. Sustainable design looks at homes holistically and not just as a group of unrelated systems thrown together. Natural forms of energy, such as wind, solar, and geo-thermal, are maximized.
• Structured wiring. Right up there with all the buzz about green homes is structured wiring, now entering the mainstream must-have for technology-based home buyers. Coaxial TV cable (RG-6), Category 5E voice and data lines, distributed radio and remote-camera security are wired throughout a home into multi-outlet boxes called home network centers.
• Mixing finishes on kitchen base and wall cabinets. Matchy-matchy is out in kitchen design. The new look is to have stained-wood bases and painted wood upper cabinets. It's the old-Europe look, tailored to fit with today's appliances. “ More importantly, here are a few trends Nash has noticed leaving with no plan of coming back in the near future.

NOT

• "As is" in home sale marketing. Anything went in the boom market, but if you're planning to use "as is" in 2007/2008, forget it. The two letter-two word kiss of death, buyers see it as a red flag about the home and you as the seller. You have too much competition to be chasing buyers away.
• Bedrooms too small for a bed. In the boom, rehabbers and developers learned the fastest way to profit was to increase the room count of an existing home. Bedrooms shrank to walk-in-closet size when a four-room one-bedroom was gut-rehabbed into a four-room two-bedroom. Or the doorways and windows gobble up too much wall space. Savvy agents kept asking, "Can you fit a queen-size bed in either room?" And the answer was usually, "No."
• Loads of glass upper kitchen cabinet doors. Buyers say it looks great, but many who specified and experienced it firsthand don't have the time to keep their kitchen cabinets organized. Plus, if you hate washing the windows, having more glass in a greasy room like a kitchen means high maintenance.
• Bowl-shaped above-counter bathroom sinks. The splashing and over-all upkeep have earned these the reputation of nice to look at, but don't want one.
• Any shiny metal finish. Brushed nickels and pewters are in, and antiqued and polished brass is out.
• Stainless-steel refrigerators and dishwashers are a fading trend. The cold look and higher maintenance of steel is shifting buyers to specify warmer colors in kitchen appliances.
• Spiral staircases. Once the rage for mid-70s makeovers, now death to a home seller. The boomers have aged, their kids don't like them, and they're unfriendly to pets and young children. Take yours out and put in a standard staircase (inside or out) before you sell. These are just a few of the changing trends out there. Let our team of interior designers and architects guide you toward a more valuable home to both your family and to the housing market. Contact a representative at SoCal Construction & Design to come out and offer solutions to the ins and outs of your home. Our first consultation is free.

Below are the best home improvement ideas
and their percent return on investment

Minor Kitchen facelift:

A minor kitchen facelift is one of the best improvements homeowners can buy. Other real estate professionals concur. Minor kitchen remodels return more value than most other projects on the list. Approx. 81% return on investment.

Adding a bath:

Extra bathrooms are key selling points to prospective buyers. Approx 72% return on investment.

Bathroom remodel:

Real estate pros rank the bathroom remodel as third most valuable home improvement (tied with adding a family room). Said to be one of the smartest remodels a home owner could ever do. Approx. 84% return on investment.

Kitchen remodeling:

A major Kitchen remodel is a tiny step down in return on investment, but remains a valuable sales tool for sellers. As with everything, the more universal the design The quicker you find someone who will like it. Approx. 70% return on investment.

Master room addition:

Master rooms seldom have a friendly number at the bottom of the estimate but the resale value is perhaps one of the best. Approx. 91% or more return on investment.

Two-story addition:

Who throws the big bucks down for a two story addition? Growing families, that’s who. Remember, this kind of remodel is intricate and needs a contractor who is good with tying the new in with the old so the entire home looks cohesive at completion of remodel. Approx. 70% return on investment.

Window replacement:

When you can see your heat/ air conditioning literally seeping out your windows, it is time to update. A new window project is relatively inexpensive in the gamut of home improvement. Approx. 56% return on investment.

Deck addition:

Sunlight, fresh air, and vegetation exert a subtle, subconscious pull that makes a deck the next best thing to a walk in the woods. Decks extend the house outdoors--hence the term “indoor/outdoor living.” Approx. 54% return on investment.

Home office:

With high gas prices, a growing number to telecommuters, and self-employed business owners, home offices are gain in popularity. Though gain in popularity, this item is not for everyone, in fact, it ranks the lowest on our list at approx. 50% return on investment.

How do I pick a general contractor?

Well, besides confirming that he is licensed and insured, you should pick a contractor who is local to your area and knows the current construction trends. That knowledge could be the difference between a sloppy remodel that takes forever to complete, and a quick remodel that has added value to your home. A good contractor will also help you in the decision making process if you are ever up in the air about a product. And swears to adhere to all the current California building codes.

SoCal Construction & Design
Phone: 619.269.3036