Whitney Minnich Real Estate and Community Updates

Energy Adviser: Should you smarten up your home? By  Clark Public Utilities for The Columbian Published:  February 19, 2019, 6:02 AM ‘Smart home” can be something of a loaded phrase. Depending on your worldview, the term may evoke something between eye-roll-inducing images of people using a phone to turn on the toaster and dreams of living in a home where everything from ambiance to security is efficient, customizable and easily controlled. A smart home today is a living space with any combination of appliances, lighting, security, heating and other comforts that are connected to the internet and/or each other and that automates tasks humans would otherwise perform. At the basic level, a smart home can simplify tasks. With some careful planning these technologies can also improve home security, provide flexibility and convenience, and reduce energy consumption. Like any home-improvement project, it’s important to have clear goals and expectations in mind b...

The Home Remodeling Projects Owners Most Regret January 9, 2019 Home remodeling isn’t as easy as it looks on TV. And for nearly two-thirds of homeowners who’ve attempted a do-it-yourself house project, they say they regret not calling in an expert on at least one of their projects, according to a new survey from ImproveNet of about 2,000 Americans. On average, homeowners surveyed by ImproveNet reported attempting eight house projects themselves. But about a third admit to having later to hire a professional to redo the job. But the motivation to save some money is a big driver for their attempts. On average, homeowners said they hoped to save at least 60 percent in costs by bypassing a professional and trying to do it themselves, the survey shows.  A separate study by the National Association of REALTORS®  shows a bigger attraction to DIY home projects, particularly among younger generations.  “We’ve seen people take on a lot more than they ...

5 Ways to Future-proof Your Kitchen January 11, 2019 Revamping a kitchen can be a costly undertaking, with the median price of a remodeling job coming in at $60,000. So, how do you make sure the changes you make won’t look dated in a few years? HouseLogic, a home improvement website by the National Association of REALTORS®, offers ideas to future-proof your kitchen, including: Stick with white White has remained the top choice of the National Kitchen and Bath Association’s annual survey for years. “It’s a bright color that reflects light and makes even small kitchens feel larger,” notes HouseLogic, adding that white appears to be the “most marketable color” in the kitchen. Put in hardwood flooring Not having hardwood floors apparently comes with later regrets. More than half of home shoppers who purchased a home without hardwood floors say they would have paid an extra $2,080 for them, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ Home Feature...

Homeowners May Be Overconfident in Remodeling Skills November 13, 2018 The last few years, the home improvement business has been booming as more homeowners look to spruce up their homes. But are owners getting too confident that they can do it all themselves? “Costs, pop culture, and perhaps overconfidence could be driving DIY culture,” according to a new study from NerdWallet, a personal finance website. NerdWallet’s  2018 Home Improvement Report  found that younger generations are particularly gung-ho about tackling home improvement projects themselves than other age groups. Homeowners under the age of 35 take on more than half of all their home repair or home improvement projects themselves, according to the study which surveyed about 2,000 adults in the U.S. Eighty percent of all homeowners surveyed say that professionals charge too much for labor and materials. Further, 73 percent say there is a wide variety of resources available ...

Why White Kitchens Stand the Test of Time By:  John Riha Kitchen fads come and go (RIP, avocado and harvest gold), but when it comes to enduring value, the white kitchen is champ. Here’s why. Two words: white kitchen. “White has stood the test of time because it’s clean and fresh,” says award-winning designer Mick de Giulio, of de Giulio Kitchen Design in Wilmette, Ill. “And those two words — clean and fresh — are classic words for describing a great kitchen. There isn’t a better way to approach design.” White Has a Healthy History Roll back a few years to get a handle on white’s popularity. In the 1920s and ‘30s, white was about the only color offered by manufacturers. To paraphrase Henry Ford, you could have your choice of any color at all, as long as it was white. That made sense. White was associated with sanitation and health, and to a population not far removed from a deadly worldwide flu epidemic, household cleanliness was all-important. Times have change...