Why stuff things out of sight and out of reach when the best part of having nice stuff is being able to use it! It is fun and creative to look for or create convenient storage crannies that keep belongings out of sight yet easily accessible.

Let the designer in you come out by thinking of opportunities to make use of attic eaves. They offer a lot of room that begs for built-in storage, or drawers and furniture that glide right out of them. Floor level cupboards and cubbies are ideal for children, which are accessible right where they play. And don’t forget the old dog-house dormer which offers opportunities for additional closets or built-in window seat storage.

Cabinets and shelves are not just for the kitchen; consider banks of cabinets with open shelving between them on a large great room wall. Also, the availability of cleaver closet organizers allows for efficient use of the spaces you have. “Target” for example now carries “California Closet” systems.

When you begin to design your new storage spaces, be creative and open minded. Bounce ideas off your friends, and find out what else is available through books and magazines. Have fun while being creative. Find the right construction, design or architectural professional to assist you with exploring the hidden possibilities in your home.

 

For more insight, information and any questions on this and other important issues, please contact your most valued real estate professional, we are here to serve you! 

Sources:  John VanderSyde is an Associate Broker with Virginia Properties, A Long & Foster Company, and a Licensed Architect. He and his wife Ann are in business together in Richmond, Virginia.

I love my wife Ann, who is also my business partner; she does all the honest-to-goodness work while I write articles about real estate or the housing market and purport to be an “expert” at something. She is decently civil about the whole thing too, and complements me by saying how we each contribute different things to the job, which is after all why we work so well together. I have decided to politely agree with her on this point.

I am blessed because I know that, while there are a number of successful husband/wife teams in real estate, there are a lot of folks out there that cannot understand this relationship – working and otherwise. I know this because people tell each of us in all seriousness that they could no more work with their spouse than fly like a bird! Or they will project their experience by saying, “You’ll be divorced in less than a year”. Well, thankfully, I am pleased to report we are still together, making it work after nearly three years in business and over twenty years of marriage. Fortunately, I suppose, most partnerships don’t involve marriage.

I’ve been in housing in one form or another since 1986, and a Realtor/Broker for more than seven years. I’ve seen lots of partnership business models. Some work seamlessly well, while others fall through gaps in the seams. The ones that seem to survive appear to succeed as Ann said, because each member of the team contributes to the effort equally. Each person is either pulling in the same amount of business, or provides another talent that is indispensible to the business. Either way, partners feel their efforts are valued, and that their counterpart is doing their share of the work too.

I suppose teams in real estate work just like any other relationship – hard work, dedication, appreciation, mutual respect, sharing and caring to name a few. It kind of makes me feel like I’m back in kindergarten or something, but isn’t that where we started to first learn our most basic and important lessons for life anyway? If you’re interested in a partnership, find someone you like and trust and give it a few test runs together to see if it works. This is true of most relationships, but unlike marriage, if it doesn’t work out simply find someone else with whom to try it. A good partnership may take some time to find the best fit. I had the advantage of a long relationship to fall back on, but then I’ve always been a slow learner.

These days with the unique nature of our housing market it sometimes feels presumptuous to proclaim to be an expert in anything related to real estate. Our business of buying and selling homes is so kinetic, with a fluidity that is constantly changing and evolving, that it requires vigilant, almost daily monitoring in order to truly be called REALTOR®.

Many people don’t realize that every licensed real estate agent cannot legally use the term “Realtor” in order to identify themselves. Over the years that term has often been universally used to refer to any person selling real property. And while all licensees are required to take continuing education classes mandated by their state licensing board, Realtors are generally required to have additional training that extends to conduct, ethics and consumer protection, and who are members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

But the idea of being a real estate professional implies so much more than being educated and trained to transact property. There are certain traditions that are universal to people in sales, but in real estate, perhaps more than in most other sales positions, it is also the ability to communicate and maintain relationships that determines who the real experts are. Probably because of the very personal nature of our homes, real estate agents often become entrenched with the people they are entrusted to help find their next place to live, and grow, and love.

The true real estate experts are the ones you as the consumer trusts; the one who will listen to you, will put your needs first, is experienced and knowledgeable in your market, and who conducts themselves in an ethical manner. Don’t stop searching until you find the expert meeting your strict criteria.

Ann & John VanderSyde – Virginia Properties 2009 Sales Team of the Year. (804) 282-7300