Friday, July 25, 2014

How to Use Lighting to Stage Your Lakeland Sandpiper Home for Sale

How to Use Lighting to Stage Your Lakeland Sandpiper Home for Sale

How to Use Lighting to Stage Your Lakeland Sandpiper Home for Sale
If you are thinking about selling your Lakeland Sandpiper home, make sure you stage it in the “right light.”
Settling into your new home in Sandpiper will be a new chapter in your life that will be an awesome experience!
Staging with the right light makes any room look better, bigger, and airier. It can create a dramatic mood, draw attention to your home’s best features, and evoke positive feelings in potential buyers viewing your home.
Another advantage of proper lighting is it’s less expensive compared to repainting or reflooring, but creates dramatic results.
A dark home can turn off potential buyers and even decrease the amount of money you get in offers so make sure your Lakeland Sandpiper home for sale is properly lit in order to help sell it faster and at top dollar.
Here are some room-by-room lighting suggestions to help you stage your Lakeland Sandpiper home for sale:
  1. All rooms: Use recessed down-lights installed in ceilings or high-hats with a dimmer control.
  2. Bedrooms: Make sure there is a table lamp, bedside lights, or a floor lamp to give a softer, more relaxing ambiance.
  3. Bathrooms: To reduce glare and shadow, you can angle recessed lighting to bounce the light off the walls and ceiling for a softer look. Over-vanity lights or wall-mounted sconces also work well beside the mirror. Your shower’s interior should have a light with uniform brightness.
  4. Kitchen: Group down-lights to focus on where it is most needed like the center island table o r sink.
  5. Replace old lighting fixtures with new, modern looking ones. Make sure to get fixtures that produce 200 to 300 watts.
  6. Use at least one halogen bulb per room and make sure that each room is lit brightly.
These extra lighting tips could use up more electricity, but it will surely make a huge difference in attracting buyers or in helping them decide in case they are still unsure whether or not to make an offer on your Lakeland Sandpiper home, since the right lighting will boost your home’s focal points and best features.
In the long term, the return on investment from the extra lighting will all be worth it once you sell yourLakeland Sandpiper home.


Call me, Petra Norris, at (863) 619-6918 or send me an email at petra@petranorris.com if you’re looking for a Lakeland Florida real estate agent with superior local knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity, and personal service to help you sell or buy Lakeland Fl Sandpiper homes for sale.

Friday, July 11, 2014

Tips In Transitioning Into an Active Adult Community

Buyers of Sandpiper Lakeland Homes for Sale: Tips In Transitioning Into an Active Adult Community 

Buyers of Sandpiper Lakeland homes for sale: Tips in transitioning into an active adult community

From selling your old home to settling into your new Sandpiper Lakeland home, there’s a lot of adjustments when moving into an active adult community for the first time.

Though you are looking forward to the benefits in living in a community like Sandpiper Lakeland Fl, the process of moving and adjusting can be demanding if  you are not prepared.

 Settling into your new home in Sandpiper will be a new chapter in your life that will be an awesome experience!

Here are some tips to help you have an easier and more simplified transition into an active adult community:

1. Make a checklist.
Staying organized is the key to relocating. Write down your “to do’s,” make a checklist of your inventory to be packed and moves, and stick to your moving date schedule.

2. Ask questions.
Once you have decided to move into Sandpiper Lakeland Fl, make sure that you ask questions and get the answers. What types of homes for sale are available? Is it a gated community? How close is it to the amenities you need? You can research online, talk to the residents, or speak with a trusted agent who has experience in selling Sandpiper Lakeland homes to make sure you have all the information you need before you make that big investment.

3. Enjoy the community.
Once the papers have been signed and the last box has been moved into your new Sandpiper home in Lakeland Fl, it’s time to enjoy the community and your brand new home! Active adult communities have a strong sense of community so you will always find new friends and new experiences here.
Whether you are moving from another state or from another neighborhood, settling into your new home in Sandpiper will be a new chapter in your life that will be an awesome experience! To learn more ways to make the transition easier, call an experience and trusted real estate agent who specializes in Sandpiper Lakeland homes for sale today! 

Call me, Petra Norris, at (863) 619-6918 or send me an email at petra@petranorris.com if you’re looking for a Lakeland Florida real estate agent with superior local knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity, and personal service to help you sell or buy Lakeland Fl Sandpiper homes for sale.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl Home For Sale? (Part 2 of 2)

What Do Retirees Look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl Home For Sale?
(Part 2 of 2)
What do retirees look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale?
In the previous article (Part 1), we talked about why retirees prefer to move to Florida and what they are looking for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale’s interiors.
Now we will talk about what 55+ buyers are looking for when it comes to a home’s exterior and the neighborhood they will be moving into:
1. Low maintenance exterior. Options that are popular with retirees include stucco on concrete block, cement board, and brick.
2. Energy efficiency. Triple-pane, insulated, low-UV windows help keep utility bills low. Solar panels, solar water heaters and good insulation are also popular not only with retirees, but most homebuyers in general.
3. Size. 90% of retirees like to cut down on house size. The ideal size is anywhere between 1,400 to 3,000 square feet. Open floor plans which lets people be together most of the time and multi-purpose spaces are also in demand with retirees.
4. Outdoor Kitchens. Outdoor kitchens, along with telescoping doors, are popular for 55+ buyers who are moving to Sandpiper Lakeland Fl to enjoy the weather.
What do retirees look for in a neighborhood?
1. Nearby amenities like shopping, dining, healthcare, museums, and other attractions to explore are popular among retirees.
2. Activities. Leisure activities, fitness, walking trails, theater, clubs, volunteer opportunities, continuing education, music and dance performances, and many more. Retirees nowadays are also called active adults who prefer to stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle while enjoying the company of friends and loved ones, making these activities and amenities a must in the neighborhood they will be moving into.
3. Golf, boating, and living near water. Sandpiper Lakeland Fl has one of the best golf courses in Florida. The many lakes in Lakeland also offer excellent conditions for boating and all the fun living near the water brings.

If you are putting up  your Sandpiper Lakeland Fl for sale, it would spell a big difference if your home meets most of what retirees look for in a home. Hire an experienced Lakeland Fl agent to give you more tips to attract more buyers to your home and get offers as soon as possible.

Call me, Petra Norris, at (863) 619-6918 or send me an email at petra@petranorris.com if you’re looking for aLakeland Florida real estate agent with superior local knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity, and personal service to help you sell or buy Sandpiper Lakeland Fl homes for sale.


Petra Norris, REALTOR®…
Going The Extra Mile For You!

Thursday, July 3, 2014

What Do Retirees Look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl Home For Sale? (Part 1 of 2)

What Do Retirees Look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl Home For Sale?
(Part 1 of 2)
What do retirees look for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale?
Retirees who are planning to relocate to Sandpiper Lakeland Fl are looking for specific things in their new homes and neighborhood.
As a seller of a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale, it is important for you to know their reasons and motivations for buying and what they want in a home so you can make a fast sale.
Why do they want to move to Sandpiper Lakeland Fl?
In a recent survey at an Ideal Living Resort and Retirement Expo, 56% of respondents said the main reason they want to move to Florida is the warm weather.
The next main reason is the lower cost of living in Florida, according to 36% of the respondents.
Finally, 33% of the respondents said that the lower income and property taxes were the reasons they wanted to move to Florida.

What are retirees looking for in a Sandpiper Lakeland Fl home for sale?
Interior:

1. Universal design. This is one main feature that 55+ homebuyers go after.

2. Master suite on the main level. It gives easier access, especially for feeble knees or for those requiring wheelchairs or walkers.  Retirees also prefer at least one more en-suite bedroom with a full bath for guests  in the main level, in case a son/ daughter/ elderly parent moves in.
3. Lever door handles. They are just a lot easier to use compared to door knobs, for both young and old alike.
4. Shower stalls with non-skid floors. Bathrooms with tumbled marble and glass enclosures provide easy access while maintaining a stylish look.
5. Comfort height toilets at least 6 inches higher. The extra height of the toilet seat makes getting up easier
6. Wider interior doors and hallways. This allows better and easier wheelchair or walker access. Hallways should be at least 3 feet across for wheelchair access.
Stay tuned for the next article. We’ll talk about what retirees look for in the exteriors of Sandpiper Lakeland Fl homes for sale.
Call me, Petra Norris, at (863) 619-6918 or send me an email at petra@petranorris.com if you’re looking for aLakeland Florida real estate agent with superior local knowledge, experience, professionalism, integrity, and personal service to help you sell or buy Sandpiper Lakeland Fl homes for sale.

Petra Norris, REALTOR®…
Going The Extra Mile For You!

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

4th of July Celebrations for Carillon Lakes Homeowners

4th of July Celebrations for Carillon Lakes Homeowners

If you are living in or have recently purchased a Carillon Lakes home and are making plans for celebrating the 4th of July with loved ones, here are some suggestions on how you could celebrate Independence Day in and around Lakeland Fl:

4th of July Celebration hosted by the Lakeland Flying Tigers - 5:00PM
Venue: Joker Marchant Stadium, 2301 Lakeland Hills Blvd, Lakeland, FL 33805

Purchase tickets in advance to get the best seats and avoid long lines. Tickets are available by calling the Flying Tigers at  (863) 686-8075 or by visiting www.LakelandFlyingTigers.com.

A spectacular fireworks show will start at around 9:15PM. Be dazzled by two amazing, choreographed fireworks displays that will brilliantly light up the night sky.

4th of July Celebration at Lions Park - 10:00AM-2:00PM
Venue: Lions Park  N. Nekoma Avenue, Lake Alfred

Bring your family or friends and enjoy entertainment, rides, a car show, and food.

4th of july Celebration at The Florida Aquarium - 9:30AM
Venue: The Florida Aquarium, Tampa

Brandon Blast July 4th Fireworks Celebration - 6:00PM
Venue: Westfield Brandon mall

Celebrate Independence Day in the restaurant courtyard and inside the mall near the food court with fun for the entire family, music, great food and fireworks, plus a chance to win a $500 Westfield Shopping Spree. The event ends with a dazzling fireworks show at 9:00PM.

4th of July Fireworks Dinner Cruises at Tampa and Clearwater - 6:30PM
Venue: Yacht Starship, Tampa

Celebrate our Day of Independence with a spectacular 4th of July fireworks cruise. The cruise includes an open premium bar, a buffet upscale American favorites, stellar DJ entertainment, and spectacular fireworks finale choreographed to patriotic music! All ages welcome and dress code is casual. Tickets sell out fast so make sure to book in advance!

4th of July Family Funfest and Fireworks
Venue: American Victory Ship, Tampa

Get a feel of history as you celebrate the 4th of July aboard a WWII steamship, the S.S. American Victory. The steamship will be the best place to view the Channelside fireworks starting at 9:00PM.

Living in Carillon Lakes homes, you get to choose from a variety of events and places to celebrate Independence Day since Tampa is only 30 miles west of Carillon Lakes.

Petra Norris Realtor®
Lakeland FL Homes for Sale
CDV TransAtlantic, Inc.
PO Box 92050, Lakeland, FL, 33804-2050
Office Phone: (863) 619-6918
Cell Phone: (863) 712-4207