(3-min read)

For most people, buying a home is the most significant investment of their life. This makes the buying process something not to be entered into lightly. Even though the scariest houses have been transformed into dream homes, you don’t want to end up trapped in a money pit. There are a handful of signs that the house you’re looking to buy is going to be a third-degree migraine. 

1. The Electric System is Outdated or Downright Scary

While the electrical infrastructure of a house can be upgraded, fixed, or totally replaced, it’s definitely not going to be cheap. When touring a house that you’re considering buying, pay close attention to fixtures and outlets. Are the electrical outlets grounded (two holes vs. three)? If they’re not, this is just a telltale sign that the rest of the house’s electric system is in near shambles. Ask to see the electrical service panel. If the sight of it makes you uncomfortable, this does not bode well for its future. 

2. Telltale Signs of Structure Issues

The wise man built his house upon the rock, but if the home you’re looking at is crumbing, your bank balance will be too by the time you fix the home’s foundation. Look around the outside of the house and especially the basement. Take special note of any cracks you find and their placement. Walking through the home, check to see how easily doors open and close. A door that sticks or doesn’t close completely is an indicator that the foundation likely has significant issues. 

3. Old or Substandard Plumbing

When looking at a house you’re considering buying, ask about the plumbing. When was the last time the pipes were changed? What are they made of? If the water is turned on, you may be able to conduct some tests of your own. Find the bathroom most distant from the water heater. Crank the bathtub water on thoroughly followed by the bathroom sink and then flush the toilet. Look to see if the bathtub water slows down. If so, you’re likely looking at needing new plumbing. 

4. Signs of Water Damage

While you’re in the basement or walking along the outside of the house inspecting the foundation, keep an eye out of signs of water damage. Warped materials, watermarks, and other signs of moisture may indicate water damage. This damage may be insignificant, but could also spell expensive mold removal. 

5. The Roof is in Rough Shape

Remember to inquire about the roof. If the roof looks rough, you may have more than just a new roof to pay for. A leaky roof can lead to water damage that may not be visible until it’s too late. 

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If you don’t want to take your chances with a potential money pit, perhaps a new custom home build is what the doctor ordered. The home building professionals from Perry Hood Properties are excited to work with you to help you build the home of your dreams. 

Tell me more about building a new home with Perry Hood Properties.

(2-min read)

Your home should be a place for peace and quiet. With that being said, sometimes quiet can be harder to maintain from room to room. Whether your kids like to crank their stereos to 11 or you don’t want to wake the baby sleeping during a dinner party, managing sound can be tricky. Let’s take a look at four simple techniques you can use to dampen sound within the home. 

Dampening Sound with Soft Elements

An uncluttered space can feel great, but sparsely-furnished rooms can end up being filled with echoes. To keep echoes to a minimum, consider incorporating softer elements into a room. Longer cloth drapes, throw pillows, and area rugs can absorb rogue sound waves without cluttering the space or breaking the bank. 

Ceiling-Mounted Acoustic Tiles

For as unsightly as it may be, popcorn ceiling insulation dramatically reduced sounds from bouncing around the room. For the same effect without the unsettling texture, acoustic ceiling tiles can help achieve the same desired dampening effect. Acoustic ceiling tiles aren’t costly, and you can usually install them yourself over the weekend. 

Seal Up Sound Leaks from Doors

One of the main culprits of sound leakage are gaps under and above doors — especially in spaces where wood or tiles floors exist. To cozy up the sound in a particular area, you can use weather stripping made of foam rubber under doors and along doorjambs. Most weather stripping can be found for relatively little cash in rolls at your local hardware store. This stripping comes with an adhesive strip on the back. Cut it to size, pull back the stripping, slap under your doors, and enjoy the quiet. 

Professional Acoustic Insulation

Just because you want to watch Transformers in surround sound doesn’t mean that the rest of your house wants to hear it. For those with home theatre systems, consider installing professional acoustic insulation. Designed for theater spaces and recording studios, this insulation comes in panels that can be strategically attached to the walls of wherever you want to kill excess noise in your home. 

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Is your old home just naturally noisy? Maybe it’s time to upgrade. Enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with a newly constructed custom home from your friends at Perry Hood Properties. 

Tell me more about custom homes from Perry Hood Properties.

(4-min read)

So, you’re moving into a new place. Congratulations! Whether you’ve purchased a new house or you’re renting a new home or apartment, there is a lot of planning to do. One task is determining your furniture layout. While you can do it the hard way — eyeballing it and moving things where you think they’ll make sense — you can save your back with these methods for designing the furniture layout of your new space. 

Method 1: Sketch Your Furniture Layout

This method is probably one of the most popular ways of designing your furniture layout. Why? Simplicity. For a rough idea of where to put things, all you need is a piece of paper and a pencil. If you want to be more exact, you’ll also need a tape measure. 

• Start by measuring the rooms in your new home as well as your furniture. 
• Sketch an outline of your floorplan. The easiest way to adjust for size is by making 1 foot = 1 inch.
• Keeping the sizing in mind, very lightly sketch a bird’s-eye view of the furniture in places where you feel it may fit best. Keep the sketching light so you can erase to draw various placement ideas. 

Method 2: Use to-scale furniture cut-outs. 

Enjoy arts and crafts? Even if you’re not that crafty, this method of furniture layout is still within your grasp. All you’ll need is a few pieces of paper, a pencil, a tape measure, and some scissors. 

• Like method 1, measure the floorplan of your new home to make a 1 foot = 1-inch rendering. 
• On a separate sheet of paper, draw a bird’s eye view rendering of your furniture to scale. Write what each piece of furniture is and which room it belongs within for easy recollection — for instance, “Sofa, Living Room.” 
• Once you have your above-view furniture drawn, cut them out of the piece of paper. 
• Using the cut-out furniture pieces, lay them out on the floorplan. Move them into different places to determine which furniture layout design is best. Don’t forget to account for the direction doors will open. 
• Use your phone camera to snap images of your favorite layout ideas — not just the one you like the most. These second and third choices will come in handy in case your ideal layout doesn’t end up being possible. 

Method 3: Use of mobile apps or computer programs. 

Many different applications allow you to forgo using paper and retain a digital version of your ideas. Most of these applications will even include various furniture choices that may closely resemble your items. Other applications may be able to provide a three-dimensional preview of how the room will look with the furniture in place. 

There are a handful of downsides to using computer programs and mobile applications. 

• Cost: Many of these applications are free, but some with advanced features may cost a few dollars. 
• Learning curve: While most of the apps are relatively intuitive, figuring out how to use them may take a few minutes. 
• Not to scale: Even though the furniture options available in these applications vary, you will rarely find options that are precise to scale with your furniture. For smaller homes or apartments, this may become an issue when it comes to positioning your furniture following the layout you’ve designed in the application. 

Here are a few furniture layout design options to consider: 

Haverty’s 2D Room Planner
This web-based room designer tool is free and reasonably straight forward for use on a computer. 

PlanYourRoom.com
Just as the web address states, this no-frills room designer gives you the tools you need to design the furniture layout for your home. 

Magic Plan.
This mobile application available on iOS (iPhone/iPad) or Android allows those with minimal room-designing experience to design their room layout quickly. While the main app is free to use, it does contain in-app purchase options for additional features. 

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Why settle for someone else’s floor plan when you can make your own?
If you’re tired of conforming to the layouts of others, perhaps a custom-made home is the right choice for you. 

“Yes, I’d like to speak with a Perry Hood Properties representative.” 

(4.5- min read)
Becoming an empty nester can be emotionally challenging. While you may enjoy the peace and quiet that comes with fewer people living in your house, it can be tempting to keep grown children’s bedrooms just as they left them. Wouldn’t it be nice to turn this space into a functional office? Today, we’re going to discuss how to transform a bedroom into a dedicated home office. 

Start from Scratch

Many make the mistake of merely throwing a desk in the corner of an existing bedroom and calling it an office. Keeping elements of a bedroom in your new office space will hamper your ability to think of the area as an office as long as it still feels like a cozy bedroom. To make the space as functional as possible, both functionally and mentally, start from scratch. Treat the space not what it is but rather what it could be. 

An excellent way to start fresh is to strip it bare. Completely empty the room of furniture, decorations, and anything that identifies what it once was. Consider painting the walls a color that inspires focus and productivity. Take measurements and build a floorplan to scale. When planning what furniture and other elements to bring into the space, only add items that will facilitate focused work. 

Dedicate the Space

One of the most challenging aspects of getting work done from home is getting into the proper mindset. While the prospect of working from home on the couch in your pajamas sounds nice, few remote workers do so. Blurring the lines of home and work be detrimental to focus. To combat this, dedicate the space to getting work done. Here are a few more tips for setting the area apart for work: 

• Make sure the space has a door, possibly even one that locks. Consider adding a “do not disturb” door hanger to use when trying to maintain focus.
• Only bring in items that inspire rather than tranquilize. Hang up your certifications, degrees, or achievements on the walls while keeping scented candles away.
• Assign duties to your furniture. Have a chair that’s only for sitting in to do business. Keep home-like items off of your desk. Stock a bookshelf with books related to your industry. 
• Keep TVs out of your office. You probably wouldn’t have a TV in your office at work. Don’t include them in your home office. 

Keep the Utilities in Mind

When setting up your home office, keep in mind the location of electrical outlets and HVAC vents. Keeping wiring around the room to a minimal will allow you to remain more focused. Noisey vents or papers being blown off of your desk will only distract you.

Plan for Home Noise

Because this office is within your home and not in a business park designed for work, keep residential noises in mind. It may not be a bad idea to look into some sound-dampening if your office is near a noisier living room or entertainment room. If there’s no way around noise, consider installing a stereo system in your office or invest in noise-canceling headphones. 

Consider Your Light Sources

If you like to work in the sunlight, consider positioning your desk or other workspaces near a window. If this isn’t possible, consider installing a light fixture above your desk that will do the trick. Being able to tweak the lighting to your liking is just one of the many perks of a home office. 

Keep Additional Furniture Multifunctional

If your office needs to double as guest quarters from time to time, make sure to keep the guest-related furniture multifunctional. Determine what percentage of time the space will be used for what purpose and plan the layout of the room accordingly. No sense in keeping a king-sized bed in a room will only be used five days a year. Consider using Murphy beds or sofa beds that can fold out at a moment’s notice rather than a permanent bed. 

Warn Your Kids

You may be gung-ho to turn your grown child’s bedroom into your personal business center, and that’s your prerogative, but keep them updated on your intent and the progress. It can be somewhat jarring for a child in college to come home for a visit only to find their childhood bedroom wholly transformed into your command center.

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Not enough room for a home office? Perhaps it’s time for a new space.

If a new home makes the most sense for your current life situation, the home building experts from Perry Hood Properties would love to help. 

Schedule an appointment with a Perry Hood Properties home builder today.