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http://www.thecharloftepost.com CI)e Cliarlotte $osct THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2006 6D REAL ESTATE Moving? Make a to-do list The kids are out of school for the summer. It’s time to make that move. Moving can be an especially stressful Eliminating household items and clothes can reduce some of your moving anxieties. If you have unwanted items, you may want to arrange a moving/yard sale. You can also give unwanted items away to family, friends or to your local church. Goodwill is another great place to donate unneeded items. Remember to get receipts of the donations for tax purposes. After dealing with the painful house cleaning tasks, prepare a moving checklist. This checklist should be prepared at least 30 days prior to departure. Remember to itemize the things you need to do, including preparation of a budget of your projected moving expenses. One the best ways to avoid transitional stress is to be organized and to use a countdown checklist. Your checklist should also be broken into five categories: 30 days, two weeks, one week, two days and moving day review periods. Thirty days prior, start gathering boxes and bringing them home. Pack up items that you don’t need or will not use between now and your moving date. Contact your bank and arrange the transfer of accoimts. Contact new schools and arrange for transfer of records. Arrange for temporary housing, if needed. It may also be a good idea to submit your change-of- address forms to your local postal services. Send change of address notices to your creditors and magazines subscriptions. Most importantly, you should secure the services of a reputable moving company. . Two weeks before you move, arrange for the disconnection of your utilities. You may also be able to coordinate the transfer of the utilities at your new residence. By doing a transfer you can avoid some re connect or set up fees. One week before the move, gather all-important documents, papers and accounts that you will carry personally. Confirm moving arrangements (i.e. transportation, storage and moving help). Always confirm the moving date with your storage and moving help. You may want to have back-up help on standby, if you are moving yourself. Pay close attention to when moving trucks are to be returned to avoid expensive late fees. Twenty-four to 48 hours before you move, finish packing all your personal belongings. Complete all the financial matters relating to your home purchase and/or sale. Clean and defrost the refrigerator and /or freezer. ROLAND K HAWKINS is a Real Estate Agent with Caldwell Bunker United Realtors. He can be reached at (704) 840-5762 or via the internet: mvw.rolandhawkins.com PHOTOS/ARA CONTENT With research and professional consultation, your outdoor space can become an oasis. Creating outdoor oasis ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION Do you know that an outdoor space - a backyard, patio, deck or porch - can be transformed into a personal oasis by design? And you don’t need an enormous budget to turn a ‘Trlah” outdoor space into one that makes you go “ah!” You do, however, need to approach outdoor living the same as you would for an indoor design project - do research and obtain consultation from a professional to develop a plan and execute it. The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) recommends that you answer several questions before undertaking any outdoor project: 1. How is your family going to use the space? What activities win it be used for: entertaining, grilling, sports, swimming, relaxing, gardening or a combination? What is the total niomber of people expected to use . the space? Be realistic about how much space you have ,A5 or don’t have. Don’t plan on playing volleyball and safely grilling and dining in a small' area. Are you a “t-shirt and flip flops” or “garden party” type of host? If you are the latter, don’t install stone and ground cover in common areas to avoid tripping in high heels. 2. What kind of storage do you need for seat pads, athletic equipment, gardening tools, etc. when they are not in use? “Many people think of storage after an outdoor project is completed,” says Robert Wright, FASID, ASID president and an interior designer based in San Diego. “Consideration of storage at the start will eliminate any headaches later. Consider creative ‘camouflage’ solutions — landscaping, fencing and mobUity of storage components.” 3. Do your family or friends have any special needs? “Safety must be considered,” says BJ Peterson, FASID, a Los Angeles-, based interior designer. ‘You can create spaces that are safe for everyone and still aesthetically pleasing.” Slippage is a major concern. Use slip-retardant flooring materials, like slate, especially around pool areas. If you have small children, be cautious of purchasing outdoor furniture with sharp edges. If you decide to use glass in the design of your outdoor oasis, make sure it is tempered. If you plan to entertain elderly visitors, make sure there are no steps from the inside to the outside of your home that could cause a fall or discomfort. Proper lighting also is important as it not only creates ambiance but enhances safety, Wright says. ‘Make sure you have adequate lighting over the task areas for cooking, working and eating.” 4. What is the climate in your area? How much of the year do you want to use the space? “Different climates have different design considerations,” Peterson says. “If you live in an area with typically high temperatures but still want to be outdoors, consider installing overhangs or perhaps a trellis with vines to create a natural canopy. At the very least, purchase a patio umbrella for shade.” If you live in an area that gets chilly even during the summer months, consider instaUing heating lamps or an outdoor fireplace. 5. How is your privacy going to be assured in the space? “Landscaping is a great way to protect privacy,” Peterson says. Walls get in step with fashion ARTICLE RESOURCE ASSOCIATION Fashion and home decor trends are so closely aligned now that we can add a favorite new look or color scheme to both our wardrobes and our homes at the same time. One day you’re shopping for shoes in the hottest color and the next day you find yourself reaching for throw pillows in a matching shade. In fact, if you’re gearing up to decorate, fashion is a great place to look for some of the key trends that are proving to have staying power at home: lace, black-and-white, gingham and bohemian looks. Fashion and home products designers are reworking these familiar favorites and turning them into something new and exciting. These looks are finding expression in today’s most inspired wallpaper designs - an affordable and beautiful way to revitalize a tired-looking room. Since the new easy-hang wallpapers - called non- woven wallpapers - are much easier to hang and even easier to remove, you can try a trend without fear of living with it forever. Lace updates its delicate femininity and now goes boldly where it hasn’t before in both fashion and home. It may appear as a lace insert running down a pant leg or a sheer overlay to a form-fitting dress in a contrasting bright color. In wallpaper that translates to larger-than-life lace stripes with color peeking through the pattern. In other designs, lace goes vintage and looks as if it has been worn away by time. The combination of black and white never really goes out of style, but now it’s given unexpected twists. It’s about breaking the rules, like wearing a bold black belt with a delicate white dress. On the wall, it means taking traditional motifs such as botanicals, birds and damasks that are more t3/pically foimd in an array of colors, and offering the patterns in stark black and white for a surprisingly modem mood. “The clarity of black and white gives almost any timeworn wallpaper pattern a kick in the pants,” says Mitchell Owens, senior interior design editor of Traditional Home magazine. “The new generation of homeowners appreciates classic motifs, but wants them interpreted in a fresh, youthful manner.” Long a country decorating staple, gingham has always played it a little safe. Now, the classic check grows more bold and confident in color and scale. Look for ginghams in eye popping sorbet colors such as pink, green and orange. In other wallpaper patterns, large checks seem to ripple like fabric, adding a dehghtful softness to the graphic look. Bohemian looks in all their embellished glory have been among the most enduring trends in fashion for several seasons and are stiU going strong. Not defined by any one particular style, Bohemian blends together different cultures and eras to create an intriguing mosaic of patterns. Whether it’s an embroidered peasant skirt or wallpaper patterns inspired by Moroccan tiles and Indian paisleys, it’s aU about easy living, mixing and matching, layering and an “anything goes” attitude, which really makes for foolproof dressing and decorating. lb learn more about incorporating these and other trends into your home with wallpaper, visit www.wallcoverings.org, then click on Wallpaper How-to. \ REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS / REAL ESTATE CLASSIFIEDS tJl FOR RENT I—I I—I Ul u ICIIWGSI^WRLIC NOW is a good lime to move to KINGSPARK, We are still the "Westside's Best Kept Secret”. Judy Williams, Manager 704-333-2966 FOR SALE ** NO QUALIFYING ** Assumable loans! Seller Finance! Lease Purchase! Work 4 Down Payment! New and Existing Homes Available! MCGARY & ASSOCIATES 704-926-7100 704-541-7100 www.McGaryRealty.com $199 Move In Special * Conditions Apply Now Leasing 1, 2, & 3 Bedroom Apts & Townhomes CALL TODAY before they are gone.' 4929 Ihckaseegee Road ^ 704-392-9944 { VACATION RENTALS MYRTLE BEACH/Noith, SC- OCEANFRONT! $100 Discount Summer Beach Rentals. Private hoines/condos. Spring/Summer Get-A- Ways! Free Brochure. Call 1-866-878-2754. or www.northmyrtiebeacht ravel.com -Preview Properties! LITTLE ROCK APARTMENTS Newly Renovated 2, 3, & 4 Bedroom Apartments Now Available Includes Central Air, Heat Dishwasher Garbage Disposal, Range & Refrigerator Rents are based on your Income Call 704-394-9394 Ext 13 Ask for Ms Perry COASTAL/ MOUNTAIN ESTATE SALE! Must sell lovely wooded hoinesite at Ocean Ridge Plantation near Sunset Beach, NC. Golfer’s dream! Below market value. Contact agent MaryAnn Bechtel. 910-393- 9009. LAKE GASTON VA/NC 350 miles shoreline. Free Lake Map/Buyers Guide. Tanglewood Realty, Box 116, Bracey, VA 23919. www.TanglewoodRealt y.com 1-800-338- 8816.- North Carolina Mountain Chalet New 1300 square foot log chalet $89,900. Includes land deck, covered porch, views and is easy to finish. 828-286-1666 owner/broker.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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June 22, 2006, edition 1
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