Increasing the value of your existing home!

Here's some real estate GOLD for you...did you know an unused room can become a REAL and fully functional bedroom simply by adding a closet?

Sue & I are flipping this Franklin home with our daughter Tammany...and it will be the best in the neighborhood when we're on the market in August!

Interested in this (or other properties I represent)? Reach me: 615-480-2955, bill@NashvilleRG.com (Nashville Realty Group, 615-261-8116). And by the way, I'm never too busy to help you or those you refer my way with real estate needs!

An update on our home remodel...

Remodel Phase 1 is virtually complete. Some say a photo is worth 1000 words, so I will use photos to tell the story... (this *would* make a good HGTV or "This Old House" episode, yes?)

First, we extended the garage approximately 3 feet to the rear and raised the upper deck 2 feet to accommodate a mud room with a horizontal stained glass window, featuring a floor-to-ceiling shoe closet (the back of the shoe closet will be the edge of the new landing). This also allows us to expand the 9-foot ceiling from the kitchen to include the breezeway.

Next, we created a 2-tiered stairwell that surrounds - hold onto your seats - a dumb-waiter to take items from the garage to the attic seamlessly. (More on this later...) We will have a utility sink installed under the stairwell stringers accessible to the garage level.

The top of the stairwell landing opens into a great room or family room. French doors on either side of the gothic window will lead to a deck over the garage door.

We opted for a 12-foot vaulted ceiling above the great room to frame the gothic window and create an amazing feeling of space.

There will be a full attic above the raised garage roof, and with an 8-foot ceiling above the efficiency kitchen, the "Amityville" windows are at eye level and there is plenty of headroom to access the attic.

This is a view from the attic above the efficiency kitchen. As you can see, there is plenty of storage (never in enough available in *any home*, right?)

What good is an attic space if it is difficult to access or use? The 3-floor dumb-waiter will extend from ground level past the 2nd floor family room and provide full height access to the attic space.

We had originally considered a spiral stair (always a possibility) but in the interim we found a wonderful staircase to provide full and convenient access to the 3rd floor attic room. From there, we can access the entire attic including the main house!

We have planned tons of indirect lighting, including these 10 South-facing windows. We will have 10 similar West-facing windows providing similar light to our new office space (between the expanded garage and the main house).

And finally, from the landing next to the efficiency kitchen (our current kitchen, re-envisioned) and dumb-waiter (also useful for groceries to the 2nd floor, yes?), you can see the stair leading from the family room back down to the mud room at the rear of the garage.

Real Estate In Action

Your Realtors truly care about you and your community. When I was speaking at tonight's Franklin BOMA (Board of Mayor and Aldermen) meeting, not only did I run into my colleague, Franklin Rotarian and fellow football parent Kevin Townsel (center rear, wearing the "shades"):

but I also ran into my broker and practice founder Cindy and Joe Borbely. Together, we are working hard to *protect our values* in the City of Franklin:

Kevin spoke about the significant financial hardship experienced by City of Franklin retirees when a change in plans caused them to *miss an entire month's* check. The previous plan paid on the first of the month, while the replacement plan did not provide a check until the very end of the month. Remember the fallout during the recent and lengthy government shutdown where employees were without pay for several weeks? The hardship was real, but at least in that case those employees received their checks in arrears and were "made whole". In this instance, retirees - most of whom are likely on a fixed income by definition - were unable to meet their obligations for an entire month! And while the plan continues to manage their funds, there is no plan to make up for the month where they received no check...

As Realtors who truly are invested in your happiness, it was good to see my like-minded broker and practice owner Cindy and Joe Borbely make the effort to represent and encourage their neighbors just as I had in the previous 2-hour BOMA working session (video below). Both our concerns related to developers who have put forth aggressive plans that impact our neighborhoods. As I spoke in support of the 232 homes in well-established Falcon Creek subdivision along, I feel compelled that many of these homeowners are in similar situations - young families with smaller incomes who have stretched to own their first home, or retirees who have significant budget challenges and rely heavily on their fixed retirement income. In my case, neighbors with limited resources are confronting concerns brought by a deeper-pockets developer - whose adjacent Carothers Chase project not only brings unwelcome cut-through traffic, but also threatens home values with construction and blasting damage to established homes where their owners have limited means to repair any resulting damage - to say nothing of their well-established right to enjoy their established community.

Those who know me well might enjoy seeing my comments limited to 1 minute - AMAZING, yes? - along with other neighbor comments, mine start around 1:35:50 in this video of the March 12 BOMA Working Session

Want to benefit from working with a different kind of Real Estate practice? You know I only work from referrals you send my way. Call me at 615.480.2955, email me at bill@nashvillerg.com or reach me at my Nashville Realty Group practice at 615.261.8116.

A Birds' Eye View - Re-envisioning Your Home!

So here we are, at the beginning of Week 3 of our home remodel. Two weeks ago we had a typical 2-car garage with a 12/12 roofline. It was already good raw storage space, but we encountered a huge kitchen that Habitat Restore decommissioned in 2012. To quote "The Godfather", they made us an offer we couldn't refuse. Not only did we get an amazing deal, but the proceeds helped Habitat for Humanity build a home to help another family!

So we then spent a good couple of years considering floor plans and re-envisioning our home to include the 70 linear feet of cabinetry plus the matching center island plus all the granite plus a panel front GE high-end cabinet depth fridge. We knew that to accommodate the custom cabinets with at least a 9-foot ceiling height, we would have to take in the breezeway which featured a 2nd floor enclosed pass-thru between the main house and the garage (shown here):

(Who knew the door you see at the end of the passage would be opportunity knocking?) So we figured since we had to enclose the existing breezeway to increase the kitchen footprint below, we might use the opportunity to branch up and out!

We are at start of week 3. As you can see, we are creating 2nd floor living space of approximately 700 sq ft in addition to the original 150 sq ft breezeway. We are raising the roof to eliminate knee-walls while maintaining the 12/12 pitch and the storage it affords us. And as luck would have it, our panoramic views of the neighborhood are well worth the investment (and our patience over the past 6-1/2 years). Check these new views we will gain from our in-progress family room!

Hopefully this gives you the idea that I am not your typical Realtor. For me, it's not just about helping you buy your dream home or getting you the highest offer for your current one...it's also about re-envisioning the home you already own or are considering for purchase! And by the way, since I am blessed to only work exclusively by referrals from friends like you, I am never too busy to help you or your friends with their Real Estate needs - reach me directly at 615-480-2955 or through Nashville Realty Group 615-261-8116.

After 5 years as a professional Realtor®, not only have I used my experience to help friends (and *their* friends who are now *my* friends!) buy homes at a well-negotiated price or get the best possible sale price for their home, but my wife and I have also built a new 6000 sq ft commercial building for our Nashville preschool business and purchased a Franklin home 3 months ago below appraised value in our local hot real estate market. At the same time, for over 6 years we have delayed a project to renovate our own downtown Franklin home. As you are about to see, the time has *come* !!!

I expect this project should be on HGTV, since homes in our downtown area routinely sell for nearly $300 per square foot. We will add 900 square feet and greatly improve another 600 square feet...going from 5 bedrooms, 2-1/2 bathrooms and a modest kitchen to 5 bedrooms, 4-1/2 bathrooms and 2 kitchens - one of them equipped for the most demanding chef!

Last week was demolition week for the current garage. Now at beginning of week 2, we are into reconstruction of half the new space - the family room above the garage. You'll see that we have lengthened the garage 3 foot to gain 60 square feet to accommodate a wider second stair with a mud room inside the garage featuring a huge shoe closet...

...and our second floor presents such a wonderful overlook that we've decided to add a "third floor" rooftop deck to savor the view...

Just as we did, before you think about improving *your* home, wouldn't you like to know what your improvements will be worth in your neighborhood? On average, industry statistics reveal that kitchen remodels bring about 80-85 cents for every dollar you spend when you go to sell your home. In our case, we have no doubt this remodel will bring over 2 dollars for every dollar we spend. We all know the command to "love thy neighbor", but when you decide to put your house on the market one day, you and your neighbor are competing for Buyers.

And by the way, I only work by referral, so I am *never to busy* to help you or your friends make their Real Estate dreams a reality. Send them my way (615-480-2955 direct or via Nashville Realty Group® 615-261-8116)... you deserve a seasoned Realtor® who can bring his best ideas, experience and efforts!

Did you know that I AM THE SHERPA for your Real Estate needs?

Sherpa - noun - a member of a Himalayan people living on the borders of Nepal and Tibet, renowned for their skill in mountaineering.

Would you venture into the Himalayas without a Sherpa? I didn't think so - and neither would I. Not only is it dangerous, but simply unfamiliar territory. And we all know the internet (Zillow, Trulia, etc.) is a reliable source of information, right??? At the same time, I know that most of my friends don't sell or buy homes every month either - that's my job and where my experience lies. I welcome the opportunity to be your experienced Sherpa - guiding you through every step and nuance of the less familiar Real Estate mountains.

Did you know that it seldom costs you even a penny more to have an EXPERIENCED SHERPA guide you through your real estate journey? And I guarantee that internet-based companies won't negotiate hard to get you the best deal...

Just so you know that I practice what I preach, here's a photo of me with my wife Sue in October 2018, hiking the Great Smoky Mountains with our great friend, fellow Scoutmaster and commercial builder Bob Spista. And yes, on both this hike and in constructing our 6000 sq ft commercial building in Nashville, Bob was our Sherpa!

Oh by the way, I always have time to help you since I only work by referral. I'm glad to help your friends with the Real Estate needs - have them reach me at 615-480-2955 (bill@nashvillerg.com) or Nashville Realty Group 615-261-8116

Do you know what's better than watching the New England Patriots (yes, where I lived until 2001) win SuperBowl 53 (along with some great food)? Helping a Seller (friend of ours) and a Buyer (young couple raising their family) go under a real estate contract DURING the game! In case you're wondering, that's because I am *never too busy* to help you or your friends with their Real Estate needs.

Are you *buying*? I can help you get a great home, that meets your needs, at the right price. Are you considering *selling*? I can help you present your home and get the best possible price. I love having earned a reputation as a strong negotiator! Or do you just need a great handyman? Again, my specialty!

Since I only work by referrals, from those who already know and trust me, I will always make time for you - or for friends you refer to me... Reach me at 615-480-2955 (bill@nashvillerg.com) or Nashville Realty Group 615-261-8116