Anastasia Kaufman's Blog
Every country and every region have specific styles of homes that are most common in that area. And every homebuyer has a style or styles of homes that peak their interest above all others. It’s important to know what types of homes dominate your region so you can expect what you’ll see as you begin your house hunt. Or you can skip the house hunt all together and search for land with the intention of building if that style of home is just about impossible to find in your area.
Here are a few of the top styles of home in New England.
Colonial: Colonial styles homes are one of the oldest known styles built in New England. This style mirrored homes in Europe. Colonial styles homes include Dutch and Georgian colonial. They are very simple and symmetrical style homes.
Cape Cod: Cape Cod style homes originated in the colonial era. Today, their design still pulls from the original designs. This style home generally has steep, pitched roofs, a central staircase and chimney, and two bedrooms upstairs. While original capes still exist, variations on the original design are fairly common.
Victorian: Victorian era homes include multiple architectural styles of homes that were prominent during this time period such as Italianate and Queen Anne styles. These home were typically constructed as three story homes in the eastern United States. Common among the design of these homes is that each type includes ornate and detailed design.
Craftsman: Craftsman style homes are the most popular style around the United States. As the name suggests, the home style focuses on the craft of construction with exteriors featuring a combination of wood and stone. These homes are usually bungalows that can be of any shape but are generally unique.
Traditional: Traditional homes are, as the name suggests, traditional. They are an ‘update’ to the colonial style home. This style typically is charming and detailed around historically accurate features.
These are just a few of the most popular homes in the New England region. And it certainly doesn’t mean that other, less popular styles don’t exist in this region. If you’re on the market for one of these types of homes in New England, then you have a pretty good shot at finding what you’re looking for. Happy house hunting!
435 Cowesett RD, Warwick RI, 02886
Single-Family
$369,900
Price
$369,900
Price
3
Beds Total
6
Numberof Rooms
3
Baths
Beautifully updated throughout and ready to move in. This Raised Ranch with a sunny tiled kitchen with new cabinetry, windows, & countertops. The kitchen leads to a tiled dining room which overlooks the new no maintenance deck recently added. The first floor includes 2 bedrooms and 1 master bedroom with ensuite bath consisting of double sinks and tub. The spacious lower level includes a lovely brick wood burning fireplace, open family room with walkout, large full bath, including shower and washer/dryer area. In addition, this home has a bedroom space, den space and potential inlaw capability with eating area and gas hookups. Finally, this home is beautifully landscaped with updated stone work on the exterior and includes an outbuilding with electric and cable. Wonderful family home located in top school system area.
When you have kids, it’s difficult to keep a spotless home. Your home will undoubtedly be “lived in,” as the saying goes. There’s ways that you can keep nice things and make those things accident-proof and kid-proof at the same time. Kids can spill things, cause dirt build-up, and even sustain minor injuries from certain pieces of furniture.
Slip Covers Work Wonders
Slip covers are really amazing assets to any home with children. Most of these covers are washable. You can fit them tightly around your furniture for a smooth look. Guests won’t even know that you’re using slip covers! The bonus is that you’ll be able to keep your nicer furniture fresh and clean.
Substitute The Coffee Table
Instead of a coffee table, try an ottoman with a new purpose. Ottomans will help keep kids from hurting themselves on the sometimes sharp corners of the coffee table. It will also give you somewhere to prop your feet up after a long day. This tactic will save you from the grief of many bumped heads, since ottomans are soft. You can use your ottoman to place books and other items on and around.
Showcase An Art Wall
Dedicate a space for kids’ art. This will make for a colorful addition to your home and give the sense to guests that your home is indeed family friendly. It’s also just plain fun to showcase the art that your children create. It will give the kids a sense of pride and joy! Whether it’s a wall or a hallway, this idea is always perfect for a home with kids.
When In Doubt, Buy Washable
There are plenty of things that come in washable form from throw pillows to paint. Some sofas even come with removable, washable cushion covers. These will all be a blessing to you when cleaning up after your children.
Incorporate Extra Storage
With all of the extra toys around your home, you’ll need extra storage to keep them in. Think about using pretty storage pieces like baskets, which are easy for kids to manage and easy for you to store.
While your home won’t need to be childproof forever, doing it now will save you from ruining expensive things. However, if there’s items that you really love, don’t sacrifice. Take the safety measures and precautions that you feel are necessary and don’t worry about the rest. A house is meant to be lived in. Remember that it’s not a museum!
Adult children move back home for a variety of reasons. Opportunity to pay for college without taking on housing costs, unemployment and a desire to live amongst family are a few reasons why adult children return home. Make the living situation rewarding for you and your adult children by creating an independent living space for your offspring.
Space for all ages
Do your adult children have children of their own? If so, childproof your home by installing security gates and latches. Create a play space for your grandchildren and make sure that everyone has adequate sleeping space.
Bunk beds, sofa beds, day beds and inflatable beds save space. Some sleeping options like the inflatable bed can be stored in the closet, while others have a dual purpose, functioning as a bed at night and as a sofa or seating space during the day.
Privacy matters and living expectations
Room dividers offer privacy, a bonus that adult children want. You’ll also want your own privacy. You can get the privacy that everyone craves by creating verbal living agreements with adult children. Items to cover in agreements include adult children letting you know if they plan to have company over, particularly if they want to host large gatherings like barbecues, parking, rent., childcare arrangements (if you’re a grandparent), cooking expectations and house cleaning responsibilities.
Basements and attics work wonders
Design your basement as a family gathering area. Add entertainment resources like a pool or ping pong table, wide screen television, shelving for board games, sofa and plenty of chairs. You could also turn your basement into an apartment, adding a bathroom, kitchen, living room and bedroom. The last option could pay off after your adult children move into their own home if you decide to rent the space out.
Put a bed, a dresser, closet and a small refrigerator in the attic and you’ve added another living space to your home. Add a permanent staircase, as pull down steps may weaken with constant use. Add value to your home by designing your attic so that it meets local housing codes. Also, make sure that there is sufficient insulation in the attic. It’s the closest room to your house’s roof and, absent adequate insulation, could become especially cold during winter or unbearably hot during summer.
Adding a room could increase your home’s value
If you don’t have a basement or an attic and live in a house that’s 1,500 square feet or smaller, it might be time to add a room to your house. Get bids from contractors and negotiate the best deals. Get the most value out of the new room by building a bathroom and small kitchen into the space. Again, think space to accommodate your adult children as well as how changes that you make now could increase the overall value of your home.
Although preparing your house for a real estate showing can be hectic, there are ways to make it easier and less stressful. One source of stress for many people is that nagging feeling that they're forgetting to do something important.
Admittedly, overlooking some things could result in lost sales or even lost valuables, but a little advance planning and organization can help prevent those problems from happening.
The solution is to create a checklist of important reminders and tasks you have to complete before leaving the house. Your real estate agent will provide helpful guidance and tips on effectively preparing your house for showings.
Putting Your Best Foot Forward
When your house is up for sale and it's being actively marketed, appointments with prospective buyers are sometimes made on the spur of the moment. While real estate agents will be scheduling the appointments and conducting the tours, it's up to you to ensure that your home is always in tip-top condition. Hopefully, you'll be able to enlist your family's help in picking up clothes, putting dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and cleaning up after themselves. If you have small children, they will undoubtedly need assistance in putting away their toys and making their bedrooms look civilized! Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when getting ready for house showings:
- Cleanliness (or a lack thereof) will be one of the many things that house hunters notice. While your house may meet their requirements for number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and overall layout, they could quickly lose interest if your floors, countertops, and sinks are visibly dirty.
- Pets can be a potential issue if your home is scheduled for a showing. Not only can dogs be a distraction if they bark a lot or have other undesirable behaviors, but some people are allergic to dogs and cats. The ideal solution is for a friend, family member, or neighbor to take care of your dog while the house is being shown. Unfortunately that's not always possible. Sometimes confining your dog to a fenced-in back yard (briefly) or a comfortable crate that they're accustomed to may be a viable, short-term solution. Several factors would come into play, including the weather, the temperament of your dog, and whether it's going to bother the neighbors by being outside.
- Doing your best to eliminate clutter throughout the house is another strategy for making the best possible impression on potential buyers.
Protecting Your Valuables and Privacy
Another priority that some homeowners forget is to hide valuables, such as jewelry, mobile devices, checkbooks, and cash. It's also a good idea to make sure your computers are password-protected, and that you turn them off before leaving the house. If you have any concerns about security during home showings, you might want to hide computers, personal items, and yesterday's mail in a secure place. Although most people touring your house will only be interested in its features, décor, and condition, it's always good to exercise a little caution when opening your house up to the public.
