$600K Under Asking For Remodeled Ashbury Heights Home

$600K Under Asking For Remodeled Ashbury Heights Home

Listed for $3.995 million in February, the asking price for the fully-remodeled Ashbury Heights home at 908 Ashbury was reduced to $3.595 million after three weeks on the market and the sale has now closed escrow with a reported contract price of $3.4 million.

Purchased for $2.75 million in 2010, following the remodeling of the home’s master bath and its top floor which now includes a family/media room that plugged-in people might recognize, the apples-to-apples re-sale represent average annual appreciation of 4.6 percent for the home since August 2010, or total appreciation of 24 percent over the same period of time.

 Articles and photos sourced from :www.socketsite.com

4 Secrets to a Luxurious Bathroom Look

Ever looked at a beautiful bathroom and wondered what takes its design to the next level? You’re not alone. Many homeowners want to know how some bathrooms get that mysterious designer je ne sais quoi. I’ll let you in on a few secrets. Because the overall material costs are low in a small space like a bathroom, it’s a great place to spurge a little on a few features. But it also helps to know where to spend and where to save. Here are a few of my favorite tricks for getting a nicely finished look for a lower cost.

Webber + Studio, Architects

Use a Smoky Glass

One of the rarer features I love is a smoky glass shower enclosure. It balances an air of privacy and sophistication with visual openness, and doesn’t add much to the cost versus clear glass.

(Also, notice how placing lights in front of the mirror rather than above it virtually doubles the amount of lighting, making the overall effect glowing and warm.)

Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard

If you do prefer the most open look, a clear glass panel is still a worthwhile upgrade from a shower curtain for creating a sense of modernity that gives a bathroom that sought-after spa appeal.

James Wagman Architect, LLC

Tile Tricks

Taking tile from floor to ceiling is important in making a traditional or modern space feel high end …

Lisa Petrole Photography

… but that doesn’t mean you have to spend at the high end. Rather than tiling a whole room partway up, consider tiling just one or two walls top to bottom in a statement stone. You’ll still get that finished look without paying to tile the whole space.

Chantel Elshout Design Consultancy

Also consider running one type of tile across the floor and a wall for a strong, singular statement. And, of course, leaving the remaining walls white makes the veining the star of the show.

Nu Interiors

If you’re looking to tile all the walls without breaking the bank, especially if your layout doesn’t leave any walls safe from splashes and splatters, I would recommend classic subway tile over a faux stone. But to create a little drama, choose a dark grout …

… or a modern pattern like this simple stacked layout with a wide tile.

Chr DAUER Architects

Mirror Power

A large mirror has so much power. It cuts down on tile costs by filling much of a wall (while reflecting the material you do invest in) and can virtually double the size of the room, making it feel like a vast personal oasis …

TerraCotta Properties

… even if the room is a more modest size. Consider taking a mirror wall to wall. Notice how the wall here feels tiled, even though in fact there are only a few inches of stone backsplash below the mirror.

Toronto Interior Design Group | Yanic Simard

The Vanity

I designed this bathroom for a recent condo renovation; it has many of my favorite features described above, translated in a small space. You’ll notice that among all the attention-stealing details, there is a humble Ikea vanity, which I have used in multiple renovations. It’s sleek and simple, and the cantilevered style helps the room feel more open. Best of all, it costs about $480.

Article and Photos Sourced From:  http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/31981969/list/4-secrets-to-a-luxurious-bathroom-look 

Transform Your Backyard Into a Stellar Entertaining Space

Want to add some square footage to your living room and kitchen? Instead of a contractor, consider hiring a landscaper.

These days, the backyard has become an extension of a home’s living space, with elaborately landscaped patios and decks and outdoor kitchens that put a charcoal grill to shame.

And if you’re looking to sell, staging a home’s backyard is a great way to set your listing apart and help a buyer fall in love with your home, indoor and out.

With the Bay Area’s idyllic weather and beautiful scenery, outdoor home improvements are a no-brainer. Here are five ideas from Planet, a landscapers trade association, to help turn your backyard into a top-notch entertaining space for year-round relaxation.

BARBECUE GRILL AND BEYOND: Outdoor kitchens become the center of family life in the summer. They can be as simple as a patio with a grill and table or as lavish as a complete kitchen made of stone or brick, with a stove, oven, counters, sink, and refrigerator.

MOOD LIGHTING: Outdoor lighting shows off landscaping and illuminates walkways and porches, adding curb appeal and increasing safety. So-called “nightscaping” can make your backyard a more pleasant place to hang out once the sun goes down. A set of solar walkway lights adds an eco-friendly touch.

LIGHT A FIRE: Whether you opt for a portable fire pit or a sturdy stone fireplace built into a wall, a cozy fire is a natural conversation aid. It also helps extend evening entertaining well into the fall and winter.

CALMING WATERS: Consider adding a water feature, such as a pond, a water wall, or a fountain. This amenity can help instill your backyard with a sense of tranquility and might also attract wildlife.

BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWERS, HERBS: Wildflowers or herbs are beautiful and fragrant, whether as container gardens or ground cover. These gardens also benefit the environment and small animals, which can use the garden as a source of food and shelter. You can also use an herb garden to spice up your own meals.

MORE FROM THE PLANET WEBSITE: For plenty of landscaping ideas and smart outdoor-care tips, spend some time perusing the complete Planet website. Topics include child- and pet-friendly yards; caring for plants, trees, and grass; seasonal advice; sustainable landscapes; water-saving tips; green roofs; and indoor plants. 






(Image: Flickr/Media Director)

$21M Renovation in Store for the Fairmont in Nob Hill

One of the most iconic hotels in the country, the Fairmont San Francisco, is about to get the ball rolling on series of improvements that should cement its reputation for stellar hospitality and elegance. Woodridge Capital Partners LLC and Oaktree Capital Management LP, the groups that purchased the propertyfor $200 million back in 2012, are now spending $21M to improve the grand old hotel. Their plan consists of transforming the Fairmont's 591 guest rooms and suites to meet today's luxury hotel guests' sky-high expectations. The new rooms are being refreshed by the interior designers at Forrest Perkins, whose portfolio includes Fairmont properties in Boston, Vancouver and Bermuda. The renovated guest rooms will feature gold and sapphire accents, as well ashandblown floor lamps and pieces by local artists. The upgrades should help draw tourists and business travelers, who now have more and more options down in SoMa, back up to Nob Hill.


Article and photo Sourced from:  http://sf.curbed.com/archives/2014/03/28/21m_renovation_in_store_for_the_fairmont_in_nob_hill.php

Some Remodeling Projects Pay Off Better Than Others, Survey Finds

Remodeling activity is at its highest pace in nearly nine years, according to the National Association of Home Builders, as homeowners regain confidence in the economy and “upgrade their homes and make repairs or replacements that were deferred during tough times.”
If you’re thinking of making improvements before putting your home on the market, the National Association of Realtors suggests you focus on outdoor projects first.
“A home’s curb appeal is always critical since it’s the first impression for potential buyers,” NAR President Steve Brown recently said. “That’s why exterior replacement projects offer the greatest bang for the buck. Projects such as entry door, siding and window replacements can recoup homeowners more than 78 percent of costs upon resale.”
Brown’s comments accompanied the release of a remodeling guide, “Best Bets for Adding Value to Your Home in 2014,” posted on the NAR’s HouseLogic website.
The HouseLogic guide is based on a comprehensive survey published by Remodeling magazine that presents costs for  home improvement projects in 101 cities across the United States.
Survey results for the San Francisco area show that homeowners making any one of 19 improvements would add more to the resale value of their home than the cost of the remodeling project — up to 177.6 percent!
Here is a list of remodeling projects to San Francisco area homes, ranked by their return on investment, by Remodeling magazine:

1. Deck addition (wood): 177.6 percent ROI

2. Entry door replacement (steel): 174.2 percent

3. Minor kitchen remodel: 146.6 percent

4. Garage door replacement: 144 percent

5. Bathroom remodel: 136.5 percent

6. Entry door replacement (fiberglass): 136.1 percent

7. Attic bedroom: 135.2 percent

8. Window replacement (wood): 133.8 percent

9. Deck addition (composite): 126.2 percent

10. Family room addition: 122.4 percent

11. Tie: Garage addition and window replacement (vinyl): 120.1 percent

13. Basement remodel: 117.8 percent

14. Two-story addition: 113.1 percent

15. Major kitchen remodel: 111.7 percent

16. Bathroom addition: 111.1 percent

17. Siding replacement (vinyl): 109.8 percent

18. Master suite addition: 105 percent

19. Roofing replacement: 100.2 percent.

(Image: Flickr/Ted Wolfe)