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Creating a Cozy Home: Tips for Transitioning from Summer to Fall

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As the days grow shorter and the temperatures start to drop, our homes become the place where we find warmth and comfort from the chilly outdoors.

Transitioning your space from the light and airy vibes of summer to a warm and inviting ambiance can be done seamlessly. With just a few careful touches, you can create a cozy haven that is both comforting and embraces the seasonal beauty of autumn.

Tips For Transitioning Your Home From Summer To Fall

Incorporate Seasonal Scents

You can transform the entire atmosphere of your home with the power of a fall scent. Replace your fruity, citrus summer candles with earthy aromas. A few ideas for this include essential oils in a diffuser, creating your own potpourri with dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks, or candles. Scents like pumpkin spice, apple cider or cedar and sandalwood will put you in your fall feels.

Infuse Seasonal Warmth With Art

Adding art to your home is a great way add the season's warmth and charm into your space. Swap out bright, summery artwork for pieces that reflect earthy tones and textures of autumn. Consider natural landscapes, woodland scenes or deep shades of oranges, reds and browns. Art is an easy way to create a visual connection to the fall season, giving the home a sense of cozy!

Dim the Lights

As the daylight disappears, lighting becomes crucial in creating the ideal cozy ambiance. Now that the bright summer sun has gone, bring in a warmer, softer glow by using lamps, candles and lanterns. Using table and floor lamps with warm-toned bulbs will help create a soft, inviting space. If your switches have dimmers, adjust the brightness according to your mood. Candles are great to place throughout the house – on coffee tables, mantels, counters. 

Add Nature-Inspired Seasonal Decor

Bringing in elements of the outdoors is a great way to celebrate the season. Fall is all about rich, natural colors and textures so it's easy to play with outdoor elements. Hang a wreath made with dried leaves, pinecones and berries on the front door. Grab a fall doormat, layered with a buffalo plaid rug. Scatter small pumpkins, gourds and pinecones on the porch and entryway. They also look good on the dining table as a centerpiece. If you have any empty vases, fill them with branches, dried grass or colorful fall foliage. It's an easy, affordable way to decorate for autumn.

Read more at Bucks.HappeningMag.com

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Why Pre-Approval Should Be at the Top of Your Homebuying To-Do List

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Since the supply of homes for sale is growing and mortgage rates are coming down, you may be thinking it’s finally your moment to jump into the market.

To make sure you’re ready, you need to get pre-approved for a mortgage.

That’s when a lender looks at your finances, including things like your W-2, tax returns, credit score, and bank statements, to figure out what they’re willing to loan you. After that process, you’ll get a pre-approval letter to show what you can borrow. Here are two reasons why this is essential in today’s market.

Pre-Approval Helps You Know Your Numbers

While home affordability is finally starting to show signs of improving, it’s still tight. So, it’s a good idea to talk to a lender about your loan options and how today’s changing mortgage rates will impact your monthly payment. The pre-approval process is the perfect time for that. In addition to determining the maximum amount you can borrow, pre-approval also helps you understand this piece of the puzzle. As Investopedia says:

“Consulting with a lender and obtaining a pre-approval letter allows you to discuss loan options and budgeting with the lender; this step can clarify your total house-hunting budget and the monthly mortgage payment you can afford.”

You should use this information to tailor your home search to what you’re actually comfortable with budget-wise. Since mortgage rates have inched down some lately, you may find you’re able to afford a bit more than you’d expect for your monthly payment, but you still want to

avoid overextending. As CNET explains:

“In many cases, a lender may preapprove you for more than you need to spend on a home. And while it can be tempting to look at houses outside your budget, it won’t help you in the long run. Before you start touring homes, figure out how much you can realistically afford and stick to your budget.”

Pre-Approval Makes Your Offer More Appealing

And once you do find a home you want in your budget, pre-approval has another big perk. It not only makes your offer stronger, it also shows sellers you’ve already undergone a credit and financial check. When a seller sees you as a serious buyer, they may be more attracted to your offer because it seems more likely to go through. As Greg McBride, Chief Financial Analyst at Bankrate, says:

“Preapproval carries more weight because it means lenders have actually done more than a cursory review of your credit and your finances, but have instead reviewed your pay stubs, tax returns and bank statements. A preapproval means you’ve cleared the hurdles necessary to be approved for a mortgage up to a certain dollar amount.”

As mortgage rates trend down, more buyers are going to be ready to jump back into the market. And while demand is still limited right now, there’s the potential for competition to pick back up, especially in hot markets. So, why not stack the deck in your favor and make sure you’re putting yourself in the best position possible when you find a home you love?

Bottom Line

If you’re planning on buying a home, don’t forget to get pre-approved early in the process. It can help you get a more in-depth understanding of what you can borrow and shows sellers you mean business.

Read more at KeepingCurrentMatters.com

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As Featured in West + Main Home Magazine: Helm Farm

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West + Main Agent Jarred D. Smith

“We’ve got several houses going in there on 42nd Street and then a little kind of pocket neighborhood that’ll be more of a lock-and-leave, zero lot line neighborhood with six houses going in right there behind Musashi’s off Military,”
— Jarred D. Smith

New homes in Helm Farm are bringing new energy to this vintage neighborhood, which is named for Helm Street - a two block stretch framed by NW Classen Blvd. and N. Western Ave.

“It’s probably the greatest location in Oklahoma City... walking distance to Western and all the shops there — food, bars, shopping, coffee, pretty much anything and everything you need there. Then the next street over is Classen, which will get you to the Northwest Expressway and all the way downtown to pretty much anywhere, and you can jump on I-44 and 235 within five minutes.”

Featuring five modern + striking Tudor-style homes between about 2,400 and 3,000 square feet, and six slightly smaller houses, about 2,000-2,200 square feet, which have all been thoughtfully designed with primary suites on the first floor.

"We designed those specifically for anyone that may be down-sizing or wants to have a primary downstairs. Some of them also have detached garages that open on to Helm Street, and some of those will even have the option for an Accessory Dwelling Unit above the garage."

 

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As Featured in West + Main Home Magazine: Artistic Oasis

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West + Main Agent Rebekah Robinson

“I wanted it to look like a contemporary loft but right off the golf course”
— Rebekah

West + Main agent and renowned Denver artist Rebekah Robinson lives in a super-unique condo in Windsor Gardens, a 55+ community located just outside of Downtown.

"I wanted it to look like a contemporary loft but right off the golf course,” said Rebekah. “I did an epoxy floor that looks like water or the sky, painted the walls to feel like beach, and had an IKEA kitchen installed that is very mid-mod/Barbie-inspired. Then I filledthe walls with paintings from artists I know and my own work!”

I am a landlocked Colorado artist that is intrigued by water and the vegetation that lives here.

Living near the Denver Botanic Gardens enables me to slip in for inspiration whenever needed. In my travels, I’m always on the lookout for waterways or ponds for fresh views.

I’ve become less interested in the broad landscape view and lately have been focusing on more intimate natural details—the leaves f loating on the lily pond, the ice melting on a small inlet and the natural detritus that accumulates in pockets of a quiet stream.

I’m in my fifth decade as a working artist with art in private collections around the world.

See Rebekah’s work at rebekahrobinson-art.com

 

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4 ways to prepare your garden for autumn

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As the sun-soaked days of summer begin to fade and the leaves on the trees begin to turn myriad autumnal hues, the cooler weather and shorter evenings tend to mean less time spent outside enjoying your garden, and more time cozied up indoors.

But before you put away your trowel and cover your garden furniture for the new season ahead, there are some key things to do to prepare your outdoor space and ensure that it’s able to withstand the turbulent weather conditions of autumn and winter.

Whilst it might be tempting to leave all of your pruning and prepping until springtime, getting ahead will make your life a whole lot easier when March comes around and means you’ll have less to do to get your garden looking gorgeous again. Plus, with some extra tricks, you can extend the time you’re able to spend in nature and enjoying the outdoors each year, and all of it is easier than you think.

From tidying and trimming to adding some luxurious new all-weather features, here are four easy ways to prepare your garden for autumn, and you can get started now.

Tidy up and prune

Autumn is the ideal time to tidy up your garden, and soon, you’ll likely find it’s essential. Gardens can begin to look very rough around the edges without some seasonal TLC, so start by removing any dead or dying plants, as these can become breeding grounds for pests and diseases over the winter. 

You’ll also want to prune back your perennials, shrubs, and trees, but be careful not to go overboard when doing so. Some plants do better if the stems and seed heads are left intact, as these provide structure and strength, as well as retaining some of their aesthetic appeal in winter and providing sustenance for birds and insects.

Cutting back overgrown plants will not only make your garden look neater, but will also help to promote healthy growth in the spring, so you’ll thank yourself for your hard work later on. Doing it now while the weather is still warm will also make it a more enjoyable task than if you leave it until winter.

Prepare your lawn

If you’re a luxury homeowner then you’ll know all too well the importance of maintaining a manicured lawn all year round, so to keep your grass healthy and looking neat during winter, you’ll need to do some prep. First, you’ll want to rake up any fallen leaves and other debris to clear the way, as these can be detrimental to grass health and encourage disease. Next, aerate your lawn to improve drainage and reduce soil compaction, which can be particularly problematic in the damp UK climate.

Applying a specialised lawn feed that is high in potassium will help to strengthen the grass for the cold months ahead – and overseeding any bare patches will ensure a lush, green lawn when spring arrives.

Plant spring bulbs

Many people opt to wait until springtime to plant anything new, but in fact, if you plant your spring bulbs in autumn then you won’t have to make a trip to the garden centre for blooming bedding plants in March or April as you’ll be well ahead of the game.

Daffodils, tulips and crocuses are all great choices and actually need the winter chill to bloom beautifully in the spring, and by planting them now, you’re setting the stage for a vibrant display as soon as the warmer weather returns. If you want to keep your garden looking lovely in the meantime, then add in some winter-flowering plants like pansies and heather to maintain color and plant some evergreen shrubs and late-blooming perennials, too.

Invest in a garden room

One of the saddest things about autumn’s arrival is that it usually means less time is spent in the garden due to less friendly weather, but one way to counteract this is by investing in a garden room. Treating yourself to a new, covered outdoor space is a great way to stay connected with nature whatever the season happens to be, and whether you’re dreaming of a cozy reading nook where you can settle in with a cup of tea and a good book whilst watching the rain fall over the garden, or a home office away from the hustle and bustle of the main house, the possibilities are endless.

Read more at LuxuryLifestyleMag.co

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