Open houses may be staged to look like a home decor dream, but donât let that distract you from the real reason youâre there: to potentially buy a home. Make sure you can look past the neatly arranged furniture and focus solely on whether the house would be a good fit for you and your family. To help, hereâs a home buyerâs checklist of things you might have missed at first glance.
Windows â Look specifically if they are facing the right direction to let sunlight in, and whether they open to a nice view (versus directly toward another neighborâs window).
Under the Sink Cabinets â Check for possible signs of water damage due to leaky plumbing.
Electrical Outlets â Make sure there are enough outlets for the appliances and other electronics youâll be using. If not, you can decide if thatâs a renovation youâd like to make.
Storage Space â Donât just look to see if thereâs enough closet space, but look for closet placement. Also check that the storage is in a convenient location.
Appliances â If theyâre included in the house, make sure theyâre in good condition. They should be on and working while youâre there.
Under the Rugs â Lift up any rugs to check the condition of the floor underneath.
Floor Level â Check to see if the floors are level. Place a marble or another small, round object on the floor and see if it rolls consistently in one direction.
Attic â If the house has one, make sure itâs well insulated.
Water Spouts â Runoff from the gutters should be pointed away from the house, so take a step outside to see if this is the case.
This list isnât all-inclusive, but itâs a good place to start. Talk to a CENTURY 21 ® agent to see what else he or she might add.
The post Home Buyer Checklist: What to Look for in an Open House first appeared on Century 21®.
Traditionally, spring and summer corner the market on bold, bright colors, with fall and winter ushering in richer, more muted tones. However, this yearâs popular colors, featured in Shutterflyâs Hottest Hues Guide, have a versatility that helps enhance decor year-round. Incorporate pops of modern color trends into everyday home accessories to warm up your house and your heart in the cool days ahead.
1. Set a Color-filled Table
âTis the season for holiday dinners, and your dining room table is the perfect place to fill your room with color. Saturate your tablescape with chargers, plates, placemats and napkins in festive colors. Deep reds and burgundies are not only perfect for the holidays, but they add warmth to your tablescape throughout the winter season. But donât limit yourself to the standard red and greenâget creative with color palettes as you set your table, bringing in metallic and unexpected shades for a dose of fun!
2. Patch it Together
Invite color to visit by adding seasonally inspired throw pillows or a practical and colorful quilt to your couch or bed. Think outside of your regularly colored box, and experiment with contrast to create a cozy space without committing to a color scheme.
3. Bring the Outdoors In
Flowers lend a festive touch as well as a hint of brightness to any area. A bold spray of pink orchids or peonies can add a pleasantly surprising shock of color to a sleek neutral winter space. Just because itâs winter doesnât mean youâre stuck with poinsettias. Pale pink is enjoying a comeback in the design world as a romantic neutral with a range of versatilityâand rose quartz just happens to be one of Pantoneâs colors of the year for 2016. As interior redesign specialist Wendy Wrzos says, âIn fall, it can be paired with a rich brown and cream. In winter, a touch of pale pink will add a cozy warmth to a room, or be an unexpected addition to the more saturated colors.â Pick your palette from a favorite bouquet for a touch of color you already love.
4. Live a Little Large
Bring big color to a small space by painting your laundry room a bold color for brightness you can enjoy all year round. âThe laundry room is a room that gets used all the time, and it is rare to see one that has been decorated. A painted wall and a colorful rug takes no effort at all, and will cheer it up in an instant.â âWrzos advised. Use a small, out-of-the-way area to be brave with a shade that brings you joy when you see it.
5. Hang It Up
The artwork in a room is often a focal point and the perfect place to feature color. With a foundation of neutral furniture, flooring, and walls, art and decor accessories can take center stage. Create a canvas or three-panel piece of art from a nature-inspired vacation photo and select a matching color palette to complement your art work. If youâre looking for a more seasonal do-it-yourself option, wrap poster frame inserts in pretty wrapping paper for a temporary triptych to match your holiday decorating scheme.
Between bad weather and Daylight Savings Time, winter feels dark enough. Fill your life with brightness all year round by incorporating color in easy, unexpected ways and bring a little more boldness and brilliance into your everyday world.
Year in and year out, we know the holidays are almost upon us when TV networks start airing Home Alone, the iconic family movie that has by now become synonymous with Christmas cheer. And while the first two Home Alone movies starring Macaulay Culkin are the clear fan favorites, the third one (written and produced by the same John Hughes that gave us the first two festive flicks) was deemed the least successful in the series — by far — and failed to make a lasting impression.
And that’s not because of the plot, cast, or setting, but rather the result of the ultra-high expectations created by the first two Home Alone movies, and the fondness audiences had for Macaulay Culkin (which refused to return for a role in the third one, despite popular demand). In fact, the plot of the third Home Alone was quite an elaborate — and downright frightening — one, seeing Alex Pruitt, an 8-year-old boy living in Chicago, fending off international spies who were seeking a top-secret computer chip that was hidden in his toy car.
The poster for Home Alone 3, featuring the house in the background. Image credit: IMDB
Unlike a normal cat burglar situation â the first two movies featured petty thieves just trying to score a hit during the holidays, eyeing million-dollar-homes left unattended while the owners were celebrating elsewhere â Home Alone 3 is actually a matter of national security. With four thieves (said to be working for a North Korean terrorist organization) looking to retrieve the toy car/computer chip gifted to Alex by his unknowing neighbor, Mrs. Hess, the movie’s plot tackles a far more dangerous situation that the first two, despite the light way in which it is presented.
But there are two major things that all the Home Alone movies have in common: a clever, brave 8-year-old that will stop at nothing to protect himself and a beautiful Chicago-area home that acts as the ‘battleground’ of sorts where the bad guys get what’s coming to them. And since we’ve already covered the house in the first Home Alone movies, we thought I’d be the perfect time to do some scouting and find the one in the third movie too, especially since it’s no less beautiful.
The real-life house from Home Alone 3
While the movie’s storyline places it in Chicago, the house used in the third Home Alone is located in Evanston — a city 12 miles north of Downtown Chicago. According to ItsFilmedThere.com, the exact address is 3026 Normandy Place, Evanston, and a quick Google Maps search confirms that, showing us the exact same Pruitt family house we see in the movie.
House in Home Alone 3 – Google Maps
According to real estate website Zillow.com, the Pruitt family home is worth a little over $1,000,000, with neighboring properties all selling for about the same amount — though admittedly, none of the other houses that line the street had a high profile movie credit in their property history. Nor did they have Hollywood A-listers on their grounds (just in case you forgot, the most famous cast member in Home Alone 3 was none other than Avengers star Scarlett Johansson, who played Alex Pruitt’s sister in the 1997 movie).
Screen grab from Home Alone 3, featuring a young Scarlett Johansson as the older sister.
Just in case you were wondering, the house where Alex Pruitt’s neighbor — Mrs. Hess — supposedly lived is actually located next door, at 3025 Normandy Place.
More famous TV homes
Richie Richâs House is Actually the Biltmore Estate, Americaâs Largest Home The âFresh Prince of Bel-Airâ House Isnât Even in Bel-Air The Real-Life Homes from Modern Family â and Where to Find Them The Simpsons House Gets a Modern Day Makeover
The post Where’s the House from ‘Home Alone 3’? appeared first on Fancy Pants Homes.
Anticipating some last-minute company? While you may not have time to scrub down the house, some simple tricks of the trade will make it look like you did. Prepare your home for the unexpectedâeven if the unexpected is your mother-in-law inviting herself over for dinner.
Take a whiff:
Burning a few candles around the abode will not only brighten up the space, but it will also upgrade the usual aromas of your home. Light up a rich Mahogany Teakwood in the den, or perhaps indulge your guestsâ senses with a fresh Vanilla Bean scent in the kitchen.
Pillow talk:
Upgrade your low-key loveseats and couches with hints of color. Take decorative pillows and throws out of the closet and add them as accents to the coziest spots. Be sure to fluff them, and then watch as everyone sits back and relaxes.
Reduce, reduce, reduce:
Having a magazine or book at armsâ reach in every room may be convenient, but there are stylish ways to hide them away. Minimize your reading materials clutter by stashing them in a basket or bin. It instantly improves the ambiance of your living space.
Show off your green thumb:
Pick out a simple bouquet from your garden and proudly display it on the dinner table. Also, swap out the run-of-the-mill vase with an empty wine bottle to highlight your creativity and charming style.
Feng shui the space:
If you havenât moved your couch since it was first delivered, nowâs the perfect chance to rearrange and harmonize the room. Even the simple act of angling your furniture a few inches can make each living space look brand new.
Throw it down:
Every room needs an anchorâand for those who are missing one, a bright throw rug brings the space together.
The post Be My Guest: How to Get Your Home Guest-Ready in 15 Minutes first appeared on Century 21®.
