Real Estate Guide August 2011

2 - Roanoke-Chowan Real Estate Guide

Roanoke-Chowan Real Estate Guide - 3













Show me the color!That's become one ofthe most commonrequests for home-owners in today'smarketplace as peo-ple look to add morecolorful features totheir homes as partof remodeling andnew constructionprojects.

"A well-chosencolor scheme for ahome's exterior canbring out architectur-al details, downplayflaws and enhancethe overall look ofthe home," says KateSmith, president ofSensational Color. "Ialways recommendstarting from the topdown when consider-ing the colors for ahome. Start with theroof, work down tothe siding, then con-sider the windows,entry door and trim."

When offeringcolor consultationson home exteriors,Smith begins withthe roof. "Dependingon the style of ahome, as much as 40percent or more ofthe visual you getwhen looking at ahouse is the roof,"says Smith, a colorconsultant forDaVinci Roofscapes."The more roof thatis shown, the moreimportant it is toallow the roof colorto help define thehome's style.

"I'm a great fan ofcolor blends forroofs, which you caneasily find in poly-mer roofing prod-

ucts. When youselect blends withdifferent shades of acolor or two in it, theentire roof seems tomerge and unify thehome exterior. Thissoftens the roof visu-ally and provides youwith more long-termoptions for accentcolors to 'pull out'from the roofingblend color."

After determininga roof color, Smithwill then look at thesiding of the home todetermine how thetexture plays into theoverall home'sappeal. Fixed fea-tures like stone,brick and stucconeed to be consid-ered, along withpaint colors for someexteriors.

Moving to the win-dows, Smith believesa growing trend forhomeowners is toselect energy-effi-cient vinyl framedwindows with colorexteriors to comple-ment the overall lookof a home's exterior.

"There are productlines from SimontonWindows for bothreplacement and newconstruction win-dows and patio doorsthat offer uniquecolor options such asBrick, Pine,Chocolate, Bronze,Cream andDriftwood," saysSmith. "These framecolors, whenmatched with trimpieces such ascrossheads, shuttersand mouldings, cre-

ate stunningaccents. I'veseen that ure-thane piecesfrom Fyponaccept paintc o l o r se x t r e m e l ywell and canhelp to makethe windowsand doorsmore focalfeatures ofthe home."

B o t hgarage andentry doorsare also pri-mary prod-ucts that begfor color on ahome's exte-r i o r .According toSmith, hav-ing a doorthat is paint-ed in abright, warm colorcan focus attentionon the welcomingaspect of a home.

"Generally, if agarage door is clear-ly visible from thestreet, it 's best toblend its color to thesiding and trim,"says Smith. "Whenthe garage is in linewith the front door orbehind the home, youcan potentially addmore color. But, keepin mind that youwant the main entrydoor to 'pop' morethan the garage, soreserve your keycolor push for thatarea of the home."

One of the easiestways to add color tothe front door is toselect an entryway

especially designedfor painting. TheClassic-Craft CanvasCollection fromTherma-Tru featuressmooth, paintablesurfaces on fiber-glass doors withembossment detailsso that homeownerscan select the paintcolor they wish toaccent their energy-efficient entryway.

"Color fascinatesall of us, but somepeople are afraid tomake a mistake byusing the wrong col-ors," says Smith. "Ifyou have a Colonial-style home with ablend of grays on aroof and white orcream siding, youcan easily make thehouse details pop out

with red windowframes and a redfront door. Or, youcan have an Arts-and-Crafts stylehouse with anAberdeen blend offive neutral colors onthe roof that flowsdown to a rusticwood siding. Deepgreen accents aroundthe windows, trimand entry door wouldperfectly accent thattype of home."

Visit www.sensa-tionalcolor.com formore insights intoexterior colors forthe home and todownload the free"How to Pick thePerfect Colors forYour Home'sExterior" guide.

Color My Home








Checklist for House HuntersUse this checklist when you go house hunting. It will help you keep track of prices, qualities andspecial features of each house you look at. You’ll find this checklist will remind you to ask aboutimportant items that are easily forgotten.

House #1Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District

Average Utility Payments

House #2Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District


House #3Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District


House #4Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District



Checklist for House HuntersUse this checklist when you go house hunting. It will help you keep track of prices, qualities andspecial features of each house you look at. You’ll find this checklist will remind you to ask aboutimportant items that are easily forgotten.

House #5Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District


House #6Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District


House #7Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District


House #8Address

Age Price

Realtor®

Terms

Monthly Payment

#of Square Feet

Lot Size

School District



Documents

Real Estate Guide August 2011