Moving to a new city is exciting, but it also has challenges. If your new city is more than a couple of hours from your current home, then house hunting might be one of those challenges. How do you go about finding a home from a distance? We've helped plenty of out-of-town buyers find lovely Richmond homes for sale. Along the way, we've compiled a few tips.

• Make Sure You're Ready
  When shopping for a home from a distance, you often need to make quick decisions. You may need to say "yes" or "no" to a home without waiting for that weekend's open house. You may need to decide, within a day or two, whether you're interested in a home outside of the first neighborhood you were looking in.
  
  These decisions will be easier if you sit down and make sure you are completely ready to buy a home before you start looking. Apply for mortgage pre-approval, decide what month you want to move, clarify terms with your employer, and so forth.
  
  
• Find the Right Real Estate Agent
  You'll be relying on your real estate agent to be your eyes and ears on the ground. So, you want to hire a real estate agent who is used to working with remote clients. When interviewing various agents, ask how comfortable they are with video conferencing technology. Make sure they are comfortable navigating remote document signing software, too.
  
  You also want an agent who knows the area well. Since you're not there and may not be overly familiar with the area, you will be relying on your agent to know which neighborhoods suit your needs, what the market is like in certain towns, and so forth. Search through our real estate agents and see how they'll be able to help with your house hunt.
  
  
• Research the Area
  Read up on the cost of living in the city you're moving to. Research various neighborhoods and what they have to offer. As you learn more about the area, you can start to create a short list of neighborhoods where you would prefer to buy a home. Provide this list to your agent, and ask them for more information on your desired areas.
  
  
• Use Cost of Living to Inform Your Budget
  Setting a budget when house shopping in a new city can take some work. First, you want to see what various homes are selling for in certain neighborhoods. However, you also need to consider the cost of living in the new city. You can do this by creating a mock budget.
  
  Based on the cost of living, write down how much you expect to spend on groceries, utilities, fuel, and other needs. Subtract these costs from your monthly income. How much of what is left can you afford to spend on housing? From this number, you can work backward and determine how much house you can afford.
  
  
• Be Flexible
  It's always good to be flexible when buying a home, but even more so when you're shopping remotely. You may not find a home that checks every one of your boxes, but you may find one that checks 9 out of 10. You may not find a home in your top-choice neighborhood, but your agent may recommend one that you like even more. Make plans and lists, but be willing to change them as needed if your information and goals change.

Follow the tips above to successfully find a home in a different city. If you're looking for a home in the Richmond area, please contact us soon. Our real estate agents have experience working with out-of-town buyers and can simplify the process for you.

Understanding Real Estate – a new series of educational videos from Napier Realtors ERA!

Our first video is all about HOW & WHY to do the real estate home search. Some ways are better than others (looking at you, Zillow) – learn how to search with the home experts!

No home makeover is complete until you upgrade the lighting. Proper lighting choices can set the ambiance, change the mood, and help highlight a room's design. Plus, why settle for outdated and inefficient lighting when the fun, functional options out there are unlimited? With the right pendants, recessed lights, lamps, task lights, sconces, and flush mounts, you can purposefully give your rooms an entirely new look. Here are our real estate agents' tips for transformative room-by-room lighting upgrades.

1. In the Kitchen
   Cooking, baking, cleaning, and gatherings can benefit from careful consideration of task and ambient lighting. When it comes to your kitchen, lighting should set the mood and help you see properly for all your food preparation. Think in particular of under-cabinet lighting that can illuminate your countertops while you work without relying on an overhead light that casts shadows. Light the dark corners of your kitchen like counters, pantries, shelves, cupboards, and counters. These areas become more beautiful and functional when properly lit. Pendant lamps above kitchen islands, breakfast nooks, and kitchen sinks can be a fun and functional upgrade.
   
   
2. The Bathroom
   With an emphasis on personal grooming, the bathroom requires proper lighting placement. Most bathrooms have a central ceiling-mounted fixture and over-the-mirror strips of lights that cast odd shadows. You can replace those with recessed light in the ceiling and vertical wall sconces on the sides of the mirror. Alternatively, you can install vanity lighting around your mirror to cast the perfect amount of light and create a soft glow. 
   
   
3. Living Rooms
   As an area where people spend a lot of time and engage in a wide range of activities such as watching TV, chilling after work, having conversations, hosting friends, or playing board games, the living room is incredibly versatile. As such, you should consider making your lighting as adaptable as the room. The concept of layering light works great in the living room. Table lamps are great, but adding a big floor lamp, oversized pendant, or large lantern can create a great focal point.
   
   
4. In Hallways and Along Staircases
   Staircases often form the main focal point in a hallway, but dark ones aren't safe. This offers great opportunities for fun, dramatic, and practical lighting. To begin with, the space above a staircase is a perfect place to add sparkle and visual interest with a show-stopping chandelier. You can also layer your lighting and bring a dramatic effect to your hallways and stairs with inset floor-level lights, LED strips, and wall lights. If you want to focus on the stairs, LED strips underneath individual stair treads can bring that noticeable difference you're going for. LED lights are a good choice because they're inexpensive to burn, cool to the touch, and have a lifespan of 10 or more years.

In general, when you are planning to install new lighting fixtures in your space, it's best to:

• Install layered lighting. Go for general lighting (pendant or overhead), ambient lighting (decorative sconces or candles), and specific lighting (table or task).
• Incorporate reflective surfaces such as metallic finishes, glossy floors, and mirrors.
• Choose the right shade for fixtures.
• Install smart lighting, energy-efficient lighting, and dimmers.

Contact us today to learn more about how lighting can bring a noticeable difference to your space while also appealing to buyers looking for Richmond homes for sale.

Central Virginia is still buying and selling in Spring 2020! April brought us over 4000 transactions – and May is going strong! 

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Multigenerational housing has become a more prevalent housing trend in the past several years. Research states that one in five homes is a multigenerational household. With grandparents and children living under the same roof, homeowners are often looking for houses that can accommodate the growing needs of such a diverse family. 

Our REALTORS® understand that you would love to purchase a new home that you, your parents and your children will love. Though each member of the family may have a different wish-list, finding the perfect home that suits your entire family is possible with an experienced REALTOR® by your side.

Finding a Home That Your Entire Family Will Love

Although imagining your family growing in one of the beautiful homes you tour is one of the most exciting parts of the home buying process, you'll need to consider a few important questions before you start the house search. The needs of a multigenerational family will evolve as the years go by which means that it is wise to narrow your search to houses that can accommodate these growing requirements. To determine your family's unique needs, consider the following questions:

• Will the older adults be living with you permanently or temporarily?
• Will any members of the home need special accommodations such as ramps or assistive equipment in bathrooms?
• Will all family members share communal and bathroom spaces or are separate rooms needed?
• Will extra space be needed as the children grow?

Be as honest as possible with your REALTOR® so that they can help you find a home that fits your needs. Our REALTORS® understand that the layout and functionality of your home needs to suit your family's lifestyle. Here are a few tips that we believe will help you during your home search:

1. Prepare for tomorrow, today.
   As your parents or in-laws age, there's a chance that they may need accommodations that not all homes have. To prepare for these possibilities, we suggest purchasing a home that already meets these requirements. For example, seek out homes that have a bedroom and full bathroom on the main floor so that stairs won't be an issue.
    
2. Prioritize privacy.
   A home can feel quite cozy at times when children and grandparents share your space. To cut down on some inconvenience and secure a little space for yourself, consider looking for homes that have a master suite or those which have bedrooms and full bathrooms on the side of the house opposite of the master bedroom.
    
3. Get creative with customization.
   Look for homes that have spaces that you can utilize in a variety of different ways. Lofts can become a great play or lounging area. An office with windows and closets can be converted into a bedroom. You can even turn a den, garage or sunroom into a room that specifically gives certain members of the family their own relaxing space apart from the communal areas.
   
   
4. Let all members of the family state their needs.
   Even if your heart is in the right place, you may not be aware of certain desires the rest of your family has. Make sure everyone living in the home has an equal voice in the home search.

The increase in multigenerational housing is a trend that our REALTORS® absolutely love. We cherish the time spent with our own families and want to help yours find the perfect home that you can fill with memories you'll treasure. For more help in your home search, contact us today.

No doubt preparing for a move is a big deal, whether you're moving across town or the country. Are you moving from your current home, and feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the stuff that you'll have to take with you?

One of the best ways to simplify your move is to follow a straightforward rule: Purge before you pack. By getting rid of unnecessary items in your home--and we all have them--you can lighten your load, speed up the packing process, and maybe even save a bit of money in the process. Our real estate agents know what it takes to make a seamless move, and we've got some tips to help you prepare when moving to a new home in Henrico County.

Clearing the Clutter Before You Move

Let's say you've been shopping for homes in Henrico County, have found the right match, and now all that's left is to plan so that you're ready to make your move. Just one problem... where do you start, when there's just so much? If you've lived in your current home for a long time, then there's a good chance you've accumulated plenty of clutter, and there may be items stored away that you haven't even thought about in years.

If you want to make life easier, then it's time to purge before you pack, and decide what's worth taking with you to your new home:

• Clean Closets and Decide on Clothes – Are your closets filled with too many years worth of clothes? That makes them the perfect place to start. Go through your closet, decide which clothes you can do without, which no longer fit, and which items have their best days behind them. Donate items that are in good condition, dispose of things that are worn, and consider consignment for valuable items you no longer need.

• Donate or Sell Unwanted Household Items – Do you have furniture or knick-knacks that won't be making the trip to your new home? There are many charitable organizations which accept used furniture, which can be great for seeing your unwanted items given new life with someone who needs them. If there are furnishings you may use in the future, renting a storage unit is always an option.

• Get Rid of Unwanted Electronics and Appliances – Unwanted electronics and appliances may be donated, though most organizations prefer to accept newer items less than 5 or 10 years old. Of course, items that still have high value may also be sold, providing one less thing to pack and a little extra money for your move.

• Don't Forget the Pantry – A full pantry is a great thing... except when you have to move all of those cans and containers to a new home. If your pantry is stocked with items you'd rather not bring, donating to the local food bank is a great way to support a good cause and lighten your load.

• Dispose of Hazardous Items Safely – Do you have paint, pool chemicals, fuel, aerosols, or fire extinguishers that won't be making the move? Moving companies will not allow these items on their trucks, so you'll want to get rid of them in an environmentally friendly way. Dispose of them safely at your local hazardous waste disposal facility.

Dreaming of a move to a new home, but still searching to find the right match? Let our experienced, local real estate team help. Contact Napier ERA to buy, sell, and learn about homes in the Henrico County, VA area.