Home and Garden

How to achieve the best views, whether you are looking out or in

The spectacular views of the outdoors often take our breath away, especially in the Lowcountry, where the views are often as beautiful as the homes.

But how can you best showcase that outside view from within your home? How about enhancing your home’s curb appeal or interior view? In the following pages, we will help answer those challenging issues. Whether it’s a window treatment that revitalizes your vista or landscaping improvements that give you an improved view worth showing the neighbors, here are some wonderful ways you can achieve the best view inside and out.

Tips and tricks for Condo and Villa Renovations.

This may be a good time to consider investing in an outdated condo or what we like to call villas in the Lowcountry. Many of these available condos are in need of major updating or remodeling and have been neglected since the ’70s or ’80s. Once you have completed the very important inspection of the basic plumbing, electrical and structural conditions, you will be ready to start creating a desirable living space.

The first question you will want to answer is, “Do you plan to rent this condo to vacationers, or will it be someone’s home?” You may even plan to sell the unit after completing the renovations. If you do a little research of your neighborhood, it will become evident as to what type of use this condo will have and how you should approach your remodeling. If it is for weekly rental, you will want to make sure all products installed are a quality that can endure this type of use. How this condo is used may also affect the décor, colors and style you plan to incorporate into the project.

Tips, tricks and hits for effective spring cleaning and organization

Spring time not only signifies the arrival of warmer weather and blossoming flowers; It’s also an ideal time to get a move on with all of your spring cleaning and organizing.

DEEP CLEANING

You’ve been cooped up indoors over the winter with the windows and doors tightly closed. Before starting your spring cleaning, open up your windows and allow the natural scent of fresh flowers and the spring breeze to fill your home. Your normal cleaning routine may be all right for everyday, but the most used areas of the home need a deep cleaning a few times a year.

A few depth-defying tips for creating the illusion of space in a smaller place.

It can be a little frustrating to know your condo, villa or new smaller home does not have an abundance of space. Perhaps you have made a decision to downsize into a more reasonable space for the “empty nest” time in your life. Don’t despair; there are numerous ways to arrange and decorate your new home without giving up style and function.

SPACE EVALUATION

With a little sprucing up, your home will be ready for buyers.

We’ve all heard the term ‘curb appeal.’ When getting your home ready for sale, it’s the absolute most important goal you should have. Whether you keep your house immaculate out of habit or you have a tendency towards that ‘lived in’ look, there’s always something you can do to give your house that special something that dazzles buyers.

There’s a reason they refer to this process as ‘staging’ your home; you are not just cleaning up, you are setting a stage, you are creating a sense of peace and wonder. You are giving buyers the feeling that they are already home, much like a set designer of a play gives the audience a sense that they are in another time and place.

Property Owners’ Associations and Homeowners Associations help build better neighbors.

Purchasing a home is a major milestone in anyone’s life, whether it is a first home, a vacation home, or a home to enjoy your golden years. No matter what stage of life you are in, buying a home in a neighborhood you will enjoy is important. One way to help make sure you are choosing a neighborhood that will fit your lifestyle is to understand what is expected by the homeowners in the neighborhood of your choice. By understanding Property Owners’ Associations (POAs) and Home Owners’ Associations (HOAs), you will be able to make an informed choice about where to live.

Inovative energy solutions can help save the planet and hundreds of dollars in energy bills.

Are you afraid to open your monthly utility bill? Cutting energy costs is easy – just look for the Star. In 2005 alone, Americans saved enough energy to power nearly 22 million homes – that’s more than $12 billion in energy costs – and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those produced by 23 million cars using Energy Star appliances. Energy Star is a program created by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy that helps businesses and individuals protect the environment through superior energy efficiency.

If every American home exchanged the five most used light bulbs with Energy Star qualified bulbs, one trillion pounds of greenhouse gases would be kept out of the air – that’s the equivalent of the annual emissions of 8 million cars – over the course of the bulbs’ lives. At the same time, such action would result in $6 billion in energy savings, or the annual output of more than 20 power plants.

A few beautiful blossoms for a Southern spring

With the advent of spring and the last possible day of frost safely past, we launch confidently into our ongoing alphabetical romp to explore what is out there to enhance our gardens.

“J” is for Jessamine, Carolina Yellow, sometimes confused with Jasmine, but not the same thing. The southeast coastal native Jessamine, (genus Gelsemium), appears in the tops of trees as a sudden sweet surprise in late February-March, ushering in spring with its burst of bright yellow, mildly fragrant blossoms. Jasmine, (genus Trachelospermum), usually Confederate, though there are other types, is a white, four petaled flowering vine of a more formal nature, very fragrant blooms in June and is capable of leaping to the treetops. It is best controlled by strict pruning after the bloom is finished, but is definitely worth having in the garden.

A charming & elegant collection of homes, just a short walk to the shores.

Singleton by the Beach is a charming community located in the mid-island area. A small neighborhood, it is big on charm. All of Singleton by the Beach’s Charleston-style homes are elegant and stately, yet they have been constructed with the latest advances in technology.

Developer/builder John Melkon, of Palmetto Investors Group, visited Seaside, Florida, and returned to Hilton Head an inspired man. Melkon wanted to build a new community and what he saw in Florida was a wonderful starting point for his creativity. He wanted to create a community bursting with charm, where homes were constructed using only the best materials, while keeping the entire area in harmony with nature. This is exactly what Melkon did with Singleton by the Beach.