Thursday, December 27, 2012
The floor plan is the heart of constructional drawings. From the type of house to the size of the house, a floor plan reveals area, structure, stair location, door and window locations, room layout and so much more. Floor plans can be confusing at first glance, so here are a few pointers to help you understand what you’re seeing.
For starters, look at the floor plan as a whole. The floor plan is drawn from a perspective view, which means that it’s as if the roof has been lifted off and you’re looking down into the house from a bird’s eye view.
Next, locate the front entrance to the house. Visualize opening the front door and walking through the house. Follow the flow down the halls and walk spaces. Go to each room on the floor plan. The living area, kitchen, dining area, bathrooms and bedrooms are all marked, as well as any special rooms such as the utility room or office, like this example shown of the Manhattan Expanded floor plan. Below the room label is the room dimensions. It is listed in feet and inches with the width first and the length second.
Doors and windows are two of the most important elements shown on a floor plan. Each door and window is given a location and size. Windows are shown with three parallel lines in a wall and doors are typically shown as a straight line perpendicular to a wall and an arc that connects this line to the wall. The great thing about showing a door like this is that you’ll know which side has the hinges and which room the door opens into. This is good to keep in mind as you think about furniture placement.
The next thing to look for is ceiling height. Some plans will have the ceiling dimensions on the plan itself, underneath the room dimensions. Other plans will have symbols on them. For example, in the Cavanaugh II floor plan, the master bedroom has a double trey ceiling marked with two squares of dotted lines. Other plans, like the Monroe plan, have vaulted ceilings marked by crossed dotted lines.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The holidays are a time for friends and family to get together, which means schedules can fill up quickly with overnight guests in your Ball home. Take a few hours to prepare for your visitors and create an environment that tells them, “I’m glad you’re here”.
First, you’ll want to look around the room that they’ll be staying in. Try to de-clutter the room as much as possible. You’ll want to ensure that your guests have enough room to relax without having to step over paperwork or boxes. Clear off the dresser top and provide a tray or dish where your guests can put their jewelry, change and other small items. Clear some space in the closet for their hanging items and don’t forget to leave a few extra hangers.
Do you have a guest bed they will be sleeping on? Make sure the bed is as comfortable as it can be. If you’re using an inflatable mattress, pump it up and check for any leaks. You don’t want to find that you have a busted air mattress just as your guests are turning in for the night. Run the pillows through the air-only cycle on your dryer with a fabric softener sheet to give them a fresh scent. If you’re using new bed linens or towels, run them through a laundry cycle to keep them from feeling stiff.
Next, check the guest bathroom to make sure everything is cleaned and organized. Restock the toilet paper and tissues, if necessary. Set out fresh towels for each of your guests. If you have time, assemble a small basket of toiletries, just in case your guest has forgotten something. You can find travel sizes of many items like shampoo, soap, razor, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and lotions at the local store.This makes your guest feel welcome, takes away any awkwardness they may feel in asking you for something they need or forgot, and makes it easier on you to have everything prepared.
Do you have any other tips or tricks you do to ensure your guests are comfortable? Share them with us on our Facebook page!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
We are currently selling some of our former model homes in the Lexington area.
This former Westmont II floor plan, located at 102 Spring Bluff Drive in McClelland Springs, offers the conveniences of one-story living in a split bedroom ranch, plus the bonus room with half bath adding 614 square feet more living space.
There are nine-foot ceilings included throughout the main living areas, and tray ceilings in the master bedroom and dining room. Additional aesthetic interest is created by the barrel vault-style doorway between the dining room and family room.
The kitchen's wrap-around bar-top offers casual eating space, with upgraded cashmere cabinets with variable height and full stainless steel appliance package. The breakfast area is full of natural light with a wall of windows there is also a formal dining room with chair rail and wainscoting. The family room has a fireplace with surround bookcases.
The master suite includes two large, separate closets, and upgraded luxury bath with corner tub with tile surround and tiled shower with glass surround.
The Augusta II floor plan is the former model home in Glasford. Located at 4060 Mooncoin Way, this home has multi-layered rooflines and four arched windows of varying sizes creating a unique curb appeal for this luxuriously detailed home.
Interior layers create visual appeal and privacy as well. From the foyer, step into the formal living room with its vaulted ceiling.
Step up to the formal dining room or the main living areas of the home. A large kitchen has a breakfast bar that opens to the breakfast area and family room.
The master suite includes a double trey ceiling, a luxury bath with 5' shower stall and a garden tub or whirlpool upgrade, a double vanity, roomy closet, and vaulted ceiling. Both secondary bedrooms have walk-in closets. A few steps down in the upstairs hall bring you to the finished bonus room, perfectly located for a semi-private office or fourth bedroom.
For more information on these homes, contact Milestone Realty Consultants today!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Autumn’s beautiful array of oranges, reds, yellows have given way to bare branches and tree limbs. Now that most of the leaves have fallen off the trees, it’s time to decide what you’re going to do with them. Here are a few things you can do now to insure you keep your lawn healthy through the coming winter months.
1. Get your leaves off the lawn. Even a light layer of leaves will compact under winter snows, depriving lawn grasses of light and air and encouraging the growth of snow mold and other turf diseases. You can use them now for mulch, add them to your compost or stockpile them for future use.
2. Make sure you clear all the leaves off your driveway and sidewalks. Leaves create slippery conditions for drivers and bike riders when it rains. Mounds of leaves can also clog local storm drains, creating dangerous high water conditions on roadways during a heavy downpour.
3. If you decide to use leaves for mulch, use your lawn mower to chop them into fine pieces and add them to your compost pile or flower beds. Leaves are nutrient-rich, which are perfect around newly installed plants to maintain soil warmth and permit better root growth. Spread leaves across bare soil areas to prevent erosion or apply them to established gardens after the ground has frozen to prevent frost heave and premature soil warming in early spring.
4. Participate in your local communities’ leaf service. Many cities offer a short-term service of delivering your leaves to a specific site at no charge. The site will compost the leaves for municipal use or sale to residents. This may be your best bet to keep your fall cleanup ecofriendly if the amount of leaves on your property overwhelms your ability to use them in your own landscape. Some cities offer a pick-up service, while others have a drop-off location. For information on this service in your community, visit the local government website for Lexington, Louisville, and Knoxville.
5. Use the leaves in your holiday decorations. Decorate your home with the Fall foliage by adding whole leaves to your table decorations or wall art.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
With Thanksgiving less than a week away, hopefully your holiday preparations have already begun. Just in case you need a boost before your home is full of your family and out-of-town guests, here a few things you can do this weekend to get ready for turkey day!
· Give your house an all-over cleaning. Don't waste time with hidden areas and deep clutter; focus on the places your guests will most likely travel, like the entryway, bathrooms, the dining room and the living room.
· Tidy up the front porch, check porch lighting and add a few fresh potted plants or a wreath on the door.
· Clean out the fridge and freezer. You’ll need enough room in your refrigerator to store all those tasty leftovers. For tips on how to clean out your refrigerator, check out this post from our partners at Milestone Realty Consultants.
· Review the menu and gather all the recipes in one spot. Make a list of all the ingredients you’ll need to purchase.
· Shop for and begin cooking dishes that can be made ahead and frozen, like pie dough. If you are buying a frozen turkey, make sure you buy it ahead of time so it has time to thaw in the fridge. If you need ideas for tasty treats that can be made ahead of time, check out Real Simple’s list here.
· Set your dinner table. Iron out the wrinkles on your table cloths (if you’re using any) and set up your table decorations. Find decoration ideas on our Pinterest page! Use sticky notes to set up the layout of where you want each dish to be placed.
· Write the cooking plan (oven temperatures and cooking times) on a whiteboard or tape it to the wall, somewhere that you and your helpers can easily check it. You won't have added stress of people coming up to you and asking how long something has to cook for--it's already written down for them!
Do you have any other Thanksgiving preparations?