Introducing: the Haymount Bohemian - our newest airbnb

We are so excited to announce the arrival of our newest short term rental, The Haymount Bohemian.

This adorable short term rental is only available this holiday season, for a limited time only. We have space to accommodate your overflow of friends and family, giving them their own space in the heart of Haymount! If you are planning to travel to Fayetteville to visit your friends and family, we hope you'll consider our home!

You can find our property listed on Airbnb and VRBO (copy and paste: https://www.vrbo.com/2514446) or you can contact us directly to arrange a booking.

The Haymount Bohemian features high quality mattresses: deluxe ghost hybrid, nectar premium, and tuft and needle deluxe. You will find thoughtful touches throughout this three-bedroom home, and plenty of space for 6 guests to enjoy their getaway!

Enjoy the home to her below and thank you again for considering us for your holiday guests! We wish you the most beautiful holiday season yet!

Casey and crew

How to Spark Joy in Your Life with DIY Decluttering

Guest post by Virginia Cooper

There are many jobs around your home that require an expert, but if you’re thinking of tidying and decluttering your home, you really do not need an expert to get the job done. All you really need for a cleaner, more organized home are some tips to make the tasks involved easier - and maybe even more fun!

Start by Taking Out and Sorting through Your Things

When you’re ready to begin tidying up your home, it’s helpful to pull everything out. Having everything laid out this way will help you see how much you really have in your home, and will make it easier to decide what needs to go. Take note of items you may have duplicates of or things you no longer need, and put them into their own box. You can toss unneeded items, but it might give you a greater sense of satisfaction if you donate them instead.

Think About Renting a Storage Unit to Make Life Easier 

For those items you’re not ready to let go of, consider putting them into a local storage unit. To save time, think about contacting a service to handle this part of the decluttering process. The company sends you a secure storage container to put your things in, and collects it to take to the storage storage unit once you’ve filled it. Plus you will create more space for storage inside your home. You can also use one of these fun garage projects to make better use of that square footage. 

Burn Some Calories While You Tidy and Clean Your Home 

We’ve talked about ways to make decluttering easier, but if you want to stick to all of your cleaning and organizing tasks, you need to make them fun. As you move around your rooms picking things up and wiping surfaces down, consider dancing while cleaning to make housework double as a fitness routine. If you’re not the dancing type, use these active cleaning tips to get the most out of your tidying and decluttering project.

Redo Your Walls to Open Up Your Space

Get the most out of your decluttering efforts by dressing up your home and making it feel less cramped. When painting, avoid dramatic color changes and look for patterns that complement your space. Another idea is to use custom-designed wallpaper for an elegant touch. Repositionable and removable wallpaper allows for simplified application, and it’s available in an assortment of textures and colors.  

Give Yourself a Reward for All of that Effort and Hard Work

Getting your home organized will reduce your stress, but you may need more motivation to actually get the job done. To make yourself want to work on cleaning up, make a commitment to treat yourself to something special once all the work is done. Maybe you can go out for a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant, or you can think bigger and treat yourself to a relaxing staycation. You definitely deserve it! 

You may not feel a lot of joy while you tidy up your home, but you’ll feel more relaxed afterward. It takes some work to get a home organized, but it definitely does not take an expensive expert. Save that money for something that truly sparks joy for you, and take care of the tidying up all on your own. 

When you’ve finished decluttering, reach out to Haymount Homes to help decorate and design your home. Schedule a consultation today!

Photo Credit: Pexels

Buying and selling a smart home

Image courtesy of Unsplash

Everything You Need to Know about Buying or Selling a Smart Home

A featured guest post from Kris!
Kris Louis -- Parentingwithkris.com

They say there is a learning curve to everything, and for most of us, a smart home transaction is a whole new experience that can seem especially complicated.  What happens when the gadgets change hands, and will having devices installed help or hurt a sale?  Haymount Homes offers some pertinent advice for buyers and sellers who are heading into the smart home market for the first time.

What devices should I install?  The selection of smart devices is almost overwhelming, so contemplate what choices will make your home more comfortable for you, and what will bring substantial convenience.  You can test drive smart home gadgetry with something small and simple, such as smart plugs.  Anything you connect to one can be controlled by phone, allowing you to alter your home environment whether you’re near or far.  

Will technology help sell my house?  Automation isn’t likely to be a big player in selling a home.  If the decision is narrowed to a few houses and all other features are equal, installed technology might help a buyer choose your property, but it’s unlikely to influence a sale dramatically in either direction.  With that in mind, decide on devices offering you optimal personal benefit.  Whatever smart devices you choose to install, note you are best off hiring a professional electrician to ensure things are wired in properly.  

Here are some popular smart home selections:

Window treatments can be a boon in the summer.  Being able to control drapes, blinds and other window treatments when you aren’t home means you can close your west side-facing curtains during the day, reducing heat from the afternoon sun.  It’s a savings on energy use and utility bills, and on top of that, being able to close curtains remotely means you can make it look like you are home even when you aren’t. 

Smart security systems will give homeowners peace of mind. There are a variety of smart security options you can choose from: video doorbells, all-in-one home security systems, motion-sensing solar outdoor lights, indoor cameras, and even alarm sensors that notify you when windows or doors have been opened. The best smart security technology allows homeowners to stream video from their phone, so they always know their home is safe no matter where they are. 

Smart appliances can both boost your home’s efficiency and help you be more productive.  For example, there are smart kitchen scales into which you can note what ingredients are on hand, and it will offer you recipe suggestions.  

Thermostats are a big hit with homeowners, offering energy efficiency by learning habits and making changes accordingly.

Smart lighting can also be a benefit to homeowners, as smart bulbs can work in accordance with your patterns, helping you sleep better, work more efficiently, and even better manage your appetite.  On top of all that, you can save money and energy.  

Integrating devices.  There are a couple important options to help with device integration.  One option is a hub, which is designed for linking devices so they can talk to one another.  However, it’s important to understand that not all gadgets will speak the same language, so you should research what will work with your selections.  One suggestion for managing this concern is to purchase smart home devices from retailers that will allow you to return them if there is a problem.  Good Housekeeping points out you can also use your smartphone to access IFTTT (If This, Then That).  In this way, you establish protocol for your various smart devices. For instance, if movement is detected by a smart security camera while you’re at work, your smart curtains close.  

Buying and selling.  When it comes time to sell or purchase a property with automation installed, many people are confused about navigating the process.  Notion explains sellers should delete their accounts, and reset all smart home products and devices to their factory settings.  Make a list of all the gadgets and what they do so buyers know what to expect.  Buyers should ensure they contact tech support regarding change of ownership immediately, and update all contact information.

Most of us are new to buying and selling smart homes.  Learn about the devices available and what will work for you.  With a little research, you can make informed decisions, improving your convenience and comfort.  You will be able to enter the smart home real estate market with confidence!

Do you need help staging your home for sale? Or do you just want help making your living space feel more beautiful? Haymount Homes can help! We provide the tools, advice and services you need to make your home shine. Reach out to us today! 

The Haymount Scandi- Our New Short Term Rental - Airbnb

We are so excited to show you our brand new short term rental! Introducing the Haymount Scandi by Haymount Homes!

We had so much fun designing and renovating this home. We are bringing our Northern roots a little bit South with scandinavian design detail and fun styling throughout the home. As always, The Scandi is in the heart of Haymount, ready to showcase history with modern design.

At some point we will walk you through the renovation process, but for now enjoy the home tour. If you have friends or family visiting Fayetteville, we would love the opportunity to host them! You can contact us through the website, call or text us, or we will post our airbnb and VRBO links below. We look forward to your feedback and hope you had a great 4th of July.

Click to book!

airbnb.com/h/haymountscandi

https://www.vrbo.com/2346628?noDates=true&unitId=2913008

Haymount Homes REDFIN FEATURE!! “choosing the right art for staging”

Don’t miss the recent Redfin article we were featured in!

Choosing art for staging sounds simple

..but anyone who has sifted through countless options of art and decor, realizes that it can become overwhelming and difficult to select the right art that will help sell your house!

Redfin has taken the guesswork out of it and put together an article to help you understand what you're looking for and how to select the best pieces to stage your home.

We were delighted to be featured in this article and hope you enjoy the tips below!

-Casey and crew

Experts Reveal Their Best Tips on Choosing the Right Art for Home Staging

A well-staged home can make all the difference in enticing a buyer to tour a listing, and something as simple as the artwork you choose can make or break a sale. Your home is where your design personality shines through, but when staging your home for sale, it’s important to keep personal mementos and photos tucked away to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Everyone will inevitably have differing design opinions, but with a few simple tips and tricks, choosing the right artwork for your home when staging can help buyers envision themselves living there. To help put your home on a buyer’s “must-have” list, we reached out to design experts from Irvine, CA, all the way to Calgary, AB, for their best advice on choosing the right art for home staging.

Select artwork that enhances your home

Let the artwork serve two purposes - choose artwork that adds appeal to the home and markets the geographical region. This makes the home even more appealing to potential buyers. For example, if you are staging a home near a big city, choose artwork that shows images of the city. -Elegant Transitions

Be intentional when selecting artwork to showcase a property. Placement and scale are critical when enhancing the space around the art or using it as a tool to draw the eye to an architectural feature nearby, such as a fireplace. Also, the subject matter of the artwork you choose should be deliberate, such as using a landscape piece to create interest in a dark or windowless room. -Diversa Design

Think of art as an accent piece. Artwork can be used to provide a focal point, highlight a feature in your home, and add color to a space. I have found modern art or landscapes to be the most effective when staging a house - framed family photos and religious art tend to make prospective buyers uncomfortable. Also, be selective about placement. When staging, only a few walls need to be adorned - less is truly more. -Gin Treadwell Home Interiors

Art placement and procurement create a statement within the room by adding focal points, becoming a key role in enhancing the room. Artwork can bring the room to life and serve as an attractive feature to help build up the environment within the room. When you're looking to add character to your room, a few key art pieces may be all you need to bring that “wow” factor that your wall needed. -Eden Home Staging

Be mindful of your artwork choices

Consider the three C's: Color, Contemplation, and Coalescence. First, a pop of color can enliven an otherwise neutral space. Second, art helps buyers envision living in your space by hinting at how a room may be used and evoking certain emotions. Think about the feeling conveyed by a black-and-white cityscape in an office or a blue abstract in a bedroom. Third, art can help unify a space, as may be seen if two or more related pieces are hung on the walls in one or more rooms. For example, use a geometric abstract on a wall in a living room and a similar piece on the wall in the adjacent dining room to create a cohesive look. -Greenhouse

When selecting the artwork, keep your target audience in mind and avoid using art that portrays sinister or risqué scenes, which may not appeal to a broader audience. Instead, choose pieces that can provide a space with a focal point where there isn't one, add color, or emphasize the home's custom features. -CT Exclusive Homes

Envision the finished space when choosing artwork. Know the art story, context, color, size, and location of the wall art when choosing artwork for staging your home. Each piece should have a designated spot in mind (ambiance) to avoid misplaced wall art or proportion (size). -Designs By Dannette

Artwork is the supporting role; the main actor, the central character, is the home. Your artwork choices should mirror a home's style and design - its role is to enhance the vibrant elements and unique features. The masterpiece is always the property; thus, the buyer's eyes should be drawn toward the kitchen, bath, or living space, not a trendy art piece. -Alison Is Real Estate

Freshen up your home with unique pieces

Think outside the canvas. Art doesn’t always involve paint on a canvas. In place of a painting, woven baskets on the wall can add texture above a sofa that features a bright, patterned set of pillows. Mirrors, which provide intriguing reflective surfaces, can also be used in place of art. -Dezign Zoo

Using artworks made from different mediums throughout the home creates an elevated, gallery-like experience. For example, a canvas in one space, a print in another, combined with a sculpture and wall pieces in another room will make the pieces feel less “matchy-matchy” and more like an art collection that a prospective buyer would have. You can also highlight the home's best features and help potential buyers see the home's potential with size and scale. In a room with double-height ceilings, a massive oversized canvas will draw the eye upward and emphasize the height of the walls. -IMG

Be creative and think beyond a typical canvas or framed print. Don’t be afraid to play with textures, shapes, and forms which can add additional interest to the visual appeal a home buyer will relate to. For example, a home with a young family could benefit from brighter colors and whimsical artwork, while a home for a younger couple or single person might be best presented with a more boho vibe, such as a guitar on the wall, a vintage map, or a textural crocheted wall hanging. Mirrors can also be an effective artwork option if the reflection is highlighting an important interior or exterior feature or selling point. -Bloom that Room

Choose complementary artwork pieces

Art is like a topping on the cake, it should go with the design palette to complete the space. Keep your artwork choices neutral, calm, and something that speaks to the room and to the potential buyer. -Jennifer Michele Interiors

Keep it simple. We find that it's best to keep artwork simple - it should be subtle yet attractive to the eye. To present the home in the most appealing light possible, use artwork that doesn’t feature images of people. Instead, consider using pieces that portray interesting but neutral visuals. The best art for home staging will compliment the space it's placed in while not distracting from the home itself. -Beycome

Choose pieces that match your home’s architectural style. A current trend is chalkboard art with inspirational sayings such as “love makes a house a home.” Most important, be certain that artwork won’t be offensive to potential buyers. -Harb & Co

Use artwork that fits the space and doesn't overpower the room. When you start to use big, bold, and personal pieces, you are decorating the space. When determining what kind of art and wall décor to use when staging, you want to be sure to keep things simple and neutral. The whole point of staging is to draw buyer's attention to the features, size, and functions of the rooms and for them to envision themselves living in the space. -Designing Impressions

Use artwork to highlight specific features in your home

Hang art in bathrooms. The use of framed photos of plants, trees, or flowers in bathrooms gives these spaces a spa-like feel and enhances how each room photographs. When coupled with a few white towels and spa counter accessories, art can transform even the most outdated bathroom spaces. -Knoxville Staging Services

Art is the bow on the 'package' in room décor. It should be the first thing to catch your eye and draw you in to see what's inside. Abstract pieces that feature strokes of color on light canvases are always a good choice, especially if the frame is in a metallic finish that complements the light fixtures in a room. They catch the eye and draw people in, but they don't outshine the room itself, which is, after all, what good staging is all about. -Staging That Sells

Keep scale in mind when choosing artwork for staging

Choose large canvas wall art in the colors and style of the house. Wall art on each wall can make your home appear cluttered. Instead, large canvas pieces are easy to hang and will draw the eye to the home's focal points. If you have a large gorgeous fireplace, a large bright piece of canvas art will highlight this feature. Only hang wall art in spaces that are focal points for the listing photos to direct a buyer's eye. If you have one or two smaller plaques or pieces of wall art in a large area, it will look out of proportion, so make sure it's all in scale to the size of the room, the ceiling height, and the size of the furniture. -Dramatix Decor

Choose artwork that is “show-worthy” and offers the drama necessary to create a cohesive space. Keep in mind that the larger the scale, the fewer pieces are needed (and fewer holes in your walls when staging). Your artwork choices are also the foundation for selecting the accent colors to use in a home. Colors should flow gracefully from one space to the next. -Impact Home Staging

If you have a large empty wall, search for large artwork to anchor the space. You can then tie in the colors of the décor in the room to the artwork's colors, exhibiting a very uniform look. -2 West Photography

Along with selecting neutral art, be sure it's scaled and hung appropriately. We often come across artwork placed on walls in the wrong orientation, size, and or dimension. The center of the artwork should be 57 inches from the floor, 6-8 inches above a piece of furniture, and 3-6 inches apart when in a grouping. -Simplicity

Make sure your artwork choices are balanced

Think about how multiple art pieces are going to look when showing various rooms in a single photo. For example, consider how strategically placing a painting on the wall of one room, like a bedroom down a hall, might give depth to the living room in the foreground. Instead of showing a blank wall, that extra splash of color on the far wall could help to extend the perceived size of a space and make it more attractive to potential buyers. -The Best Local Real Estate Photographers

Choose art that is large and balancing for your space so that it’s eye-catching and attention-grabbing in photos. More often than not, a large statement piece of art will look more dramatic and enticing than multiple smaller pieces. Buyers love interesting photos with clean lines, and large statement art will help draw them in. -Haymount Homes

Artwork should be appropriately sized for the location. Wall art should take up 65% of the available wall space and be about 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the furniture. Your artwork choices should also have an impersonal, but coordinated, theme throughout the space. For example, sticking with abstracts in contemporary spaces, nature scenes in traditional spaces, and water or beach scenes in bathrooms. -Her Home Design

Originally published by Redfin

Now available!!

Happy weekend y'all! Are you in the market for a home? Don't blink because this one's going to move. We just finished a project for a client in a centrally located townhome in the gorgeous Waters edge community…. 5 minutes from Target? Yes please.

This home is absolutely beautiful. Everything has been completely renovated and is TurnKey ready for its new owner. The home includes two large bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms (and extra half bath!) including Master ensuite with office area. Granite counters in the kitchen and glass tile subway backsplash, bar seating with custom molding, stainless appliances, and walk out back deck. Enjoy your beautiful newly tiled gas fireplace and then escape to your whirlpool tub. Closets include custom built-ins for storage and more. This home literally has everything ready to go and had great attention to detail in the design process. All this for an asking price of $160,000.

This home is hitting the market today and is already accepting showings. There will be an open house tomorrow on Saturday May 8th, form 11 am until 2pm. 342 Bahama Loop, Fayetteville.

Send me a message if you need more details and I will get them to you! Hope you enjoy the home tour!

Casey and crew

Hillside Renovations Part IV: Before and After Lower Level Living Room and Kitchen (Copy)

Well….who’s in the mood for some before and after photos? It's been a while since we have updated everybody on the renovations on our Hillside home, so we decided to get moving on a new blog post to show you some of the transformation.

At our home, everything is consistently a work in progress. We just ordered a couple of different runners to choose one for the kitchen (recent obsession Loloi rugs…), and things are slowly coming along on the bookshelves. Despite the lack of finished product, we took some photos anyway!

The kitchen was a little bit of a process. We chose to install a subway tile backsplash, changed the hardware out for brushed brass, and added a multi-patterned hexagon gray tile to the floor. The end result feels more like us!

For the den, we painted out the built-in and mantle with Sherwin-Williams tricorn black, added some trim to take it all the way to the floor so that it looked more finished, and then painted the walls with Sherwin-Williams pure white paint. The addition of new sconces with vintage brass touches completed the job!

We had the red oak floors refinished with water based black stain to help tone down the red, making it a rich brown color. We chose a diamond leather rug, and outfitted the furniture with some Italian leather recliners (comfort won over style for movie nights) and a great apartment sofa from Ikea….we changed out the legs for a more mid-century turned leg.

All in all, we are starting to love it. The kids often have the popcorn maker and gumball machine going and movies playing. It is a cozy space and we are settling in!

Have you made any updates to your home? We’d love to see them!!

Casey and crew

VALENTINE'S DAY - D.I.Y. FELT HEART POM POM GARLAND TUTORIAL

Happy Valentine’s Day!

We hope you are enjoying your sweethearts and filling you day with love. We wanted to share a quick and fun, kid friendly tutorial that we created for some fun Valentine’s Day decor this year: Our Felt Heart Pom-Pom Garland.

This tutorial is easy, can be imperfect, and fun. The only piece of caution is don’t get it tangled like we did when you finish - what was quick and easy became long and frustrating once tangled.

You’ll need:

Felt (color for your hearts)

Pom-Poms (if you don’t have them, use cotton balls!)

String

Hot Glue Gun/Scissors

Step 1: Create your Heart Template - cut out some hearts but folding over the felt and creating a template heart that you like. Repeat this step for each heart, using your template heart as a pattern guide. Enlist some help like I did - tousled hair and straight out of bed but it worked. Don’t worry if your hearts have jagged edges or all are not quite uniform….it sorta adds to the charm. We would argue that all hearts have been shaped in their own ways……

Step 2: Cut your string and start to add the hearts and pom poms, alternating their attachments on the string.

Step 3: Let them dry. Hang your garland and enjoy! If you find your hearts flipping, we just added a little tape to the back to keep them in place where we hung them.

Enjoy this fun garland - it is bright and happy and the perfect way to create more LOVE this Valentine’s Day! Feel free to substitute more colors of pom poms - we never did use the red ones we bought as they did not really coordinate with our felt, but you can change this up so many ways. Post a picture of your creations if you feel like it - share the love!

-Casey and Crew

PREP YOUR HOME FOR SALE DURING COVID - Guest Post

Hello Friends!

Welcome to 2021 - A Seller’s Market! Finally!

Home prices are rising as supply is limited, interest rates are low, building materials are backordered and inflated, and people are restless from staying home! That means it’s a great time to sell….but it also means more people touring your home and more difficulty mitigating the risks for Covid-19. If you are retirement age and looking to move on to your next stage in life, the risk is higher.

Fortunately, Bob Shannon from Seniorsmeet.org, is here to help guide you through selling your home during this hot market, but also provides us with great resources to help prep your home during a pandemic. He also shares market-ready ideas to ensure you get a top offer. Read on for great tips for a great selling experience!

A Quick How-To Guide for Prepping Your Home for Sale

If retirement means a smaller home or moving to a new locale this year, the time will come to put your home on the market. These days, selling a home is more involved than it used to be. And when it comes to attracting potential buyers, you need a plan, one that helps them imagine living happy, healthy lives in your home. 

Preparing your home for sale means setting buyers up to have such a pleasurable experience inside and out that they leave feeling like your home is already theirs. If you aren't sure how to go about the process while dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak, then these tips and advice can be a great way to start.

Prepare for Pandemic-Related Challenges

The landscape of selling a home has significantly changed the entire process from start to finish. 

How to Sell Your House When There's a Pandemic

Virtual Tours Become the New Norm in Selling Homes

Transaction Guidance During COVID-19

Contactless Buying: Closing Real Estate Deals Remotely

Clean and Declutter

Clearing out your home, staging it and keeping it clean are crucial parts of this process even if you won’t be having in-person showings. 

Free Yourself From Clutter | A Simple Guide

Work with Haymount Homes Staging Services

How to Maintain a Clean, Healthy Home During COVID-19

Why You Should Hire a Professional Cleaning Service When You Move

Boost Curb Appeal

Even though people aren’t attending showings or touring homes, they will still drive by, and you’ll want to make a great first impression.

Increase Your Curb Appeal and Get a High Return on Investment

8 Easy Yard Care Tips to Help Sell Your Home

Top 32 Best Curb Appeal Ideas for Every Budget

Outdoor Living Spaces on a Budget

Find Upgrades with Great ROI

If you’re in a position to make updates or upgrades prior to listing, see what people are looking for and discuss options with your real estate agent. 

7 Kitchen Trends That Will Takeover in 2021, According to Designers

How a Bathroom Remodel Can Increase Your Home Value

40 Decorating Tips for Anyone on a Shoestring Budget

Use Kohl’s or Macy’s Coupons to Save on Home Decor

Selling your home in retirement can be an exciting adventure, but it’s one that no one wants to last too long. Prepping your home for sale, from remodeling kitchens to landscaping your gardens, is your best chance of standing out in a busy market. 

If you’re not keen to sell your home, consider turning it into a rental so you can generate income you can put toward a new home or vacation spot. Haymount Homes can teach you how to be your own property manager, and help guide you toward offering a beautiful rental. 

Retire Big For A Simple Life

Moving to Fayetteville? Resources to help you unpack - Guest Post

Happy Sunday, Y’all!

Are you moving to Fayetteville or know someone that is? Our friend Kristen Louis @parentingwithkris has done us a favor and compiled a great resource list with links to help smooth the moving transition.

The challenge of moving is hard enough, but when you add re-organizing your life into the mix, it only gets harder. Not only are you trying to minimize the stress of moving and the impact it has you and your family, but you also need to quickly figure out what services you need….or even where the darn grocery store is. It can be overwhelming and time consuming.

Fortunately, Kris Louis, from Parentingwithkris.com, has a wonderful game plan for busy people who are trying to minimize the drama of relocation. Following her tips (even just some of them!), can really help ease the work and the stress of moving to Fayetteville. Read on for her ideas and strategies that are sure to decrease the stress and hopefully increase your sleep during your move! If you want more tips from Kris, please be sure to visit her website! While the list is not fully comprehensive, it is certainly a good start and time saver for you.

WELCOME TO FAYETTEVILLE - WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!!

-Casey

8 Types of Resources That Can Make Your Move to Fayetteville, NC Go Smoothly 

Buying a new home and moving to a new city can leave anyone feeling exhausted. If you’ve been dealing with offers, paperwork, closings, and moving prep, you may not have any energy left for anything else once you are moved into your new home. If you want to get settled in faster, however, you may need to take care of a few more tasks before you begin relaxing. For folks that are moving to Fayetteville, this list of local resources can make completing those moving checklists less of a hassle, so your new city feels like a home much faster. 

Keeping Your Lawn & Garden Green

A bright and tidy lawn can brighten up your spirits, so here are a few top garden resources for you to consider: 

Local plants near Fayetteville, NC

North Carolina Planting Zones

Lawn Maintenance & Mowing Services in Fayetteville, NC

Organizing & Decorating Your New Home 

Keeping your home tidy can also help you feel less stressed, and these cleaning and organizing resources can certainly help you out:

11 Ideas for a Clutter-Free Home

10 Best Places to Buy Organizers (Besides the Container Store)

Professional Decorating Help near Fayetteville

Self-Storage Units in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Finding Care for Children & Pets 

Whether you need a date night or your dog walked, these directories will help you find the help you need for your human and furry children alike: 

Daycare or Preschool — What's Best for Your Family

Find a Babysitter in Fayetteville, NC

Directory of Pet Businesses in Fayetteville, NC

Find a Local Pet Sitter in Fayetteville, NC Online

Looking for Deals at Local Stores 

Moving can be expensive, but shopping the discounts at local retailers can help you save some stress, cash, and time: 

Moving soon? Save Hundreds with These 21 Housewarming Discounts

The 7 Best Supermarkets in Fayetteville

Add Coupons to Your Grocery Card

Searching for Self-Care Services 

You’re going to need to unwind after moving into your perfect new home. So treat yourself to a local yoga class or spa session: 

Best Spas in Fayetteville

How to Get Started with Yoga

The 7 Best Gyms in Fayetteville, NC

Enrolling Children in Local Schools

When the new school year starts, these resources will help you find a welcoming place for your child to learn and grow: 

Find schools in Fayetteville

Cumberland County Schools Enrollment

Moving Your Business

If you are a maker, a consultant, or a small business owner and plan to bring your business with you, here are some tips on how to ensure a smooth transition:

Relocate Your Business in NC

North Carolina LLC Instructions

Marketing Tips for Business Relocation

How to Update Your Online Presence

Hooking Up Essential Services & Utilities

Your new house isn’t a home until you can take a hot shower and surf the internet in peace. So use these links to connect your basic utilities:  

Fayetteville Public Works Commission

Cumberland County Public Utilities

Internet Providers

Feeling at home in Fayetteville can take some time, but it doesn’t have to require a lot of stress. Use the links, resources, and tools above to ease this transition, and you will feel like a local in no time. Congratulations on your new home, and welcome to Fayetteville! 

Photo Credit: Rawpixel

Christmas decorating

Merry Christmas! We have been asked to share some decorating ideas and I have to admit, decorating never really finishes around here! it took a while for me to get things cleaned up and take a few photos, but we hope you enjoy the small home tour!

Thank you to several neighbors who let me cut trimmings off their bushes and trees! And also thank you for the Garland, CJ (neighbor)! We tend to keep things pretty simple with fresh greens and flowers to bring in Christmas cheer!

We are late to the game with getting this posted, but you can at least see some of the fun we've been having decorating our new home! It's a process that doesn't seem to stop, but we've enjoyed it.

Hopefully you've been enjoying your Christmas season as much as us!

Casey and crew

RETIRE BIG for a SIMPLE LIFE - Guest Post

Hello Friends!

We at Haymount Homes know the value of loving your home - especially through all the seasons of life - your first home and your first child through empty nesting and retirement. The love of home and family can often make it difficult to leave your home in the popular trend of downsizing for retirement. Whether it be that you want to stay in your beloved family home, or if you want to even enlarge your home to welcome the expanding network of family growth through marriage and grandchildren, not all retirement plans include downsizing.

My parents have stayed on our family farm as our family has expanded to include seven children, their spouses and a wealth of 24 grandchildren. They value their farm life and the ability to stay in our family home. Bob at Seniorsmeet.org, contacted us about helping our readers understand the difference in retiring big versus the traditional downsizing discussion. He offered to help outline some of the considerations if you choose to go this route.

Thank you to Bob and happy reading!

Casey and Crew

Retire Big For A Simple Life

If your retirement goals are to bring your family together, purchasing a bigger home and a piece of land may be a smart choice. It will allow you to pursue passions, such as gardening or woodworking, that you may not be able to in a small home. This is especially true if you currently live in the city. Keep reading for a few tips on how to make your move and enjoy your retirement to the fullest.

Prepare 

Your first goal is to get your current home ready for the market. Haymount Homes can help you stage each room so that it’s more compelling to potential buyers. This will give you an edge when it’s time to put a for sale sign in the yard. You’ll also want to take a look at your income and other assets so that you can determine a budget for your next endeavor. Your net profits from the home sale will play a significant role in this, so the more you can do to increase its value now, the better.

Budget

Once you have an idea of what you can afford, you’ll need to dive deeper into your personal finances to make sure that you can afford the upkeep. Keep in mind that a homestead-type property will likely cost more to maintain and operate than a small home in the suburbs. A few expenses you may not have considered in your original budget include:

• Farming equipment. If you plan to farm, a small tractor can cost up to $11,000, brand new.

• Home repairs. A bigger home means more things to maintain and fix. Repairing a broken window can cost upwards of $375, a hot water heater $1,100, and a new exterior door $200 or more, for instance.

• Land maintenance. Maintaining your property requires mowing, mending fences, and fixing other issues, such as loose bricks in the walkway. Depending on how much land you have, you may also wind up spending $375 or more per acre to have someone come in and cut hay.

Finding A Home

When you are ready to begin your home search, look for an experienced realtor from the local area. They will be able to give you greater insight into different locations you may be considering. One thing they can help with is determining where to get the biggest bang for your retirement buck.

As you get closer to making an offer on a home, partner with a home inspector. This can cost you $500 or more, but it can save you thousands of dollars worth of home repairs down the line. Inspect-All Services explains that having a professional on-site to inspect the property will help ensure that your potential future home is safe and livable. If you’ve made an offer already, having a home inspection will give you one last opportunity to reconsider if you find damage or problems that you had not anticipated.

Safety

When you move, it’s easy to get excited. In all the hustle and bustle, one thing you don’t want to do is forget about safety. This starts when you’re packing your current home. Start by removing excess clutter, and as you pack, make sure boxes weigh no more than one person can handle alone.

Moving into your new home, make a mental note of the differences that you’ll have to get used to. You might, for example, have to learn about gardening or wildlife safety. The more you know now, the better off you’ll be when it’s time to get your hands dirty and create an estate for your entire family to enjoy for many generations to come.

If it’s time to retire, go big and go home. Now that you no longer have the 9-to-5 grind, you can spend your hours with the people you love the most, doing what you love. Moving into a bigger home with a yard for the grandkids is a great way to enjoy your best years. But make sure to budget and keep yourself safe in the process.

Haymount Homes believes that every home deserves TLC. If you need help in staging and designing a home, contact Haymount Homes for a design consultation.

Haymount Homes REDFIN FEATURE!! “Selling Your Home in the Winter? Here’s How to Stage it While Embracing the Holidays” (Copy)

Don’t miss the recent Redfin article we were featured in: “Selling Your Home in the Winter? Here’s How to Stage it While Embracing the Holidays”

While many believe the ideal time to list your home for sale is in the summer, the truth is that selling your

home in the winter can be just as great. But like any other time of the year, it is in your best interest to

present your home in its best light. This is where beautiful staging and professional real estate

photography plays an important role.

To help you highlight your home’s best features this holiday season, Redfin reached out to staging experts and professional real estate photographers for our advice. To make sure your home stands out in the housing market while still embracing the holidays, check out what we had to say in the article:

https://www.redfin.com/blog/selling-your-home-in-the-winter-staging-advice/

Hillside Avenue Before and After- Part Three

We continue to shape up our new home! Still at work in progress but really coming along. Today we are sharing with you the front living room, our bedroom, and the kitchen!

Some of the changes were simple and others were quite large! In the front room, we used Sherwin-Williams Tri-corn Black on the fireplace and built-ins and then Sherwin-Williams Pure White on the walls and trim. I love how the deep rich black brought out the depth in the room.

In the bedroom, our very skilled contractors repaired the walls. They went from a rippled plaster job, to nice smooth clean walls feeling almost new again. Additionally, to add some interest, we added shiplap as a feature wall to the fireplace. It was painted in Benjamin Moore Cheating Heart, which is a grayish blue black color…. Hard to define and very rich. The walls were again Sherwin-Williams Pure White.

Finally the kitchen was simple. We just painted the walls Sherwin-Williams Pure White (even after comparing about 20 different samples of white…) and then began to hunt for different hardware. We wanted hardware that was more of a statement, and also brought in some brass touches that were throughout the home. you wouldn't think that was so difficult, but we ended up ordering about 30 types of hardware to find what we wanted. our photos ended up looking kind of yellowish on some of these photos, but at least you get the idea.

Thank you so much for taking the time to take a peek at our transformation! As much work as it is, we are loving the result!

-Casey and crew

THE HAYMOUNT INN - AIRBNB by HAYMOUNT HOMES

EEEEEKKKKK!

We are excited to announce the opening of our first short term rental option in Haymount:

The Haymount Inn

We loved our first Haymount Home so much that we decided to give it a fresh overhaul and offer it to visitors looking to experience Haymount for themselves. Whether you have family and friends visiting, need a short term place to live in Haymount, or find yourself between moves, we hope you’ll consider our Haymount Inn for your short term stay.

Located in the heart of Haymount, this 2450 square foot home sleeps 10 and has 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms for your enjoyment. Plenty of amenities and all you’ll need for a great stay. Full availability and reservations can be found here: https://airbnb.com/h/the-haymount-inn-by-haymount-homes

You can also look at the information on our website under the AIRBNB link, but scheduling stays is on the link above.

Enjoy the tour (click through the pictures and you will get the full tour of each area) and thank you again for considering our new adventure! We are excited to share Haymount with your guests!

-The Benander Family

Hillside ave - before and after part two

Happy Sunday!

Round two of before and after photos are here! We continue to put more ideas into our new home, but I was able to snap a few photos of some of our progress so far. Please ignore some of the randomness and try to see the beauty through the trees!

Some of our touches include great shiplap detail that helped disguise the poorly formed walls. Additionally, our contractors worked their magic on smoothing out other areas and making everything look new again. Refinishing floors and adding new paint made everything come together.

We bought a beautiful new light fixture for what we are now calling the music room, from Mid-South Lighting in downtown Fayetteville . If you need a light fixture, check them out because they are amazing!

The majestic purple bathroom has been toned down. This was not exactly a group decision, and many people told us they loved that deep purple, but it wasn't the calming environment we were looking for. We love the result with our changes and apologize to the purple fans out there!

Many people have asked about the colors that we have chosen at Hillside. The white on the walls is Sherwin-Williams pure white, which is one of our favorites to use on our homes. Pure White is slightly warm but still crisp, which makes it feel cozy but not too ivory for our taste. In the bathroom, we have used Sherwin-Williams Big Chill. It has a beautiful mid-range light reflective value and is a wonderful slightly cool gray. In the dining room and entryway, you will find more Pure White and also Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black.

We hope you enjoy the photos. If you find yourself in the neighborhood, stop by for a concert on our “new to us” grand piano. The kids play it every day and it's wonderful to listen to…

Casey and Crew

Hillside Ave - Before and After - Part One

We are excited to show you our preliminary makeover at our new home on Hillside Avenue. Everything is still in transition but it's been fun to start to pull things together. Please enjoy a few before and afters of our progress so far. Here you will find the entryway, the dining room, and our front porch: a quick note about a little front porch project that we did. We found an old window up in the attic and we turned it into a herb planter!

Our home is still a work in progress, but it's been really fun! We hope you enjoy some photos. Happy Halloween!

Cape Fear regional theater Lady Day co-producer

Here at Haymount Homes we are really proud to be co-producing Lady Day with Cape Fear Regional Theater. It is no secret, that our family loves Cape Fear Regional Theater and we were really excited to have the opportunity to co-produce such a special show.

One of the best parts about the Arts, is the creativity behind all of it. Covid-19 has presented unprecedented challenges to everyone in our world. However, creative people create solution, and the amazing team at cfrt is no exception.

Lady Day is the sad but also enlightening story of Billie Holiday, the amazing jazz singer from the 1930s. She brings you through her difficult story all while performing amazing jazz standards that made her famous. Her story is touching and the performance is outstanding. The creative solution that really makes this story unique, is the presentation. Cape Fear Regional Theater has moved the performance outside, behind the old haymont service station. You sit under lights, and are taken away to the Emerson Bar and Grill where Billie performed often. The setting is intimate, socially distanced, and wonderful. The ability to share a night out with your family in a safe environment and enjoy life art, is something to be appreciated again.

Our family loved the performance, but more importantly we loved being able to do something together outside the four walls of our home. You can't replace live art with a movie or a book. The creativity that Cape Fear Regional Theater offers our community is outstanding, and we sincerely hope that you will consider attending. Tickets are limited so that social distancing can be enforced, so don't wait to get them.

Thank you Cape Fear Regional Theater for allowing us to support another great adventure!

Keep creating!

• Casey and crew

HILLSIDE AVE - ANOTHER WEEK OF RENOVATIONS

Happy Sunday!

Here is the recap on another week of renovations!

Our neighbors from Weldon are moving after 30 years. We are all sad that they will be leaving. CJ has been their chicken keeper for about 5 years now and they have generously given our family their chickens since they cannot take them along. We are grateful and excited to keep the chicken “farm” alive. Moving the coop, however, was not easy and thankfully we had some great help to make it happen!

Hillside is pulling together. Another really great and exciting moment was the delivery of our grand piano. This was really exciting for all of us. After buying my first electric keyboard in 1999, it has served me and our family very well through countless moves from college, military life, through now. We had vowed that once the space allowed, we would invest in a “real” piano. The folks at JML music really pulled through for us and made this dream come true. For the first time since I graduated high school, I have a real piano to play and it is a dream come true. You can believe the house is already full of great sound and several guest artists have made their debut on it!

We are still waiting on some electrical work and then the painters can return to finish their end of things. Having used nearly 60 gallons of paint, Hillside is definitely getting refreshed! We are turning to the downstairs kitchen where we will start the renovation there of replacing the backsplash, hardware, lighting and replacing the tile floor. That job is exciting but DUSTY!

Things keep progressing and we have made the move over to Hillside, so if you are looking for us, we’ll be there. Living in renovation is always a challenge, but we are hanging in there with the bulk of the work behind us. Annika has been working her organization skills in the kitchen - we are loving more space - even with all the chaos of moving!

It’s a mess, but we are getting there. Hope you enjoyed the update.

Have a great week and we’ll “chat” soon!

Casey and Crew

HILLSIDE AVE - 2 more weeks of Renovations

Progress continues! Knee deep in painting - old walls need a LOT of love!! However, it is making a huge difference to the feel of our new home- exciting!

We have also been playing the light fixture game - round and round we go, trying them in different spaces to see how they fit and feel. I think we have ordered over 30….and keep UPS and local stores busy with our exchanges…however, light fixtures are like the jewelry in a room - they are the best accent and need to fit just right!

Also we are trying to find the backyard….a little at a time….

Stay tuned for more! It’s coming together!!

Casey and crew