7 Things to Look for When Buying a New House

Shopping for a new house means looking past that fresh coat of paint and doing a little digging to see if any big repairs or deal breakers are lurking beneath the surface. 

Sure, it’s likely a few issues will surface during your inspection, but it’s smart to check things out before you put in an offer. Finding a problem doesn’t mean you can’t buy the house. It just helps you get a better idea of what to offer, and what you can live with. A new house is a big investment, and you want to make sure that your dream home doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

Knowing the age and condition of your new home’s roof is key to understanding upcoming, potential home maintenance costs. Source: Peter Zimmerman Architects

1. Damaged roof

The first thing you need to know about your potential new home is the age and condition of the roof. The realtor should be able to tell you. Do a visual check of the roof by walking around the house. Look for damaged or missing shingles, rusted flashing, moss or dirt and any other spots that worry you. A damaged roof could seriously impact the interior and exterior of your home. If you have concerns, let your realtor know so they can discuss them with the homeowner when they negotiate your offer.

When you have a home inspection, be sure to have your air Ccnditioner and Furnace are thoroughly evaluated. Source: Superior Living by Design

2. Heating and cooling performance

Few things are worse than needing A/C or heat, and not having it. So make sure you check the heating and cooling system to see if it’s in good working order. Ask the age of the system, turn it on and off, take a look at the ductwork if possible and see if the filters fit snugly. Don’t forget to look outside, too. Listen to how your air conditioning and heating units sound when they’re running. Look for rust and dirt on the equipment. If you’re satisfied with your initial look, pay close attention to the inspection report. Your inspector will test the system and can give you more thorough details.

If you think the system might need replacing, your local HVAC dealer can give you a quote for installation, labor and equipment. If you need to replace any equipment, you may be able to get the homeowner to reduce the selling price by amount of the replacement cost.

Checking for leaking faucets, shower heads or signs of leaks like stains on the ceiling can also be good clues when evaluating the home you are interested in purchasing. Source: Kitchens By Clay

3. Water damage

Inside the house, look for water stains on the ceiling. Check under sinks in the kitchen and bathrooms and test all of the faucets and showers. You’ll also want to check out the basement, garage or crawl space to see if there’s a sump pump. These could all indicate past or future problems with poor water drainage which could lead to flooding. Outside, look for sloping areas in the yard, standing water, french drains, water marks on the foundation. Even if the water issues aren’t active anymore, it’s good to know past problems and what could pop up in the future.

Foundation, or lack there of can really be a good indicator of structural issues you may encounter later down the road. Source: Keuka Studios

4. Foundation faults

If you’re serious about buying a house, be sure to check out the foundation. Walk around the exterior, go into the crawlspace or basement and look for cracks and other red flags. Your inspector will also give you a thorough report on these issues. 

Look beyond the cosmetics of an updated kitchen to make sure your appliances and outlets are updated as well. Source: SOD Builders

5. Working appliances and electrical outlets

Don’t let cosmetic repairs distract you from potential problems, especially in a freshly painted kitchen. Look at all appliances to make sure they’re in good shape. Turn on the stove, run the dishwasher and peek into the refrigerator. Look for grounded GFCI outlets in your kitchen and baths — the ones with the red and black reset buttons. Also, give the circuit breaker a look and flip a few of the breakers. If this is going to be your new home, you want to make sure everything works as it should.

Beyond the beauty windows reflect, be sure that they are all operational in case of an emergency. Source: The Sitting Room Studio

6. Working windows

It’s a simple thing, but check all the windows in the new house to make sure they open properly. This is important for fire safety, as well as for comfort on a warm day. Asking the homeowner to get a handyman to fix the windows is easy.

7. Bugs and pests

You may not see any critters during the day, but look in corners and cabinets for mouse and roach droppings. Again, this is another easy fix. You can ask the homeowner for a pest control treatment as part of your contract.

Understanding potential problems will make you more confident during the home buying experience – and allow you to enjoy your new house rather than worrying about what’s wrong. It’s up to you to decide if any faults you find are deal breakers or an opportunity to get a better deal on your new home.

The post 7 Things to Look for When Buying a New House appeared first on Freshome.com.

from Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Magazine https://freshome.com/7-things-to-look-for-in-a-new-house/

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The Tribe Hotel Perth Is Made up of 63 Prefab Modules Constructed Off-Shore

The Tribe Hotel Perth has a unique story behind its architecture that makes it worth a stay for architecture- and design-lovers. Designed by Idle Architecture Studio with interiors by Travis Walton and art direction by Marsha Golemac, the modern hotel was actually designed and prefabricated off-shore before being shipped to Perth, making the hotel one of the first to apply this innovative prototyping process.

Tribe tapped on Idle Architecture Studio to collaborate on this hospitality project due to the studio’s previous involvement with modular construction in the hotel/residential sectors. The building tower of the hotel is made up of 63 prefabricated modules that were extensively prototyped and then manufactured in a controlled factory environment in China. This also helped to reduce site wastage.

Once fully completed, the modules, along with with loose furniture (so as not to waste internal ‘air space’) were shipped to Perth where they were assembled onsite in just 14 days. After adding the finishing touches, including integrating the services and installing the folded facade screens and window shrouds, the hotel was complete.

The plethora of communal spaces are enhanced by the natural light flowing through the floor-to-ceiling windows and walls. Chairs from Moroso, lighting by Tom Dixon, cushions by Jean-Paul Gautier and original artwork from local artists are featured throughout.

The guest rooms also benefit from floor-to-ceiling windows giving guests expansive views of beautiful Perth. Modern amenities such as smart TVs, Bluetooth radios, Kevin Murphy toiletries, and Nespresso Coffee are available for guests to enjoy in room.

What: Tribe Hotel Perth
Where: 4 Walker Ave, West Perth WA 6005, Australia
How much? Rooms start at approximately $90 per night.
Highlights: The Tribe Hotel Perth has all the makings of a modern hotel to attract travelers: a unique architecture story, contemporary interior design, luxe amenities, and more.
Design draw: The hotel’s architecture consists of 63 prefabricated modules that were designed and constructed offsite in China before shipping to Perth and assembled in 14 days.
Book it: Visit the Tribe Hotel Perth.

Photos by Earl Carter.

from Design MilkDesign Milk https://design-milk.com/tribe-hotel-perth-made-63-prefab-modules-constructed-off-shore/

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How We Found Our Favorite Chairs For Podcast Listening With Amazon Scout

As we spend more time shopping online, folks are continuing to turn to Amazon for their shopping needs. For better or worse, it’s where nearly 75% of the country goes to order everything from sofas to dish detergent*. As Amazon continues to turn to their efforts towards creating their own brands like mid-century modern Rivet and family-casual Stone and Beam (both furniture & lifestyle brands), they’re also reacting to our online behavior when it comes to browsing their site.

The “thumbs up” symbol has become a symbolic part of our popular culture lexicon, and now it’s become a tool in Amazon’s latest platform that emphasizes visual shopping. Amazon launched their new site Scout as “smart” visual discovery tool for the good on their massive site where sometimes, even getting to the right section to find an affordable chair, can be a time-intense endeavor.

The idea behind Scout is to keep it clean and easy. It mimics an online boutique experience where each page of products is simply that – a gallery-like page, heavy on the white space. To make it an even better experience, scroll down the page to eliminate the familiar Amazon strip of info that’s still at the top of the Scout page, lest you accidentally slip back into the classic Amazon experience. Once you scroll down and eliminate that reminder, you’ll find yourself in a new, hip neighborhood of the original Amazon-town. There yo’ll find yourself in a land of white, grey and skinny fonts that are easy on the eyes.

Amazon asked us to give Scout a try so we set out to find an “active listening” chair where we could settle in to listen to our favorite podcasts during work breaks. We wanted a comfortable chair, but not too comfortable. We didn’t want to slip into sleepy ready mode, so a chair that was office-appropriate, rather upright and could facilitate any podcast note taking was what we were looking for. Here’s what we found, plus links to our favorites podcasts meant to enlighten and inspire!

So finding the Scout page is best done with a quick Google search – Amazon Scout. There are only six categories on Scout right now – Furniture, Home Decor, Lighting, Kitchen & Dining, Bedding and Patio. That’s it. Already, one feels refreshingly underwhelmed and that’s a good thing. We clicked on Living Room Chairs over on the left hand side. From their we just started “liking” the chairs we liked by clicking the thumbs up button. You can see that below.

Each time we clicked thumbs up or down, new recommendations appeared that were more like the “thumbs up” picks of ours. Our recommendations were pretty on track style-wise, and this presumably saves time and info-overload for the shopper looking for a specific style piece at a certain price point. All of our recommendations had a review rating of at least 3.5 stars so we presume the AI is recommending well-rated products. You can see our handy Scout in 5 Easy Steps graphic below or you can click here to download or just look at a PDF version. They’re the 5 steps we followed to arrive at our favorite chairs for our favorite podcasts below. Read on for some fantastic podcast recommendations and chairs that further their vibe.

1. Rivet Marina Chair + Black Girl Nerds: Black Girl Nerds is an online community devoted to promoting nerdiness among Black women & people of color.
2. Flash Madison Chair + TED Talks Business: Some of the world’s greatest innovators, entrepreneurs, and business researchers share their stories and insights from the stage at TED conferences.
3. Tufted Wingback Rocking Chair + Good Company: Our own Grace Bonney hosts this weekly podcast about the intersection of creativity and business. Good Company provides motivation, inspiration, practical advice, and a vital sense of connection and community for creatives at every stage of life. Each episode of Good Company will focus on honest, open conversations about the ups and downs of creative life.

1. Hawthorne Collections Chair in Citrus + How I Built This with Guy Raz: Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world’s best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.
2. Anda Norr Occasional Chair + Jen Gotch Is OK Sometimes: Kinda weird, and original, funny and honest. Each weekban.do founder & chief creative officer, Jen Gotch, shares her fears, pain, triumphs in hopes to help you become more self aware, build your own emotional intelligence and more than anything else – FEEL LESS ALONE.
3. Avenue Six Baldwin Chair + RISE podcast: A podcast hosted by Mogul CEO Rachel Hollis. A bold conversation with fellow business powerhouses that provides the listener with real-life tangible takeaways. 

1. Lexicon Velvet Accent Chair + Call Your Girlfriend: This podcast is for long-distance besties everywhere co-hosted by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, who call each other to discuss the intricacies of pop culture and the latest in politics.
2. Iconic Home Velvet Half-Moon Chair + 99% Invisible: Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture.

This post is brought to you by Amazon. Try their new visual shopping tool, Scout right here. Thanks for supporting brands that help the Design*Sponge team bring you original, free content every weekday.

*Source: CNBC 2017

 

from Design*Sponge https://www.designsponge.com/2018/10/amazon-scout.html

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Jean-Pascal Gauthier’s Balancing Act of Color and Light

Montreal-based designer Jean-Pascal Gauthier caught our eye as an emerging talent at Sight Unseen OFFSITE 2016 with his mobile-inspired light fixtures incorporating delicate air plants on one end, counterbalanced with geometric forms in contrast on the other. His follow-up reveals an evolution retaining his obsession in striking a balance, but this time utilizing a more graphical expression of light and color for similar purposes.

Unveiled at the contemporary design exhibition, Aesthetic Visions by Manfredi Style at Milan Design Week 2018, Jean-Pascal Gauthier’s latest efforts combine transparency and colored circular planes, each fixture manifesting some of the same minimalist geometric forms explored decades ago by the likes of avant-garde suprematist artists such as El Lissitzky on canvas.

Utilizing the most basic of geometric forms and a limited range of colors, Gauthier’s suspended fixtures take on sculptural and architectural forms straddling the line between contemporary and timeless.

Gauthier’s site has yet to be updated with these new design offerings, but his personal Instagram account reports they’re soon to be made available via his site and at Manfredi Style.

from Design MilkDesign Milk https://design-milk.com/jean-pascal-gauthiers-balancing-act-color-light/

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Blå Station Introduces the BOB Job Because the Desk Is Dead

Conventional ways of working are going by the wayside as we continue to see new ideas pop up for open offices, co-working spaces, and privacy furniture. Last year, Swedish furniture manufacturer Blå Station reimagined their Bob modular seating system to work in offices, lounges, and public spaces, all designed by Thomas Bernstrand and Stefan Borselius, with the addition of more curved modules and tech components. Now they’re taking it even further with BOB Job which proves work doesn’t mean you have to be stuck at your office desk.

BOB Job aims to be that perfect solution to outfit a casual and/or creative workspace with its modular sofa system that can be configured in an endless amount of ways. Besides the seating modules, you can add tables for drinks or your computer, shelves to house your magazines, documents, or gear, and partitions for added privacy. Plus there are outlets to keep all of your gear charged up when needed and spots to hold plants. The system i designed to allow for growth and changes and can be reconfigured at any time making it practical as well as functional.

from Design MilkDesign Milk https://design-milk.com/bla-station-introduces-the-bob-job-because-the-desk-is-dead/

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