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When searching for a new home, there are certain features that we all covet and are easy to spot, such as a spa-like bathroom or a gourmet kitchen. However, its just as important to keep an eye out for the little details. While they might not be as noticeable at first glance, certain architectural touches can contribute to a distinguished look that speaks to the quality of the home. If youre currently searching for a luxury property, here are a few details to take note of when viewing a home.

Wainscoting
These wall panels come in a variety of styles, such as raised or board and batten, and are often considered a mark of craftsmanship that creates a refined aesthetic. In addition to giving the walls a sense of texture, wainscoting can also be incorporated into a rooms color scheme if you want to give it a two-toned look. Its quite common to see wainscoting stained or painted white and the rest of the wall painted a different color.

Built-in Bookshelves
While the world may be going digital, built-in bookshelves still hold their appeal. Whether youre putting your literary collection on display or using it as a space for small objects and artwork, theres no denying that they lend a sophisticated ambience to practically any room.

Tall, Detailed Ceilings
Everyone loves tall ceilings. They create a grand sense of space and typically come hand-in-hand with oversized windows that allow natural light to pour in. While youre looking up, there are plenty more architectural details to keep an eye out for, like wood beams or voluminous barrel vaulted ceilings.

Crown Molding
The visual barrier between wall and ceiling, crown molding can range from a simple piece of trim to an ornate display of artistry. This coveted detail can help to make the walls feel taller and if you want to get creative with a splashy ceiling color, crown molding will help to frame it and create separation from the rest of the room.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

You probably want to keep your home neat and organized, but its easy to let things slide because youre busy or distracted and later find yourself overwhelmed with clutter. Changing your habits will take some work, but the payoff is worth it.

Get Rid of Things You Dont Need and Organize the Things You Do
Go through your closets and pare down your wardrobe to pieces that fit and that you wear on a regular basis. Do the same with your kids clothes and toys and items in your garage, basement, attic and shed. Have a yard sale or donate unneeded items to charity. Repeat the process at least once a year.

Homes often get cluttered because items dont have a designated place where they belong. Choose a logical and convenient storage space for everything you decide to keep. Buy shelves, storage containers or wall hooks, if necessary. Make a habit of putting everything in its place when it isnt being used, and stay on top of family members until they also get in the habit.

Even with an excellent organizational system, youll still have some odds and ends that dont clearly belong in any particular area. Designate one drawer as a junk drawer to store those items, and figure out a way to keep it relatively organized. Dont put things in the junk drawer simply because you dont feel like taking the time to put them in their proper places.

Dont Create New Clutter
Its easy to accumulate a lot of stuff if you like to browse in stores and online and buy things because theyre on sale or because you might use them someday. Work on resisting the urge to make impulse purchases. Before you buy anything, ask yourself if you really need it and if you have space for it. If the answer to either question is no, dont buy it. Only purchase things that you know you need, will use and have room for.

Mail is a common source of clutter. Its easy to get overwhelmed by junk mail, advertisements, credit card offers, newspapers, and bills and wind up with a pile of papers and envelopes. Deal with mail as quickly as possible. Discard or shred anything you dont need, and create a system to organize and manage necessary items. Consider scanning important documents to eliminate boxes or filing cabinets filled with paper.

Tackle Clutter and Keep It From Reappearing
Clutter has a way of creeping up on you, and its easy to overlook it until it becomes overwhelming. If your home is cluttered, figure out what you do and dont need. Then create a system to organize important belongings and documents, and make sure you and your family stick to it so you dont create more clutter.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you’re thinking of becoming a homeowner, you’ve likely spent time budgeting for additional expenses – property taxes, lawn care, a big-screen TV to fill up that extra space…you get the idea. But have you factored in protection for your new home?

While you’re crunching numbers, remember to include homeowners insurance. A standard policy will cover exterior and interior damage from incidents like vandalism, fire, wind and lightning. It also covers loss of use expenses, damage to structures like sheds or gazebos, and liability and medical costs if someone is injured on your property. Personal property is covered, too ” good news if you really do have your eye on that big-screen TV.

Still, standard policies arent comprehensive. To help you estimate how much youll spend on insurance, keep these points in mind:

Standard policy coverage can be for the cash value of your home and possessions (which may depreciate over time), repair or rebuilding costs based on the original value of the home, or replacement costs that exceed your limit if necessary. Coverage does notequal the sale price of your home.
Projects like building a porch or another bathroom can add significant value, so you may need to adjust your policy if youre planning to renovate your new home. Upgrades (like a new roof) can lead to discounts if they mitigate risks, but potentially hazardous features (like a pool) may require up to $500,000 in coverage.
90% of natural disasters result in some form of flooding ” thats a risk insurers just dont want to take. Even if your home isnt in a flood area, you may want coverage anyway if you have a finished basement. You can obtain a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). And don’t delay – it takes 30 days for new policies to go into effect.
Residents in earthquake-prone areas might also want to supplement their standard policy, which doesnt cover damage directly resulting from seismic activity. However, if a quake leads to further damage, such as a burst gas line causing a fire, your standard policy will cover it.

It may seem costly, but protecting whats likely the largest investment youll make in your lifetime is worth it ” and peace of mind is priceless.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If you buy a house, youll need to purchase homeowners insurance as well. An insurance company will look at your background and credit history to decide whether to issue a policy and to set your rates, but insurance claims submitted by the previous homeowner could also affect the companys decision.

Why Insurance Companies Consider a Previous Owners Claims History
Most homeowners insurance companies search the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) database, which contains information on claims filed at an address within the past seven years. If you tried to obtain homeowners insurance and the insurer learned that the previous owner had filed a few claims in a relatively short period of time, the company might conclude that the house wasnt well maintained and would be risky to insure. It could charge you exorbitant premiums or deny coverage. Previous claims for water damage could be particularly problematic, since those repairs are often expensive.

How Problems the Insurance Company Didnt Pay to Fix Could Affect You
In most states, when a homeowner contacts an insurance company or agent to discuss a problem that needs repairs, a representative automatically opens a claim. If the damage isnt covered or the cost of repairs is less than the deductible and the homeowner pays out of pocket, the insurance company closes the claim and doesnt issue a payment. The claim still shows up in the CLUE database, however, and can affect an insurance companys decision on whether to insure a new homeowner and what rates to charge. Many homeowners are unaware of this.

How to Make Sure Youll Be Able to Insure Your New Home
Before you agree to buy a house, request a copy of the propertys CLUE report from the seller. It will only show information about claims associated with the property, not information on the seller. If there have been no claims in the past five years, you shouldnt have trouble getting insurance if you buy the house.

If the owner filed claims for damage and repairs were made, verify that the repairs were performed correctly before you agree to buy the house. If the report shows multiple claims, that may make it hard for you to get insurance. Look at what the claims were for, whether the damage was preventable and whether there were multiple claims for the same issue that were unrelated to weather.

Research a Houses Insurance History Before You Buy
When you apply for homeowners insurance coverage, the company will check to see if you and the seller have filed any claims in the past seven years, including any that were closed without payment because the owner paid for repairs out of pocket. If both you and the seller have filed claims in the recent past, that could make it particularly difficult to get coverage. Make sure you know how many insurance claims have been filed and for what reasons before you decide to purchase a house so you dont wind up with a property you cant insure.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

When a potential homebuyer comes by to look at your home, they will most likely park their car and walk to the front door via the driveway. And that means one of the earliest impressions they will have of your home in-person is of the driveway itself.

While we tend not to think much about this, a driveway can say a lot about a home and its owner. For instance, if it has lots of cracks and mud and old wood piled on the sides, it could leave an impression that you didn’t care much for the house and tended to let things fall into disrepair.

That’s why a clean, good looking driveway and walkway are important. Even if they don’t even notice, it’s better than someone noticing a flaw with your home.

A well-built, well-maintained asphalt driveway adds curb appeal to your house. Plus, they aren’t that difficult to take care of. They should be kept free of snow and ice in the winter and relatively dirt-free in the summer. And that doesn’t take much more than hosing, sweeping and shoveling.

If your driveway is looking worse for wear, getting it repaved isn’t that expensive. Walkways can be repaired with concrete paint. This can usually be done in a few hours, and is relatively inexpensive.

Even if your driveway and walkways are in great shape, you can still make them look better by decluttering. This means removing any bikes, gardening equipment or garbage cans that might be in the front of the house. An empty, clean driveway will give the impression of space.

Also, move any cars and leave the driveway empty for when someone comes to see your home. By doing so, you will let house hunters feel as if they are pulling into the driveway of their future home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.