homelifestylehome spring 2016...

Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2016 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.com online at www.connectionnewspapers.comLocal Media Connection LLC

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HomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleHomeLifeStyleSpring 2016Spring 2016

2 ❖ Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2016 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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Fairfax Station/Clifton/Lorton Connection ❖ HomeLifeStyle Spring 2016 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

HomeLifeStyle

By Andrea Worker

The Connection

Here we are, once again righton the heels of the Spring/Summer real estate seasonwhen it seems like “For Sale”

signs become the most common lawn or-nament or condo window decoration. Sell-ing, and certainly buying a new homeshould be an occasion for celebration, butyou might not be doing too much of thatunless you understand the basics of eitherprocess and have them well under control.

With help from some knowledgeablesources like the Northern Virginia Associa-tion of Realtors (NVAR), the National Asso-ciation of Realtors (NAR) and some re-spected local experts, here’s a bit of a primeron buying or selling a property. We’re go-ing for the basics here with a few commentsabout our local market.

Let’s start with sellers, since for themost part, they have the most work to doto get the job done. First question. Use anagent or go it alone? You may think onlysaving the real estate agent fees is the basisfor the answer, but if you decide to be yourown agent, be sure you have done thehomework on legal and regulatory require-ments, and be prepared for the paperwork.Sadly, one misstep here could be prettycostly and there goes those potential sav-ings. And are you ready to be your ownmarketer and be available night and dayand weekends to show your property? An-other thought … many potential buyers arenot comfortable dealing directly, especiallyduring negotiations, with the homeownerand would prefer the buffer of a trustwor-thy agent that they can really share theirthoughts with. Statistics have also shownthat properties for sale by owner more of-ten receive lower initial offers.

Let’s assume that you are working withan agent. Hopefully, you asked all the rightquestions before signing an agreement tosell. Don’t be shy. It’s okay to “interview”several agents and ask for references. Askto make contact with their last two or threeclients – not just the ones that they offer upas testimonials. What’s their typical “Dayson Market” and how do their times com-pare to others. And a biggie – what’s theaverage variation between the initial list-ing price and the final sales price? The an-swer here may spare you some disappoint-ments and provide some indication aboutyour real estate agent’s skills at pricing yourproperty and negotiation the best price.

Now what? Put on your thickest skin,open your wallet just a tad, listen to thatagent, and before you even have that firstshowing:

Be realistic about your askingprice. “Don’t be too aggressive,” cautionedreal estate agent Jennifer Boyce of Long andFoster in Burke. Anita Lasansky, CRB, man-aging broker-vice president Long and Fos-

ter Reston North Hills-Herndon, agrees withthat advice, and adds that sellers aroundthe Wiehle Metro station in Reston shouldn’texpect a big bump in sales price just be-cause of Metro’s arrival. Lasansky has seensellers factor in 5-10 percent increases onthat basis, but “it just hasn’t had that ef-fect,” she said. Getting a pre-appraisal oradvice from a lender can help in setting thebest realistic sales price, since most buyerswill need a mortgage.

Think about getting a pre-salehome inspection. This could cost a bit.Think at least $500, depending on the sizeand age of the property. The buyer will havean inspection done, but being proactivecould help locate potential problems thatmight stall, or even end a sale. Even if youdon’t go for the professional inspection, takea look around and get on with those repairsor more affordable upgrades you’ve beenmeaning to tackle. While you’re at it, lo-cate those warranties and manuals - some-thing that really impresses those buyers,while last-minute searches could pose aproblem at closing.

Clean and get organized. Here’swhere you need that thick skin. Your agentisn’t casting aspersions on your personaltaste or “dissing” your kids, pets, hobbies,etc. when she tells you to neutralize as muchas possible, put away the toys and pet para-phernalia, and all the other stuff that is partof our comfortable living. Your agent ismerely looking out for you, and makingyour home appealing to the widest pool ofpotential buyers. Pay special attention toclosets and bathrooms. If there isn’t spaceinside the house, consider the smallest spaceat a storage facility for the the extra boxes,

furniture, gadgets and whatnots while yourproperty is on the market.

First impressions. That means checkout curb appeal, from the condition of lawnand landscape to the front entryway. Trimthose bushes. Edge that grass. Put downsome new mulch, and clean up those oilspots on the driveway.

Photos. Unless you are one gifted pho-tographer, let the professionals handle thisone. Most buyers today do their scoutingonline. Lots of quality photos attract themost visitors. Equally, photos that don’tshow off each room to advantage, or con-tain pets wandering by, the piled-high laun-dry basket, or a reflection of the photogra-pher can put your property on the “don’twant to see that one” list.

YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT can giveyou a more comprehensive checklist and doa walk-through before an Open House orto prepare for showings, but here are someof the “musts” as advised by some of ourarea experts:

❖ Double check for clutter, and clean,clean, clean. A thorough cleaning by a pro-fessional service is much recommended.Don’t forget the windows and the carpets.

❖ Do the “Sniff Test.” This one iscritical for homes with pets or smokers.Again, put on your thick skin armour. Re-frigerators, garbage disposals, trash cansand carpets can be odoriferous stumblingblocks to a good showing. Give your homea thorough airing out before show time,especially in the kitchen.

❖ Stage it – Consider a professional“stager” or at least give each space a neu-tral, de-cluttered living “story” that helps

buyers visualize themselves right at home.To highlight upgrades or bring attention toitems/features in a room, you might addan attractive picture frame with a few wellwritten and formatted sentences on classywriting paper. Of course, a little light musicand a plate of yummy cookies make every-one feel welcome.

❖ Put away small valuables, jewelry andmedications.

❖ Don’t hang around – and take Fidoor Fifi with you if possible. If not, confinepets to crates or one room and be sure towarn agents in advance. Be sure you haveleft contact information in case of questionsor issues.

❖ Make your property accessible –If potential buyers can only see your prop-erty from 10 a.m. until noon on Tuesdaysand Thursdays, prepare for a long wait be-fore a successful closing. Selling a home isoften a numbers game. As disruptive as itcan be, the more people who look, the bet-ter chance of a sale.

FOR BUYERS. Just as with the sellers,buyers should shop around for a trusted realestate partner. Again, ask those questions,get those referrals and be sure that youragent understands your needs and expec-tations and that you understand the pro-cess as they describe it. The best startingplace is making sure that you know whatyou are looking for.

Some of the basics as advised by the NVARand NAR and some of their area experts:

❖ Get pre-qualified. Better yet, getpre-approved by a lender before you startlooking. Megan Bailey of Bailey Fine Prop-erties says “Buyers must be pre-approvedbefore going out to look at homes with me.It’s important to know that they feel com-fortable … by having the lender providethem with a “Good Faith Estimate” to breakdown the costs and to make sure the lendercan finance the home. Taking someone tolook at homes out of their price range …sets the client up for disappointment.”

❖ Think about resale. This may soundcounter intuitive at this point, but especiallyfor first-time buyers with an average of 10years in the home, it’s good to think aheadand consider what the area and the homemight be like when it’s time to move on.

❖ Keep repair, maintenance andrunning costs in mind. Even a brand-new home may require some work or cus-tomizing to suit your lifestyle, so considerthose costs. You may have the approval forthat attractive “McMansion” but are youprepared for the electric bills, mowing thatacre, and the property taxes on top of themonthly mortgage?

❖ Don’t go “house-blind,” when youare so taken with the house that you mightignore factors that could make for a poorbuying decision. Visit the property severaltimes, inside and out, at various times ofthe day and on different days of the weekto get a real feel for the neighborhood.

A primer for doing eitherand avoiding pitfalls.Buying or Selling?

Photo by Andrea Worker

What’s wrong with this picture? It’s a gorgeous kitchen, but real estateagents will tell you that the green plastic cup, the dishwashing soap andthe drainboard should all vanish from the selling photos of your house,and certainly during any showings.


HomeLifeStyle

By Marilyn Campbell

The Connection

When Peggy DelinoisHamilton relocated to theWashington, D.C. area andbegan working full-time

after spending eight years as an at-homemother of two children, childcare was oneof her top concerns. She decided that a live-in au pair was the best choice for her fam-ily.

“I like the live-in because I don’t have toworry about issues with transportation onthe caretaker’s part,” said Hamilton. “I don’thave to worry about them having compet-ing obligations.”

Finding and keeping a live-in nanny in acompetitive childcare market can be a highstakes game. To lure and retain experienced,nurturing caregivers, many families shellout as much as $100,000 to create stylishlyappointed living space for their au pairs.From kitchens with marble countertops andstainless steel appliances to bathrooms withluxury showerheads and rich woodcabinetry, local designers create living quar-ters so enchanting and thoughtfully de-signed that a nanny wouldn’t dream of leav-ing.

“If you’re a live-in nanny, you want yourown space. In fact, nannies won’t take a jobfrom a family that won’t provide it,” saidJackie Wood-Gobuluk, owner of Metropoli-tan Nannies in Herndon, Virginia.

The spaces most often used for nannysuites are the lower level or attic, says Chris-topher Dietz of Dietz Development. “We tryto create a close mimic of the main houseand the primary kitchen and bathrooms ofthe main house,” he said. “We don’t doFormica or IKEA cabinets. We generally use… granite, marble or Silestone. You don’twant people to say, ‘Wow, we can tell youreally cut corners on this space.’“

Maintaining a continuity in quality whilebeing budget conscious requires judiciousplanning.“We may splurge on custom win-dow treatments and a bedskirt and save onthings like furniture using retail pieces,” saidMarika Meyer, principal of Marika MeyerInteriors in Bethesda.

When an Arlington, Va. family enlistedarchitect J.P. Ward of Anthony Wilder De-sign/Build, Inc. to design an au pair suitefor their home, they wanted him to main-tain continuity in both color and materials.A cathedral ceiling, granite countertops, andunder cabinet lighting were key as heblended the rich aesthetic quality of theoriginal home with the new space. “We useda higher end tile and materials that blendedwith the rest of the house,” said Ward. “Itturned out to be like a high-end studioapartment that you could get high rent for.”

The au pair’s space has a separate en-trance, something that offers privacy to both

the nanny and the family. “We made it sothat the au pair has an independent way ofcoming in and so they’re not working 24hours a day,” said Ward.

Contractors say the cost of adding a nannysuite can range from $5,000 on a propertywhere there is an existing bathroom andspace for a bedroom to more than $100,000on properties where plumbing must be in-stalled or an small addition is required. “[A}bathroom is the biggest expense because ofthe plumbing,” said Ward.

Because such an addition requires a sig-nificant investment, Kai Tong of Hopkinsand Porter Construction in Potomac, Md.encourages clients to think long term. “Oneof the most important and useful realiza-tions when considering nanny suites is that,unlike your kitchen or bath or bedroom, thenanny suite will only be a nanny suite for afinite amount of time in your lives,” he said.“As your children grow, the nanny will moveon, and the nanny suite is destined to be-come something else.”

In the Washington, D.C. area, adding anau pair suite to one’s home can make a prop-erty more appealing. “Particularly in neigh-borhoods with lots of young, affluent fami-lies, nanny suites are a popular, althoughnot essential, amenity,” said David DeSantis,Partner and Managing Broker of TTRSotheby’s International Realty. “Ideallythese suites are somewhat separated fromthe family sleeping quarters and have theirown entrance so the nanny can come andgo freely.”

A nanny suite can offer a good return oninvestment. “The fact that it could be usedas a nanny suite is a plus, but it’s the samesort of thing as an in-law suite [so] it offersthe ability for multigenerational living withsome level of privacy,” said David Howell,

Executive Vice President and CIO ofMcEnearney Associates in McLean, Va. “Be-cause these suites are pretty uncommon inthis area, it’s a real draw for those who re-ally need one.”

In fact, having a nanny suite, particularlyone with high-end amenities, can increasea property’s value. “I would say that they

may make a difference in price from5 to 10 percent as they … would countas an additional bedroom,” said realestate agent Nancy Itteilag, of Longand Foster Christie’s International RealEstate.

Ann Dozier Michael, an Alexandria-based associate broker withMcEnearney Associates, has a currentlisting that includes a nanny suite.“When you have a property listed thatcan serve the various needs of buy-ers, then that will add value becauseyou have a larger buying pool,” shesaid.

See Nanny Suite, Page xx

High-end live-in quarters attract au pairs and can increase property values.

Nanny Suites Add Value

Photo courtesy of TruPlace

The space serves as a nanny suite in an Alexandria home. Additionalliving areas can increase a property’s value, say real estate agents.

“We try to create a closemimic of the main houseand the primary kitchenand bathrooms of themain house.”

— Christopher Dietz,Dietz Development

Photo by Morgan Howarth

Families create spa-like living quarters to attract and retain live-in


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– Megan Bailey, Bailey FineProperties

“For buyers, please be careful whatyou say. There could be a recording de-vice in the house. Not unusual anymorewith today’s security technology. For ex-ample, don’t look at pictures and saythat their children look creepy. ... Sell-ers, put away medications and jewelry.It’s rare, but prescription drugs are thenumber one item that ‘goes missing’during open houses or showings.”

– Smita Lal, Long and FosterReston North Hills-Herndon

“Recently had a listing that needed abit of updating. The seller was fine withspending some money, but balked at mysuggestion to replace the fluorescentlighting in the kitchen. Four monthslater, the seller finally agreed to spendthe $1000 to replace the light. We rati-fied a contract 5 days after the work wasdone. Moral of the story: If you are hir-ing a pro to help you buy or sell a home,listen to their advice.”

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“I always tell my sellers, ‘To be clear,I will give you a list of customized itemsto prepare your home. It will be in or-der of importance. I assure you, themore you complete, the fewer days onthe market, and of course at the rightprice.’ So far I haven’t missed.”

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By John Byrd

The Connection

A dramatic “kitchen-centric” firstfloor interior design solution ina 30-year-old Colonial-style production house will be featured on

a “Remodeled Home Tour” sponsored bySun Design Remodeling on Saturday, March12.

The house at 7990 Oak Bridge Lane inFairfax Station is owned by Andrew Smithand Madelynne McCarthy. The residencewill be opened to the public from noon-4p.m.

Purchased by Smith and McCarthy in2002, the original house was a traditionalcenter hall Colonial with four bedrooms.The couple, now in their late 50s, have oc-cupied the home for 14 years.

While the 4,000-square-foot house (thecouple’s second) has been satisfactory to theowners in many respects, the first floor’scomparatively small rooms, narrow door-ways and builder-grade finishes had cometo seem dated and cramped as the couplelooked ahead to retirement years.

“We wanted our house to be more of per-sonal residence that reflects our tastes,”Andy Smith said. “A place we can reallyenjoy for another 10 years, or more.”

As longer occupancy became a consider-ation, the production house limitationsseemed glaring.

“The kitchen was space-constricted andpretty drab,” Smith said. “There was a smallisland with a cooktop that didn’t provide auseful working surface. Doors to the hallcloset and powder room frequently ob-structed traffic at the kitchen archway,

which was too narrow. The kitchen clean-up area was too exposed from the familyroom. Overall, we wanted a more balanced,aesthetically-pleasing interior.”

An addition off the back of house was anearlier space-enhancement consideration.

“We had plans to remove the rear walland add 800 square feet,” Smith said, “butwhen we looked more closely at our realrequirements this approach didn’t makeeconomic sense. Fundamentally, we justwanted a larger kitchen and pantry, and a

warmer interior that would work well forentertaining; we weren’t sure how to ac-complish this.”

A seminar by Sun Design Remodeling lastyear unveiled to a new way of assessingpriorities.

“The program prompted us to exploreideas of re-purposing space within thehome’s existing footprint,” Smith said. “Isuddenly recognized we were getting al-most no use from our 200-square-foot for-mal living room. It was just wasted space.”

Soon after the seminar, the couple con-tacted Craig Durosko at Sun Design Remod-eling for an on-premise meeting.

“A center hall Colonial has long been oneof the most popular floor plans in northernVirginia” said Craig Durosko, Sun Design’sfounder and chairman. “The way peoplenow use their homes, however, has changeddramatically in the past few decades.There’s a movement towards open, well-defined, interactive spaces, and departurefrom interior walls that may not be strictlynecessary.”

Durosko sees his role as one of helpingowners develop a plan tailored to how theywant to use their home in the foreseeablefuture — one that will also present an ap-propriate interior design solution.

Once Smith and McCarthy establishedthat the front-facing living room could beincorporated into a broader floor planreconfiguration, Sun Design’s team beganre-assigning “use zones” within the exist-ing first floor template.

Several critical decisions followed in rapid

Home evolves fromcenter hall colonial toopen plan with boldlyoriginal finishes.

HomeLifeStyleRemodeled Home Tour Set for March 12

See Remodeled, Page xx

Fairfax Station homeowners Andy Smith and Madelyne McCarthy relocated an adjacent dining room in orderto gain 78 feet for a gourmet kitchen that accommodates a large food prep island and a three-stool wine bara few steps from the back deck. The island surface is “blue flower” granite.

Pho

to

s by G

reg H

adley

The bow front farm sink, six-burner stove and foodprep island form the three sides of a work trianglethat facilitates cooking and clean-up tasks. The cus-tom-designed barn door (right) leads into the newformal dining room.

DetailsSun Design Remodeling will be sponsoring

tour of a recently remodeled Fairfax Stationhome on March 12, 2016. Headquartered inBurke, the firm has a second office in McLean.Call 703-425-5588 or visitwww.SunDesignInc.com.

With its coffered ceiling and Wedgwood interior treat-ment, the dining room explores 18th century (Colonial-era) themes. The circa-1890’s glass-and-wood barndoor mounted on rollers was created by Sun Design.The innovation provides privacy, yet allows light fromthe home’s west-facing rear elevation.


succession:❖ The wall between the kitchen and the

dining room would be removed, extendingthe kitchen by 78 square feet while allow-ing generous square footage for a walk-inpantry and a new powder room;

❖ The hall powder room would give wayto an enlarged and upgraded laundry room/mudroom linked to the garage and onlyaccessible from inside the kitchen;

❖ All 200 square feet of the old livingroom would be re-purposed as a distinc-tively finished formal dining room accesseddirectly from the new kitchen;

❖ With the cluster of doors between thefoyer and the kitchen relocated or replacedwith pocket doors, front-to-back access fromthe foyer is now unencumbered and free

From Page xx

Remodeled Home Tour Set for March 12flowing, an effect aided by improvedsightlines.

Simultaneously, a series of interior designconferences evolved into an inspired col-laboration.

“In a finish work elaboration, the detailsare everything,” Smith said, noting that hisenthusiasm for design extends from a life-long interest in architecture. “Maddie and Ihad done a lot of research into the kinds ofmaterials, colors and textures we wanted,but Katie Coram at Sun Design really helpedus narrow and refine our choices, assem-bling the pieces into a coherent whole.”

Some highlights of the makeover’s inte-rior design solution include:

❖ A custom-designed barn doorbetween the kitchen and the new

dining room. While the interior makeovergenerally explores rustic, early Americansensibilities, a glass-and-wood barn doorcreated to specification by Sun Design car-penters is an iconic stand-out that keeps thedining room private as needed while allow-ing light from the west-facing rear windows;

❖ A dining counter/wine bar situ-ated at the back door accessing thedeck. Equipped with a wine rack and winerefrigerator for easy access to the rear deck,the wine bar also obstructs sightlines fromthe family room to the kitchen sink, mak-ing the fireside space a visually-independententertainment zone.

❖ A food prep island and diningcounter. Topped with blue flower graniteand equipped with an under-cabinet micro-wave and a warming drawer, the built-in ispositioned for easy access to a circumscrib-

ing U-shaped counter completing usefulwork triangles in several directions.

❖ Six burner gas stove with hood.Designed in black mocha glazed wood, thedistressed facing picks up several of thekitchen’s rustic themes, including the ex-posed brick, and flagstone-accented tileflooring which conceals a radiant heatingsystem.

❖ Dining room with coffered ceil-ing; Wedgwood interior design. In anod to the 18th-century (Colonial era) sen-sibilities, the new formal dining room’s el-egant wall elevations include raised pan-els, crown molding and wainscoting.

“From room to room, the new first floorexplores a lot of style elements in well- bal-anced combinations,” Andy Smith said, “It’sa much warmer, more inviting interior.People will enjoy seeing what we’ve done.”

John Byrd ([email protected];www.HomeFrontsNews.com) has been writingabout home improvement topics for 30 years.

The exposed brick, tile floor and raised square panel cabinet facingscreate a softly textured, elegant-but-casual interior. The floors conceal aradiant heating system which keeps the room comfortable in coolertemperatures.

Photos by Greg Hadley

The home’s new rear footprintaccommodates walk-in pantry withpull-out storage racks — as well asa larger powder room

Relocating the hall powder roomadded square footage needed for alaundry and mudroom that links tothe garage.

A wine rack and wine refrigeratorare convenient to a servingcounter convenient to the familyroom and back deck.

Exposed brick, a cooktop hood andglass-facing cabinets in distressedblack mocha glaze are elements inthe kitchen’s distinctively rusticinterior design.

HomeLifeStyle


Vienna1.85%

$698,974

Fairfax1.28%482,115

Great Falls0.72%

1,055,259

entreville

Chantilly2.78%

$462 509

Annandale1.89%

$444,426

McLean0.99%

$894,285

Reston1.03%

$428,378

9999 Springfie2.79%

$428,50

L2.39%

$390,687

n%

$694,10

Falls Churchh3.17%

22

Herndon0.60%

$475,057

Hunter Mill Supervisor Cathy Hudgins (D)2015 —2016 — $674,430

5 69%

201201

20152016

1.07%

2016 — $587,370–

2.98%

2015 — $664,4802016 — $677,950

2.03%

201 9,700201

%

2015 — $462,6302016 — $478,490

3.43%

Dranesville Supervisor John Foust (D)2015 —2016 $2,788,330

5 14%

2016 Countywide average for all homes – $527,648Single family-detached homes – $632,507, up 1.69 percentTownhouse/duplex properties – $392,951, up 2.05 percentCondominiums – $261,792, up 0.73 percent

4%0% Percent Change

Fairfax CountyREAL ESTATE

ZIP CODE AREA 2015 MEAN 2016 MEAN PERCENT CHANGEAlexandria/Mount Vernon 419,966 428,621 2.06Annandale 436,194 444,426 1.89Burke 438,919 447,099 1.86Centreville 381,645 385,089 0.90Chantilly 450,015 462,509 2.78Clifton 648,374 659,408 1.70Fairfax 476,037 482,115 1.28Fairfax Station 643,207 647,290 0.63Falls Church 434,062 447,822 3.17Great Falls 1,047,755 1,055,259 0.72Herndon 472,236 475,057 0.60Lorton 381,572 390,687 2.39McLean 885,556 894,285 0.99Oakton 685,967 694,101 1.19Reston 424,021 428,378 1.03Springfield 416,853 428,503 2.79Vienna 686,293 698,974 1.85

for single family, townhouses and condominiums

2016 Assessments by AreaAlso home values for members of

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

SOURCE: Fairfax County

The average assessed value of asingle family home in Fairfax Countyfor 2016 is $632,507, up 1.69 percent

homelifestylehome spring 2016...

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