I have discovered from some of the local agents that the future homeowner may be able to purchase the adjacent paper alley from the City. If they did that, they could build a garage or car port at the top of that alley and access the house to the deck. Probably very expensive, but doable.
I’m going to get some pillar candles this morning because I have to run around anyways. I will take a picture of hurricane vases with the tall greenery versus pillar candles. We can take a vote (well, unless I get some miracle offer today, then I probably don’t care anymore). However, I do believe that the younger buyers like that tall greenery stuff.
^^^In the overall scheme of things, it’s not going to make a difference between getting an offer and not getting an offer.
^^ Yes the house will sell by itself, no matter what decoration you put there you cannot please everyone. Just let it go and enjoy the fruit of labor.
I think having access to the house without all those front steps is a huge deal! Anyway you can find out how much the city would want for that paper alley? If I was the prospective buyer it might sway me if you could show me something from the city saying they would be willing to sell the “paper alley” for parking in the future. Maybe this is something your agent can look into?
I’ll bet those agents that were discussing furniture placement know they can purchase that alley and I think you’ll have an offer from them soon!
regarding the gas valve, just add an earthquake emergency shut off valve and that will make the home safer. It is $100.
The Paper Alley is a great idea, if that is doable. But you still have to go up and down the steps for mail, garbage and other stuff, unless you can change the street address to the street behind.
That’s true but I was thinking more of not having to haul groceries up those steps. For the truly lazy like me, I’d just drive by the mail box on my way in or out and make my husband deal with the garbage;-)
I guess you can haul everything in your car for that matters.
I just think that because the house is so small it is important to make the outside living areas look very inviting. I don’t think the dining courtyard looks anywhere near as nice as it could. It’s not so much the tall stuff in the vases, it’s that plus the collection of somewhat weedy-looking tall plants lined up against the wall. Maybe it would help to arrange them more effectively. I think it’s a big step down from the interior.
Of course, people ought to realize that they can put in whatever kind of plants and furniture they like, but if most people had good imaginations in that regard houses wouldn’t be staged! 
I could also be completely wrong. Lots of times things look different IRL. I also realize you can’t spend an arm and a leg on plants.
The courtyard is tough… for example, I don’t think the cement pavers look all that good in the pictures - there’s three different sizes, the pattern is plain, etc. It’s tough to get a feel for the size. But it probably looks ok in person.
I actually loved the tall flowers.
Me too! Where did the plumeria tree go?
The plumeria tree went over to the garden area. I’ll take a picture and show it to you. We needed to replant it because it wasn’t going to survive in the pot. Of course, it is dormant now during winter and I hope it will survive.
I have pictures loaded with the hurricane glass with candles and some décor in it versus tall flowers. I sent the pictures to my agent and she voted for tall greenery, so that is what will stay.
Went to Michael’s and got the small milk container and it looks cute in the milk box. Thanks for the great suggestion. For some reason the milk box is a very interesting conversation piece. Also found the pillar candles and some great turquoise/natural potpourri stuff there all on sale. It’s in the pillar candles, but they got vetoed by my agent, so I stuck it in all the empty glass vases throughout the house.
Deck finally completed, but we ran out of stain. Half of the deck railing is naked without paint. I’ll have to get to the store early tomorrow and start staining the deck before our big Open House.
I had a cocktail party for my close friends tonight who love every detail in the house. Although a friend, who is a master carpenter, suggested a soft close toilet seat for the master bathroom (based on our asking price) and covering up some of the cable outlets that I installed in the kitchen. The lights in the view tonight when it got dark were just fabulous. I am so proud of this vision (if I can say that without being boastful). I showed them all the ‘before’ pictures, I keep going back to those to remember what it was.
Right as all my friends were arriving, an agent came through with a 50 something couple who just loved loved the place. They will be coming back for the Open House. The good thing was that their agent came back up and asked me if we had any offers. My answer… No, no offers, but we have one very interested party. I hope that someone who loves all the details will buy the house.
One of my friends who came to the cocktail party this evening is a master carpenter. He said that the attention to detail was impeccable, it made me tear up (after several glasses of wine). I’m starting to get very emotional about this transformation, which is NOT what we are supposed to do in this profession, I always overdo and overimprove.
I will try to find some time on Monday to call the City and get as much information as I can about purchasing the City paper alley to help the buyers.
I agree with your agent about the tall flowers. They give a feeling of lift vs the candles which seem to draw the eye into the table instead of out to the patio. While we’re all having fun being interior decorators, I might consider changing the place mats on the patio table to a color that works with the flowers and fence tones. The sky blue is great where there are outdoor views, but to me it doesn’t seem to work with the orange/gold/red hues. Or with the muted blue seat cushions.
How wonderful that your knowledgeable friends were so positive - good luck tomorrow!
I suppose you do have a deadline for offers, if so, no offers will come before the deadline.
Thank you for saving the plumeria tree!!! To me, it is more important than the milkbox. I have a tiny dwarf plumeria in a pot in my kitchen with high hopes that it would bloom someday. Sigh. Love the fragrant flowers!
BTW, the photo of the courtyard in the dark looks great despite being fuzzy!
:)Hoping you have a good open house day tomorrow and stop worrying.
I am so eager to hear how the Open House goes today!!! Good luck, coralbrook. This is the fun part!!