When you have an indoor pool, you don’t have to wait for the weather to cooperate in order to go swimming. Indoor pools offer a convenient way to swim for exercise or relaxation whenever you want. These pools can also add even more luxury to your home with the right features and design. Whether you’re thinking about installing a lap pool for working out or an elegant pool for unwinding, use these tips to help you decide on an ideal design.
Your pool should be large enough to fit your needs, whether you’ll be the only one mainly using it or you have family or friends who will be using it as well. When it comes to shape, you can go with a traditional, rectangular design, which works well for a lap pool. If your pool is mostly for relaxation, you can choose from a wide range of shapes, including freeform shapes that are visually striking or an elegant oval or kidney-shaped option.
Owning an indoor pool means you can swim anytime during the year, but you’ll need good lighting sources if you plan to use it at night. Standard room lighting won’t provide the illumination you need for safe swimming. Installing underwater lights, wall sconces or lights along the edges of your pool area are all options for ensuring that you can swim safely when it’s dark out. Keep in mind that lighting also helps create a specific ambiance for your indoor pool. Consider colored lights for visual appeal or softer, white lighting for a more elegant look.
If you're looking for an option that combines the inside with the outside, consider adding a retractable roof to the area. This type of roof can open and close as needed so that your indoor pool area can have more ventilation and natural light. Skylights are another option to consider when you want to feel like you’re outside while swimming. Skylights allow natural sunlight to seep into your indoor pool area and provide stunning starlight views at night.
The addition of water features can give indoor pools a more relaxing or exciting appearance, depending on your preferences. Add gushers or fountains as an elaborate visual display, or have a waterfall added to create a more natural and soothing swimming environment. Water jets with colored lighting can add a dramatic visual effect to your pool’s appearance.
If you’re exploring your options for a new luxury home, contact us today.
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
So, you're buying a home remotely. Because you probably don't want to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in a house that smells like cats or that features weekly invasions by the SWAT team of the building next door, it's important to find a long-distance realtor you can trust. You need someone who excels at the remote-home-buying experience and who will represent you faithfully. Agents like these are out there, but it may take a bit of work to find them. Here's what we recommend.
A certified residential specialist is a real estate agent who has undergone additional training and who has more experience than other agents. Only about 3 percent of all realtors in the United States have attained CRS status. You can find a CRS locally by using the online search function available at the Residential Real Estate Council.
To become a certified residential specialist, an agent must meet strict minimum requirements, including:
While millions of hard-working real estate agents exist, only a small number have gone that extra mile to earn CRS certification. These are the agents you should trust to handle your transaction when you can't be there in person.
Choose a realtor who's an expert in your desired area and with whom you feel comfortable from the first conversation. The relationship between you and your remote-home-buying partner should feature excellent communication. He or she needs to understand your needs precisely, including your must-haves, your budget, your time frame, and what you're hoping to find in a neighborhood. If you're bringing along three small dogs, your mother-in-law, or two moody teenagers, your long-distance realtor needs to make sure there's sufficient space for everyone included.
The REALTOR®you choose should be an expert on local schools. He should be able to get back to you with crime rates and economics. Additionally, he should be present at home inspections to ensure your future home doesn't have a termite infestation or a sketchy, outdated septic system. Everything from water pressure to the condition of outdoor fencing matters. These are all things you would investigate when viewing a home in person. If it's important to you, it should be important to the realtor you choose.
Seventy-eight percent of all home buyers value the quality of a neighborhood over the size of a home, and 57 percent would rather have a shorter work commute than a sprawling yard. It's statistics like these that can make or break your remote-home-buying experience. It's vital to partner with the best agent for the job.
Image by mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Too busy to buy that second home in Myrtle Beach? No time to fly down and walk through multiple properties to find the one that's right for your family? No problem. You, too, can enjoy the dream of homeownership when you buy your next property remotely.
When you buy a home remotely, someone else takes care of the specifics. Your main responsibilities are communicating your wants and needs to an on-site real estate agent, paying for the home and being available to sign the finalizing documents digitally. Because of this, buying a home that's located one state or half-a-world away is entirely feasible in today's real estate market.
You'll work with a real estate agent when buying a home through remote means. This is similar to any other home-buying venture. In a remote transaction, however, it's vital to have an agent whom you trust completely and with whom you have excellent communication. Your agent should be local to the area where you're buying your new home, and they should be an expert on the neighborhood. You'll communicate via phone, email or internet with your agent and will likely use an e-sign process, followed up by signed hard copies, when it's time to finalize.
Typically, you'll pay for a home you've purchased remotely by wiring the amount needed to close. Most people can't afford to buy a home using cash, but you'll likely need at least a down payment and other costs up front.
The real estate agent with whom you're working will view the home, be present at inspections in your stead, and do their part to ensure that the home you're buying is viable. They will be able to advise you on comparable prices in the neighborhood to give you an idea of whether the price you're paying is reasonable.
Most people who buy homes remotely do so because they're too busy or live too far away to buy the home in a traditional way. There's little risk involved as long as you use a licensed real estate agent who's experienced in remote-home sales.
It's good to remember that once you own a remote property, there's no backing out. It's vital to make sure you're buying a home that's well suited to you and your family. This is where your choice of real estate agent becomes vital in helping you choose the location of your home, the size, layout and community in which it's located.
