BlogCommunityNeighborhood Improvement July 6, 2021

Windermere Celebrates 37 Years of Community Service Day

Every year in June, Windermere offices close for business in order to participate in Community Service Day. An annual tradition since 1984, our agents, staff, and franchise owners spend the day volunteering in their communities completing a variety of neighborhood improvement projects. Here are a few highlights from this year’s Community Service Day from around our network.

 

Windermere Rowland Realty – California

The Windermere Pinole and Diablo Realty offices joined together and volunteered for the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano Counties, working in their warehouse to bag produce for a food giveaway. After reaching out to their clients and peers, agents were able to gather $2,850 in donations for the food bank, an amount that will allow them to provide 5,700 meals to the local community.

 

A group of people bag produce in a warehouse.

Pictured: Scott Tuffnell, Denise Ramirez, Mike Rowland, Renee Rowland, Diane Cockrell, Mona Logasa, Dave Nardi, Ellen Osmundson, Jim Georgantes, Tina Rowland, Jacob Cardinale, Nicolars Ramirez, Luis Ramirez-Agudelo

 

A group of people hold up a check in a warehouse.

Pictured: Scott Tuffnell, Denise Ramirez, Mike Rowland, Renee Rowland, Diane Cockrell, Mona Logasa, Dave Nardi, Ellen Osmundson, Jim Georgantes, Tina Rowland, Jacob Cardinale, Nicolars Ramirez, Luis Ramirez-Agudelo

 

Windermere Fort Collins & Windsor – Colorado 

For CSD 2021, Windermere Fort Collins partnered with ChildSafe Colorado, an organization that provides therapy for victims of childhood abuse and seeks to “break the cycle and heal the trauma resulting from childhood abuse and neglect with specialized treatment, education, and community outreach.”

Windermere agents and staff completed a variety of indoor and outdoor projects including painting, planting flowers, landscaping, as well as supply collection and organization. In addition to their hands-on work, Fort Collins also set up an online portal for clients, friends, family, and community members to support their work through online donations to ChildSafe.

 

Two women and a boy work in the garden.

Pictured: Heather Patel, her son, and Jill Pino

 

The Windermere office in Windsor, Colorado partnered with the Weld RE-4 School District to host a school supply drive to provide supplies for children in low-income households for the 2021–2022 school year. In addition to the in-person event, they also had over fifteen local businesses volunteer by hosting a drop box in the weeks leading up to the event. Twenty-five boxes were donated by a local moving company, Johnson Moving & Storage. On the day of the supply drive, the boxes were filled with donations.

 

A group of women handle drop box donations.

Pictured: Suzanne Ekeler, Tammy Fisher, Angie Hoskins, Kelsey Vandemark, Angie Clauser, Karla Laferriere, and Anali Roath

 

Windermere Sandy Real Estate – Oregon

The Windermere Sandy Real Estate office organizes blood drives every year, so when it came time for this year’s Community Service Day, they knew exactly where to turn: The American Red Cross. With the help of Windermere agents, Red Cross volunteers set up in Windermere Sandy’s conference room, getting folks registered for the drive and handing out t-shirts. The Windermere Sandy staff greeted donors on the way in and during the afternoon, reception was handled by Windermere owners Alan and Therese Fleischman.

 

A white American Red Cross truck parked in a parking lot.

A white American Red Cross truck parked in a parking lot.

 

Windermere Real Estate Utah 

In communities throughout the state of Utah, Windermere agents were out in force for Community Service Day. The office in Layton, UT weeded and maintained playground areas and outdoor spaces at the Safe Harbor Crisis Center. Agents joined together to lay bark and install solar lights along the walkways on the property. The organization was also presented with a $5,000 check from the office’s Windermere Foundation funds.

Agents from the Park City office worked with local organization EATS Park City to package seeds and provide interview clips of stories relating to food and local culinary traditions. EATS Park City is dedicated to empowering and growing healthy communities with fun, food, and nutrition advocacy. Windermere Utah also made a $5,000 donation to the organization.

 

Windermere Real Estate Ellensburg – Washington

The agents and staff at Windermere Real Estate Ellensburg held a canned food drive, collecting donations at their office and dropping off grocery bags at three-hundred homes in the area for people to add non-perishable food items. They made the round on the final day of the drive, collecting 1,387 pounds of food for the Fish Community Food Bank. After they dropped off the donations, the Ellensburg team went to two different gardens owned by the food bank and spent the day weeding, cleaning up, and planting new foods.

 

A group of people posing for a photo in a garden.

Pictured: Caitlin Wable, Sally Vietzke, Danielle LaHaie, Erich Cross, Jennifer Savage, John Gardner, Cara Marrs, Genevieve Gillman, Casey Mills, Taylor Hull, Misti Sandnes

Home ImprovementHousing Trends August 18, 2020

How to Improve Your Curb Appeal

Curb Appeal

Image Source: Canva

When it comes time to sell your home, first impressions are crucial. Improving your curb appeal helps to make the most of a buyer’s first glance and sets the stage for their interest in purchasing your home. The following projects are simple and inexpensive ways to enhance both your home’s first impression and its value.

Landscaping

  • Lawn: A healthy, well-tended lawn goes a long way towards improving your curb appeal. Clean up all weeds, leaves and debris, and consistently water your lawn to give it that fresh green look. If you live in an arid climate, consider grass alternatives like artificial turf for the best lawn aesthetic.
  • Plant colorfully: Adding color variety to your front yard will grab buyers’ attention. Align smaller plants, like groundcover and flowers, neatly within your flower beds, aiming for symmetry when possible. Use larger plants and trees to frame in your entryway or walkup. If your front yard doesn’t have flower beds, try adding hanging planters or window boxes.
  • Lighting: Landscaping lighting boosts your curb appeal during nighttime, accentuates your shrubbery, and adds a welcoming touch for visitors as potential buyers, lighting the way to your door.

Flower Box

Image Source: Canva

Porch

Front porches set the stage for all your home has to offer. Improvements here will play a significant role in how comfortable potential buyers feel about the property and how inspired they are to explore the inside of the house.

  • Door: Your front door is an opportunity to make a tasteful statement. Look at bold color choices that are within or slightly stretch your home’s exterior color palette. Take time to prepare the surface for a fresh coat of paint to make the color pop as much as possible. Try stylish doorknob options that accentuate the aesthetic to give your door some added flair.
  • House numbers: New and stylish house numbers are an easy, eye-catching touch to the look of your porch. Look for styles that match with your exterior color palette and any exterior lighting fixtures.
  • Go for comfort: Incorporating classic front porch elements like a porch swing, sitting bench, and other outdoor furniture gives a welcoming aura to the front of your home and creates a sense of comfort for prospective buyers.
  • Shutters: Windows are the gateway to the inside of your home. Shutters of delicate fabric will bring elegance to your front porch, while wooden shutters deliver a solid, cozy vibe.

Other

These miscellaneous projects will add the finishing touches to your home’s curb appeal and get it in prime selling condition.

  • Quick maintenance: Small chores and minor fixes like cleaning gutters, repairing chipped paint, and cleaning windows are important for buyers with a detailed eye.
  • Staining: Instead of replacing fences or garage doors, look into applying a fresh stain. This brings a refreshed look and is much cheaper than a full renovation or replacement.
  • Power wash: Power washing your walkways and driveways makes a significant difference in curb appeal. If buying a power washer is outside your budget, explore rental options from the big-name hardware stores.