3 Easy Steps to Turn Your New House Into a Home

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The moving into a new home can be a great upheaval in your life. Whether you had to move for business or just want a change of scenery, picking the right house and then turning it into a real home where you feel comfortable and safe can be a long process. If you are moving to Texas, a College Station realtor can help you select the house that fits your family and lifestyle better than all the others, but there is still a lot to be done after the movers put the furniture and boxes in each room.

1 – Recreate Your Favorite Rooms

The new house may be larger or different than your old one, but making it feel cozy and comfortable is important from the start. So the house doesn’t feel so strange, arrange the furniture and decorations similar to what they were in your old house. This familiarity will make things seem more like home.

If you can’t or do not want to make the room is exactly like they were before, or if your family welcomes the new layout, it is still important to include well-loved pieces or accents where everyone can see them and remember. Hang up the same children’s drawings on the fridge as in your old house or displaying family photographs over the mantle or on a shelf.

2 – Make Sure Everyone Has Their Own Space

Even if kids have to share a bedroom, each person in the family should have space that is just theirs. This means they can display favorite items, make choices about the decor or just have some alone time. Moving can be very stressful, and making sure each person in the family does not feel forgotten when a home decorating and organization begins is important for a positive home experience. It is easier to feel comfortable and protected in a small spot before the entire property feels just the same.

3 – Build New Memories

The reason you loved your old home so much was all the happy times and good memories enjoyed there. All the time you spend in a pleasant place makes it so much better than one you just came to. While you may love the house you chose out of all the homes for sale in College Station (Texas), it won’t quite feel like home until you build new memories.

Continue old traditions, such as lunch out every Saturday or once a week family movie night, and build new ones too. Explore the surrounding community and meet your neighbors. Having a housewarming party or cookout can be a great way to introduce family and friends to your new home.

As time goes by, life will slip back into its normal rhythms with all the ups and downs of career, family life, school and fun. That house you first saw empty when your College Station realtor showed you around has now become full of everything you hold dear: treasured possessions, family and friends and new memories to last a lifetime.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904

Top 5 Ways to Experience College Station, Texas History and Culture

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A College Station realtor will show you around the best properties and neighborhoods in the Brazos County region. As you drive past the luxurious homes, you will get just a glimpse of what life will be like in this historical yet modern part of the country. After you move in, you will want to steep yourself in all the history and culture of your new home.

While there are so many great ways to learn and have fun in the area, these five places are must-sees if you want to learn about College Station, Texas history and culture.

1 – Texas A&M University

Even if you are not a prospective enrollee, a visit to Texas A&M University is a great way to experience history and culture of College Station, Texas. Tours are offered at different times of the day or you can just explore the various attractions on your own.

Some of these include:

• The George Bush Memorial Library
• The Cushing University library
• Sports Museum of Texas A&M
• The historic “century tree” live oak
• Statues of James Earl Rudder, Sul Ross, the Twelfth Man, the victory Eagle, part of the Berlin wall with horse sculpture, the Bonfire Memorial and more
• Sporting complexes like Kyle Field and Reed Arena

2 – Art and Culture Museums

The Bryan-College Station cities offer a wealth of art museums and galleries with many styles represented. Some of these include the Art Council of Brazos Valley, the Benz Gallery of Floral Art and the Forsyth Galleries. The historical parts of these twin cities also offer residents and visitors a wealth of smaller art shops, craft demonstrations and other cultural offerings like glasswork studio, several theaters and antique shops.

3 - George Bush Presidential Library 

This library and museum is one of the most frequently visited centers in the Brazos County, Texas region. It is located on the Texas A&M University campus. It not only houses thousands of documents used by students and researchers, but also many objects and displays as well. The museum is dedicated to the life of former president George Bush, but also provides a meaningful insight into the politics, economy and people of the late 20th century.

4 – History and Military Museums

The Museum of the American G.I. offers a glimpse into various military service of the past. Collection includes meticulously preserved uniforms and equipment, operational vehicles and historical reenactments in the Spring.

The Sam Houston Sanders Corps of Cadets Center combines historical activity with live demonstrations and plenty of history about the cadets since their beginnings in 1876.

The Carnegie Center of the Brazos Valley includes a library of rare documents and books as well as Ana Ludmila Gee’s ballet memorabilia, geological specimens and a natural xeriscape garden.


5 – Local Wineries and Agriculture

Texas is famous for its excellent wines and offers the public a great opportunity to learn about grape cultivation and the winemaking process. Agriculture is a large part of this southern state’s culture and exploring the growing process and the resulting products is a fun way to learn.

The Benjamin Knox Art Gallery and Winery combines his excellent painting, fine art gifts and a selection of top-quality, inexpensive wines. Other options include the Perrine Winery, Messina Hof and Peach Creek Vineyards.

People with more interest in food rather than drink may enjoy the Royalty Pecan Farms and the King Sperry Blueberry Farm. Spend an afternoon picking your own berries, or sit back and enjoy a slice of pecan pie and a glass of wine.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904

Green Planting Guide for Texas Gardeners

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When many people in other parts of the country think of Texas, they imagine a lot of dry heat, sandy soil and not many plants that give yards a lush and beautiful appearance. Texas, however, is not the desert that some people imagine it to be. When you look at homes for sale in College Station, Texas, you will see that most have lush green lawns, large trees and beautiful landscape plantings.

All this greenery looks beautiful and inviting, but also uses a lot of water and requires a lot of care. With drought conditions threatening some parts of the states and more people interested in protecting natural resources like water, homeowners are turning toward xeriscaping and using native plants more than ever.

What is Xeriscaping?

Although the term comes from the Greek word for dry, xeriscaping does not mean artfully placed rocks and a few cactus plants. You can have a lush and green garden while taking into account the various aspects of the environment in the area.

1. Plan your landscaping scheme based on rainfall amounts, hours of sun and soil properties.
2. Rework the soil with more organic matter to give it moisture retention properties.
3. Minimize grass areas.
4. Accent with hardscaping.

Recommended Plants for Texas Gardens

Since Texas is a very large state, there are different zones of planting within it. If you purchase one of the homes for sale in College Station (Texas), you should choose plants native to the area for maximum drought resistance and year-round beauty.

Trees and Shrubs

Fill in large spaces and gain some privacy with some of the larger shrubs and trees perfect for the local climate. Some of the ornamental trees to choose include Holly, Japanese Maple and Magnolias. Large shrubs include blooming azalea, crêpe myrtle and Indian Hawthorn.

Dwarf shrub varieties like azaleas, boxwood, spirea and barberry can provide additional interests and accents at the backs of gardens or near doorways and paths.

Bedding Plants and Flowers

While cactus and other succulents are excellent choices for drought-resistant Texas gardens, there are plenty of leafy, flowering plants to choose from as well.

If you have a fence or arbor over which you would like to grow a vine, you may enjoy the foliage of Boston or fig ivy or the beautiful flowers of clematis and honeysuckle.

Instead of planting large swaths of grass which require frequent mowing and plenty of water, groundcovers can provide attractive coverage with less maintenance needs. Some suited for the East Texas area include Asiatic Jasmine, golden oregano and ajuga.

Near paths, in the garden beds and containers on porch or deck, flowering plants provide the most color and interest. Some options include the famous Texas bluebonnets, daisies of many varieties, ice plant, portulacas or moss roses, vinca and zinneas.

Check each variety you choose for the proper sun conditions and low water usage before you choose to include it in your natural Texas garden.

Featured Home for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904

How to Choose the Right Home for Your Family

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After the decision to move to Texas is made, the next choice is which of the exceptional homes for sale in College Station is right for you and your family. Many people go into the home buying process with particular requirements for their new house, but with so many options to choose from in the area, it can be difficult to narrow it down. The tips listed below can help you decide between all the houses your College Station realtor shows you.

Have a List of Basic Requirements

The size of the home you want usually depends on how many people there are in your family and how much you can afford. Other things to take into account in Texas are the costs of running the air-conditioning more frequently and water usage. Since the Brazos County area is such a great one for kids to grow up and, there is a large chance your family will stay there for a long time. This makes resale value is important, but you would be happy to know that, if you did have to move or you wanted to buy larger as your family grows, resale values are excellent in the area.

Consider the following requirements and choosing which home to buy:

• How many bedrooms do you need for your family?
• How many bathrooms will make getting ready in the morning easy?
• Do you want a yard for kids to play in? How much will maintenance cost?
• How close is it to main roads, shopping and entertainment?

Work With an Experienced and Knowledgeable College Station Realtor

A realtor with a working knowledge of the area in which you want to buy a home will do a much better job recommended neighborhoods and houses that one who drives in from somewhere else. Since buying a home is one of the biggest decisions you make in your life, you want the best help possible. Experience and knowledge about the neighborhoods and houses in the listings is essential for finding the right one for you and your family.

Before buying it is important for you, your spouse and kids to visit the properties that make the final list. Besides looking at the paint, wallpaper or other decorator accents, it is important to get a feel for the home and see if you get an emotional reaction to it. Can you imagine sitting down for dinner in the kitchen? Can you see your kids playing on the floor in the living room? Will your furniture fit in the spaces and is there sufficient room for everyone to be comfortable?

Choosing the right home for your family in College Station, Texas could only be difficult because of all the excellent choices. With the right realtor and time to explore the properties and neighborhoods, you will find the perfect home where you will be happy for many years to come.

Featured Land for Sale in College Station, TX

 

Sarah Miller, your RE/MAX realtor Bryan-College Station can help you discover a lot of great tips for making a profitable and fast sell of your home. She is one of the RE/MAX Bryan-College Station Realtor that has a long list of the finest homes in College Station, Call her today at 979-255-1904