Simmons Homes

If you are in the market for buying a new home, your first priority may be selling the home you have. While it might seem a little overwhelming at first, we’ve rounded up some tips that will have your current home sold in no time! This will alleviate that hurdle for you, get top dollar for your home,  and have you able to turn your attention to making your new house a home for you and your family.

Start from the Inside Out

If you plan on getting potential buyers in the door, you’ve got to first have a bit of curb appeal! The first impression is everything! Does the exterior of your home, feel like home? It should give potential buyers that “warm and fuzzy” feeling inside, that will allow them to picture themselves and their family there. This doesn’t have to be a huge remodeling expenditure. Just put a little love into it. Think: beautifully manicured lawn, inexpensive shrubs, a few plants lining the walkway…whatever fits for your home.

Stay on your game!

You’re preparing your new home, working, taking care of the children…all while trying to sell your current home. Chances are, you feel like kicking back and relaxing at the end of the day. That’s great, but don’t get too comfortable on the bench! Your home should ALWAYS be ready for an impromptu showing. This means keeping the dishes out of the sink, the counter tops and mirrors clean, and your house tidy day in and day out. Cleaning may be the last thing on your mind right now, but in the end, it could make or break a potential sell!

Go Neutral

Does your home have that adorable room that you painted just for your little girl? Or the office dedicated solely to mom’s scrapbooking?? May be time for a spruce up! While you might find these things endearing, and possibly sentimental, a potential buyer may not feel the same. Rooms should be gender neutral, and allow ANY prospective buyer to envision using it the way THEY need to…not in a way that fits your family. Don’t let a quick paint spruce up block a potential sale!

Hide the Creatures!

While your pets are a part of your family, they are not a package deal with your home. Therefore, they do not need to be included in the showing. Before opening your homes for showings be sure to have a game plan for securing your pets. In fact, many articles suggest sending your pets to a friend, family member, or even a pet hotel for the day when getting ready for viewings. Not everyone is a pet lover, and some may even have allergy aversions to your pets that would persuade them from buying your home.

Know the Focal Points

When remodeling your home to sell, focus your attention on the kitchen and bathroom areas. These are the areas that sell homes. It is much easier for people to imagine themselves doing the updates they prefer in other parts of your home then it is for them to imagine themselves updating the kitchen and bathroom. These are two rooms potential buyers prefer to be updated, modern, and of course clean finished when considering purchasing a home.

A common concern among parents is, “When is the best time to move to a new home?” There’s no solution that will work for everyone. It depends on the children and their ages and personalities.Moving in the summer allows families to settle into a new home during a less hectic time period. The kids can use their vacation months to explore the neighborhood and maybe take part in summer camps and activities where they can meet classmates.

But there’s also something to be said for moving during the school year. You automatically integrate your child into a school where they meet classmates the very first day—as opposed to sitting around the house or yard and feeling isolated because they’ve left their friends behind. By starting out your new home experience during the school year, your children also jump right into the many activities happening in this time—clubs, sports, scouts, and field trips. They quickly make friends as they settle into their new community and routine. A teacher will often take a little more time getting new kids acclimated in the middle of the year than at the beginning, when all students are new to her class. She might be more aware of a youngster’s unease and pair the child with someone else or encourage others to include the newcomer into their activities.

By moving when the most activity is happening, your child will make friends sooner and then have the summer months to build on those relationships.

Moving with children is always a challenge. If you have any tips or experiences about moving a family, we’d love to hear from you!

There’s many reasons why buying a new home is just better….but one of them might be quite appealing to your pocketbook. That’s right, buying a new home saves money! Many people think that buying a new home will automatically mean less spending money in their pockets. Fortunately, this is not the case. In fact, buying a used home will leave you shelling out much more “dough” in the end.

Energy Savings

Due to increased energy efficiency in new homes, especially Energy Star Certified Buidlers such as Simmons Homes, you will find yourself paying much less on your monthly utility bills than you would in a use home. Not only does that leave you with extra money, it’s also better on the environment as well. An added security for your finances, as well as the world we’re leaving for your children.

Reduced Maintenance Cost

If you have ever watched any television show on HGTV, you know that buying and remodeling a used home always comes with risk. That’s the thing about a used home, you can only see what you can see. Many times hidden expenses and even dangers (i.e. mold), can be hidden out of sight. Add to this the extra maintenance cost of keeping up and replacing when needed older fixtures and such, and you can end up getting yourself into a money pit quite quickly. With a new home, you know what you are getting from day one. Your home has been built from the ground up with the latest techniques. Nothing “hidden” within the walls, beneath the structure, or on the roof. Reduce cost, and peace of mind.

Spring is here, and many find this the perfect time of year to clean house. Your home is meant to be a place for you to relieve stress and decompress at the end of the day. Is your home feeling fresh and breezy?? If not, below are a few tips to help you out.

Organization is key

The change of a season is always a great reminder to get rid of clutter. Winter, especially, can bring lots of clutter into the home. If you are like most you say “If only I had the time!” Worry not. This does not need to be an entire weekend event. In fact, setting aside just 10 minutes each day to pick a room in your house and reduce clutter will prove to be a stress free way to tackle the task. If you’re open to suggestions, Martha Stewart has some GREAT IDEAS for organizing your home.

Add some green to your environment

Plants are a great way to reduce stress. It is actually proven that plants help to reduce blood pressure! If you missed out on the “green thumb” gene, worry not. There are plenty of very easy, low maintenance plants that are quite manageable. Check with your local greenery for recommendations on these plants targeted for your specific region.

Switch it up a bit

Inexpensive light dimmer switches and the use of lamps can help you switch from bright lightening to a more serene dim light at the end of the day when it’s time to wind down. This helps your body to jump into relaxation mode and unwind at the end of the day.

Freshen up a bit

It’s a proven fact that different aromas effect your body in different ways. Be sure to fill your house with an aroma that is both warm, inviting, and relaxing. While the smell should fit your preference, it’s a nice idea to choose something that isn’t to harsh or overwhelming to the senses for those that you live with, or who visit your home. Many times, if a sent is too strong it can have the exact opposite effect of soothing you!

With spring cleaning often comes spring redecorating. If you missed out on the interior designer gene, this can seem like a stressful task. Worry not! We’ve done our research, in order to bring you a few styling tips for 2013! According to Ilyce Glink of CBS News,  color trends are playing a HUGE part in decorating this spring. Ilyce outlines the best colors, per room We’ve provided you with a break down below.

The Bedroom

Redecorating the bedroom should be at the very top of your priority list. This is a place where you are going to spend A LOT of time, and time here is usually meant for relaxing and restoring yourself for the next day. It’s important your atmosphere is conductive of this. Light blues and greens help to accomplish this.

The Master Bathroom

Flowing with the feeling of renewal and rejuvenation from the bedroom, emerald is a great color to incorporate into your master bathroom.

Kitchen

The kitchen should bring out the “pizazz” in your home!! Don’t be afraid to go bright with it! Yellow is a great color to make your kitchen pop. If the idea of an entirely yellow kitchen seems like a bit much to you, feel free to experiment with an accent wall instead.

Family Room

Another room that should “pop” is the family room. This is usually the room where your family will spend most of their time together, so it should SCREAM comfort and fun with a nice warm homely feel in the background. Splashes of  Red, Orange, or even Green can help accomplish this!

Keep in mind, paint isn’t the only way to switch up a room. If you’d like to incorporate some new colors into your living place, without going all out with the paint, stick to accent rugs and decorations that bring out these colors. This is an easy way to experiment with color while leaving the option for change in the future.

Simmons also welcomes you to visit our Design Studio for color ideas and more for your new custom built home!

The reasons why people move vary greatly. It may be to relocate due to a new job, or simply to find a floor plan that better fits their family needs. People move due to additions to their families, and new marriages. According to the U.S. Census, however, the reason people moved the most in 2012, was simply for a New/Better home. See the list below for a break down of why people moved in 2012.

Housing Reasons

-New/Better Home 15.9%

-Other 14.4%

-Cheaper Housing 8.9%

-Wanted own home 4.7%

-Better neighborhood 3.4%

-Evicted or foreclosed 2.2%

Family Reasons

-Other 12.3%

-Start own household 10.7%

-Marital status changed 6.3%

Job Reasons

-New job 9.5%

-Easier commute 5.5%

-Other 2.1%

-Looking for work 1.8%

-Retired .5%

We expect that trends for moving in 2012 will greatly match those of 2012. Luckily, here at Simmons, it’s a GREAT time to purchase a new home. If you are still on the fence on whether or not to upgrade your home to a new, custom built home, give us a call and we can answer all of your questions and fill you in on the benefits to building new!

If you’ve been holding out on the PERFECT reason to move to Tulsa, Okalahoma….your time has come!!! Mayor Dewey Bartlett and Tulsa City Council members announced a new entrepreneurial program partnership that will connect the Tulsa-based StartUp Cup business model with Tulsa’s sister cities! (Read the full article here).

This program is a major plus for entrepreneurs in Tulsa and the surrounding areas. The program will create competitions that are locally run. According to Mayor Bartlett, the purpose of these StartUp Competitions will be to create jobs and business while strengthening Tulsa’s economic relationships with it’s surrounding cites.

Also a plus for major cities pariticipating, as they will receive access to websites, online support, marketing templates and coaching from local entrepreneurs. All of this will be provided, at no cost to the participating city’s!

If you are wondering what these sister cites are, you may just be surprised! Tulsa’s eight sister cities are Tiberias, Israel; Beihai, China; Amiens, France; Zelenograd, Russia; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; San Luis Potosi, Mexico, Utsunomiya, Japan and Celle, Germany.

Currently, there have been 361 startups that have participated in nine StartUp Cups around the world. This has led to an estimated 474 jobs created!!!  The StartUp Cups welcome any business idea and target new businesses that lack extensive resources and experience.

This is a major honor to Tulsa, to be a part of this program. We look forward to watching the many opportunities it will bring to our community in the near future!

Making the leap into home ownership is an important milestone. Choosing the perfect homebuilder is as important as choosing the perfect home model, neighborhood, and details.  It is crucial, however, that you do not neglect the planning stage PRIOR to this. That’s right! Planning for your new home should begin before you even click on a model home. The simple planning steps below will help to ensure your home buying process is smooth and glitch free.

Budget

Before you begin searching for your new home, you must make sure your budget is ready for this venture. This can be done with a few simple calculations. Sit with a piece of paper and estimate the expenses of home ownership. If the expenses of home ownership are higher than your current expenses, it may be a good idea to try putting the difference aside in a savings account for six months, to ensure your budget is able to withhold the impact.

The Loan

Before you even THINK of researching loans, check your credit score! It’s important to know where you stand. There are several different loan options available, and these options may differ based on your credit score. Once you know your score, you can begin researching loan types to find the one that works best for your family’s situation. You’ll then be ready to gather the documents you need (proof of employment, income, etc.) to gain pre-approval for your home.

Let the Fun Begin

Once you have completed the steps above, you are now ready to begin your new home search!!! The information you have obtained in the steps above will leave you prepared, and educated as you enter the world of home ownership. From this point, you get to partake in the funniest part of the venture: Choosing your new home!

If you are looking for a home in Broken Arrow,OK  Simmons has you covered!! One of the notable communities Simmons has in this area is Oxford Court, a part of the Simmon’s Modern Classic Homes Collection. These are homes that we have created, based on direct feedback from our customers. They include sleek textures and finishes that express the character and living style of the people that live within them.

Simmon’s Modern Classic Homes are a wonderfully unique combination of traditional and contemporary styles. A few of these distinguishing features include rustic hued floors combined with modern glass and accents. These home promote a traditional family feel, with all of the amenities and perks of a brand new modern home.

Aside from just the beautiful homes themselves, Oxford Court offers residents a beautiful community with several amenities including a swimming pool, and neighborhood play area. In the heart of Tulsa County, it also provides quick access to premier restaurants and local shopping.  If you have never toured one of these homes, you should stop by and view one today! Oxford Courts has homes under construction NOW available as early as March 2013.

Lauren and Daniel Rew are self-proclaimed “big lookers”. They spent 6-7 months looking for a home, searching amongst used homes. The Rew’s soon found that used homes would not provide them with the exact details and amenities they craved for their new dwelling. They assumed building a home would be out of their price range…until they came across Simmons Homes that is.  Building a home with Simmons not only proved to be financially obtainable, but allowed them to choose the details that they wanted for their new home.

Lauren and Daniel describe they process of building as “extremely comfortable” and “a very pleasant experience from the very beginning”. They weren’t the only ones excited about their new home! Their 4-year-old son found it easy to transition, due to the help of a Simmons site manager. The site manager made a point to include their son in the visits, as their home was being constructed. Before the home’s construction was complete, their son had already become acclimated with where his new room would be, the bathroom, kitchen, playroom, etc.

“I feel like {the line of communication between the buyer and the builder} was always open, my questions were always answered in a timely fashion, and I was never left hung out to try with anything. I appreciated that”. Lauren Rew