Seller Tip: What is your season?

In a perfect world, every garden would be well-planned and balanced to have something lush, pretty, and in bloom throughout the entire growing cycle.  Creating a Midwest flower-filled garden that blooms from Spring through Fall is not as challenging as it may seem, but it does require careful planning and plant selection. 

Realistically, however, most yards evolve over time and over several different owners and their individual taste and dedication. Add in four very distinct Midwest seasons, including harsh winter dormancy, and friends... it is a challenge to maintain a year-round photogenic house.  As a result, most St. Louis yards have their season, or that short window of time when the curb appeal truly sparkles as the plants are in full-bloom beauty.  

Some yards shine during early Spring, with an abundance of bulb perennials like tulips and daffodils and lovely flowering trees like dogwoods. Some yards look best in early Summer, painted with blooms of azalea and peony. Other yards, like mine, look their best at the tail end of summer when the mature flowering bushes like hydrangea and crêpe myrtle are bursting with color and the annuals are in peak mature flowering season.  

As a Homeowner, it is prudent to know your season. When does your curb appeal look its best?  If the answer is NOW and you are considering listing your house over the next year, I am addressing you...  

If you are considering listing your home during our swift late-Winter, early Spring 2020 market (Feb- April), which ironically is one of the worst times to photograph a house in the Midwest, the time to photograph the exterior is NOW.  Even if you plan to list in May, but your best curb appeal season is August, I recommend a few professional exterior photos be taken now.

I cannot speak for other Realtors, however, I happily pay for professional photography for all of my Sellers out of my own pocket.  There is nothing better than the ability to add mature yard and garden shots to an early Spring listing as it REALLY sets the home apart from the competition.  Why leave your yard to a Buyer's imagination when you can advertise the beauty that they are actually shopping?

Plan to list in 2020 and you would like to discuss photography?  Email me at Carrie.Nenonen@cbgundaker.com or call at 314.298.5275.

If contemplating a move in 2020, the time to start interviewing Realtors is now.  The time to start preparing and planning is now, as well!  I would love to be considered. Let's connect...

Just for Fun: Artistic view at everyday life

Do you have a favorite search hashtag on Instagram? Mine is, hands down, #nenonenyardfollies as it is a collection of the simple pleasures I have adored most living in our home over the years. Nothing beats the seasonal ebb and flow of Mama Nature in our neighborhood and yard. 🌱🌸🍂❄️

I celebrate my love for this in my latest home project for our cozy family room with a little help from Walgreens...  

... a wood print collage grid of my favorites, creating a micro-journey through the seasons in Casa de Nenonen. I firmly believe you that should surround yourself by things that make you feel good in your home! This wall makes me smile every time I look at it and serves as a daily reminder to stop and smell the roses!💞

TIP: Walgreens is hyperlinked above.  I used the 12x12 square print and an amazing coupon code that took off 50%.

Follow me on Instagram HERE.

An ode to the tail-end of Senior year and the city we love...

I started this blog almost 10 years ago, after several years of personal blogging. I have always enjoyed the written word and what a terrific creative outlet and labor of love this blog has become!  While obviously the main trajectory is my business here on CDN and the City, I attempt to stay authentically me at all times and share with you the things that I encounter, enjoy, and love in gorgeous St. Louis, my family included.

First day of school posts, last day of school posts... there are a lot of them if you scroll back in my archives.  This one is a tad special, however.

My oldest is finishing up the tail-end of his Senior year and I wanted one final mini photo shoot to celebrate this major life transition as much as the city that our family loves and calls home.

I stumbled upon Julia (Jewels) Vrabel's work on Instagram via the #StLouisGram hashtag and was drawn to her point of view.  She has an artistic aesthetic that equally highlights the subject and the background.  I wanted the beautiful grit of the city.

My son admittedly does NOT enjoy getting his photo taken so a lengthy "posey model" photo shoot wouldn't do.  Jewels did an incredible job of making him feel comfortable.  The result?  His personality and the urban beauty of our Riverfront shine through in harmony.  Her hour Senior mini-session provided us with two dozen terrific shots   She captured everything that I love about my boy and our gorgeous city as graduation approaches.

A teeny tiny peek at the fun...
Note: these are not the hi-def version of these photos, only a screenshot, so as not to overwhelm my server.

Thank you for sharing your talent with us, Jewels, and for allowing my youngest to photobomb a few!

You can take the boy out of St. Louis, but you can't take the St. Louis out of the boy. ♥

  

Do you want to hire Jewels or see more of her work?  Visit Jewels Photography on FB HERE!