DRD NEWS & QUARTERLY UPDATES
Hello Summertime! The sun is shining and things are definitely feeling more normal again. A special thanks to our clients and trade partners for your cooperation over the last 15 months with all of the additional COVID protocol. It is our #1 priority to keep everyone safe and we are grateful that we have been able to do so.

Since DRD's Annual Christmas party couldn't happen in 2020, we said, "We're not canceling, we'll just have it next year, even if it's in March 2021!" Well, on April 23rd, DRD and Studio 38 Designs celebrated Christmas, and it was our best party yet! The Studio was decked out in Christmas decorations complete with a homemade tree, employee gifts, lots of FUN games, and everyone wearing Santa hats. It was just what we all needed, and definitely a Christmas party we'll never forget.
FIX IT OR NOT?
WHAT TO KNOW WHEN PREPPING YOUR HOME FOR SALE
When you make the decision to sell your home, it can be tricky to know which changes would make your home sell more quickly or boost the sale price — and which would be a waste of your time and resources. Each home (and each homeowner) is different; that’s why we’ve come up with eight key questions to ask yourself before making any changes to prep your home for sale.
General Questions
These first three questions will help you take the temperature of the real estate market in your area and assess the competition.
1. How hot or cold is the market in your area? Are homes being snapped up after the first open house, or are they languishing on the market for months? Are homes being sold at or near the asking price, or for much lower? Are open houses bustling with people, or is attendance sparse? Get a feel for the market in your area by talking with your real estate agent and checking local listings. If it’s a seller’s market, you may be able to get away with doing fewer repairs and modifications before selling, and still have good results — in a buyer’s market, expect to do more work to make a positive impression on buyers.
2. How fast are you looking to sell? If you need to sell your home immediately — say, because you have already committed to buying another home or need to move because of work — it is in your best interest to do everything in your power to ensure a quick sale at the highest price possible. If you have more flexibility, and you feel uncomfortable making too many pricey changes to your home before selling, it may make more sense to focus on cleaning, decluttering and making small cosmetic changes (like painting) — particularly if the market is hot and favors the seller. If you aren’t getting the offers you would like, you can always decide to spring for a few bigger changes later and relist your home.
3. What is the condition of comparable homes on the market? It can be quite helpful to know a little about the homes that buyers in your area are looking at. Examine photos of homes for sale in your area or even attend a few open houses, and make a mental note of how the other homes compare to yours. Are the kitchens updated? Are the floors in good shape? If all of the other homes you see have a certain feature (for instance, an updated kitchen) that yours lacks, consider making that a priority. You don’t need to make your home exactly like all the other homes on the market; just make sure there isn’t a single factor that could give your home a disadvantage.
To Fix or Not to Fix: Deciding Which Repairs
Are Worth Tackling
The next five questions will help you assess whether or not to make a specific repair or change before selling your home.
4. Does the faulty item give the impression the property has not been well cared for?Leaky faucets, cracked tiles, an overgrown lawn, broken appliances or anything else that doesn’t work as it should can immediately turn off buyers. At an open house, people often zip through quite quickly, and if they notice one or two things that send up red flags, they may not give your home another chance.
5. Can you find a less expensive fix? Let’s say you scoped out the comparable homes on the market in your neighborhood, and they all have updated kitchens but yours hasn’t been touched for some time. Rather than spend big on a full kitchen remodel, why not give your kitchen a less costly refresh? For instance, you could paint the cabinets, swap out cabinet hardware, change the light fixtures and upgrade the appliances to something current and functional but not top-of-the-line... Click here to read the full article on Houzz
BEFORE & AFTER SLIDESHOW
Kitchens, bathrooms, offices, oh my! Take a look at our recent transformations from the past quarter, and perhaps get some ideas for your next remodeling project.
READ WHAT PEOPLE ARE
SAYING ABOUT US!
Here are a couple of the latest reviews we've received through
 GuildQuality within the past quarter. 

Review by Robert B. (April 2021)
"We're incredibly happy with our kitchen remodel. Everyone we interacted with from start to finish was a pleasure to work with..." Read More

Review by Kumar V. (May 2021)
"The top-notch professionalism along with the personal touch, caring for the customer, and attention to detail sets you apart by a wide margin. We have and will continue to recommend you..." Read More



JUST FOR LAUGHS
‌
CAR GUY CORNER
“Back in the day”, when Dave was in his late 20’s, he owned a 1973 Toyota Celica. At that time, they were just used, economical transportation. As often happens, car guys remember what they had and want to re-live those memories by acquiring what they had in their earlier years. To that end, Dave was fortunate to stumble across this 1974 Celica ST, a couple weeks ago. It’s an all original (even paint), one-owner car. It’s been parked for 20 years and doesn’t currently run. But he's been tinkering with it and it should be up and running in a few weeks. Seriously…. when was the last time you’ve seen one of these on the road!!? 😊