Santa Barbara Independent Real Estate 1/19/23

MONTECITO

Quick Fixes to Refresh Your Space

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Whether you’re getting ready to sell your home or just looking to make some cosmetic upgrades, you don’t have to embark on a full-scale remodel to make your home appear updated and larger. Here are five budgetfriendly ways to refresh your space.

1) Add a pattern with peel-and-stick wallpaper or a wall mural. Wallpaper has made a comeback, and there are countless beautiful patterns now available in peel-andstick application. It’s fairly easy to apply (grab a friend to help) and a budget-friendly way to dramatically transform a room. Boldly patterned walls can create an upscale feel, and most projects can be completed in a weekend. Try this wall treatment in a small space, such as a powder room or an accent wall in the bedroom, to add major style while keeping costs low.

2) Install board and batten on a wall. Create dimension and interest by adding board and batten paneling to a wall. Board and batten paneling is typically installed in a symmetrical pattern, either rectangles or vertical lines to draw the eye up. This is a great way to make entryways or hallways feel larger and provide a custom, high-end look.

3) Paint trim and walls the same color. Typically, trim is painted white while walls may be a different color. However, painting trim and walls the same color makes a room feel larger, as your eye doesn’t have a place to see an “end.” Matching wall and trim paint can be an elegant way to give your room a fresh feel.

4) Hang curtain rods closer to the ceiling. You can create the illusion of taller ceilings simply by hanging the curtain rods higher (almost to the ceiling) and adding

floor-length, flowing curtains. Personally, I like drapes that pool at the floor for a luxurious feel.

5) Paint the front door black. A complete exterior makeover might not be in the budget, but painting your front door can make a big impact on your home’s curb appeal. Use a dark hue for an on-trend look, then flank the front door with potted plants. Sherwin-Williams’ Tricorn Black is my go-to paint color for front doors. According to a Zillow survey, homes with a black front door saw a whopping $6,271 more in selling price!

info@styledandstagedsb.com.

Prime Opportunity in Montecito

The perfect Montecito fixer! Ideally located, this home o ers nearly 3,500 sq ft of single level living, a great floor plan with beautifully proportioned spaces on a flat, usable lot, in close proximity to MUS, Manning Park and the Upper Village. Features include vaulted ceilings, two fireplaces, a kitchen that is truly the heart of the home, a large primary suite, walk-in closet and storage, a spacious three car garage with plenty of parking. This property represents all the fun of a project with little of the heavy lifting.

• 4 bedrooms; 2.5 bathrooms

• 3,433 sq. ft. set on 0.68-acre

• Single level

• Beautifully proportioned floor plan, ready for upgrades

• Generous, usable lot

• Excellent Montecito location, moments to MUS, Upper & Lower Villages, Miramar beach, shopping, restaurants & more

Heat Pumps Are Becoming a Part of Our Future

Nearly half of residential buildings in the U.S. were constructed before 1973, when building code energy standards were virtually nonexistent. As a result, most homes and residential buildings still rely on old technologies for heating and cooling: furnaces and boilers for

heating and big rooftop air conditioning units for cooling.

Heat pumps, however, are gaining traction. The same piece of equipment can provide heating and cooling. Heat pumps are powered by electricity but have efficiencies 3-5 times that of fos-

sil-fuel heating systems. Despite the name, heat pumps do not generate heat; they move it from one place to another. In heating mode, they absorb latent heat energy from the outside air, even cold air, and transfer this heat to indoor air. The condenser and evaporative coil, which are located outdoors, use a liquid called a refrigerant to soak up heat and move it indoors or capture it indoors and release it outside, depending on where heat or coolness is needed. The source of thermal energy for a heat pump can be the air (an air-source heat pump) or the ground (a groundsource heat pump).

Refrigerators are heat pumps but with the condenser located at the back or bottom of the appliance. We feel heat around a refrigerator because it is pulling heat out of the cold air inside the unit, thereby making it even cooler. A big plus that heat pumps offer is improved indoor air quality because there is no combustion.

There are also heat-pump water heaters and heat-pump clothes washers and dryers. Efforts are underway to create a household system where one compressor placed outside can power these various heat-pump services.

It has been known for decades that

saving energy is cheaper than creating fossil-fuel energy. Investing in such efficiencies has among the best return-oninvestment. In 2021, Americans spent an average of $1,380 per year on energy bills. Installing efficient windows; preventing air leaks; insulating roofs, attics, crawlspaces and walls; and changing existing lighting to LEDs, together with investing in heat pumps, can cut utility bills by more than half.

The Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law last August invests $369 billion in climate reducing strategies over the next decade a big part of which will go for energy retrofits and electrification of homes for moderate-income and disadvantaged families. The many jobs created by doing these retrofits and improvements will be local and primarily benefit small companies.

If buildings around the globe are electrified and the sources of that electricity are from renewables, by 2050, one-sixth of the world’s total greenhouse-gas emissions would be eliminated.

Dennis Allen is chair of Allen Construction, an employee-owned company committed to building and operating sustainably. He also serves as chair of the Dean’s Council at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UCSB and as a boardmember of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History.

Goleta

5525 Capellina Way, 4BD, 2BA, Sat 10-1 & Sun 1-4, $1,385,000, Village Properties, Brenda Hoppers 805-4553272, DRE#02133758

229 San Napoli Drive, 3BD, 3BA, Sat 12-3, $1,985,000, Epstein Partners/ Keller Williams, Steve Epstein 805-6899339, DRE#00994429

San Roque

3931 Harrold Ave, 1BD, 2BA, Sat 2-4, $1,250,000, Coldwell Banker Realty Montecito, Chris Harrington 805-6897418, DRE#01019556

The Mesa

2402 Calle Montilla, 4BD, 3BA, Sat 1-4 & Sun 11-4, $3,195,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Avi Becker / Weston Rowan 805-944-2653 / 805-512-3892, DRE#02076584 / #02182012

Hope Ranch

622 Via Trepadora, 5BD, 4BA, Sat 2-4 & Sun 1-4, $3,750,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Katya Sheets / John Comin 805-708-2323 / 805-689-3078, DRE#02061444 / #00662357

965 Via Fruteria, 3BD, 3.5BA, Sun 1-4, $5,475,000, Coastal Properties, Gary Goldberg 805-455-8910, DRE#01172139

Santa Barbara

5073 San Vicente Drive, 3BD, 2BA, Sat & Sun 12-2, $1,395,000, Sotheby’s International Realty, Brandon Veltri 805-448-7433, DRE#02070796

71 Lassen Dr, 4BD, 3BA, Sat & Sun 1-4, $1,575,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Stefan Stojanovski / Chris Jones 805-570-0640 / 805-708-7041, DRE#02112629 / #01383462

401 Chapala Street Unit 215, 1BD, 2BA, Sun 1-4, $1,619,000, Epstein Partners/Keller Williams, Steve Epstein 805-689-9339, DRE#00994425

770 Camino Cascada, 4BD, 2BA, Sun 1-3, $1,850,000, Keller Williams, Marilyn Rickard 805-452-8284, DRE#00576487

4945 Cervato Way, 5BD, 3BA, Sat 12-2, $1,999,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Sara Guthrie 805-570-1211, DRE#01294545

2921 Serena Road, 3BD, 3.5BA, Sun 1-3, $2,400,000, Village Properties, Susan Manzo 805-895-6918, DRE#00932254

4414 Meadowlark Ln, 5BD, 3BA, Sat 12-2 & Sun 1-3, $2,795,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Angela Sadis /Katya Sheets 805-696-0781 / 805-708-2323, DRE#02197552 / #02061444

4675 La Espada Drive, 3BD, 5BA, Sat 2-4 & Sun 11-1, $3,799,000, Coldwell Banker Realty Montecito, Chris Harrington 805-689-7418, DRE#01019556

Upper East

1915 Garden Street, 3BD, 2BA, Sat 11-2 & Sun 1-3, $3,199,000, Epstein Partners/Keller Williams, Steve Epstein 805-689-9339, DRE#00994427

Montecito

1220 Coast Village Rd, Unit 303, 2BD, 2BA, Sat & Sun 1-4, $1,495,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Andrea Ruhge 805-895-5862, DRE#01965484

1231 E. Valley Road, 4BD, 5BA, Sat 11-2, $2,900,000, Epstein Partners/ Keller Williams, Steve Epstein 805-6899339, DRE#00994429

900 Toro Canyon Rd, 3BD, 3BA, Sun 1-3, $5,995,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Cheylin Mackahan & Bob Walsmith 805-212-9344 & 805-720-5362, DRE#02104724

Summerland

2282 Whitney Ave, 2BD, 2BA, Sat 1-4 & Sun 11-4, $1,299,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Easter Team Realtors 805-455-6294 / 805-453-7071, DRE#00917775

Carpinteria

5926 Hickory St #3, 2BD, 1BA, Sat & Sun 1-3, $515,000, Village Properties, Pranav Shastri 805-729-7993, DRE#02152010

1116 Linden Ave, 1BD, 1.5BA, Sun 12-4, $765,000, Village Properties, Justin Corrado 805-451-9969, DRE#01356799

1114 Linden Ave, 1BD, 1BA, Sun 12-4, $795,000, Village Properties, Justin Corrado 805-451-9969, DRE#01356799

1118 Linden Ave, 2BD, 2BA, Sun 12-4, $945,000, Village Properties, Justin Corrado 805-451-9969, DRE#01356799

1112 Linden Ave, 3BD, 2BA, Sun 12-4, $995,000, Village Properties, Justin Corrado 805-451-9969, DRE#01356799

1112-1118 Linden Ave, 7BD, 6.5BA, Sun 12-4, $3,295,000, Village Properties, Justin Corrado 805-4519969, DRE#01356799

Santa Ynez Valley

617 Central Ave #3, 3BD, 3BA, Sat 12-3, $619,000, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, Sara Guthrie 805-570-1211, DRE#01294545

3464 Lindero Street, 3BD, 2BA, Sat 1-3, $959,000, Big Block Realty, Ursula Santana 805-455-9025, DRE#01965452

636 Hindfell Way, 5BD, 4BA, Sat 12-3, $1,725,000, Village Properties, Michelle Glaus 805-452-0446, DRE#01921235

FINEST MONTECITO & SANTA BARBARA HOMES

You are never too old or too experienced to learn something. I was reminded twice this past week and wanted to pass along both lessons. The first is a story told by our Association Executive, Bob Hart. He runs the staff behind our local Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS®. Bob was running a new board of directors orientation and outlined a great story. It went like this...

A woman was teaching her daughter how to make meatloaf. She explained to her daughter that you make it, cut off both ends, and put it in the pan. The daughter asked, "Mom, why do you cut off both sides of the meatloaf?" The mother thought and then said, “I'm not sure, but that is how my mother made it, so I am passing that along to you.” Then she added, "Why don't we ask my mom? I am curious now." So, the mom and daughter went to the child's grandmother and asked. The grandmother thought back and said, "Well, you know what, I am not really sure. That was the way my mother made it for years and

so I taught you the way I learned." So now the child, mother, and grandmother were all curious. Luckily, the child’s great-grandmother was still living. They went and visited her and asked, "Great grandmother, why do you cut off the ends of the meatloaf before putting it in the pan?" She smiled and replied, "I did that because I had to cut the ends off to get it in the size pan that I used. I HAVE NO IDEA WHY YOU ALL STILL DO THAT!"

I love the example of this story, showing that unless you question ideas, work for new solutions or make changes, you may be making the same "mistakes" for years or doing things unnecessarily for years. What is your meatloaf?

The second, which had a similar thread for me last week, was in the search to play better golf. I went to take a lesson at GOLFTEC on East Haley St. My dad told me years ago to either pick tennis or golf, lifelong sports that you can play for business and pleasure. He was right, and after trying tennis, I settled on golf and have enjoyed playing with clients, co-workers, friends, and family for years. That was about 25 years ago, and all that while, I had just been

learning from input from those same friends, family, and other players on the course. Well, this year, I set a goal to shoot consistently in the low 80's.

In comparison, professional golfers play in the low 70's and 60's and I am currently in the low 90's most of the time. So as this is my goal, one of my action steps was to take a lesson or a couple of lessons, which brought me to GOLFTEC. Stephen Douglas, the owner, and I met for my first lesson. He watched my swing and decided to focus on two main changes to start.

After making those changes - which were large parts of my swing - I am suddenly hitting the ball consistently straight. I mean, wow! It's been 25 years since I have been battling a curving ball and chunking my irons (when the grass divot goes further than the ball, haha), and now, with one lesson and two changes, I am on the road to much better golf.

Coaching is such an essential part of life. It was an excellent reminder to be open to others' feedback, get coaching if you want to get better at something, and if you think you know something, it's always good to run it by someone you know is a professional in that field. I hope these two fantastic reminders help you this year. Thanks to Bob Hart and Stephen Douglas. You both made for a great week!

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630 Calle De Los Amigos

Nestled in the quiet Hidden Valley neighborhood of Santa Barbara and just a stone’s throw from La Cumbre Country Club, this twostory end unit of ±2,073 sq. ft., complete with a backyard and two-car garage, combines the ease of town home living with the scale, privacy, and setting of a single-family home. Boasting the largest floor plan in the development, the 3BD/2.5BA unit includes an upstairs den with fireplace that was converted to a third bedroom. Downstairs, a dining area and formal living room with fireplace and wet bar comprise the large great room, while the adjoining kitchen offers a separate breakfast area and mountain views. The seller recently painted the interiors and upgraded all windows and doors, amongst other updates.

Glass sliders open from the great room to a large, secluded backyard consisting of an expansive patio with pergola, lush landscaping, and a canopy of sycamore trees - an ideal retreat for the avid gardener or entertainer alike.

The De Los Amigos development’s sunny pool with spa and clubhouse add to the enjoyable lifestyle, not to mention the nearby parks, walking trails and convenient bike path to Hendry’s Beach and Boathouse.

Offered at $1,295,000

Visit 630CalleDeLosAmigos.com