Thursday, October 13, 2011

5 Fabulous Fall Decorating Ideas


The leaves are turning, football is in full swing, and there’s a crisp feeling in the air…  it’s time to get your home nice and cozy for fall.  Here are a few easy decorating ideas we love that will help get you inspired.

Welcome guests to your home with this beautiful and easy entrance collection.  All you need is a wheelbarrow, a couple medium to large pumpkins, some smaller gourds, black paint, and a few sprays of leaves.  If handwriting is not your forte, stencils work great.

Make use of an old garden rake with this clever fall display.  Just push ears of multicolor maize between the teeth of a metal rake.  You can hang your festive fall decoration near your front entrance with a hook or prop it against a wall.  Done in minutes!

Use a variety of seasonal gourds to create this simple mantel display.  This picture uses two large hard-shell gourds mixed with smaller soft-shell gourds, but you can be as creative with it as you like.  Complete the look with bittersweet branches and maple leaves for extra pops of color.

Start with a simple grapevine wreath.  Find some nice fall florals (Michaels or Hobby Lobby) and some metallic spray paint in varying shades of gold and bronze.  Spray the florals and insert them into your wreath.  To add a personalized touch, hang a monogram letter in the center, tied with a ribbon.

To make your home feel extra warm and cozy this fall, light some fall scented candles in yummy scents like pumpkin spice, apple pie, or gingerbread.  Turn your candle into a centerpiece by placing the candle in a pumpkin (remove the stem and cut a small indention into the top of the pumpkin) and tuck in a few leaves, vines, or artificial berries.
Decorating for fall doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive.  Fall is full of rich colors and textures, so think about bringing the outdoors in.  Using things you find in nature, like autumn leaves, branches, pumpkins, and pinecones, is a nice and cost-effective way to add some charm to your home this season.  Happy fall decorating!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Congratulations to Our Home Improvement Contest Winner- Brian Jordan!


Well Facebook fans, you definitely showed us your skills!  Our "Show Us What You Got" Home Improvement Contest wrapped up this weekend, and we must say, we were impressed!

Our winner was Brian Jordan of Gainesville, GA, who submitted a picture and video of his Caribbean resort bar (pictured below).  Brian got the idea from a Bombay Sapphire magazine ad.  His picture received a whopping 30 'likes" landing him in first place with a prize of $100 cash.

Coming in second place was Wendy Green with her elegant, remodeled bathroom, receiving 20 likes.  Wendy and Brian were neck and neck for much of the contest, but Brian pulled out ahead on the last day.  Wendy expresses "We had a great time getting involved with the contest.  Thank you for hosting!"

Also entering the contest were Kathy Berg with a custom built pool house and Ray Barany with a display of intricate wood work.

To see all of the entries, go to our Facebook page.  Thanks to everyone who participated!  Be sure to look out for more contests to come in the future.
Brian Jordan's Caribbean Style Bar

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Is Vinyl Out?


Is vinyl a practical flooring solution... or is it soooo last century?  Well we’d probably argue a little of both.  Vinyl has some clear advantages and disadvantages.  If you’re considering vinyl for your home or commercial space, here’s some information to help in your decision.
Vinyl entered the flooring scene in the 1930s, and has experienced peaks and lows in popularity throughout the decades.  While vinyl is currently not the most popular flooring option, the product has evolved immensely over the years, and has come a long way in style and durability.   Vinyl does offer some key advantages:
-Durabilty. Vinyl is a durable product that is resistant to scratches and moisture, making it ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.  It is also available with an enhanced urethane finish, for even greater resilience to scratching and helping to keep its new appearance for longer periods of time.
-Affordability. Vinyl is the most affordable flooring option.  Period.
-Large selection of colors and designs. Because vinyl is a man-made product, it can be produced in almost any color or pattern, giving homeowners a wide range of options.  Vinyl is also available in planks and tiles (as opposed to the traditional sheet vinyl) to replicate the look of hardwood and tile.
-Comfort. Vinyl is more comfortable underfoot than tile, and is not as cold or hard.
-Easy to clean. Vinyl can be mopped using a variety of cleaning products.  There is no concern about cleaning grout, as with tile, or having to purchase special products, as with hardwood.
With all these advantages, you may be thinking why wouldn’t we choose vinyl?  First, vinyl does not offer the same natural beauty and appeal of other flooring options.  In essence, it does have a cheaper appearance.  You’re not likely to hear someone viewing a home say, “Ooooh look at those nice vinyl floors!”  or “It’s got vinyl throughout!  Just what I was looking for!”  Also, while vinyl is durable, it cannot be refinished or restored, so it will have to be replaced sooner than hardwood or tile would.  Lastly, vinyl typically does not add value to a home or offer a return on investment for most homeowners.
So when does vinyl make sense?  There are a few situations for which we believe vinyl is a viable option:
  • Commercial spaces.  VCT (vinyl composition tile) is great for schools, offices, stores, and other commercial settings.  Vinyl can also be made with a slip resistant surface, to minimize accidents.
  • Homes under $125,000, particularly in bathrooms and laundry rooms.
  • Rental properties.
So that’s our take on vinyl.   We hope the information helps in your floor selection process.  For more advice on vinyl or any other flooring options, call us at 678-687-8693 or visit http://www.pizazzfloors.com.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Show Us What You Got! Home Improvement Contest Kicks Off

We are super excited to announce the kick off of our "Show Us What You Got" Home Improvement Contest.  If you've completed any project around the house that you're proud of, all you have to do is post a picture or video of it to our Facebook wall, and you have a shot at winning $100 CASH!  But don't wait, because the contests ends at midnight on September 30th.  Check out the banner below for more details.  We look forward to seeing your submission, and good luck!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Snapshot of Current Metro Atlanta Housing Market


Are you considering buying or selling a home this year?  If so, take a look at this summary of the current housing inventory for Metro Atlanta and surrounding counties, provided by Mark Lintz, real estate agent for Signature Properties.  These numbers, which were collected on July 28, 2011, reflect the average and median list prices for single family homes and condos/townhomes.
According to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), prices fell slightly in the second quarter of 2011.  Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, believes home prices have been moderating. "Median home prices have been moving up and down in a relatively narrow range in many markets, which shows a stabilization trend," he said.
Affordability remains high.  The national median price, which is currently $171,900, is down slightly (2.8 percent) from the second quarter of 2010.  In addition, interest rates are still fantastic, at 4.51% for a 30 year fixed, and 3.69% for a 15 year.
In a nutshell, if you are looking to buy a new home, you may want to take advantage of these favorable market conditions.  On the other hand, if you are planning to sell your home, holding off for the time being is probably your best bet, if possible.
Housing Inventory Snapshot  
 Average List PriceMedian List Price 
Cherokee County, GA 
Single Family under $500K$214,632$194,400 
Single Family over $500K$915,245$679,000 
Condo/Townhome under $250K$132,447$132,697 
Condo/Townhome over $250K$299,816$289,900 
Cobb County, GA 
Single Family under $500K$206,979$184,900 
Single Family over $500K$911,455$700,000 
Condo/Townhome under $300K$143,386$137,000 
Condo/Townhome over $300K$533,877$403,544 
Dawson County, GA 
Single Family under $500K$269,155$264,000 
Single Family over $500K$786,096$650,000 
Condo/Townhome under $200KN/A**N/A** 
Condo/Townhome over $200KN/A**N/A** 
Dekalb County, GA 
Single Family under $500K$187,014$159,900 
Single Family over $500K$787,598$650,000 
Condo/Townhome under $300K$133,410$125,000 
Condo/Townhome over $300K$461,104$365,000 
Forsyth County, GA 
Single Family under $500K$261,720$249,900 
Single Family over $500K$814,000$684,500 
Condo/Townhome under $250K$163,341$159,900 
Condo/Townhome over $250K$319,527$325,000 
Fulton County, GA 
Single Family under $600K$249,718$230,000 
Single Family over $600K$1,405,260$954,000 
Condo/Townhome under $300K$152,767$149,900 
Condo/Townhome over $300K$646,357$420,000 
Gwinnett County, GA 
Single Family under $350K$160,224$149,900 
Single Family over $350K$686,952$495,000 
Condo/Townhome under $200K$102,066$99,500 
Condo/Townhome over $200K$260,637$249,900 
Hall County, GA 
Single Family under $450K$193,616$174,900 
Single Family over $450K$1,053,236$663,600 
Condo/Townhome under $300K$143,649$129,900 
Condo/Townhome over $300KN/A**N/A** 

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Facebook Community Pulls Together to Raise Money for St. Jude


We'd like to give a BIG thank you to everyone who supported our fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital this past weekend!
In an effort to raise money for the organization and get the community involved, members of Pizazz Floors developed an idea where on a given Friday, for every new person that liked our Facebook page, we would donate $1 to St. Jude.  The fundraiser kicked off bright and early Friday morning, August 5th. Things began slowly, with only 6 new likes by 10:00 AM, and we were starting to get a little worried that we may not be able to get the fundraiser off the ground. But through a lot of determination and a lot of posting, things started to pick up as the day progressed. Followers of the page began spreading the word, encouraging their friends to support the cause, and posting messages about the fundraiser on their own walls. By the end of Friday, 103 people had liked the page, bringing the donation total to $103. Although the fundraiser was only supposed to go on for the day, we still wanted to raise more, so we continued our efforts through the weekend. The fundraiser ended Sunday night with $154 raised for St. Jude, and an increased awareness about the life-changing work of the pediatric cancer research center. We will present St. Jude with our donation this week, and we are looking forward to doing more fundraisers in the near future!

Friday, August 5, 2011

Fundraiser for St. Jude Hospital Starts Today



Each year, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Atlanta treats an average of 5,700 patients across the country, all with one thing in common- they all have a catastrophic childhood illness, usually cancer.   Through research and treatment, St. Jude's mission is to find a cure for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.  St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance.  No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay.

This Friday, please Like our Facebook page and help us reach our goal of $250 to support the amazing work of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.