Home Matters! The Cobb Group Blog - Market Trends & Insider Insights

Is Barndominium Living for You? Consider the Pros and Cons

After the past few years of climbing home prices—and a pandemic that made even spacious homes feel cramped—you’d be forgiven for fantasizing about moving your brood into a big country house.

One way to make it happen? A barndominium is what you get when you convert an old barn into a luxurious condominium-style abode. (You can also build your own from scratch.)

We’ve been just as curious as you are about these nontraditional country homes. So we talked to folks who have lived in (or sold) these unique homes. Here are the main pros and cons for all would-be barndominium dwellers.

Pro No. 1: Rural lifestyle

All the barndominium owners we spoke to echoed a similar line of thought: Living in one is a great option if you’re looking for a…

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What Is a Luxury Home, and What Makes It So Special?

If you’ve ever looked over real estate listings and came across an ad for a “luxury home,” you might have thought, “Wow, this one must be special!” But what exactly defines a luxury home, anyway? Is it determined by price, location, square footage, or some magic combination of all of the above?

Well, for starters, “luxury” isn’t strictly about how much cash you blow on the purchase. It’s much more subjective, and a moving target based on what a particular area’s high-end buyers have come to expect.

“It isn’t simply a price per square foot metric,” says The Agency’s Daniel Stevenson, who specializes in selling luxury listings. “Many times luxury is simply in the eye of the very covetous neighbor.”

While it’s hard to pin down an exact…

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6 Items You Should Keep In Your Kitchen During The Holidays

The holidays are coming, and we've put together a list of essentials to have on hand when company comes over. It's the most wonderful time of year if you are prepared. 

1. nuts/cheese/stuffed olives

These easy staples can be stored in your cabinet and easy to pull out when guests come over. 

2. wine

Stock up on a few extra bottles. You can use them in case you underestimated how many people were coming over or as a quick hostess gift when you're heading out for a party.

3. local goodies

It is always fun to put out local treats like honey or olive oil and balsamic vinegar from the oilerie down the street.  

4. plenty of kitchen towels

Holiday themed kitchen towels spruce up the room. Whether they are quirky or traditional,…

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7 Household Expenses You’re Probably Wasting Your Money On

"They were this gorgeous, greenish-teal, and they looked great in my laundry room," says Eliesa Prettelt, avid DIYer and author of "A Pinterest Addict" blog.

The washer/dryer combo was perfect. Such a delightful way to brighten laundry day — with a cheerfully colored front-loader set. They could actually make laundry fun!

But after barreling through three sets in four years, she knew she'd made a mistake. "They looked so pretty, but I had nothing but problems with them," she says.

She eventually gave up and got nondescript, white, commercial-grade top-loaders she scored for less than half the cost of her original machines. They may be plain, she says, but "I've had no problems since."

Lesson learned. The hard way. Now for learning the easy…

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3 Graphs Showing Why Today’s Housing Market Isn’t Like 2008

With all the headlines and talk in the media about the shift in the housing market, you might be thinking this is a housing bubble. It’s only natural for those thoughts to creep in that make you think it could be a repeat of what took place in 2008. But the good news is, there’s concrete data to show why this is nothing like the last time.

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What Is a Patio Home? (Hint: It Has Nothing to Do With a Porch)

From The Cobb Group: You've probably heard "patio home" thrown around when you were looking for a house. Locally we have a lot of patio or "zero-lot line" homes available within almost every community. For the owner looking for maximum house with minimum maintenance they make a lot of sense. With very small yards they also make great "turn key" properties as vacation or second homes. In our area they can be attached or not attached to other patio homes.

What is a patio home? Well, it’s not a house with a porch out front. What defines a patio home is that it’s attached to other patio homes, making it similar architecturally to townhomes or condos—only in miniature.

Patio houses: What to know

While townhouses and condos are typically at least…

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What Is Wainscoting? Pros, Cons, and Costs of This Trendy Wall Decor

Many homeowners and interior designers appreciate wood trim, as it makes any room look a little more buttoned up. Wainscoting is a decorative wall trim that’s centuries old and has never gone out of style, likely due to its versatility—there’s a type of panel that suits just about every design style.

Here are some details on where the heck this trend came from, and (more importantly) the many ways wainscoting can be used to boost your home’s interior appeal.

What to know about wainscoting

Wainscoting came into use in the 18th century, as a wall covering, applied to the lower third of the wall. It’s similar to chair rail—a less opulent form of wood trim that was placed “chair height” along all the walls of a dining room to protect the walls…

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Beauty Sleep

Sleep, glorious sleep! There is nothing more precious than a good night’s sleep and the right bed makes all the difference. Sleep breeds good health and the right size mattress does matter. We were surprised by all the options and thought you might be too. There is a perfect bed for every situation and every person! 

• Twin: 39” x 75” - A great choice for kids & teens. Think Leave it to Beaver or I love Lucy!  Not a lot of romance happening in a twin. 

• Twin X-Long: - 39” x 80” - A dorm favorite or if you are tight on space. 

• Full: 54” x 75” - Lots of flexibility for those looking for a little more space. Makes a great option in a rental/guest room when you double them up because a they offer a little more space and offer a luxe feel…

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5 Welcome Mats To Keep Your House Clean All Year-Round

Welcome mats are one of those fringe decor items. So we rarely take the time to shop properly for these workhorses.

And if your house is anything like ours, a welcome mat purchase tends to start with a mess on the entryway floor. Then it ends with a rushed impulse buy at the local home goods store.

As a result, most doormats either work really well or look extremely cool—but not both.

But what if we told you there’s a better way to shop for welcome mats? Not only can you find the perfect mat to keep your floor clean, but you can also buy one that will add the perfect dash of welcoming style.

We scoured the magical world of online shopping for welcome mats that will keep your floors clean all year-round and look great doing it. Here’s our top…

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One Size Doesn't Fit All: When Talking Real Estate

The constantly updating news feeds about the state of the real estate market can be scary, but it is definitely not a one size fits all situation. Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina offer something very different than many primary markets. The draw to be in the Lowcountry is strong, very strong. In fact, not only is there still a strong desire for purchasers but there is also still plenty of room for home appreciation in this market. The crazy fury of buyers from the last few years may have cooled some but there is still a steady stream of people looking to move into this area. 

The homes on the market that have stalled are typically over priced or the condition is lacking. Real estate is simple economics that weighs between pricing and…

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