1. Cleaning and decluttering: Remove any personal items, unclutter countertops, organize closets and shelves and make the home sparkling clean.

2. Brightening: Clean all windows inside and out, replace old curtains, update lighting fixtures and remove anything that blocks light from the windows.

3. Smart staging: Rearrange furniture, bring in new accessories and furnishings to enhance rooms, incorporate artwork, and play soft music in the background.

4. Landscape enhancements: Spruce up the home’s curb appeal in the front and back yards by adding natural mulch, bushes and flowers and ensuring current plants and grass are well-cared for and manicured.

5. Repairing electrical or plumbing: Fix leaks under the sinks, remove any mildew stains, and ensure all plumbing is in good working condition. Update the home’s electrical with new wiring for modern appliances, fix any lights or outlets that don’t work and replace old plug points with new safety fixtures.

6. Replacing or shampooing dirty carpets: Steam-clean carpets, replace any worn carpets and repair any floor creaks.

See our website for more information about selling homes in Houston, Texas.

Homes in Houston
Source: Realtor Magazine & HomeGain

All floor plans have 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and range from 2000 to 2200 square feet per the builder.  Outdoor living spaces include a front covered lanai porch, yard space and balconies.

Some of the most notable features of this collection of homes is the hand-scraped hardwood and tumbled travertine floors, hammered copper vent hood and sinks, his and hers studies, and hand carved ceiling panels carved by a local artist.

These new construction homes are currently for sale in Houston, Texas in the $300k price range.

Titan Homes brings years of commitment to the creation of premium homes at an affordable price.  Titan Homes are designed for a buyer with discriminating taste and a keen sense of style.  Look for eye-catching architecture, spacious light filled interiors and top notch finishes from Titan Homes.

After moving to River Oaks in 1949, Mrs. Fondren gave the Red Cross a 25-year grant to the mansion.  In 1979, the family sold the house to Steve Zimmerman, a Houston attorney and law teacher at St. Thomas University.  Mr. Zimmerman abandoned his initial plan to demolish the building after discovering that underneath the 70’s renovations laid the bones of the original building which included antique hardwood floors, marble mantels and intricately paneled walls and ceilings.

Mr. Zimmerman restored the mansion to its former elegance and La Colombe d’ Or opened to the public in 1980.  Today, the mansion is home to a restaurant, Cinq, named after the five beautiful suites on the second floor that offer luxury accommodations.

In 1996, the mansion’s Grand Ballroom, Le Grand Salon, the focal point of the mansion, was added.  The ballroom is lined in 300-year old oak panels from the country chateau of Comte Henry Greffulhe and Princess Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay.  The panels were originally carved in 1715, the panels were installed at the estate near Foutenailles, just outside Paris, in 1891.

Today, the ballroom is a perfect location for weddings and private parties.

Source:  La Colmbe d’ Or website and Marene Gustin, “A Little Gem Dazzles in Montrose”, Intown Magazine, January/February 2011

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The English regency-style home, named Allington by the Wyatt family, was once known as Cullen House.  Cullen House was commissioned by Lillie Cranz and Hugh Roy Cullen in the 1930’s.  Built in 1935-1935 by John Staub, Cullen House is said to be the first house in Houston to have central air conditioning, complete with an engine room.

The site was the largest lot in Country Club Estates at the time, a four-acre lot at River Oaks Boulevard and Indood Drive, neighboring the River Oaks Country Clubhouse.  Following the practice of established earlier houses on the corner of River Oaks Boulevard, the house faces towards the east-west cross street rather than the boulevard.  Vehicle access to the house is from a entryway facing River Oaks Boulevard which leads visitors into a paved motor court in what would otherwise be the backyard.

View interior photographs and read more about Cullen House and other John Staub built homes in The Country Houses of John F. Staub, Texas A&M University Press, 2007.

Homes listed for sale on River Oaks Boulevard.

Source:  Papercity Magazine and “The Country Houses of John F. Staub”.  Photo Credit:  Richard Creek

The Mediterranean custom home’s unique features include a gorgeous wood and iron curved staircase and an octagonal shaped living room with custom wood built-ins.

Other features include 4 bedrooms, 5 full baths, a study, game room with full wet bar, a mirrored Gym, 3-car garage with climate controlled storage, a raised Roman style tub and large walk-in shower in the master bath, gourmet island kitchen and a third-floor climate controlled storage area.  Don’t miss seeing photos of this property.

In its 30-year history, Lake Conroe has been called Houston’s playground and a boater’s paradise.  Lake Conroe is a 22,000-acre Texas lake with a convenient location, a mere one hour north of Houston and 20 minutes from The Woodlands.  Many noteworthy Houstonians have made Lake Conroe their preferred retreat, especially those desiring a break from their busy lives and those who don’t want to abandon the benefits of an urban atmosphere.  With so much to accommodate nearly any lifestyle, Lake Conroe offers a truly unique blend of recreation to all those who have discovered it.

Source:  DiscoverLakeConroe.com for Lake Conroe’s description.

Houston Homes

Today the building is occupied by Rockefeller Hall.  According to Rockefeller Hall’s website, legend has it that the bank was held up by Bonnie and Clyde in 1931.  The original bank vault has been restored and now functions as Rockefeller’s dressing room.

The building has won several awards for its magnificent architecture and enjoys a reputation as one of Houston’s most beautiful historic buildings.

It’s October; it’s close to Halloween, so, why not?  The former estate made infamous by the true crime book “Blood and Money” by Tommy Thompson is listed for sale in Houston, Texas.  The house sits at 1561 Kirby Drive at the corner of Brentwood in River Oaks.

Built in 1935, the home has been through many transformations.  Currently, according to the Harris County Appraisal District and Har.com, the home is 6608 square feet and rests on a 27,107 square foot lot.   The classic River Oaks Southern Colonial estate has had recent updates that lend it to entertaining.   The estate houses a Ballroom/Music room that was custom designed for ultimate acoustic performance and features intricate moldings and a 15 foot ceiling with an elaborate hand painted mural.  Picturesque grounds with professional landscaping and outdoor lighting, an elegant courtyard with a Baroque style fountain, a two car garage, guest apartment, mosquito system and swimming pool complete this home.

The photograph shows the house as it looked around the time of the deaths of Joan Robinson Hill and Dr. John Hill, circa 1969 and 1972.  Dormer windows were added on the third floor after the Hill’s ownership.

With over $16 million in appointments, this Mediterranean mansion with Italianate and French architecture optimizes luxury and comfort.  Some of the more elaborate features include, suspended staircases, a mirrored elevator, semi-precious stone and gilded plaster crown molding, frescoes, malachite inlays, four kitchens, a dining room that seats 30, brocade upholstery and antique plaster reliefs on the master suite walls, third-floor home theater with elevated leather banquettes and suede upholstered walls.

Outside there are endless views of lush gardens, sculpted granite terraces and a one of a kind peninsula setting where the bayou meets Piney Point Creek.

The home is currently for sale and the ultimate in privacy, prestige and beauty can be yours for approximately $8 million. 

Source:  Houston Association of Realtors & Melanie Johnson

Currently, there are two condominums for sale in Villa Serena in the $200,000 – $300,000 price range.

A two-story addition was completed by noted architect P. M. Frost in the 1970s which greatly expanded the interior space while retaining the home’s iconic, street-side facade. The magnificent front door was relocated to the new front beneath a portico and brick columns.

Inside, the more recent and vintage structures join seamlessly and stretch from the magnificent reception room near the entrance, paneled in French Rococo boiserie, through a wide gallery lined with full-view windows into the main house. A magnificent, quintessential Staub curving staircase winds to the second level from a stair hall floored in black and white marble tile. The formal living room offers polished hardwood floors, floor- to-ceiling windows, acanthus leaf bracket molding, and a marble fireplace from Jackson & Co., New York. A quiet morning room with rich paneling adjoins the living room. The enormous dining room is clad in glorious vintage Zuber wall covering depicting a vignette of early American landscapes.

A charming, light-filled breakfast room adjoins both kitchen and dining room. The kitchen has been reconfigured and updated with a central island, paneled SubZero, commercial-grade Russell Range, and stainless steel Thermadore double ovens and warming drawer.

On the second level, the master suite overlooks the rear (street-side) lawn and gardens and features hardwood floors, a spacious updated bath with custom-designed tile, a glass-enclosure shower, and jetted tub. The room-sized, light-filled walk-in closet customized by Programme Martin is surrounded by three walls of casement windows. Polished hardwood floors unite three secondary bedrooms, two with en suite baths and a third with private access to a hall bath. A gallery with full-view windows leads to the large family/media room lined with built-in bookshelves and media cabinets, and a ceiling projector and drop-down movie screen. The family room and next door game room access a wide slate balcony which spans the front (rear) elevation of the house. Both are served by an adjoining full bath.

The grounds 1.642 acres (per HCAD) feature a brick-edged drive and parking court, a fountain pool, and brick and pebble paths. Parterre gardens, sheltered by mature trees, surround a central croquet lawn.

This Houston home is currently for sale and is listed with Martha Turner Properties.  Source:  W. Bering, Martha Turner Properties