Winter Activities in St. Charles County

 

It’s officially the winter season in St. Charles County, Missouri. Despite the cold and short days, we still want to enjoy activities and entertainment. So what is there to do in St. Charles County in the winter? Plenty! We have a large county made up of 17 municipalities filled with parks, rec centers, and entertainment options. While we don’t have room to list them all here, we’ve put together a great list of things to in winter in St. Charles County.

Things to do in Winter in St. Charles County

Note: Click the name of an establishment to go to their website for more info.

Ice Skating

For fun on the ice check out Wentzville Ice Arena in Wentzville, St. Peters Rec-Plex in St. Peters, and All American Sports Complex in St. Peters.

Roller Skating

For roller skating St. Charles County has Great Skate Roller Skating Rink in St. Peters or check out Vetta 70 for their top-notch roller hockey rink also located in St. Peters.

Sledding

The St. Peters Community Park, Blanchette Park , Schaefer Park and Jaycee Park have great hills for sledding.

Rock Climbing

If it’s too cold to climb outdoors, that’s OK, because we’ve got Climb So Ill indoor rock climbing available in the city of St. Charles.

Bowling

Let’s go bowling! One of our favorites is Plaza Lanes Bowling Center & Tubby’s Pub & Grub. Also check out St. Charles Lanes. There’s three options for bowling in St. Peters, MO: Harvest Lanes, Cave Springs Lanes and Bowlero that includes an arcade and billiards. For an unusual bowling option, visit The Corner Bar in old St. Charles that features cocked-hat bowling. This type of bowling uses three regular pins and a candlepin ball (no holes for your fingers).

Movies

There are plenty of great movie theaters for catching a movie in St. Charles County. Catch a flick at: Marcus Theaters St. Charles Cinema 18, AMC Streets of St. Charles 8, Marcus Mid Rivers 14 Cinema, Regal O’Fallon, Wentzville Tower 12, and Marcus Town Square Cinema in Dardenne Prairie.

Arcades, Pinball and More

For a range of indoor activities in one place visit Playtime Arcade and Bar in Wentzville. It features axe throwing, laser tag, mini bowling, a virtual rock wall, indoor playgrounds/inflatables an arcade and bar. Also check out Kokomo Joe’s in St. Peters featuring an arcade, bumbler cars, a trampoline park, laser tag, a laser maze, mini bowling and a café/bar. On Sundays everyone can enjoy a big array of arcade and pinball games at Two Plumbers Brewery and Arcade, the rest of the week is over 21 only. 

Escape Rooms

Want to escape the winter blues? Try an escape room. In St. Charles County there are several options including: Escape on Main located on historic main street in St. Charles, Deadlock Escape, Mastermind Room Escape, and MindBreak Escape in St. Charles, and Unchained STL Escape Rooms in St. Peters.

Casino

For some adult gaming fun St. Charles is host to Ameristar Casino, Resort and Spa. The 130,000-square-foot casino includes a full-service luxury suite hotel, an indoor-outdoor pool, seven dining venues,12 bars, an entertainment venue, and a full-service luxury day spa.

 

Shopping for Real Estate

Of course we had to mention this! If you are hoping to purchase a home in the spring, you’ll want to start the home buying process in the winter to get a leg up on the competition. Same with selling, if you hope to make a spring home sale you need to start preparing for the sale in winter. Contact The Boehmer Team to learn about the home buying and selling process and to get started.

 

 

Find a Home Faster with a Realtor

Homebuyers in the current real estate market, whether in St. Louis, St. Charles County or beyond, are facing more competition as low inventory of available homes for sale persists. Some are getting discouraged at the amount of time and number of tries it can take to find the right home for sale and get a contract accepted. But there is no need to give up on the search for a new home. Working with an experienced Realtor and/or real estate team can make the process easier and faster.  That being said, if you are competing with cash offers and buyers that are willing to waive all of their rights, your agent will help you understand the possible dangers of those decisions.

Learn of Homes For Sale Quicker

Working with a Realtor that provides information on new homes as they hit the market or that are coming soon to market will give you an edge. Realtors, particularly at larger brokerages, know of listings that have yet to hit the market. They also have access to local multiple listing service systems that can often provide updates of homes for sale before they hit the national websites. In a competitive market, this extra time may make the difference in getting your offer submitted and accepted before others find the listing.

A Resource for Community Information

When trying to find a new home in a competitive market, the local area around a home of interest may seem less of a concern than actually procuring the home. This is a good time to have a Realtor in your pocket. Realtors know communities and often have information about the local area like roads, other neighborhoods or commercial properties being built nearby that may be of concern to the home buyer.

Experienced Real Estate Negotiator

When you find the home that’s “the one” it can be easy to allow emotions to get involved in negotiations. Or, you may lack the experience needed to ensure you position your offer to secure the home. As a result, it may take longer to get a deal finalized. Using an experienced Realtor to handle all negotiations will more than likely get things done more efficiently and at a better price than you probably could have negotiated yourself.

Help with Paperwork and Closing

Real estate transactions involve a lot of paperwork and legal forms. If you try to handle this on your own, mistakes could be made that prevent a transaction from being completed or throwing your purchase into chaos at closing. By letting your Realtor take charge of the paperwork and closing, a purchase can be done professionally and accurately. From making sure the title to the property is clear to ensuring the lender has met all deadlines on financing, a Realtor will help create a smoother, faster closing.

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Don’t just trust any Realtor; be sure you have an experienced Buyer’s Agent like those on The Boehmer Team to represent you. If you walk into a home for sale unrepresented and use the Realtor listing the home, their first duty is to their home seller. So contact The Boehmer Team to talk to our dedicated Buyer’s Agents or to get listing updates from our local MLS to see the type of homes you want as they hit the market in real time.

 

5 Outdoor Living Spaces Homebuyers Want And Homeowners Love

With three seasons of outdoor weather, and a waning pandemic keeping us home more, homeowners and those looking for St. Louis real estate desire usable outdoor spaces at home. Expanding your living space into the outdoors makes a home more pleasurable and more valuable to home buyers. We’d like to share what types of outdoor spaces we’re seeing at homes and what homebuyers are currently looking for.

 

Space to Lounge

A designated place to sit and lounge outside of your home is important in today’s housing market. A deck, patio or even paver patio will increase the usability of your home’s outdoor space and can increase the appraised value of the home. There are great new materials available in pavers or you could even use flagstones to create your own patio if you don’t want to pour concrete. Additionally, there are alternative materials to create long-lasting decks with as well.

 

Great use of different materials for an outdoor space.

This stone patio looks posh.

Textured concrete creates a great look.

Space for Dining

There’s something about a table and chairs that makes the outdoors feel homey. Take advantage of the nice weather and enjoy a meal outside. While you can easily find picnic tables or great outdoor dining sets, don’t forget to consider thrift shop finds, or repurposed interior furniture to really bring indoor dining outside. 

 

This spacious deck has plenty of space for dining.

 

Work or dine outdoors for long hours with comfy seating.

 

Bringing indoor furniture into an outdoor space creates a homey feeling.

This vintage sewing machine makes a great outdoor table.

Space for Grilling

Tis the season to grill in the St. Louis area.  Take an evening walk in your neighborhood and you’ll surely smell the smoke of someone grilling. A designated space for a grill that’s at least three feet away from the home provides a safe space to cook outdoors. 

 

As grills get bigger more space for them may be needed.

This built-in grill makes for a more high-end space.

This outdoor fireplace and gathering area can function as a grill or fire pit.

 

Space with Shade

It can get really hot on St. Louis summer afternoons, so if you want to be able to enjoy your outdoor space during these times you’ll definitely value shade. Shade also allows you to see a computer screen if you want to work or be on your tablet or phone outside. Patio umbrellas, awnings, arbors, sails or even large trees can provide shade. Setting up part of your outdoor space in a shaded area will increase your ability to enjoy the outdoors at home.

 

This custom covered porch provides high-end shaded gathering space.

An extended roof overhang provides a shady patio.

Trees and other landscaping can provide a shady lounge area.

A structural arbor ads a bit of shade and great architecture to an outdoor space.

Space for Pets

Are you one of the many people who adopted a pet over the past year? It turns out that the pandemic was great for animal shelters as more people adopted pets than ever. This means more homebuyers than ever are looking for fenced yards for their home. The most popular types of fencing are wood, but with the price of wood going up dramatically it’s worth considering the great vinyl fencing options currently available. You can even have vinyl fencing painted to match your house.

 

Vinyl fencing is a great alternative to wood.

Corrugated metal can be made into stylish fencing.

Wood fencing can be painted to compliment an outdoor space.

Grab some inspiration from the creative fence on the left of this photo.

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These are the types of valuable outdoor spaces homeowners are currently looking for. We hope you’ve found some inspiration for your outdoor space in this article. Or, if you’re looking for a new home with more outdoor space for you and your family, contact The Boehmer Team to help you find the perfect home. We’re here for you and understand the challenges that today’s buyers face as well as how to overcome them. 

 

Creating Garage Envy

A garage is a sought after feature for a home, especially in a town like St. Louis where we experience all types of weather conditions. With years of experience in St. Louis real estate, The Boehmer Team members have seen all types of garages. We’ve seen the good, the bad and the ugly as well as garages that one would really envy. Here we’ll discuss the types, sizes and details that we see frequently to help clear up common questions we get as well as show some envious additional options and features for garages.

 

Oversized Garage

First of all, let’s talk oversized garage. Typical garages are anywhere from 18 to 20 feet in width and length. (A 20’ x 19’ garage one frequently sees in real estate listings is not an oversized garage.) So what is considered an oversize garage? An oversized garage is not necessarily any particular size dimension. However it does include additional space, usually on one side or toward the back of the garage, but not enough space for another car.

When listing a home, The Boehmer Team considers a garage that is 22 feet or deeper as oversized. In addition, our local multiple listing system, MARIS, now allows garage dimensions to be entered in the system. This helps agents when searching for a specific garage size. If The Boehmer Team refer to a garage as oversized, we almost always put the dimensions in Maris. 

 

Tandem Garage

A tandem garage has a long interior space. This allows for two cars to park end to end (or front to back) rather than the traditional side by side. This garage type might be great for someone who has additional vehicles or needs a lot of extra garage storage. One thing you may want to consider is that on a rare occasion, appraisers will not give full credit as an additional parking space.  We have had the rare occasion that an appraiser will only consider the number of garage doors when submitting an appraisal. So the appraiser can make a difference.

 

 

Heated and Insulated Garages

Although it is still considered an outside space, insulating a garage and garage door will help minimize extreme temperatures when the garage door is closed. If the garage has insulation, drywall and drywall tape, the tape seams will hold up better if the garage walls and ceiling are insulated. In most municipalities, it is not code compliant to run duct work and vent the garage with the HVAC system used in the home. Allowing fumes and air from the garage to enter the home is extremely dangerous and against safety codes in most areas. An additional heater may be installed that runs independently from the HVAC system in the home in some cases. 

 

If you use your garage for a workshop or spend a lot of time in it, insulation and heating are going to be worth considering. Also, insulation and heating in a garage brings more value to a home overall.

 

Upgrading the Garage Interior

A garage door opener is a garage upgrade that most homebuyers expect in a garage and will notice if there isn’t one. If you’re selling a home with a garage, make sure your garage opener is in good working condition. 

 

 

Other ways to upgrade the garage include putting up drywall and painting it to improve the look and feel as well as insulating it. Adding shelving and storage for common garage items is another way to upgrade the garage and make it more appealing. 

 

Creative garage storage made with a pallet.

 

Additional in-garage upgrades include lighting, additional electrical outlets, low voltage additions, workbenches, a bar, a refrigerator, a hangout area, a gym and more. We’ve certainly seen some pretty cool garage upgrades like these below in our time in real estate.

Garage Storage

Garage Workshop

Garage Gym

Garage Lounge

Garage Game Room

Garage Man Cave

 

Garage Curb Appeal

As part of your property, the look of your garage can add or detract from the property’s total value. The exterior or curb appeal of the garage is what most people will notice about it. Having garage doors that are in good condition will help maintain the value of your home. 

 

There are many choices in material, color, style, window options, insulation types and hardware for garage doors. With so many options, we suggest speaking with your local garage door sales company for help picking out the best garage door type, style and hardware for your budget and your home. Here are some pictures of great looking garage exteriors to draw inspiration from.

 

We love these wood garage doors with arch windows.

Garage doors painted in a matching accent color look great.

This garage has great exterior lighting and brick driveway divider.

The hardware is great on this garage.

Looking for a home with more garage space? Contact The Boehmer Team to help you find a home with the garage needs that work for you. We help homebuyers find homes with the details they want and help sellers with highly customized homes find the right buyers. If St. Louis real estate is on your mind, The Boehmer Team is here for you.

 

 

 

Picking the Perfect Lot

To be perfectly honest, the phrase “perfect” rarely applies to a lot. It really comes down to what features make it perfect or most favorable for the buyer. Choosing the lot or home site where a home will be built is an important part of deciding to build a new home and should be one of a buyer's first considerations. 

 

If you’re building new construction real estate in the St. Louis or St. Charles county area, find a lot you can appreciate for years as well as one that will appreciate in value. When considering features that make one lot better than another, there are a variety of things that may be important.

 

Quick Summary: How to pick the perfect lot.

To choose the perfect lot to build a new home, one needs to consider: location, size, direction, elevation, drainage plan, surrounding areas, utility pedestals, lot premiums, and what builder options there are for the lot among other details. A local Realtor experienced in new construction can help you address these considerations and guide you through the process of building a new home.

Location

The home site one buys is likely where you are going to live. If you have children in school you’ll need to pay attention to area school district boundaries. If you work outside the home you’ll need to factor in your preferred commute time. Check if the lot is close to shopping, parks or restaurants that you frequent. If the lot is in a new neighborhood being built, you’ll want to consider the neighborhood amenities and/or HOA fees. It's a good idea to check with the municipality you are considering to see if there are specific rules or guidelines that apply. 

 

The Direction of the Lot

We understand that the direction a home will face is often important to buyers. Whatever the reason, the direction a home faces is often considered to be one of the most important factors that buyers consider. Be sure your Realtor and homebuilder know if the direction of the lot it of upmost importance to you.

 

 

Hilly Versus Level Lots

Do you prefer a level lot or a home built into a hill with a backside of windows to see the view? Think about what you want and what you might be willing to work with.  After all, a truly level lot does not even exist. Due to grading plans and required drainage swails, completely level lots pose a variety of issues and challenges.  While a lot may be mostly level, there are sure to be areas that have slight elevations. 

Lot Premiums

Homebuilders may charge a lot premium or additional charge based on lot features and location within a community. Lots with more space, that offer a good view, or something that sets them apart from other lots may draw a lot premium.

 

Builder Options for a Particular Lot

The choice of homebuilder options may be different based on the lot you choose. If you have a piece of land in mind that you want to build on, you may have a variety of home builders that will help you build develop on the land. If you purchase a lot within a particular neighborhood, you’ll likely only get to use the homebuilder who is developing that neighborhood. So if the homebuilder is important to you, check to see if they can build on your chosen lot or what lots they have available.

 

See our list of Preferred Builders in the St. Louis area.

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If you want a home crafted for you with the latest building technologies, The Boehmer Team can help. We’ve assisted hundreds of new construction buyers in the St Louis and St. Charles area as well as helped many sell their current homes. From budget to builder, to lot and material selections, to final paperwork and closing, we represent and protect the interest of new construction homebuyers to make the process go smoothly. Thinking of building or buying new construction? Contact us or visit BuyNewAndNow.com to see a list of new homes that are currently for sale.