Top Outdoor Living Trends, According to Google

Summer is here! Even as the world reopens, homeowners and home buyers are putting more weight on outdoor spaces to enjoy at home. So, what’s trending in outdoor spaces? Living Spaces, a furniture retailer, recently spotlighted Google trends data to showcase what is seeing the highest uptick in interest as homeowners spruce up the outdoors.

Indoor-outdoor spaces: “Cozy, private, and shaded space outdoors” is trending—all through comfy couches, ambient lighting, and multifunctional, weather-resistant furniture, according to Daniela Lopez, a Living Spaces designer. Indoor-outdoor spaces have posted one of the largest increases for 2021, jumping about 156% over the last year, according to Google searches.

Backyard play sets: The kids are getting their own private spaces outside too, including backyard play sets, tree houses, and even giant sidewalk checkers games or outdoor reading nooks. The Google Trends report shows backyard play sets have risen about 7% over the past year.

Gardening: Container gardening is gaining popularity, which has increased spots all around outdoor space for pots of flowers or fruits or vegetables. Edible gardens have seen a 20% increase in searches over the past year and sustainable gardens a 9% increase.

Backyard basketball court: Sports and hobbies have gained popularity in the pandemic and half-court basketball courts don’t have to take up a ton of space. Google Trends notes “backyard basketball court” has seen a 42% interest over the past year.

Front porch: The front porch has become an extension of the indoor space and a place during the pandemic for drive-up parties or socially distanced gatherings, Lopez notes.

Hot tubs: In creating an entertainment getaway, hot tubs have grown in popularity too. Hot tub searches are up 4.11% over the past year.

View more outdoor trends, according to Google, at LivingSpaces.com.

Top 5 Reasons To Move To Wilton

Wilton is a rural residential town rich in New England history. Nestled in the Norwalk River Valley in southwestern Connecticut, Wilton is north of the City of Norwalk, west of the Town of Weston, and east of the Town of New Canaan. Winding roads, large lots and a generally rural feel lend Wilton a serene lifestyle. Bustling retail areas also abound with wonderful restaurants and all the modern amenities of an urban center.

Here are our top five reasons to move to Wilton:

1. The exceptional education system is often a key driver for many families searching for homes for sale in Wilton. Highly rated, Wilton’s Board of Education is responsible for the four public schools under their jurisdiction. Organized slightly differently than a traditional school progression, the Miller-Driscoll School serves pre-K to second grade, Cider Mill School grades 3-5, Middlebrook School grades 6-8, and Wilton High School grades 9 -12. For more information, use my comprehensive tool to research information about area schools. You can also look at the proximity of home listings to the school you’re exploring for your family.

2. Wilton has a strong arts community represented by the Wilton Arts Council and enjoys many festivities and community events each year. The Wilton Trackside Teen Center offers a multitude of opportunities for teens to get involved, while Wilton Children’s Theater offers a unique theatrical experience to the town’s children.

3. This beautiful town is home to beloved nature destinations like Woodcock Nature Center, situated on 179 acres of state-protected land with 3 miles of trails traversing a mixture of habitats, including woods with stands of maple, beech, oak and hickory trees, a pond and wetlands. A visit to the Weir Farm National Historic Site is always invigorating, a creative refuge for friends and fellow artists that still remains today. Hiking, biking and all manner of sports teams abound as does a rich shopping experience in many nearby neighborhoods.

4. Some well-traveled routes, such as Ridgefield and Belden Hill roads, are known for handsome historic homes and stone walls. Wilton has preserved much of its architectural heritage in five town-designated historic districts.

5. The commute to Stamford and New York City is totally do-able. If you’re looking for a home for sale conveniently located to New York City, I encourage you to consider Wilton, which is only 90 minutes from Grand Central Station from the Wilton, Cannondale or Branchville stations on the New Haven Line Danbury branch of Metro-North Railroad. Depending on where you live in Wilton, you can travel to GCT via the Branchville, Wilton or Cannondale stations on the Danbury Branch of the Metro-North New Haven line.

Learn more about Wilton, including real estate market statistics, in our Town Profile:
https://karlamurtaugh.com/wilton-ct-real-estate/ .

Top Ten Summer Staycation Ideas to Enjoy Within Driving Distance of Ridgefield

School is OUT here in Ridgefield and after the past year we’ve all earned some rest and relaxation. With so many fabulous outing opportunities within driving distance of Ridgefield, why would you ever leave the area? Here are a few of our favorites!

1. Strawberry picking at Jones Family Farms. For over 150 years, the Jones family has been working the lands on their farm in Shelton, Connecticut. Today this 400-acre farm offers one of the finest harvest-your-own picking experiences due to the high quality crops and the knowledgeable, friendly farmers and staff. Click here for details: https://www.jonesfamilyfarms.com/farm.

2. Martin Park Beach right here in Ridgefield offers refreshing pond swimming and boating activities in a natural, spring-fed pond. With docks, kayaks, paddleboard rentals, playground, volleyball net, Wibit Slide, Zoom Floom, and Water Mat, Great Pond is one of the gems of Connecticut. Click here for details: https://www.ridgefieldparksandrec.org/martin-park-beach.

3. The Spray Bay at the Ridgefield Rec Center is a 2,800 square foot, zero-entry water playground beloved by kids of all ages. Spray Bay play time is included with a Family Recreation or Family All-Inclusive Membership; drop-in rate available for non-members, which also includes recreation swim. Click here for details: https://www.ridgefieldparksandrec.org/spray-bay

4. Yoga and trails at Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton. Trails are open to the public 365 days a year from dawn until dusk for family and individual use unless noted. Trails and grounds close at sunset. There is no cost to visit the grounds. Visitors are welcome to explore our grounds, visit our birds of prey and use our playground during daylight hours. Registered yoga teacher Jessica Outlaw will hold several outdoor classes throughout the summer. Click here for details: https://www.woodcocknaturecenter.org/yoga.

5. At Silverman’s rustic animal farm in Easton, CT, you can see, pet, and feed all sorts of unusual animals, including buffalo, llamas, alpacas, sheep, goats, fallow deer, emus, and long-horn cattle. Picnic tables are available in the park area. Silverman’s also offers pick-your-own raspberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and much more! Click here for details: https://www.silvermansfarm.com/animal-farm/#farm-rules.

6. Sherwood Island State Park in Westport, CT is a great place to get your beach fix. Connecticut’s first state park is still one of its finest. Have a leisurely lunch in the shade of the picnic grove, swim in Long Island Sound, or view marsh life from the observation platform at Sherwood Island. Click here for details: https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/State-Parks/Parks/Sherwood-Island-State-Park.

7. Ridgefield Golf Course is a public course offering memberships, clinics, special events and more. Click here for details: https://ridgefieldgc.com/.

8. Ridgefield Library offers an incredible variety of free programming from Summer Reading and STEAM programs to Storytime in the shade of the Ballard Park Gazebo. All programs are free and open to the public, though programs with limited space grant preference to Ridgefield residents. Click here for details: https://ridgefieldlibrary.org/.

9. At Weir Farm National Historical Park in Wilton, CT you can visit the home and studio of America’s most beloved Impressionist, J. Alden Weir, and walk in the footsteps of generations of world-class artists. Set amidst more than 60 acres of painterly woods, fields, and waterways, you’ll soon see why Weir described his home as the “Great Good Place.” Weir’s farm is a national legacy to American Impressionism, the creative spirit, and historic preservation. Click here for details: https://www.nps.gov/wefa/index.htm.

10. Lasdon Park, Arboretum, and Veterans Memorial, located in nearby Katonah, New York is Westchester’s Public Garden with 234 acres of landscape consisting of ornamental display gardens, containers, orchard, tree and shrub collections, conservatory with tropical plants and changing exhibitions, greenhouses, forests, meadows, and hiking trails. Click here for details: https://www.lasdonpark.org/.

And because we couldn’t pick just ten…!

11. Storm King Art Center is an incredible 500-acre outdoor museum located in New York’s Hudson Valley, where visitors experience large-scale sculpture and site-specific commissions under open sky. Since 1960, Storm King has been dedicated to stewarding the hills, meadows, and forests of its site and surrounding landscape. Click here for details: https://stormking.org/.

Ridgefield’s May Market Report – All Indicators Point To Strong Market

Positive Numbers Continue

While the frenzied nature of purchases earlier this year seems to have slowed a little due to a slight increase in the number of homes coming on the market, single-family home sales are still breaking records in both number and value. All indicators – both year over year and for the month of May – were up compared to the same time in 2020. We anticipate this trend to continue as early summer sales ramp up and people finalize their plans for the upcoming school year including whether they will continue to work from home, or need to resume commuting to an office. The current months of inventory for May (the time it would take to sell all homes on the market) currently stands at 3 months compared to 7 last May, while the days on market has decreased from 73 in May 2020 to 44 in May 2021.

Single Family Sales & Volume Up

May 2021 saw a 19% increase in the number of sales of single family homes in Ridgefield with 38 properties changing hands compared to 32 in May 2020. There was also a 55% increase in the dollar volume transacted – $37,760,000 compared to $24,390,000 during the same period on 2020.  The same held true in the year-to-date numbers with 187 vs 157 homes sold (up 19%) and a 49% increase in the dollar volume from $177,945,238 in 2021 and $119,397,044 in 2020.

Median & Average Sale Prices Up Too

The median sale price of a single-family home increased from $635,000 to $722,500 – a jump of 14% in the May 2021 vs May 2020.  In year to date numbers, the increase was even more substantial at 31%, with the median price standing at $829,000 in 2021 compared to $635,000 in 2020.  The average price for a home in Ridgefield also increased 30% in May 2021 and sits at $993,703, while year to date in sits 25% higher than 2020 at $951,579.