Beautiful Modern Contemporary House Elevation: Demographics

Showing posts with label Demographics. Show all posts

How to Stage Children's Rooms

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/kidsroomwrug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/kidsroomwrug.jpg" width="425" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Can we talk about staging children’s bedrooms? I recently received an email from Sarah asking for advice in this department. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I wrote about <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/04/got-kids-got-home-for-sale-heres-seven.html" target="_blank">staging when you have children</a> on this blog<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> and </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html#." target="_blank">home staging eBook</a>, but I want to emphasize some points about staging kids’ bedrooms. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When your home is for sale and you have children living there, you’re forced to walk a delicate balance between maintaining a consistent home environment for your little ones and keeping the home irresistibly show-ready for a variety of demographic buyers. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gee, talk about a challenge! </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Don’t hate me for asking for the impossible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>I’m a mom and grandmother and I know what little people need, and how their spaces can look. Yeah, disaster areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">So, please remember, I’m offering advice, I'm  not casting rules in stone. Your family comes first … and usually the budget a close second. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Home staging and parenting share a common denominator: We do the best we can and that is good enough!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">   </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">What I Told Sarah </span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Your home has just so much square footage. Every buyer wants space. The more usable space your home appears to have, the more valuable it looks to a buyer. Your goal, just as in every other room, is to make as many buyers as practical envision themselves comfortably, effortlessly living in your home and using every available square foot. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You know where I’m going with this. Make your rooms look roomy and generic. Not dull, not boring … just not so specific in function or decor that buyers write off the space. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Here are my best tips for staging children's rooms, based on the most common mistakes parents make when selling a home where kids live.  </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/twinbeds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/twinbeds.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Help your children keep their room tidy by temporarily minimizing belongings </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">and providing places to stash stuff. Photo: Sawyer Berson via Decorpad.</span></i>  </td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Ditch Little Mermaid and Friends.</b> Ditto sports teams, pirates, cowboys, and rainbows. Don’t create a themed room. This isn't your chance to have fun. It's your chance to get a  good price for your home. Don't alienate any buyers. Instead, make the room look as much like a bedroom anyone would be comfortable staying in. Ask yourself, “Would this function as a guest room, the way it looks now?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Cancel Handwriting on the Wall.</b> Don’t paint murals on the walls or ceilings. Whether it’s a professionally hand-painted masterpiece or a wallpaper border, what are the chances Mr. House-Hunter will love it as much as your children and you do? Why risk souring a potential purchaser who wants move-in ready without any painting or paper-stripping on his part? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the same reason, I also discourage chalkboard walls</span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Skip Customized Cabinetry.</b> Don’t create built-ins that limit the use of the floor’s square footage the way bunk beds, cubbies, and custom play areas like cars or castles would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A trundle bed, sleeper sofa, or convertible day bed is a good alternative if you need to sleep two. Once again, we do the best we can, given our lifestyle and budget. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I realize you're not going to rip out built-in shelving and play tables, and that's rational. But if you've just spent $200 on two sets of Disney bedspreads, blankets, and sheets, you could pack them away for now and replace them with bedding that doesn't shout, "Look at Me!"  </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A realtor once told me that bunk beds were a sign to buyers that the home was short of space. Food for thought.  <b></b></span></span><br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Eliminate Girly or Oh, Boy!</b> Don’t decorate exclusively to one gender. Not all pink ruffles but not all camo either. You’ve staged your other rooms to appeal to the masses so repeat the formula here. Go with a wall color that flows with the rest of your home. Make it easy for the buyer to envision this room as an office, craft room, or a bedroom for anyone regardless of gender or age. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluetwinbeds-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/bluetwinbeds-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I like to think that making a room look </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">grown-up will encourage grown-up behavior</span></i>.<br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Phillip House NYC via Decorpad.</span></i> </td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">You almost have to think politically correct!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>Consider Safety First.</b> Creeps are everywhere. Don’t announce your children’s names on signs, pillows, and toys. I cringe when I see children wearing clothing or carrying backpacks with their name for all to read, making it easy for a c<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">hild predator to use the "I know you" trick.  </span>Never forget that strangers will be touring your home. They know where you live. Don't give them your children's names.   </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><b>DeClutter. Again.</b> Not knowing how long your home will be on the market complicates the issue of where to store toys, books, sports equipment, mementos, awards, and other childhood paraphernalia. You can usually<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/where-to-stash-un-sexy-stuff-in-staged.html" target="_blank"> find storage areas in your home </a>where you can rotate out some cartons of toys and clothing. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It‘s impossible for very young children to understand why toys and clothes need to be put away regularly. Storage like low chests and large, lidded baskets will look attractive and make daily pickups go more smoothly.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Your outdoors areas should be as tidy as the indoor areas. That means no collection of old wagons and strollers, no play equipment that doesn't get used but is still stored in the garage or attic. </span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A playroom is a playroom and can be staged as one, as long as it can be visualized as having another function -- game room, family room or bonus room. Never give up a bedroom. Bedrooms translate as money. If your playroom is a bedroom, make sure there is a bed in there.        <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Marketing Your Home</span></span></b></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Look for what families need that overlaps with what everyone needs – things like plenty of storage space, comfortable congregating areas, areas for privacy, and easy home maintenance features. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emphasize these qualities with your staging and in your listing. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Are there special features in your town or neighborhood that make it attractive to families? Attractions like exceptional schools, parks, hiking trails, swimming pools, summer programs, museums, and sports programs can be listed on your sales literature. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/crib.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/crib.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">There's plenty of hidden storage in this nursery.</span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">And the quilt and butterflies are a better </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">decorating option than paint or wallpaper because </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">they are easily removable. This photo and top photo:</span></i> <i><span style="font-size: small;">Domino</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Of course, if you decide that the target market for your home is families, you might decide to <a href="http://www.thekimsixfix.com/2011/05/house-staging-101-girls-bedrooms.html" target="_blank">stage your child’s room the way blogger Kim Six did</a>. She made some smart decisions that balanced her family’s lifestyle with the demands of staging to sell.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Incidentally, I never recommend deciding who your target market is because I think it minimizes chances you will appeal to those outside your market. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Whichever way you decide to go, contain as best you can children’s essentials to limited areas where they make staging-sense. By this I mean no bins of toy boats and rubber ducks in the bath, no gallery wall of finger-painted works of art in the kitchen, and no parade of strollers, wagons and scooters in the front entryway. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s just temporary. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">      </span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">If you look at the <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/barbstagedhomes/staged-kids-rooms/" target="_blank">Pinterest Board for children’s rooms</a> that Barb Schwartz, home staging’s pioneer, created, it shows everything I am telling you <b><i>not</i></b> to do. Yes, I said that!</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/barbstagedhomes/staged-kids-rooms/"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I’d be curious to hear comments from readers what their opinions and problems are regarding staging kids’ rooms. Since I’ve permanently turned off my blog’s comments section to thwart hackers and spammers, you can comment on my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/100832113324140/?fref=nf" target="_blank">home staging Facebook group page</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></span></div>

How to Stage Children's Rooms

Can we talk about staging children’s bedrooms? I recently received an email from Sarah asking for advice in this department. I wrote about...

2:00 AM

What You Should Know About Mid Century Modern Furniture

<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1040782_zpsaa8962a6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1040782_zpsaa8962a6.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal">I thought she was crazy when my friend Becky started collecting 1950s furniture in the 1980s. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I grew up with those armless sectionals and amoeba shaped coffee tables. Maybe that’s why as an adult, I saw zero appeal.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Crazy ole me. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Now I envy how Becky has decorated her <st1:city w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:city> home. Funny how the passage of time gives you a better perspective on design. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">That furniture is easy on the eyes. It’s well-constructed. It’s colorful. It’s unique. And it’s on-trend now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mid Century Modern furniture designers were recognized as rule breakers at the time. The novel concept to design furnishings where form followed function began in the 1930s. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the 1940s when furniture makers discovered what could be done with new materials like plywood, fiberglass, wood veneers, molded plastics, and synthetic pigments, they set off on a new and exciting path. And the rest is history. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you are staging your home to sell it, here’s what you should know about MCM furniture.   </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Plays Well with Others.</span></b> You don’t have to have a glass-walled ranch house to use MCM furniture. These streamlined pieces mix with most décor and furniture styles, from <span id="goog_1205258200"></span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-home-stagers-can-learn-from-shabby.html" target="_blank">shabby chic</a><span id="goog_1205258201"></span> to ornate Asian. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I've owned the chair you see above for twenty years. I rescued it from a house being torn down. It's solid teak and weighs about 30 pounds! I took the seat apart and replaced the old tweed fabric with an animal print, stitching it to the original vinyl part of the seat.  No mater where I live or how I decorate, it looks at home.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Prices Are in Reach. </span></b>MCM furniture is accessible. Sure, the pristine originals and the high quality reproductions are pricey. But you can often find vintage pieces on Craigslist, in thrift stores, and at other second hand sources. If the piece is in excellent condition and the seller is knowledgeable, the price may reflect the value that collectors place on 50s furniture. But often these pieces come onto the market because someone is cleaning out grandma’s house, or the piece needs repair, and that’s when you can score a bargain.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2011/08/101495022.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2011/08/101495022.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The sleek lines and spider legs of this cabinet make it a<br />perfect candidate for home staging. BHG photo.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Color Palette is Delicious.</span></b> The colors typical of MCM design are usually fine choices for home staging. Wall colors tended to be dusty tones of pinks, greens, tans, and blues. But the palette also includes today-colors like <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-cyan-could-be-your-go-to-color-for.html" target="_blank">cyan</a>, lemon, tangerine, and <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/10/the-trends-that-can-update-your-home.html" target="_blank">lilac</a>. Home staging welcomes the natural woods and plastic woods, the pastel colors and black accents that are integral to these furnishings.   </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Lines are Perfect.</span></b> Another element that makes MCM furniture great for home staging is that it can make rooms look more spacious. Chairs have open arms. Some chairs are made of wire. Bookcases have pencil legs. Tabletops are glass sheets on aerodynamic bases. Credenzas hide clutter.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-1-Downloads1_zps9a8a644e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-1-Downloads1_zps9a8a644e.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Mid Century Modern examples like these can help home stagers with their <span id="goog_1178630420"></span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-arrange-furniture-most-common.html" target="_blank">furniture </a></span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-arrange-furniture-most-common.html" target="_blank">arrangement.</a> These pieces will create a clean, comfortable and edgy look in most homes.    </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Creates the Right Mood. </span></b>MCM can manage to look comfortable and warm, and at the same time industrial. The original designers turned to mass production because they wanted to produce “democratic furniture.”  As a result, many pieces do have an industrial vibe to them. But because of the use of light toned woods and playful geometric textiles, these pieces stop short of looking cold. That’s a perfect prescription for home staging success, a style that appeals to the masses. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2011/11/101466628.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/Images/2011/11/101466628.jpg.rendition.largest.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Vintage 50s furniture doesn't have to look spare. Combined with slipcovered pieces <br />and floral drapes, they stay true to themselves yet look fresh. BHG photo.  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Nostalgia Gets Attention. </span></b>If your MCM furniture is in good condition, it will evoke memories for some of a more innocent era, when home ownership was easy by comparison to today, and when people were happy with a slower, simpler life. For young people who appreciate vintage, the charm is still there, without the grandma ruffles and florals.    </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Mid Century Modern pieces have made their way to collections in <st1:state w:st="on">New York</st1:state>’s <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Museum</st1:placetype> of <st1:placename w:st="on">Modern Art</st1:placename></st1:place>. They will never lose their value. Incorporate some MCM to increase the value of your home on the market by making it look more attractive, tasteful, and comfortable.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You can learn more tips on furniture styles, demographics, decluttering, <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-to-arrange-furniture-most-common.html" target="_blank">furniture arrangement, </a>curb appeal, and all things home staging related, if you download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. </i></div>

What You Should Know About Mid Century Modern Furniture

I thought she was crazy when my friend Becky started collecting 1950s furniture in the 1980s. I grew up with those armless sectionals and a...

2:00 AM

How to Make Your Home Look New

<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="text-align: right;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3d/28/88/3d28883750008cc1b089e3e00bf73776.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/3d/28/88/3d28883750008cc1b089e3e00bf73776.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal">People touring homes to buy usually visit more than one. Some buyers tour 20 or even 100 homes. Some of those homes will be newer than yours. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Although older homes have their charms and are often better built than newer ones, an obviously dated home looses points with buyers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Buyers have more confidence in new property the way people do with a new car. They expect it will give them fewer problems. They enjoy the status and satisfaction that comes with “being current.” </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But just because your home is not recent construction doesn’t mean you can’t look current. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If your home is on the market, it’s time to do a quick check to see if it has a sense of newness about it. (Historic homes and country homes need not apply.) <br /><br /><div class="ListStyleCxSpFirst">Making your home look young doesn't necessitate a complete overhaul. I have two suggestions: Remove what's dated, and sprinkle in some<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/10/the-trends-that-can-update-your-home.html" target="_blank"> new ideas. </a></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><br /></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What to Lose</span></b></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><br /></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpFirst"><b>Borders. </b>Wallpaper borders are dated decor. Although typically <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-kiss-wallpaper-goodbye.html" target="_blank">easily removable</a>, their presence signals the buyer that the home hasn't had much attention to style for a couple decades. Most buyers do not like any kind of papered walls. It's unlikely your taste will match the next owner's. Borders definitely, and ideally all paper, should come down. </div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle"><b>Colors of Retirement Age.</b> Popular color schemes change in 10-year cycles. The 1970's colors were dusty browns and greens. The eighties featured dark greens and mauves. The nineties banked on vibrant colors like turquoise and lime green. The 00's went for lilacs, pale blues, and greys, where we are still hovering today. Smart home stagers decorate with<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/06/why-cyan-could-be-your-go-to-color-for.html" target="_blank"> layered neutrals punctuated with accent colors.</a><br /><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.laylagrayce.com//BVModules/SmartView/ZoomImageFramer.aspx?image=images/Jonathan-Adler/Jonathan-Adler_JA8275_lg.jpg&stage=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://www.laylagrayce.com//BVModules/SmartView/ZoomImageFramer.aspx?image=images/Jonathan-Adler/Jonathan-Adler_JA8275_lg.jpg&stage=1" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Make the bed the focal point of the room -- large, comfortable, and on-trend. Geometric prints </i></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><i>like this one from Jonathan Adler set the style for the entire room, worth the investment!    </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><b>Granny Blankets</b>. <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/07/do-you-have-grandma-house.html" target="_blank">Quilts</a> and flattened pillows are old fashioned. The quilts could be precious heirlooms or pricey modern quilts, but they still say stuck-in-time. Most buyers want to do business with people they aspire to be like. Quilt fanciers -- fairly or unfairly -- just don't rank as rock stars. Play it safe and pack up the quilts, replacing them with new, stylish duvets that look soft and inviting. And don't forget the plump bed pillows.<br /><br /><b>Obsolescence.</b> Clunky electronics age a home. If you have analog televisions, a giant desktop computer, large audio speakers for your sound system, tape decks, and boom boxes for radios, buyers feel like they are walking into a time warp. This is true no matter what the demographics of your market. Today's electronics are sleek and small. It's better to have none at all, since the trend is towards personal and portable devices.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Give Your Home a Facelift </span></b><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwjLoiJerRem9wIxNm-cP3guMumo7_pbZTxhvKkA82f-289g_XArgAVDAfL-KhZcF6aS6qRlF7YqiMj5S8UUrJBCmbR72TVcchXOMxg3JJzXJYpkllrRVDRhP1smnTkskl2f6Uj8rk2c/s640/IMG_1176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7qwjLoiJerRem9wIxNm-cP3guMumo7_pbZTxhvKkA82f-289g_XArgAVDAfL-KhZcF6aS6qRlF7YqiMj5S8UUrJBCmbR72TVcchXOMxg3JJzXJYpkllrRVDRhP1smnTkskl2f6Uj8rk2c/s640/IMG_1176.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Color makes all the difference, both inside and out. Ann at <a href="http://www.onsuttonplace.com/category/my-front-door" target="_blank">One Sutton Place </a><br />painted her red door blue for a breath of fresh air and an eye catching  appearance.  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Brush and Roll It</b><span style="font-size: large;">.</span> Paint the interior walls of your home a <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/01/five-simple-ways-to-add-style-to-your.html" target="_blank">stylish</a> color. If you think it doesn't matter <span id="goog_20370463"></span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/04/how-to-choose-paint-color-easy-way.html" target="_blank">what color your walls are</a><span id="goog_20370464"></span>, ask any realtor how colors can be a turn-on or a turn-off. Color has a powerful effect on our emotions, and no matter that they say, buyers are swayed by their emotional reactions to the homes they view.<br /><br /></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle">Grey is the new neutral. If you look at paint chip displays in stores, you'll see that greys come in a wider range of tints, hues, and saturations than any other paint color. It's very versatile, so it's easy to choose a paint color that works with the fixed features of your home, such as the flooring, bath fixtures, countertops, and major appliances. </div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle"><br />The way to keep grey from feeling dreary is to keep it light, and warm up the room with whites and wood. And add some colorful accents.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b>Brilliant Idea.</b> Make sure your spaces are well lighted. Darkened rooms feel old. I recently blogged about the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/02/lighting-secrets-to-help-sell-your-home_4.html" target="_blank">value and methods of adding light </a>to your staged rooms. Replacing dated lighting fixtures is a quick and inexpensive way to update your home, both inside and outside.<br /><br /><b>Finishing Touches.</b> Add pillows, lamps, and other accessories that reflect the latest trends. They needn't be top of the line originals. Knockoffs usually follow trends, so discount stores are handy places for accessories that make your home look fashionably young.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/dollarstore_zps4abdfa18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/dollarstore_zps4abdfa18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Get a kicky new look for pennies at dollar and discount stores. You can dress up your<br />closets, vanities, and bookshelves with color-coordinated boxes that hold essential clutter. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Need to bring yourself up to speed on what's in style? Pinterest boards will highlight trends, so pick some favorite boards to follow. Almost all <a href="http://pinterest.com/barbarapilcher/" target="_blank">my Pinterest boards</a> illustrate good staging.<br /><br />I also suggest <a href="http://pinterest.com/bhg/" target="_blank">Better Homes and Gardens</a> for a mainstream American look, <a href="http://pinterest.com/potterybarn/" target="_blank">Pottery Barn</a> for a young, sophisticated look, <a href="http://pinterest.com/traditionalhome/" target="_blank">Traditional Home</a> for an upscale look, <a href="http://pinterest.com/realsimple/" target="_blank">Real Simple</a> for clean and orderly ideas, <a href="http://pinterest.com/coastalliving/" target="_blank">Coastal Living</a> for any waterfront property, and <a href="http://pinterest.com/hgtv/" target="_blank">HGTV</a> for design inspiration in general. You can also search Pinterest for specific item ideas, such as vases, DIY headboards, stepping stones, loveseats, or whatever.<br /><br />For answers to your questions about staging your own home, download my super-helpful, <span id="goog_583837402"></span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">home staging eBook</a><span id="goog_583837403"></span>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i> It's a 150-page $5 pdf that comes with my money-back guarantee. Find out today how your house ranks, and the simple secrets you can use to make your house earn more money.      </div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle"><br /></div></div><div class="ListStyleCxSpMiddle">Top photo: Better Homes and Gardens</div>

How to Make Your Home Look New

People touring homes to buy usually visit more than one. Some buyers tour 20 or even 100 homes. Some of those homes will be newer than yours...

2:00 AM

When Hubby Says No, and Other Home Staging Problems

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyiAD9QL4fawfr7Oy_bNLCBFk3GaF7nbhlH-M0KMhXyIYK4EB7-fGTeu3H4_CD80sjuSdFskH7aKwGOlJ4GhW78t8sbph80Eabvz1IH0mLaig3clb3BJNA1yFnVkjwclPZ21AzBNnxll4/s400/backyard-vegetable-garden.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">To plot to not to plot? </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />Your questions help me help you. Whether the questions come through email, blog comments, Facebook, or friends, they tell me what nitty-gritty dilemmas people face when they want to sell a house.<br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal">Here are some of the questions I’ve received lately, and my answers.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let Garden Grow?</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Q:</b> We have a 12- by 12-foot vegetable garden in our rather small backyard. Is a garden like this an asset or a liability when it’s time to sell?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A:</b> Most people want an easy-care or no-maintenance yard. But the idea of a small vegetable plot is still appealing to many people, especially during the growing season. If you want to keep the garden while your home is on the market, keep it tidy during any off-season, and consider adding hardscape like stepping stones, attractive fencing, and birdhouses.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">During the growing season, keep it free of weeds, mulch it, and make it look abundant. "Staged" this way, it becomes a selling point. </div><div class="MsoNormal">  </div><div class="MsoNormal">If your buyers decide they don’t want a garden, they can always convert a reasonably-sized garden into lawn, or use the space as a basis for something else, like a patio, above ground pool, play area, or dog run. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Storm Door or Not?</span></b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0w-2IAr94tdwGe6Rr8tWdsQtSccGl6uK7ulH9Yh_Zj_sjJMlsK6l2BhswJTq1XLF1B0AK1pYyM4B5LTIzC2xdxBW6GyR0btky7lRbX55uFHo6WxpuSBjkIDr37IHtmvu2jQmvQw-78o/s1600/StormDoor_2_Pella_184x250_26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0w-2IAr94tdwGe6Rr8tWdsQtSccGl6uK7ulH9Yh_Zj_sjJMlsK6l2BhswJTq1XLF1B0AK1pYyM4B5LTIzC2xdxBW6GyR0btky7lRbX55uFHo6WxpuSBjkIDr37IHtmvu2jQmvQw-78o/s400/StormDoor_2_Pella_184x250_26.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A handsome storm door that functions well <br />will add value to your home.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Q: </b>Our house has a storm door over the front door. It keeps out the cold in winter, and converts to a screen door in summer, so we like it. But I don’t think it looks great. Should we remove it?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A:</b> If the storm door hides a pretty front door and seriously detracts from curb appeal, I’d consider removing it. Or I’d remove it if it’s a dated style and your home is fairly up-to-date otherwise. If the door does become history, you’ll want to putty and paint over the screw holes in the trim around the door.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">In the interest of curb appeal, some home sellers remove the storm door while the home is for sale, and store it so it can be replaced if the new buyers want it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The right storm and screen door won't be an eyesore. Can you replace the door with a new one that is contemporary and really helps with the way a home shows?<br /><br />If you do replace a storm door, make sure its character is in keeping with your home's innate style.<br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Make sure the glass stays clean, and that the darn thing doesn't bang the heels of people entering, one of my personal pet peeves. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Uncooperative Spouse</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal">   </div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>Q:</b> My husband doesn’t believe we should spend money on staging. Any advice? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A:</b> Instead of pleading or nagging, enlist the aid of your <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-not-to-hire-realtor.html" target="_blank">realtor</a>. Any realtor will be able to give statistics and stories about homes that didn’t sell because they were not staged, and success stories of homes that were effectively staged. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I give more tips on how to be deal with a partner who doesn’t see the value of staging, in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.  </i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Big Home Small Budget</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1020677_zpsa4e03d51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1020677_zpsa4e03d51.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Staging a large home after you've moved can be daunting, but there are a few alternatives. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Q:</b> I’m selling a large, vacant house. If I can’t spend money to “do it right,” should I skip it?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b>A: </b>This is a common quandary. The best advice I can offer is to do what you can. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">One possibility is that you can omit an entire section of the house, such as the second floor, or a basement. Concentrate on making the necessary living quarters – at least one bedroom, one bath, the living room and the kitchen – as well-staged as possible. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The downside of the partial staging solution is that buyers may think you’ve moved to your next home, and are therefore even more desperate to sell and willing to entertain low ball offers. You can let your realtor know that you’ve staged the house the way some builders will stage a model home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you do decide to leave the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/02/strategies-for-staging-vacant-house.html" target="_blank">home vacant</a>, be sure everything is spotless and in great condition. Paint the walls and trim if necessary and have the entire house smelling good.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Do you have a question about home staging? I'd love to hear from you!  </div></div>

When Hubby Says No, and Other Home Staging Problems

To plot to not to plot? Your questions help me help you. Whether the questions come through email, blog comments, Facebook, or friends, the...

2:00 AM

A Simple Way to Get Feedback from People Who Tour Your Home

<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/tidyhouse3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/tidyhouse3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Do you know what people really think  of your home? <br />Here's how to get inside buyers' minds.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal">Hey, homesellers. Are you sick of people coming to look at your house and then never hearing from them again?<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Do you wonder </span></b>why they didn't make an offer? Do you question what they liked? Do you want to know what bothered them? What they thought of the price? The neighborhood? The floor plan? Your decor?<br /><br />Whenever I have a house for sale, I want feedback. It’s never too late to tweak the staging, add a simple upgrade, get rid of a minor problem, or …dare I say it… lower the price.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Even when <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-help-your-realtor-sell-your-home.html">working with a realtor</a>and doing all the right homework (like reading <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">my eBooks</a>), without feedback, you’re guessing how the market sees your home. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Not everyone who views your home will tell his realtor what he really thought about your home. If a client acts disinterested, a good realtor will probe for reasons, because a good realtor wants to know what’s important to a client. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">But some people feel bad saying negative things, or they may not understand fully what made them react to your home the way they did. So, not all feedback is helpful or complete.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">If a potential home buyer says</span></b>, “The house is nice, <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>but </b></i>…”</span><br /><ul><li>But they don’t like the carpeting. </li><li>But kitchen is too small. </li><li>But the appliances have to go. </li><li>But they’re not crazy about the neighborhood. </li></ul>What they are really saying is the house is overpriced.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">These comments mean they are seeing bigger kitchens, or better flooring, or newer appliances, or nicer neighborhoods for the same price. Without choosing the exact phrasing, they are saying that they know they can get more for their money. <br /><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010129.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010129.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Buyers typically look at similar homes in similar neighborhoods, at a similar price point.<br />This means you need to know your competition to arrive at a fair asking price.  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">It’s all about perceived value. </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Staging is one way to increase the perceived value of your home. Another way is pricing it correctly. Getting feedback will help you in both cases.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">If you're going to <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/how-not-to-hire-realtor.html">hire a realtor</a>, she'll help you set your asking price. There are objective methods to arrive at fair market value, but fair market value also depends on how the market responds to your home. That's where feedback comes in handy.<br /><br />Here is how one realtor makes it easy to tune into what home buyers are saying about a listing. She simply sends this questionnaire out to every realtor who shows the property. She asks them to email or query the client, and get quick answers to these multiple choice questions.   </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size: large;">How would you rate the home's curb appeal?</span></b><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Excellent</li><li>Good</li><li>Fair</li><li>Poor</li></ul><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010030.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Some homes have curb appeal on two sides. This home for sale in Florida on the <br />Intracoastal Waterway needs to look good from front and back. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">How did the home's interior look?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Very comfortable and stylish</li><li>Clean and organized</li><li>Average</li><li>Needs improvement </li></ul><b><span style="font-size: large;">Are there parts of the home that need improving or updating?</span></b><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>No improvements needed</li><li>Some exterior improvements needed</li><li>Some interior improvements needed</li><li>Appliances need updating or upgrading</li></ul><o:p></o:p><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/DSC00002-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/DSC00002-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A home in a subdivision is bound to be compared to the other homes in the same <br />(and nearby) subdivisions. A seller needs to match or beat these competing homes  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">How is the home priced compared to other homes?</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Price is very appealing</li><li>Price seems fair</li><li>Home is somewhat overpriced</li><li>Home is substantially overpriced</li></ul><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/1-P1010009.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A charming entrance is the beginning of what could become a purchase offer. <br />Knowing how buyers respond to your home can help you fine tune your property. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: large;">Are you considering making an offer on this home?</span></b><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><ul><li>Undecided</li><li>No</li><li>Yes</li></ul><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: large;">Get the facts! </span></b></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">It takes less than a minute to get answers to these questions. I encourage you to share this idea with your realtor, so you’ll be on your way to knowing what’s good about your property and what might need some attention. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Fix your home to get the best grades possible from potential buyers. </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Start by downloading my $5 <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

A Simple Way to Get Feedback from People Who Tour Your Home

Do you know what people really think of your home? Here's how to get inside buyers' minds. Hey, homesellers. Are you sick of people...

2:00 AM

Home for Sale? Pretend You Are a Tourist in Your Town

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1296-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1296-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Every home needs a welcome sign.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you are looking for ways to make your home on the market stand out, try looking at it with fresh eyes. The eyes of a tourist to your town.   <br /><br />I checked the stats, and can report to you that according to a 2010 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 12% of the people who moved, moved to a different state. Almost 17% moved to a different county in the same state.<br /><br />Even if prospective buyers for your home are from another neighborhood, staging your home to accentuate what's special about your neighborhood, your town or county or state is just plain smart.<br /><br />I've blogged already about the value of knowing <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/02/if-youve-got-location-flaunt-it-heres.html">the specialness of your part of the country</a> and your own <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/08/real-estate-is-about-location-even-more.html">location. </a><br /><br />Last week I spent a few days in another place, a part of my state that is worlds away. Getting there takes just 2 hours by car and then 2.5 hours by ferry.  Yes, ferry. We went to Ocracoke Island, off the North Carolina coast.  <br /><br />Once on this small strip of sand, surrounded by the sea, life slows down and you can't help but savor the simple things. Fresh, salty air and bright blue skies that reach to the level horizon in all directions. Friendly, honest people who still sprinkle their thick brogue with words that no one has used since Shakespeare's time. Seafood prepared with attention to its real flavors. An appreciation for the way life used to be, when a boat brought mail to you once a week.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1317.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We chose the perfect season to visit. Weather was ideal, and beaches were uncrowded.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>I did not take pictures of people's homes, but I did take photographs of signs, because I think words painted on wood and words printed onto museum labels tell interesting stories. I hope you'll enjoy the photos I brought home. And I hope you can see the beauty of your own location, if only to help you merchandise your own home on the market.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1337.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>When you live on sandy shores, and going barefoot is the order of the day, you need this.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1383.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>From Ocracoke you can go kayaking or go fishing, or just let someone else take you cruising.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1284.jpg" width="404" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The sign gives you the idea of just how small the inhabited section of the island is.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1330.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It's a short walk to the lighthouse, still working to signal boats at sea.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="546" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1289.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>In 1942 British soldiers died at sea helping America defend our shores. Locals still honor them.   </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1368.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Part of a display at one of the small, local museums.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1371.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1371.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>More signage from the museum.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1304-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="502" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1304-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I love any hand painted sign, especially when a skeleton becomes an arrow!</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1327.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_1327.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I had the curried (local) shrimp with baby eggplant. </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Remember to look at your home not as someone who wants to move, but as someone who appreciates the best of what your location has to offer. Then, be sure that your home staging, as well as any literature emphasizes what's unique and remarkable about where you live. <br /><br />My<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank"> ebook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>, helps you stage your home yourself, no matter where you live. You can download it now and start staging today to make your home that one that stands out from the competition.  <br /><br />

Home for Sale? Pretend You Are a Tourist in Your Town

Every home needs a welcome sign. If you are looking for ways to make your home on the market stand out, try looking at it with fresh eyes. T...

2:00 AM

How to Stage a Home for Holidays

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/autumn-wreath-ENTERT1106-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/autumn-wreath-ENTERT1106-de.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Mantel decorations are a simple way </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>to give a nod to the seasons. Country Living photo.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Your home is on the market. You're staging it to make it anyone's dream home.<br /><br />So far, so good.<br /><br />Then along come a bunch of holidays. Whammy, Halloween! Whammy, Thanksgiving! Whammy, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years, Whammy!<br /><br />Not only do the accompanying traditions throw your household into a whirlwind, but there's the decorating thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Let's make sense</b></span> of how to handle holidays in the middle of a staging situation. <br /><br />Let's remind ourselves that the real estate market pretty much grinds to a slower pace before Thanksgiving and doesn't pick up speed again until after January starts.<br /><br /> Expect that home tours are going to be less frequent.  Folks are busy spending money and time in other ways.    <br /><br />You may be one of those talented people who love to deck the halls.  You know who you are when every occasion does not even exist if you do not bring out the appropriate placemats, door wreath, and mailbox flag.<br /><br />I love, love, love decorating my own home for the holidays, and I would hate missing that annual ritual.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>However</b></span>, my advice to people marketing their homes is to keep seasonal decorations to a minimum this year.  If your home is already lovingly staged, the decorations may be a major distraction.<br /><br />Next year at your new home you can go all out!  Let that soothe your decorating soul for now. <br /><br />It goes without saying that not everyone celebrates the same religious and cultural traditions, so just as with the rest of your home staging, keep it generic. People like to buy from people they share values with, so be the enigmatic and universal person.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you are one of those </b></span>who looks on seasonal decorations as a chore, you have a pass this year. You can guiltlessly keep it simple.  Here are some examples.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2921959627_c42e5ebef6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3044/2921959627_c42e5ebef6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Because it's red, a wreath like this will carry you from November through January. Thevendors.com photo.  </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:rm6fEBNPFFc3ZM:https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFA-ejeJyNO8hA-qWFt0CW2ACa9rhIxYdhwk5LqUnEQifFAFIcgNhrWhF-LdSxHkPOXxB3vlc3roClfVk8gvTMybpbYyvL50y0KlFdO0Z6FtMOmmk3ZebTnCL4MdbjAd5qS6gDXjUZBg/s800/Fullscreen%20capture%2011172009%2041613%20PM.jpg&t=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFA-ejeJyNO8hA-qWFt0CW2ACa9rhIxYdhwk5LqUnEQifFAFIcgNhrWhF-LdSxHkPOXxB3vlc3roClfVk8gvTMybpbYyvL50y0KlFdO0Z6FtMOmmk3ZebTnCL4MdbjAd5qS6gDXjUZBg/s640/Fullscreen%20capture%2011172009%2041613%20PM.jpg&t=1" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>A smart stager can simply substitute a bright holiday item for a piece of art. Odietamo.blog.blogspot.com photo.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJWE_OMT2Cv_g62Jc9cZ_o2XoYAd6-22uu2AQa6LoC5IQIFYt2Av2Qsu07gOEDalTb9gp_kFgY8RDEB2dK5_ug2y5F4LmOwDqVic-MlrGG721MFKgCfpQ3crDO9c1Bz4spPDSp4f38Ww/s400/cushionmoss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJWE_OMT2Cv_g62Jc9cZ_o2XoYAd6-22uu2AQa6LoC5IQIFYt2Av2Qsu07gOEDalTb9gp_kFgY8RDEB2dK5_ug2y5F4LmOwDqVic-MlrGG721MFKgCfpQ3crDO9c1Bz4spPDSp4f38Ww/s640/cushionmoss.jpg" width="511" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>What could be more lovely than a classic entrance trimmed in evergreen </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and moss? </i></span><i style="font-size: medium;">Or a <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/09/diy-tutorial-how-to-make-pine-cone.html" target="_blank">wreath made of pinecones</a>. </i><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Above: Martha Steward photo.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9Hovr46DMehUTBFNPkVjaeDVfZZeNXTbjmtTSkYBAOatrxTCD3-f0vvj5yinl8ATLKZDMsYrlZGBwNrvEg9x0YKdLUun0RMlZJRivGmgpdiM3MCkNzD7Rvs8oxDOkRCcqvN96qX1cXY/s400/Christmas+Wreath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu9Hovr46DMehUTBFNPkVjaeDVfZZeNXTbjmtTSkYBAOatrxTCD3-f0vvj5yinl8ATLKZDMsYrlZGBwNrvEg9x0YKdLUun0RMlZJRivGmgpdiM3MCkNzD7Rvs8oxDOkRCcqvN96qX1cXY/s640/Christmas+Wreath.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img4.myhomeideas.com/i/2007/12/1675201-mantel-5-xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img4.myhomeideas.com/i/2007/12/1675201-mantel-5-xl.jpg" width="609" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>You can create this kind of mantle accessorizing, using real or faux greenery and </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>vessels you have. MyHomeIdeas.com photo.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img4.myhomeideas.com/i/2007/12/1675201-mantel-4-xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img4.myhomeideas.com/i/2007/12/1675201-mantel-4-xl.jpg" width="608" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Greenery that's indigenous adds local appeal, sure to be noticed by people </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>relocating </i></span><i style="font-size: medium;">from elsewhere. MyHomeIdeas.com photo. </i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>The default decorating color option is white, so go with that. The Nester's blog shows us all how to make a <a href="http://www.thenester.com/2010/11/making-a-coffee-filter-wreath-and-tree-and-things-of-that-nature.html">wreath and holiday tree from coffee filters</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>So, remember</b></span> to keep your inflatable Santa packed away this year, and enjoy your pared down, staged home.  I would love to hear about how you stage your holiday home.<br /><br />Need more specific advice about decorating your home? I offer three rules for doing tablescapes right, and five formulas for dressing the mantel in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i><br /><i><br /></i>

How to Stage a Home for Holidays

Mantel decorations are a simple way to give a nod to the seasons. Country Living photo. Your home is on the market. You're staging it t...

4:20 AM

If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQjRLn_xFVD8M6Rii25oj3gcPZiXUqsddPHs2HemhrHXIGufoI&t=1&usg=__JoYBkuRijB3IMFngmgUy_Nf67A0=" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Can you love something too much?</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Waiting for a buyer is a little like waiting for your soul mate. Only not. You can't be that fussy.<br /><br />Do you have a picture of the perfect buyer in your mind?<br /><br />If so, erase it.<br /><br />Just as you staged your home, stage your mind. Keep it clear and open. An open mind will look thankfully at whoever crosses your threshold with an offer.   <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What prompted this post </b></span>is a short news article I read about a family who has a property to sell, one they've rehabbed themselves over the 40 years they've lived there. They've raised a family there. They've celebrated many milestones there. As a result, they've become emotionally attached to their precious property. Mistake!<br /><br />I also remember seeing one of those-sell-your-home shows on HGTV about a young man who was selling the house he had grown up in and inherited. His sentimentality caused him to put a price on the property higher than the appraised value, and at the same time, he was resistant to making changes to the house because of all the memories it  held for him.<br /><br />You just cannot do this and expect to sell your home for a good price. As Cher says to Nicolas Cage in <i>Moonstruck</i>, "Snap out of it!"<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eJSi4GAQf-s?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eJSi4GAQf-s?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Not only will this </b></span>kind of emotionalism prevent sellers from pricing a property correctly, they're more likely to be too choosy about buyers. In fact, in both these examples, the property owners admitted they are waiting for someone who will love their houses and take care of them the way they have. I call these people "not serious sellers."<br /><br />If you are serious about selling, lose the preconceived notions of who the next owner will be.  Yes, it's gratifying to sell to someone who will always tend to your rose garden, appreciate your faux-finished vanities, and will use the home office you've lovingly built as an office, not as a family room or another bedroom, damn it!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Once upon a time</b></span>, 52 years ago, when I was 16, I dated a young man my age of whom my parents did not approve, which was probably part of his appeal, but never mind. He wasn't college-bound, and he wore his hair in the style of a "juvenile delinquent," a la John Travolta in <i>Grease</i>. My sister's theory is that my bald Dad was just jealous of all that hair. The point is that he was a gifted artist, and I felt that we were soul mates.<br /><br />He approached my parents with a plan, that we would be allowed to see each other, but not leave the house. That meant dates were limited to playing ping pong and listening to records in the basement rec room. The basement had cement walls, and since we both enjoyed painting (some things never change) we spent months painting a mural on the walls of the basement.  You can only play so much ping pong.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When it came time</b></span> to sell that house seven years later, my mother said her one regret was leaving that mural behind. I hope it didn't cloud her judgement about what was an acceptable offer for the house.<br /><br />I tell that story because I believe each of us could tell a similar story. It's only natural to form heartfelt attachments to your home. I've found that decluttering can help you begin the process of putting aside your emotions. Once your favorite family photos, trophies, framed certificates and souvenirs are packed up, you'll be further along on the path to detachment. Painting, rearranging furniture, and other staging tactics will also help distance yourself from the home, preparing you mentally for your next one.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>One last note</b></span> about the pitfalls of waiting for your perfect buyer.<br /><br />By being too selective, you could be breaking fair housing laws. I find it hard to believe in our slow housing market that anyone would screen buyers based on whether they will tear down the property or not, or whether they have too many children, or are not the "right color" for your neighborhood, but it happens. Don't let this be you.<br /><br />A real estate agent is bound by standards of the industry to present any serious, written purchase offer. Work with your agent and your buyer, and stay within the law, no matter what your personal opinions are.<br /><br />Be sure to download my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspsot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar,</i> if you want to learn both the basics and all the little secrets to getting a home sold!

If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

Can you love something too much? Waiting for a buyer is a little like waiting for your soul mate. Only not. You can't be that fussy. Do ...

4:49 AM

What Home Stagers Can Learn from Shabby Chic Decor

<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.shabbychic.com/images/gallery/one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-countrylivingbedroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-countrylivingbedroom.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>It's casual and charming. It's glamorous and welcoming. <br /><br />It's economical and DIY-friendly. <br /><br />So why don't I recommend shabby chic decorating for staging your home?<br /><br />Because it's also distracting, quirky, uber feminine, and loaded with opportunities for home staging mistakes.<br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Shabby chic style</span></strong> is characterized by its love affair with almost anything old. <br /><br />It favors layers of obviously faded natural textiles like cottons and linens, distressed furniture finishes, pastel colors, and a combination of elegance and rusticity. <br /><br />Its signature pieces are slipcovered, overstuffed pieces, furniture painted white, and vintage chandeliers.  <br /><br />If you think that doesn't sound like the stuff that staging mistakes are made of, let's look at where the fascination with vintage can lead.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.makingarrangementsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Rachel-Ashwells-dining-room-300x300.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100089120.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Someone touring these homes with an eye to buying won't know where to look in these rooms. Pretty, yes, but for staging purposes, not so good. <br /><br />There are too many details, too many colors, weak focal point, stuff on the floor, and too much in-your-face rattiness.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For the record,</b></span> and so you won't think I'm a stuffed shirt, I love the shabby chic style. I love its girliness, romanticism, muted colors, thriftiness, its emphasis on furniture with good bones, and its comfort level.<br /><br />All I'm saying is that if you stage your home in this style, you're walking into land-mined territory. So, let's carefully pick and choose what works and what doesn't, so your pretty staging doesn't blow up in your pretty face.<br />    <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://img4.coastalliving.com/i/2008/04/shabbychic-kitchen-l.jpg?400:400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: CoastalLiving.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table>This setting is lovely...but crowded, cluttered, and even downright dangerous to be eating food off that old, peeling table. Anyone heard of the dangers of ingesting lead paint? Buyers can't maneuver around this alcove, and they are left with the impression of cramped quarters.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://media.trb.com/media/photo/2010-08/55360693.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><i>Photo: OrlandoSentinal.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here we've got pillows</b></span> that are too small, no variety in the scale of textile prints, a scatter rug breaking up the floor's expanse, faces of someone's relatives staring back at you, a day bed that doesn't look all that comfy, and way too many ruffles. All very "grandma." Next!<br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100089140.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Okay,</b></span> I'm a housepainter, so that old chipped paint is always going to bother me. It's one of the reasons I couldn't decorate my own home like this. That, and the fact that I wouldn't feel right surrounding Mr. Lucky with so much feminine stuff. <br /><br />Staging-wise, this bedroom looks like a garage sale. There's a reason why shabby chic is known as "salvage chic." I'm all for re-purposing, but a mantel headboard, a window for wainscoting, a door for a bed, and dresser drawers to elevate it, is too much of a good thing. <br /><br />Old needs new next to it to do it justice. Buyers like new. And, do the gilded letters stand for "do-it-yourself," I wonder?<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/06/ss_100674458.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Love the abundance</b></span> of textures. I'm not in love with the message of poor maintenance that distressed surfaces give.  A little distressing is fine in furnishings for home staging, but too much says the home's been neglected, and that's the <i>last</i> impression you want to give buyers.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_100089144.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Unless you are marketing </b></span>your home exclusively to women (which would be foolish, impossible, and illegal), this sort of tabletop tableau is a staging misstep. <br /><br />There is so much detail here that a buyer's going to be distracted.  It's clutter, no matter how artsy the arrangement. Besides, these lovely vintage bottles could easily pocketed by someone on a house tour, someone who sells on eBay, or someone who just had to have one!<br />  <br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_100142809.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Here </b></span>we're looking at pretty. There are lessons to be learned. Old paneling has a fresh coat of white paint. The hutch, in a different shade of white, shows just enough distressing to be interesting. The wall arrangement demonstrates a sweet and cheap way to bring the eye up. There are no harsh colors, no clutter, no confusion. What could be fresher than a big ole jug of daisies? And you know how I feel about blue and white! Love it.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/07/ss_SIP948130.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="480" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>In this room, </b></span>the gorgeous, hardwood floor -- which buyers <i>love</i> --  is the focal point and everything else revolves around it, literally. Leggy furniture shows if off, and even the tablecloth points to it. Both the corner cupboard and the chandelier politely round out the room but don't call attention to themselves. Buyers are bound to notice and appreciate all the beautiful trimwork -- windows, doors, baseboard, crown molding. This staging is a perfect example of making an older home look refreshingly youthful. Nicely done.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/06/ss_100674445.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Re-purposing</b></span> done right. An old basket and an old chair bring some life to an otherwise too-white window area. Staging should shun skimpiness. No one's skimping here, because both the amount of flowers and the size of the wire basket are generous. The curtain is lacy without being old fashioned, and the chair is only lightly distressed. Five stars!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2008/05/ss_100085314.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo:BHG.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>The colors </b></span>are muted and lovable. The pillows are big and in pairs. Nothing obstructs the view of outdoors. The color scheme is benign. The slipcovered furniture is informal and comfortable. I would lose the throw blanket for a home showing but I <i>want</i> that white leather ottoman! Staging grade: A-plus!<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom10-de.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="499" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: CountryLiving.com</i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.countryliving.com/cm/countryliving/images/bedroom10-de.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I chose</b></span> this photo because there's one more element of shabby chic that works for staging, the choice of paintings that please. The typical artwork adorning walls in shabby chic homes is old oil paintings of roses in gilded or painted frames.  I liked the casualness of these two unframed, well-sized, floral pictures. Stagers do well with florals.<br />      <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>To review,</b></span> say yes to soft colors, slightly distressed furniture, comfortable upholstered or slipcovered pieces, natural textures, re-purposing with a purpose, and refined elegance in moderation. <br /><br />Say no to too many florals, tiny details, clutter, wallpaper, excess ruffles, pink everywhere, and funky furniture that looks too budget-conscious and hand-me-down. <br /><br />The shabby chic decorating style that took off this country in the late 1980s  after Rachael Ashwell popularized it in California, has plenty of fans. <br /><br />Despite the fact that it originated in England among the well-heeled as a way of saying, "I have so much money and good taste that I can do as I please, thank you, and leave my faded damasks, paint-chipped armoirs, ratty upholstery, torn wallpaper, beat-up tables, and sentimental paintings as they are," the effect doesn't necessarily look all that wealthy and tasteful on this side of the Atlantic.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>For more ways to dress</b></span> your home for the real estate market, and facts about which decor styles work and which don't, check out my $5 <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar.</i><br /><i><br /></i>

What Home Stagers Can Learn from Shabby Chic Decor

It's casual and charming. It's glamorous and welcoming. It's economical and DIY-friendly. So why don't I recommend shabby ...

6:00 AM

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If Lovin' You Is Wrong, I Don't Wanna Be Right

What Home Stagers Can Learn from Shabby Chic Decor

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