How To Stretch Your Home Staging Dollars

<div style="text-align: right;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWq7czq9H_pZu3-exvAesaPsvGLp9x2paLh_0wTYFUmCUCPaZr2NiL6hGGxtMrS2UwhN125eVVgho_29DrAnsYhzjR9Vds6Zz1gImBTqFUryxOPTRydQhVMCfBr9GP9RjOQA9FqhJxU0/s1600/competition+bhg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWq7czq9H_pZu3-exvAesaPsvGLp9x2paLh_0wTYFUmCUCPaZr2NiL6hGGxtMrS2UwhN125eVVgho_29DrAnsYhzjR9Vds6Zz1gImBTqFUryxOPTRydQhVMCfBr9GP9RjOQA9FqhJxU0/s1600/competition+bhg.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A DIY home stager needs to know her competition. Otherwise she<br />won't know if countertops should be granite and appliances<br />stainless, or whether laminate counters and white appliances<br />are just fine, as in this photo from Better Homes and Gardens. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Are you worried about how much it will cost to stage your home? <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">Do you dislike the thought of putting money into a home that you’ll be leaving?<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">I’ve learned that effective home staging doesn’t have to be expensive. Your home can attract good offers even if you don’t have a big staging budget. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />Or a mother-in-law who will loan you her antiques. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />Or an interior designer friend who will take your hand. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />Or a husband who loves fix-it projects and has the time to tackle them.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">You can do your own staging and you can do it inexpensively. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are only two tricks to it.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 18pt;">Prioritize: Decide What’s Important</span><o:p></o:p></h3><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Maybe you’ve already made that list of what needs tweaking, cleaning, organizing, or dressing up. My first trick is to separate the Must-Do from the It-Would-Be-Nice-To-Do. Ask yourself:</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Left undone, would this task or purchase give me black marks on an <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/02/advice-about-negotiations-and-home.html" target="_blank">official home inspection</a>?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is this something I have wanted to do almost from the time I moved into my home?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can this be accomplished without a reconfiguring of plumbing or electrical systems?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is this something family members, visitors, and others also think is a good idea?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Is it a change I can take with me when I move?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does it offer <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/04/home-improvements-that-deliver-most.html" target="_blank">good return on my investment</a>?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do these changes represent features many buyers want, such as an eat-in kitchen, updated basement, or a modern outdoor living space ?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Do other homes in my market, at my price point, offer this kind of feature?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does the improvement expand usable square footage?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does the improvement make the home easier to maintain or conserve energy?</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></li></ul><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><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/AVvXsEgdFSjA4fJWFVejzAYMaT08jw3QWhKGglfQmJ1LwHJWDKXfT7JHERpQNGfdeuE2eE2JbVjrfutnt0N4p90XHs04Mle2dsJgW91-hB-3K2fd3Gn5Jm9KHg1rBguLkB8jquYglMYrjbpxOto/s1600/narrowhomeoffice_zpsf54084c9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFSjA4fJWFVejzAYMaT08jw3QWhKGglfQmJ1LwHJWDKXfT7JHERpQNGfdeuE2eE2JbVjrfutnt0N4p90XHs04Mle2dsJgW91-hB-3K2fd3Gn5Jm9KHg1rBguLkB8jquYglMYrjbpxOto/s1600/narrowhomeoffice_zpsf54084c9.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #5b5b5b; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Trebuchet,sans-serif; line-height: 20.8px;">A home office is something most buyers want. If you can tuck one<br />into</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5b5b5b; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 20.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #5b5b5b; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',Trebuchet,sans-serif; line-height: 20.8px;">a narrow space, you'll be ahead of the game. If you can do it<br />on budget, you'll get good return on investment. Photo:LampsPlus</span></i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, look at your answers. Bump to the top of your prioritized list the tasks you answered “yes” to. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are the projects that should take your time and money. Either eliminate or place low on your to-do list those items to which you answered “no.”</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">   </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But how much money should you spend? Real estate experts suggest spending one to two percent on improvements when you’re planning to sell your home. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s always reassuring to know that statistically you’re within guidelines. That means if you plan to list your home for $250,000, your staging budget should be between $2,500 and 5,000. You’ll want to spend it wisely. That’s where the second trick comes into play.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 18.0pt;">Source Right: Make Economical Purchases</span></h3><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Get Discounts.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Always inquire about price reductions. Don’t demand, just ask. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/04/insider-tips-notes-from-blue-collar-gal.html" target="_blank">people who do work for you</a> if they give discounts for paying with cash, or if you pay an invoice within the first week of receiving it. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><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/1-P1070543_zpsb11b9888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="333" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-P1070543_zpsb11b9888.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The rocker is a thrifted deal find I painted white.<br />The side table is an old tv tray stand that <br />I upcycled by DIYing a mosaic top.<br />The planters are dollar store resin pots. <br />And the pansies are Walmart six-packs. <br />It all adds up to thrifty curb appeal. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask stores if they give discounts to military, ministerial, disability, AAA, students, or seniors if you qualify for those groups. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ask if the item is going to go on sale. Watch for sales. Print or clip and use coupons. Even if you don’t have a coupon for a store, ask the salesperson if you qualify for one. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Stores will often discount the last item in a line of bedding, or the end of a bolt of fabric, or a chair that's been a floor sample, or a dishwasher missing a manual, or a lamp with a chip you'll never notice. But only if you ask! </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />Shop where you have a discount or loyalty card, whether online or at brick and mortar stores. Shop discount stores and outlet stores.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Buy Direct.</b> Patronize the local stoneyard for granite. Hire a handyman from your own hometown or neighborhood. Visit the largest area discount nursery for landscape shrubbery. Use online companies like <st1:city w:st="on">Dalton</st1:city> for carpets. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />Sometimes buying direct means buying local, and sometimes it means shopping nationwide for the best deal. <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">  <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Buy Second Hand.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Don’t turn up your nose at these kinds of outlets. Often you can find second hand places that sell appliances and furniture that look brand new. This could be scratch and dent merchandise, very slightly used, or come from a model home or manufacturer’s closeout.<br /><br />Furniture from places like Salvation Army and ReStore have frequently been donated by people with money and taste. <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2011/06/what-every-garage-sale-shopper-needs-to.html" target="_blank">Garage sales</a> are a source of deeply discounted furniture, appliances and accessories for staging because sellers are usually motivated. Your purchases may need minor repairs or just a coat of paint to make them perfect for staging your home.<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">    <span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><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/6af0630d-9de4-4130-94dd-edf2c5405dbe_zps684f67b3.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/6af0630d-9de4-4130-94dd-edf2c5405dbe_zps684f67b3.jpg" width="332" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Mike Row has personally spoken to Congress and<br />trade associations about his mission to change<br />perceptions of blue collar work. His foundation<br />awards trade school scholarships to people <br />willing to pursue a trade. Photo:Listal.    </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><b>Do Things Yourself.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>Know <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2013/07/lets-get-real-about-diy-projects.html" target="_blank">when to say yes to DIY.</a> If you clean your own home as though you were detailing your car, if you paint your walls like a pro, if you mulch and prune your own landscaping, if you declutter and organize your own closets, you’ve put money in your pocket.<o:p></o:p></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br />When I first began studying real estate, one of my teachers used to tell the class, “If you will do what others are not willing to do, you will have what others do not have.” It was just a new way of saying, “Work hard.” Or as Mike Rowe, one of my heroes, likes to say, “Work smart AND hard.”<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But there are also times when not hiring a professional or a qualified tradesperson is shortsighted (or illegal according to building codes and local ordinances). If you decide to lay ceramic tile in your bathroom and you’ve never laid tile before, the results could actually detract from the value of your home.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><b>Plan Ahead.</b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most trades and products have a downtime, a period when their cost is lower than usual. Although it may be difficult to plan much in advance when you are staging your home, and you don’t know how long you’ll be living in your home, this scheduling approach is still worth considering. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />For example, buy heating fuel in the summer. Buy patio furniture and grills in October. And hire the heating and cooling guy in the spring or fall.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><h3><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 18pt;">The Lessons</span><o:p></o:p></h3><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Remember that if you spend $5,000, you can’t expect to raise your asking price $5,000. But you might sell your home faster, so fast that you’ll save more than $5,000 in carrying costs like insurance, mortgage interest, taxes and utilities.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep the big picture in mind, and don’t expect to make a huge profit by selling your home.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-ebook_cover1_zps9cb7beec.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1-ebook_cover1_zps9cb7beec.jpg" width="272" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Selling a home is like running a small business, so think like an entrepreneur and make all your staging decisions cost effective ones. Time and money both have to be budgeted if you’re going to stay sane and get the job done. These are the simple techniques I’ve used and I’ve seen others use to make home staging cost effective, and you can do it, too.</span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />There's more of this kind of sanity-saving advice in my<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html">home staging eBooks</a>. You can download them instantly and begin staging your own home today. They’re only $5 each!     </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><br /><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 10pt;">Top Photo: BHG</span></i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>

How To Stretch Your Home Staging Dollars

A DIY home stager needs to know her competition. Otherwise she won't know if countertops should be granite and appliances stainless, or ...

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Why I Blog

<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/1-P1050118_zps48cacea4.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/1-P1050118_zps48cacea4.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I love what I do. DIY home improvement <br />and blogging are more than hobbies to me. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />“You have me mixed up with someone else.” <br /><br />That’s what I would have said if you told me four years ago that I would be writing a blog and books.<br /><br />Three years and 254 blog posts later, I think of myself as a blogger who publishes her own eBooks. I love researching home décor topics, drafting and editing my blog posts, interacting with my readers, creating unique DIY projects for home staging, and photographing whatever I think will interest people staging their own homes.<br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">This whole blogging idea wasn’t my own. It was my adult daughter who suggested it. “Mom,” she said, “You really ought to write a book about home staging. I’ll help you get a blog up and running to sell it.” It sounded so simple. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I did not know blogging would grow to consume so much of my attention and time. Any blogger knows what I am talking about. Most bloggers work hard. The truth about blogging is that, as my hairstylist from years ago, Mister Charles, told me about my hair, “Honey, the more attention you give it, the better it’s going to look.” Life lesson.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My daughter knows me well. She knew I would embrace the challenge of self-imposed deadlines, and of creating original copy and images. She knew how I always loved making a home more livable, more beautiful. Every house we lived in was always being re-arranged and tweaked. On a shoestring. When I began investing in real estate, she watched how I turned properties no one else wanted into hot sellers. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I always looked forward to the next flip. And I always made money. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Writing the eBooks—<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your HomeFast and for Top Dollar and No Sew Curtains and Draperies to Stage Your Home</a>—was fun. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><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/P1050155_zps6402554a.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/P1050155_zps6402554a.jpg" width="444" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">I'm always on the lookout for ideas that will work for sellers.  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The way that hard work is fun. Although I had plenty of my own ideas, I also researched what home stagers, designers, decorators, color consultants, organizers, and remodelers had taught, and I put a more practical spin on all of that.<br /><br />I added what I had learned in the construction industry, in the real estate field, in advertising and magazine editing, and in a lifetime of crafting, decorating, painting, gardening, and sewing. I didn’t pick this stuff up in a weekend seminar or online course.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Talk about life lessons! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My home staging book isn’t a glossy, full color, hardcover book of eye candy. It’s an eBook, so that means you can access it immediately as soon as you download it. You can read it on your computer.<br /><br />You don’t need a Kindle or a tablet. You can print it if you wish, but it is over 150 pages, so you probably won’t.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">My book is nuts and bolts advice. Maybe some of it will be familiar to you. I give you all the professional shortcuts to effective cleaning and organizing. I give you foolproof formulas for furniture arrangements. I give you ideas for filling wall space, making no-sew pillows, and creating the features that buyers want and need, that unlock your home’s hidden assets, no matter what your budget or decorating skills.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">All for just $5!  That’s the price of each eBook. Talk about return on your investment! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">And for the record, I don’t ask you to buy power tools or have exceptional DIY experience. I don’t send you to Target and IKEA with a long shopping list of cute and trendy accessories. What I do give you is tips you don’t find elsewhere.  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Maybe you don’t need to read the pointers on hosting a profitable garage sale. Maybe you don’t need to know tips for selling an historic home, a mobile home, or a home on the water. Well, you can just skip those sections. The table of contents is hyperlinked to every section; jumping around in this book is easy!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's What Others Have Told Me</span></b><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: lime;">"Just wanted you to know that we sold after 12 days on the market. Buyers wanted our house so much they didn’t quibble about the price or terms. What a blessing and a big relief. Thank you for putting us 'in the driver’s seat.'" – Harvey and Alicia B.</span><span style="color: purple;"></span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="color: purple;">"I’m so glad I went ahead and downloaded your book. Thanks for making the advice you give so clear and well organized.  No wasted words or self-promotion! Love that!"  -- Katherine  S.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="color: #0c343d;">"I thought I knew how to stage my home because I’d watched enough HGTV. LOL. But I ordered the books anyway, because I like what I’ve read on your blog. I have to say, the book’s opened my eyes to what can be done without wasting money. These are really great ideas, ones that are practical and frugal instead of pie in the sky. I can’t hire a team of workers to stage my home. But now I know how to do it myself!" -- Paige Marie A.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: purple;">"Barbara, I used your No Sew Window Treatment Book to make window coverings in three bedrooms, and everyone is really impressed with the difference they make, especially my realtor.  These rooms needed draperies bad, but I didn’t have money for anything fancy. I followed your directions for using fleece to make ones that looked full and luxurious. I didn't spend much money or time!  I’m delighted.  Thank you, thank you!" -- Kim G.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #660000;">"I’ve just done a quick look though the book I ordered, and I can see that I’ll be picking up new ideas on every page... just the kinds of things I can handle on my own to make my home show better… Now, I have a new boost of confidence that I’ll be able to get the price I want!" -- Andrea K.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: red;">"My house sold the first month it was on the market, and similar homes are not selling. I didn’t underprice. What made the difference were the simple changes I made after reading your book – arranging furniture, choosing paint colors, what to hide, what to show off, cheap decor, and too many other small tips that put the house over the top. Buyers were SO happy to have found a move-in ready property." – Shelly L.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #38761d;">"Congrats to you on a successful staging book. I read it cover to cover and learned all I needed to know to transform my condo into something sale-able!  I made more money that I ever made." -- Samuel G.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: blue;">"…Should be required reading for all home sellers. I recommend it to all my (real estate) clients. Makes my job so much easier." Kelly M. </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #222222;">"I was near foreclosure on my townhouse. I was desperate. I didn’t have a staging budget which I was told was needed if I wanted to get out and not lose my shirt. The $5 I spent on this staging book saved me hundreds if not thousands of dollars. I was able to make improvements using your techniques (and I am not a handy or crafty person!) Happy ending, I got a purchase offer at the first open house and we close in three weeks. I can pay off my mortgage and have the money I wanted to move."  – Ari K.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: purple;">"As a real estate broker, I won’t work with a seller who doesn’t buy your DIY home staging book. It fills a real need. I applaud your efforts, and I have seen the results!"  -- Charles P.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: lime;">"I’ve been reading your blog in preparation for selling our home. It’s been an education for me because I’ve never sold a home before. My husband helped me get our house ready to sell, and sell it did after just three weeks. It looked awesome after following your rules. We hated to move, but we now have the money to buy our dream home."  – Crystal and Allen H.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: red;">"I’d recommend your staging book to anyone trying to sell a home. Competition is tough, especially in our area, so we knew we had to outshine the comps…Your book showed us how, and we were able to do it on a tight budget. We were able to put the profits toward fixing our new home the way we want it. We’re even using some of the same ideas there, too!" -- Libby </span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="color: #0c343d;">"My home was on the market for seven months without an offer. When I bought your book I found out there were plenty of small things I could do to improve things, just little things that were keeping my house from standing out. I made changes in each room. I painted my front door and updated the bedding. I rearranged some furniture. I boxed some things for storage.  I was able to sell two weeks after I finished staging according to your suggestions. You should charge more than $5!"   A.M.J.</span></blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="color: #20124d;">"I hate to move from my house now that it looks so nice! It's gorgeous, thanks to your book. We are closing next week." -- Melinda   </span></blockquote><div style="background: white;"><span style="background-color: transparent;"><br /></span></div><div style="background: white;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">You Could Be Next </span></b></div><br />I am so confident that my eBooks will give you so much understanding of what motivates buyers that I promise to give your money back if you are not happy. Three years and thousands of copies later, no one has asked for a refund.</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/homestaging/barbara_pilcher_home_staging_exp-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/barbara_pilcher_home_staging_exp-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Blogging is a creative challenge, but that's what I  enjoy most about it. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">The quotes above are from actual emails when readers took the trouble to write and tell me how much they appreciated the eBooks. They love to tell me when a home is sold!  </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Would you like to be signing that purchase offer on your house soon? Would you like to relax, knowing that a buyer has fallen in love with your home? That you can move on to the next chapter of your life? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I know what it’s like to wait for an offer, and I know that if you’ve staged your home with confidence, knowing that your home is all that it can be in a competitive market, the wait is easier. And the sale comes faster! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">You could even leave the closing table with money in your pocket, because the right kind of staging is both frugal and profitable. You home will sell for more money than your competition that isn't staged. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Think about it: every home is already staged, whether it’s intentional or not. If your intent is to sell your home and to stage it yourself, you need my eBook. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">I love to text my daughter every time I sell another eBook. She knows how proud I am of both my eBooks. Almost as proud as I am of her. Okay, that’s an exaggeration. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Go <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">here</a> now to instantly download both of my books. And let me know when you sell your home, so I can add my personal congratulations to you on a job well done. That’s why I blog, for you and for myself.<br /></div>

Why I Blog

I love what I do. DIY home improvement and blogging are more than hobbies to me.  “You have me mixed up with someone else.”  That’s what I w...

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Lighting Secrets to Help Sell 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="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFnRP1xiAG1G_00rwUh0BwuZdmdnOIM9ikXgmAq9zoexhkOjaN9YOAQpZWTs4inkqrywGktzbqDtBbfQWwTXyT1JaOUmK0IZieI48nuoNFjvW2MJr3S4eYTWcs0qDPLZcOzmk-Rm7BVc/s640/cococozy+guest+bedroom+napa+showhouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFnRP1xiAG1G_00rwUh0BwuZdmdnOIM9ikXgmAq9zoexhkOjaN9YOAQpZWTs4inkqrywGktzbqDtBbfQWwTXyT1JaOUmK0IZieI48nuoNFjvW2MJr3S4eYTWcs0qDPLZcOzmk-Rm7BVc/s640/cococozy+guest+bedroom+napa+showhouse.jpg" width="425" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Wide, white lampshade, check!<br /> Pale walls, check!  Big lamp, check!  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst">When your home is for sale, the more light your rooms get, the bigger and cleaner it feels to people touring it. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpLast">Here are some tips to use indoor lighting and natural that gets those results.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Up the Wattage</b></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Kinda obvious, but often overlooked: Make sure all your fixtures and lamps have all bulbs in the correct wattage. </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">The emphasis is on “all bulbs.” How many of us have replaced a bulb in a multi-bulb fixture with whatever we had on hand. Or neglected to notice that, in fact, one bulb was burned out. Double check all your lights. <br /><br />Replace those boob, ceiling light fixtures with something big and bold and reflective. Don't be shy about installing a chandelier style. </div><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst"><br />When it comes to task lighting, you may personally like the moody look of subdued illumination, and cozy pools of light spaced around a room. But this is the kind of lighting that makes a room look small and cramped. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">Whether you or your realtor shows your property, it’s sometimes awkward to circle the room and turn on all the task and accent lights. That’s why it’s important that general, overhead lighting be sufficient.  <o:p></o:p><br /><br />Other tricks for boosting the brightness: double up on lamps. Yes, I mean pairs of lamps in close proximity. Or, place a large mirror on the wall behind a table or desk that sports a lamp.<br /><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Best Table Lamps</b></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">If you are absent  before a showing, you can’t count on your realtor to arrive at your house before her clients do, and turn on all lamps.<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">In one property I had on the market, I put timers on a couple of table lamps, just to make sure that darker room were always well-lighted when I was away.<br /><br />To me, the cost of electricity was worth it.No one said it wouldn’t cost any money to sell a house.    <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Most home stagers prefer white lampshades, and for good reason.Darker lampshades will absorb light so that you’re not getting all the wattage you want. </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br />Also, ditch the ditzy table lamps. They take up too much tabletop real estate for the little bit of charm they bring to a space. </div><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Best Floor Lamps</span></b></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>When choosing a floor lamp, look for lamps that provide ample light and take up little floor space.A floor lamp that bounces light off the ceiling will go a long way towards increasing the size of the room. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">An extension cord snaking across the floor to a lamp is a red flag to home buyers. It gives the impression that there’s a problem with the home’s wiring, even if there isn’t. Try to arrange lamps so the cord isn’t visible.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;">Uplights, Downlights</span></b><br /><br />One clever way to add some drama to a room is with hidden lights that wash a wall with light. Make sure your walls are blemish-free and expertly painted when you aim a light at them at a sharp angle.</div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Darks corners in a room are no friend to the spacious look you want. Solve the problem with low wattage uplights that can be left on. Or place in the corner a table with a large table lamp. Wall sconces are another possibility. Some are battery operated so there's no cord dangling below if they aren't hard-wired.   </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">An unseen light behind a sofa or under kitchen cabinets give a room a certain glow. Lighting like this can often create a focal point or emphasize one such as a fireplace or some built-in cabinetry.<br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Proving the Rule</span></b><br /><div class="MsoBodyText">Every rule has an exception.  If your home is large, make one of your rooms stand out as a dimly lighted retreat. It could be a romantic bedroom, a media room, a man cave, or a library. It shouldn’t be a kitchen, bath, closet, hallway, or children’s room. </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">This approach could solve the problem of a room that is already dark because it’s on the north side of the home, has poor natural lighting, or is so small that you’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s large.<br /></div><b><span style="font-size: large;">Daylight Rocks</span></b><br /><div class="MsoBodyText"><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/bhg/images/2007/04/550_100024384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2007/04/550_100024384.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">What a cool way to hide a less-than-perfect view, but still <br />let in the light.  And there's always room for a creative lighting solution <br />like this sunny pendant fixture. Photo: Meredith </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>Are your rooms getting enough sunlight? Even if your windows are small – especially if your windows are small – there are ways to increase the amount of perceived light entering the room. </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Keep window treatments away from the actual framed window opening. My <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-sew-window-treatments-why-stitch.html" target="_blank">window treatments ebook </a>shows you how to make 15 different styles of no-sew curtains and draperies especially designed for home staging.     </div><div class="MsoBodyText"><br /></div><div class="MsoBodyText">Also, remove or prune outdoor shrubbery that blocks light entering through windows. Watch the way sunlight moves across a room over the course of a day, and observe what’s shading the room. It could be the lower branches of a tree that’s overgrown or too close to the house. People like open views.  </div><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpFirst">Work with your realtor to encourage her to show your home when it looks best. Perhaps the morning sun floods your kitchen, but leaves bedrooms dim. Since many people don’t care about bright morning sun in bedrooms, mornings would be the best time to show the property. Dark and rainy days are not ideal for showings. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">Of course, it’s not always possible to control the schedule, but it’s worth mentioning to your realtor.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Brighten Ceiling and Walls</span></b></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><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://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/08/17/e08b9573c960.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/08/17/e08b9573c960.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">You can't beat a white ceiling for bringing a room to life. Don't listen to people <br />telling you that the wall color on the ceiling will heighten a room. <br />Light reflection matters more.  Designer: Nate Berkus for Katie Lee.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>I’ve given many ceilings a coat of fresh paint, and the client is always amazed at the difference one coat of bright white paint makes. Over time a ceiling can take on a dull grey or brown tone from dust, pollen, aging paint, nicotine or cooking oils in the air. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">Paint sold as “ceiling white paint” is especially designed to be reflective because it’s a pure, bright white. It doesn’t have the durability or washablilty of wall and trim paints, so it’s usually less expensive.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">If you think your ceiling can benefit from some brightening (most can) it’s not that difficult to paint a ceiling if you do half a room at a time. Remove the small furniture to another room. Scoot all the big stuff to one side of the room, and cover the floor. Then, working on a step ladder, use a brush to cut in around the edge of the ceiling, and roll the reminder from the floor, using a roller screwed onto a long handle (like a mop handle).<o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">Make your walls feel clean and bright with wall colors that reflect rather than soak up light. Muddy colors with dark undertones will close in the walls of a room more than clear, pale colors. Use a flat finish rather than a finish with sheen. Flat finish tends to blur the boundaries of the room, making it feel larger.   <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">    <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><h3><b><span style="font-size: large;">Light Your Way to a Purchase Offer</span></b></h3></div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle">“Plenty of light” is high on the wish list of most buyers. Even if you don’t have an abundance of natural light, you can still go a long way towards pleasing buyers by putting to work my tricks to create the sense of light-filled spaces in your home.</div><div class="Style-1CxSpMiddle"><br /></div><div class="Style-1CxSpLast">Want more tips and encouragement to help you sell your home? That’s what you get when you have my handy <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>It’s just $5 and is an instantly downloadable pdf. You can start today to make your home the one that real estate buyers want.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="Style-1CxSpLast"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="Style-1CxSpLast"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Top photo: Room design by Melanie Coddington, via Cococozy.</i></span></div>

Lighting Secrets to Help Sell Your Home

Wide, white lampshade, check!  Pale walls, check!  Big lamp, check!   When your home is for sale, the more light your rooms get, the bigger ...

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Roundup of my Favorite 2012 Posts

<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/Doubledecordoor_zpsa2aef862.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/Doubledecordoor_zpsa2aef862.jpg" width="484" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">A front door in Charleston, South Carolina, welcomes the new year. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I chose to feature these posts based on how helpful they would be to you if you have a home for sale. Is that you?<br /><br />Let's start with getting it organized. In January I wrote about the dozen rules that help <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/01/dozen-rules-for-organizing-your-home.html" target="_blank">organize your home.</a><br /><br />In February, just in time for Valentine's Day, the blog featured a post on capturing the hearts of buyers -- <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/02/how-to-get-buyers-to-fall-in-love-with.html" target="_blank">how to win buyers</a>, seduce them, appeal to their senses, and not let them forget you.<br /><br />One of my March posts had to do with window treatments -- <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/03/listen-up-its-easy-to-make-no-sew.html" target="_blank">curtains and drapes that require no sewing, all designed especially for home staging</a>. I wrote a $5 eBook of 15 tutorials for No-Sew Window Treatments. Why let your windows go bare when it's time to stage, and why give your valuable window coverings away to the buyer?<br /><br />During the following month, April, I wrote about the most important <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/04/home-improvements-that-deliver-most.html" target="_blank">things you can do to help sell your home</a>. This story is packed with helpful statistics, experts' advice, and shortcuts. You're bound to get some new ideas for simple home improvements.<br /><br />Since I get more questions about furniture arrangement than any other topic,  May's winning piece has to be Handy Formulas that Make <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/05/handy-formulas-that-make-diy-home.html" target="_blank">DIY Home Staging</a> Easy. You'll find measurements, ratios, formulas and other space and sizing tips to make rooms look and feel more comfortable. Bookmark it!<br /><br /><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/06/painting-furniture-dont-make-these.html" target="_blank">Painting furniture</a> is another hot button topic around here. I collected my favorite tips in a post for one week in June, and I concentrated on the most common mistakes made when DIYers paint furniture. I'm a professional painter, so I gave you all the insider secrets to get the job done quickly but expertly. The <a href="http://www.thediyadventures.com/2012/12/13/diy-basics-painting-furniture/" target="_blank">DIY Adventurers Blog</a> liked this post so much they featured it on their site.<br /><br />Although it may not be an option for you, many people are considering the pros and cons of <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-pros-and-cons-of-renting-your-home.html" target="_blank">renting their homes until they can sell</a> them. I researched and opined about this topic in July. There's lots to weigh before making a decision.<br /><br />I could have called my August article, The Five Tricks Professional Stagers Use, something like <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/08/five-tricks-professional-stagers-use.html" target="_blank">All You Really Need to Do to Sell You Home</a>. It's that succinct and helpful.<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://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/07/08/4c49a0629e47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://cdn.decorpad.com/photos/2011/07/08/4c49a0629e47.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The white-on-white color scheme, done by Sarah Richardson. One blog post I didn't feature <br />here but that I suspect may help many DIY stagers decide on <br />paint colors, is <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-all-white-color-palette-is-it.html" target="_blank">my advice on an all-white color palette.</a> </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />In September, I attacked another common problem -- mantel staging, and I listed my smartest steps for <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-abcs-of-staging-seasonal-mantel.html" target="_blank">staging a mantel </a>that actually helps sell your home.<br /><br />Does your home have some Wow Factors? That's the question I asked in an October post. Wondering <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/10/does-your-home-have-some-wow-factors.html" target="_blank">what wow factors are</a> and which ones might be do-able for your home, your market and your budget? See my advice and illustrations.<br /><br />My favorite post from November is called Ten Tips to Improve Your Autumn <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/11/ten-tips-to-improve-your-autumn-curb.html" target="_blank">Curb Appeal,</a> but no matter what the season, you'll find pointers here to improve the way your home looks all year long.<br /><br />This past month I concentrated on decorating and protecting your home for the holidays. I so enjoyed making the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/12/this-seasons-darling-tabletop-christmas.html" target="_blank">tabletop Christmas trees</a> I wrote about, that I am going to call that one my favorite December post. In a home on the market that needs to look festive but not crowded, these adorable tabletop trees fill the bill.<br /><br />Is selling your home and moving on to your next adventure part of your plans for 2013? Then take a moment to download 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>. It's over 150 pdf pages of illustrated tips and techniques, checklists and formulas, to take the work out of staging your own home. Kick off the New Year with staging that works! <br /><br /><br />

Roundup of my Favorite 2012 Posts

A front door in Charleston, South Carolina, welcomes the new year.  I chose to feature these posts based on how helpful they would be to you...

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Listen Up: It's Easy to Make No-Sew Curtains

<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/homestaging/curtains/IMG_0202.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/homestaging/curtains/IMG_0202.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Curtains make the difference between an ordinary room and a pretty one. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>If you do nothing else to stage a home on the market, whether it's occupied or vacant, please dress your windows.<br /><br />Bare, naked windows make any room look sterile and feel uninviting -- not the look and feel that makes a buyer fall in love your home.<br /><br /><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2012/01/no-sew-window-treatments-why-stitch.html">Window treatments</a> can be pricey, even if you make them yourself. I know, because I've sewn many curtains and draperies. But if you don't want to spend much time or money, and you don't want to even sew -- there's still a way you can dress windows.<br /><br />Actually, there are 15 ways. And you can learn each of them in my new <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>, <i>No-Sew Curtains and Draperies to Stage Your Home.</i><br /><br />Did you know that burlap, felt, and fleece make handsome draperies that hang beautifully and and require no sewing?<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/homestaging/curtains/IMG_0224.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/curtains/IMG_0224.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The trickiest part of most window treatments is how to hem, seam or trim the edges. </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Or that ordinary white glue is perfect for hemming curtains for staging, curtains that won't be laundered?<br /><br />Or that duct tape can be used for hemming curtains?<br /><br />Or that $1 shower curtain rings are a handy stand-in for expensive drapery rings?<br /><br />There are at least seven no-sew techniques to hem draperies, and I demonstrate them all.<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/homestaging/curtains/curtaininMirsbath.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/curtains/curtaininMirsbath.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>The style of drapery that staging requires is different from ordinary window treatments.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />I also list the secrets to success and some possible variations at the finish to each tutorial to help you use the tutorials to their fullest.<br /><br />These are some of the valuable methods, tips and tricks you'll learn in the step-by-step tutorials.<br /><br />You can download the ebook now, and start turning your windows into selling points.<br /><br />Your cost is just $5 and it comes with my money back guarantee.<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://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/buy-now.html"> <img src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/nosewebookcovershadow.png" width="243" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html" target="_blank">Buy now for just $5.00.</a></span></em></td></tr></tbody></table><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />

Listen Up: It's Easy to Make No-Sew Curtains

Curtains make the difference between an ordinary room and a pretty one.  If you do nothing else to stage a home on the market, whether it...

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Best Blog in a Supporting Role...And The Award Goes To...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><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/ca_powell-40_o1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/ca_powell-40_o1.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">You want to be friends with her.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>As soon as I heard the blog's title, I was intrigued. Who wouldn't be? And when I read <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/p/why-name-use-good-dishes.html">the story behind the title</a>, I was captivated. And in tears!<br /><br />Of all the blogs I read, <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/">Use the Good Dishes</a> is one of the few I jump right over to as soon as I see a new post. Why is that?<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Experience Counts.</span></b> Carol-Anne, the creator, is helpful. A voracious reader, an ambitious worker (she has three jobs), and a talented designer, she seems to be more than happy to pass along what she knows and what she's learning as she makes mistakes and shares her successes.<br /><br />She'll give you the details for instance, on how she <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/2011/08/just-call-me-furniture-whisperer.html">paints furniture</a>, <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/2012/01/brilliant-trick-i-think.html">revamps her office</a>, or <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/2011/03/power-of-flowers.html">stretches her budget for fresh flowers.</a> And that's just for starters. Check her archives!<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Honesty Rrefreshes</span></b>. Carol-Anne is candid. She never backs down from her true nature, no matter how revealing, embarrassing, or conventionally unflattering.<br /><br />She lets readers know what it's like to live with her <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/2011/07/serious-post-about-obsessive-compulsive.html">obsessive-compulsive disorder</a>, but never in a negative way. Instead, she channels her compulsion into organizing and redecorating.<br /><br />She humbly admits her own shortcomings, details her confusion about choosing a paint color or changing her curtains, and is brave enough to post photos of herself with a haircut gone wrong, or in a bathing suit (and looking good).<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Humor Entertains.</span></b> Carol-Anne is one of those people who sees the light side of everyday events.<br /><br />I always get a smile and some encouragement from the graphics she chooses. Here is an example:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://chrisabraham.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Rosie_The_Blogger1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://chrisabraham.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/Rosie_The_Blogger1.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>Or this:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIfobBrjzVE/TgsQAp7eE4I/AAAAAAAABHk/FbFM_FDAblk/s1600/31072498_JJA9nc8l_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kIfobBrjzVE/TgsQAp7eE4I/AAAAAAAABHk/FbFM_FDAblk/s320/31072498_JJA9nc8l_c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />So, if you like being informed, refreshed, and entertained without a lot of gobbly gook to wade through, by a woman who hates doing laundry, can't sew, drinks wine daily, rearranges furniture almost as often, changes all her everyday dishware with the season, is a self-confessed craft-klutz, and never shies away from happy color combinations or gluing feathers on a lampshade, you'll probably love reading Use the Good Dishes as much as I do.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">FLATTERY GETS YOU SOMEWHERE</span></b>. Okay, the last reason I'm giving Carol-Anne my award for Best Blog in a Supporting Role is that she recently reviewed the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">latest ebook I've written.</a> So, when you're at her blog, please read <a href="http://usethegooddishes.blogspot.com/2012/02/my-favourite-kind-of-window-treatments.html">her comments</a> about my <i>No-S</i><i>ew Window Treatments To Stage Your Home.</i>

Best Blog in a Supporting Role...And The Award Goes To...

You want to be friends with her. As soon as I heard the blog's title, I was intrigued. Who wouldn't be? And when I read the story be...

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