How to Get the Hang of Picture Hanging

<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;"><img border="0" height="425" src="http://www.desiretoinspire.net/storage/allpostphotos/FBA1_21.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1288137968883" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>This room would look lopsided without the beautiful, generously sized Asian art. Photo: Henrik Olund, DesireToInspire.net</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Some of the most common mistakes people make when staging their homes for sale, is poor art placement. Yet, there are only a few things you need to know about hanging artworks on walls.<br /><ul><li>Hang art at eye level. The average American male is 5'10", and the average female is 5'3", so the center of your art should be about five and a half feet off the floor. </li></ul><ul><li>Hang the largest piece of art on the largest wall. Also, leave one wall bare, but not the largest one. </li></ul><ul><li>Cluster like with like. You won't hear an interior decorator tell you this, but in a home staged for the real estate market, simplicity and clear intentions rule. Don't mix paintings with posters with photographs with textile wall hangings, all on the same wall.</li></ul><ul><li>Choose art that makes buyers feel comfortable and confident. Stay with landscapes, seascapes, animals, abstracts, and still lifes.  Avoid political, ethnic, religious, confrontational, or controversial art, including nudes.</li></ul><ul><li>Photographs, drawings, prints, and posters should be framed under glass, and the mats surrounding the prints should be wide and white.  Painting should have frames.</li></ul><ul><li>Use wall hangings other than prints and paintings for variety and texture. Hang baskets, plates, masks, wreaths, and carvings. </li></ul><ul><li>Resist the urge to prop framed art against the wall on a dresser, table, or the floor. Hang it up. Art that's just leaning against a wall looks too casual and unfinished in a staged home.</li></ul>There are a gazillion ways to arrange a group of pictures. Okay, not a gazillion, but here are some samples to help you appreciate wall arrangements done well.<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://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-OokBWwLXjXadwJzmeH-aP3T07zvwWL5vkttfqbQGW8BBDa4&t=1&usg=__YFXWSeFazLHhRFwyUkkoRPSbVSk=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS-OokBWwLXjXadwJzmeH-aP3T07zvwWL5vkttfqbQGW8BBDa4&t=1&usg=__YFXWSeFazLHhRFwyUkkoRPSbVSk=" width="475" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Classic colorful foursquare, nicely framed. Photo: Southern Living Magazine</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><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://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/images/DJ/Bedroom-Decor-pictures-fb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/cm/goodhousekeeping/images/DJ/Bedroom-Decor-pictures-fb.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Three sepia photographs, all restful scenes. Photo: Good Housekeeping Magazine<a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" /></a></i></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/misc/pixel.gif" /></a></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/bhg/images/2006/11/l_100493556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2006/11/l_100493556.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Plates become art when artfully arranged. Photo: Better Homes and Gardens Magazine</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://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/08/ss_BHG153216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/2009/08/ss_BHG153216.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Clean and bold to emphasize the fireplace. Photo: Meredith.com</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://sunnysblog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452b82f69e2011168cdd4b5970c-800wi" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://sunnysblog.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83452b82f69e2011168cdd4b5970c-800wi" width="372" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Every room needs art. Photo: sunnysblog.typepad.com </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Once you have sold your home, it's great to be able to un-stage without patching and touching up walls.  <a href="http://www.command.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/NACommand/Command/Products/Product-Catalog/?PC_7_RJH9U523080QE0IIHEICN90GC1_nid=86QH3CT1CLbeF0GFSQ26BSgl">Hangers </a>that stick to the wall but let you peel them off, are the way to go. No holes!<br /><br />Art it too important an element of home staging to mess up.  Follow these simple tips, and get more advice how how to find, select, arrange, and even make your own art for staging in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook,</a> DIY Home Staging Tips.<br /><br />

How to Get the Hang of Picture Hanging

This room would look lopsided without the beautiful, generously sized Asian art. Photo: Henrik Olund, DesireToInspire.net Some of the most c...

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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 ...

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Staged Houses Look Good After Dark, Too

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/special_issues/2009Q4//ml710_hal09_s15_xl.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="256" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: MarthaStewart.com</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Even though it's supposed to be a spooky, freaky, creepy holiday, Halloween in my neighborhood looked pretty darn friendly.<br /><br />Was it the candy? Was it the kids in their cute disguises?<br /><br />Guess again.<br /><br />It was the exterior lighting! What's more welcoming than a porch light? Halloween made me realize the power that illumination has to make people feel good.<br /><br />Home stagers would do well to make nighttime lighting part of the package, because it's not unusual for people interested in your home to drive by after dark. They want to see what the neighborhood is like when more people are home. Is it noisy? Is it safe? Is there parking? Is there traffic?  <br /><br />Years ago I lived a few blocks away from a young family who seemed to have the lights on in every room all evening. This kind of extravagance was a novelty to me, and I recall thinking two things:<br /><br />They must be rich. And, they must be doing interesting things. I know it's dumb, but ... well, I'm just a normal schlep, so these thoughts might be normal. These are the thoughts you want people to have about your house, that people live The Good Life there. Potential buyers want to live The Good Life, too! Subtlely, your home becomes more desirable, not a place where a grinch sits each evening alone in one room illuminated by the glow of a small tv screen. <br /><br />My advice to you if your home is listed for sale is to make it come alive at night. With Daylight Savings Time ending soon, the lights need to come on earlier and stay on. I know it's not politically correct to recommend wasting energy, but you have a house to sell, a temporary situation that calls for harnessing all kinds of temporary techniques.<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="251" src="http://netdna.copyblogger.com/images/haunted.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Copyblogger</td></tr></tbody></table>Especially if your house on the market is vacant, you want to avoid the haunted look.  Set some timers to have lamps come on and go off at random times.  These timers cost about $10 and could prevent a break-in.  Staging is all about creating a lived-in look, even when no one is home.   <br /><br />Having outside walkways, steps and even landscaping illuminated makes your house the friendly house. It's a safety issue as well as a decorative one. It's just good staging.<br /><br />If you want to know more about creating a home that looks desirable, read what five different exterior lighting experts say about the whys and hows of what they do <a href="http://www.designnewjersey.com/features/index.cfm?id=68">here.</a><br /><br />And read other advice in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, DIY Home Staging Tips.  I'll leave the light on for you.<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="266" src="http://www.designnewjersey.com/data/issue/DNJDJ09ITKN3XI3C1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Tanek H. Hook, courtesy Reynolds Landscaping Illumination, NJ<br /><div style="text-align: left;"></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.designnewjersey.com/data/issue/DNJDJ09ITKN3XI3C1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div> <center><a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=4Mqa*w8eC4k&offerid=242243.9&type=4&subid=0"><img alt="Ceiling Light Banner" border="0" src="http://www.bowerylights.com/linkshare/bannerad1.png"></a><img alt="banner" border="0" height="1" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=4Mqa*w8eC4k&bids=242243.9&type=4&subid=0" width="1"></center>

Staged Houses Look Good After Dark, Too

Photo: MarthaStewart.com Even though it's supposed to be a spooky, freaky, creepy holiday, Halloween in my neighborhood looked pretty da...

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An Easy Alternative to Empty Rooms - Virtual Staging

<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="248" src="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/10/31/realestate/31post2/31post2-popup.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Halstead Property via The New York Times</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/10/31/realestate/31post2/31post2-popup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>An article in today's New York Times describes an alternative to actual staging -- using virtual furnishings to enhance photos for real estate listings.  There are plenty of interesting statistics in here to support the use of any kind of staging, but virtual staging is worth investigating, because it's so reasonably priced and simple.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/realestate/31posting.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/realestate/31posting.html?emc=tnt&tntemail1=y</a><br /><br />Here are the virtual staging companies that do the most convincing work.<br /><br /><a href="http://virtuallystagingproperties.com/index.html">http://virtuallystagingproperties.com/index.html</a>  <br /><br /><a href="http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/?gclid=CNbcqP-H_aQCFUmA5QodUGlGig">http://virtualstagingsolutions.com/?gclid=CNbcqP-H_aQCFUmA5QodUGlGig</a><br /><br />I write about the advantages and disadvantages of virtual staging in my <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, DIY Home Staging Tips.  

An Easy Alternative to Empty Rooms - Virtual Staging

Photo: Halstead Property via The New York Times An article in today's New York Times describes an alternative to actual staging -- using...

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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 ...

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Tips for Cleaning and Organizing a Closet

<div style="text-align: left;">Oh, the irony of it! Pink Overalls writing about decluttering when her own utility closet looks like this.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_673102454"></span><span id="goog_673102455"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/withdoor.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/homestaging/withdoor.jpg" width="356" /></a></div>     <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>BUT </b></span>what better way to get some clarity on an issue than by digging in and doing? My closet may not look all that nasty, but locating and retrieving necessities was getting difficult, and I knew there was junk in there that I didn't want or need anymore. So, here's what I did:</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Hauled everything out of the closet.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Okay</b></span>, that was the easy part. Organization comes easy to me, but throwing things out doesn't.  I look at a collection of lamp parts and think, "Lamps are expensive. I could make or fix a lamp from these."<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/lampparts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/lampparts.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span id="goog_503452093"></span><span id="goog_503452094"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;">But really, I should be thinking, "What chain of events would make me need these?" Then, it becomes apparent that unless I really need another lamp (unlikely), or a valuable lamp needs a part (unlikely), or I have no money to go buy even a second hand lamp (unlikely), I have no need for the lamp parts.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>AND THAT </b></span>is how I spent the next two hours.   </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The result looks like this.  </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="goog_1518930363"></span><span id="goog_1518930364"></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetmakeoverhallcloset.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/closetmakeoverhallcloset.jpg" width="337" /></a></div>I now have room for my vacuum cleaner in the cleaning closet. Order has replaced chaos, and I was so pleased that I had to stop myself from going on to do another closet. Sort of.    <br /><br />If someone like me who doesn't enjoy purging (I even hate the word) can toss things, you can too. Here are some pointers for making it a little easier to get a closet cleaned and organized: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">PROBE.</span></b> Ask these questions of everything you take out of the closet. Do I like it? Do I need it? Would it be difficult to replace? The answer to at least one of these questions should be, "Yes." Ideally, the answer to all three would be, "Yes!"  </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>MOTIVATE.</b></span> Tackle this project when you are feeling clear-headed and energetic, but not necessarily happy.  Being a little annoyed at your clutter makes getting rid of it easier. Don't get sentimental or nostalgic, as these emotions will slow you down and cloud your rationality. Just keep envisioning how righteous your closet will look and how well it will function for you. And how impressed house hunters will be. Yes, impressed, because most people have messes in hidden places, and <i>you</i> won't.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>STRATEGIZE. </b></span>Give yourself room. You may have to clear a space outside the closet as a landing platform. A big bed nearby is a boon. I had to spread my closet contents out along the adjacent hallway, but it worked fine.  Keeping a wastebasket or garbage bag handy saves steps.   <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">REWARD.</span></b> Promise yourself something you like once you're done. I told myself I could have a blueberry yogurt smoothie. Staying hungry helped move the project along. What's your perk?  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CATEGORIZE.</b></span>  I found it efficient to sort as I emptied. I clustered cleaning supplies, vacuum cleaner accessories, batteries, candles, picture hanging supplies, tools, and so forth, as I took them off the shelves.  <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/closetshelves-hallcloset.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/closetshelves-hallcloset.jpg" width="356" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">CONSOLIDATE.</span></b> I discovered I had three separate spray bottles of window cleaner, and that all the liquid fit into just one bottle. Cleaning cloths were in three different places, leftover hinges and cabinet knobs were hither and thither, and lamp parts were everywhere. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><b>RELOCATE. </b></span>Whenever I came upon an item that belonged in another place, I took it there, including a pile in the living room for Goodwill. I knew I risked distraction by "leaving the work site," but dealing with strays kept the area around me from getting too congested. "Focus. focus," I told myself.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>CONFIDE. </b></span>You can create your own accountability factor, even a contrived one like I did. I knew I'd be blogging about my closet re-set. I had someone to impress: you, my reader. I didn't want to look like a slob blogger. Maybe you have an open house coming up that could serve as your accountability push.        <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>DISCOVER. </b></span>You're bound to unearth some treasures. My favorite tiny screwdriver that I thought I'd lost showed up. A box of Magic Erasers I didn't know I had was hidden under a bag of sponges. A generous  stash of grocery bags that we need for when we, ahem, walk our beagle, occupied a back corner. Enough old hinges, cabinet knobs, and lamp parts (pat on back!) manifested to net me enough cash from the scrap metal place to take a friend and myself to lunch.        <br /><br />When house hunters tour homes on the market, they usually look in closets. Closets are important to buyers, and a tidy closet speaks well of you and your staged home. So, dig in! The hardest part is getting started. Honest.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>GET HELP.</b></span> For more encouraging tips and techniques that make house staging easy, 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><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.handymancraftywoman.com/"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v127/lars72/733blog%20design%20images/WAW_BUTTON.png" /></a></center>

Tips for Cleaning and Organizing a Closet

Oh, the irony of it! Pink Overalls writing about decluttering when her own utility closet looks like this.      BUT what better way to get s...

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Q. When Does Staging End? A. It Ain't Over till It's Over.

<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="440" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/Barbarawvan.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>We loaded our van five times to reclaim the staging furniture </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>and props we used  </i></span><i style="font-size: medium;">to stage the condo we just sold.</i></td></tr></tbody></table>Even though we've had a signed offer and binding contract on the condo we staged five months ago, we didn't remove any of our precious fluffing until we were almost ready to close. Why wait so long?  Two reasons.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">First Reason</span></b><br /><br />Until you leave the closing table, the deal isn't done.  Sometimes snags and glitches appear at the last minute. Someone gets sick. Or dies. The bank's papers don't arrive. There's a last minute question about an easement, a will, a lien, a signature.<br /><br /> Whenever real estate changes hands, there are plenty of t's to cross and i's to dot.<br /><br />If the deal does fall through for some crazy reason, and you have to relist the property, the staging is in place, ready to show. This event is rare, but why take a chance?<br /><br />Mr. Lucky and I spent a few hours the day before our closing on Tuesday, carrying couches, tables, chairs, lamps and <i>everything else </i>out of the condo.  Everything. You don't want to do that in reverse the next day.<br /><br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Secondly...</span></b><br /><br />The other reason staging should stay is you want your staging working its magic when inspections are done.  The buyer of our condo hired a home inspector, and the bank hired an appraiser.<br /><br />Both these people, on different days, went over the unit looking for problems. It's nice to think that they are objective professionals, filling in blanks, checking off boxes on forms, and multiplying numbers to determine things like square footage, cost per square foot, and bottom line worth.<br /><br />But, you know what?<br /><br />These people can't help but be influenced by how clean a property looks, feels, and smells. Ms. Speedy told us this was true, and other realtors have told us the same thing.  Leave the staging up until all inspectors have come, poked around, and gone.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Staging Works!</span></b><br /><br />Knowing that nuts and bolts people like appraisers and home inspectors are influenced by staging affirms my belief in the value of staging a home on the market.<br /><br />Even the numbers people can't ignore the value of freshly painted walls, shampooed carpeting, handsome furniture, uncluttered surroundings, and beautiful props.<br /><br />That's why it surprises me that more homes aren't staged.<br /><br />Even the big boys miss the point some times.  A realtor friend arranged a tour for me of some luxury condos in our town. These units have been for sale for over a year, and they are all very nice. Yet, the builder has had to reduce the prices gradually until now they are about 40% less than they initially were.<br /><br />Sure the economy is the problem, but isn't that one more reason to stage?  I expected to see at least one model unit furnished, but no. Hello?<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;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/SkySailkitchen-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>They couldn't have found a vase of silk flowers, some faux lemons, </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>or a colorful teapot to liven up this high end kitchen?</i></span>  </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/homestaging/SkySailkitchen-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>I'm convinced that our simple staging helped sell our condo.  Comparable units in the same complex are still waiting for a buyer.<br /><br />In fact, for the past month, Ms. Speedy has marched clients past our Sale Pending sign and through our unit after they have walked away from the other units, so they could see "what can be done."<br /><br />Most people want to move right in to their new home. They don't <i>want</i> no stinkin' repairs! <br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">A Modest Celeebration</span></b><br /><br />To celebrate the closing of our property, Mr. Lucky and I went out to dinner.  We both ordered the same thing -- Low Country Steamed Seafood.  Clams, crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes, and sausage.  What's not to love?  For dessert, we stopped at the dollar store for a treat -- Good Humor Oreo Ice Cream Bars.  Now, that's a celebration. <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="223" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/Harborwalk/GoodHumorwrapper.jpg" 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 tell that the wrapper on mine was torn off in a hurry?  </i></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Was I afraid it would melt, or could I just not be patient? </i></span></td></tr></tbody></table>If you are on the fence about staging the home you are selling, I hope I've helped you see the value staging has. My <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook,</a> <i>DIY Home Staging Tips</i> <i>to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar</i>, tells you how to do it yourself so you don't have to hire a home stager.      <br /><br /><span id="goog_21283543"></span><span id="goog_21283544"></span>

Q. When Does Staging End? A. It Ain't Over till It's Over.

We loaded our van five times to reclaim the staging furniture  and props we used   to stage the condo we just sold. Even though we've ha...

Read more »