Open Houses -- Good Idea or Bad?

<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;"><a href="http://real-estate-101.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/open_house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://real-estate-101.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/open_house.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo: Real Estate 101</i></td></tr></tbody></table>A well-staged home begs for an open house.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Good Idea?</b></span> But whether or not an open house brings serious buyers depends on three things:<br /><ul><li>Your realtor</li><li>Your city/town/neighborhood</li><li>You</li></ul>According to a <a href="http://athomesrealty.com/huntsville/real-estate-marketing/our-open-house-system-will-sell-your-home/">realtor in Alabama</a>, open houses work better for realtors than they do for home sellers. She offers up some fascinating statistics about how effective open houses actually are. Her conclusion is that open houses arranged as a guided tour for a specific group of realtors work much, much better than open houses for the public.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Showings Done Right.</b></span> If you want to have an open house and your realtor agrees, I hope she does it right. Whether just realtors or the public as well are invited, a good realtor will do more than hang a  balloon out front on a Sunday afternoon.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>  <br />She'll promote your open house all week online and with signage.<br /><br />She'll contact house hunters and plenty of other brokers about the event.<br /><br />She'll help you stage your house by making suggestions in advance. <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Too Quirky?</b></span> I just read a story about <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/ontheblock/detail?entry_id=77044">a home stager/realtor in San Francisco</a> who is hosting an open house that's more like a gallery opening, complete with wine and cheese. Yeah, it's chic and hip, wine-loving, art-loving San Francisco, but maybe there's an idea here for the rest of us.<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://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/EA/light-flooded-living-room-xlg-10676245copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="500" src="http://www.housebeautiful.com/cm/housebeautiful/images/EA/light-flooded-living-room-xlg-10676245copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Whatever art you choose to use, make it part of the appeal, not a distraction.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br />The San Francisco stager is unique in that she always features art from local artists in her stagings. I like that idea. It emphasizes the local appeal of the property. It provides a reason for showing up. It guarantees the art will be not run-of-the-mill.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Art or Not?</b></span> Readers of my<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank"> eBook, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar</i></a>, know that I usually advise against hanging art that calls attention to itself in a staged home. The focus should be on the house, not the art.<br /><br />So, art selections would have to be appropriate for staging if it's going to remain in place after the open house.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>A Handout</b></span>.Whatever open house style your realtor chooses, be sure to give people who show up something tangible to leave with.<br /><br />The best takeaways are sheets printed with plenty of hard facts, like square footage, taxes, HOA dues, age of structure, and anything that makes your house look especially valuable or desirable. If you have a recent appraisal or a great inspection report, attach the summary sheets.<br /><br />As always, photos are important. Make your house memorable. Your open house may be one of many that house hunters are visiting that same day.<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/Tinasloghome-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/Tinasloghome-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My friend Tina's house is so far out in the country, no one would find it without a special map.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>When Not to Host.</b></span> When does an open house not make good sense?<br /><br />When your location is so remote or otherwise difficult to access that house hunters aren't likely to make the effort. In today's computer age, virtual tours have minimized if not eliminated the need for open houses.<br /><br />Still, many people, especially older demographic groups, like the idea of an actual home tour.<br /><br />It's also veering towards foolish to have an open house if your property is a luxury home or so unusual that it will attract too many sightseers.  However, if you have staged your home the right way, you'll have removed or hidden what's valuable or easily pilfered.<br /><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/IMG_7055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/IMG_7055.jpg" width="187" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>My mom. She knew best.</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Mother Said It Best.</b></span> To the naysayers who argue that too many of the people who show up for open houses are just amusing themselves, I'll quote my Mom:<br /><br />"You never know whom you're going to meet!"<br /><br />She always said that to me whenever I was leaving the house looking less than my best. I'm saying it to you because you never know where a serious buyer will come from.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sources of Business.</b></span> I once painted a house that had been bought by the people who lived next door to it. They bought it for aging parents. I painted another house purchased by people who lived across the street from it. They wanted it for an investment property. As a landlady, I've rented a house to a friend of the neighbor.<br /><br />My point: Don't rule out anyone as a source of business.     <br /><br />You, yourself are the third piece of the puzzle.<br /><br />Have you staged your home to be irresistible?<br /><br />Is it extra clean, free of clutter and whatever else turn buyers off?<br /><br />I tell you exactly what buyers expect, and 10 quick-fix tips for a successful open house in my<a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://ebook./"></a><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebooks.html" target="_blank">eBook</a>.

Open Houses -- Good Idea or Bad?

Photo: Real Estate 101 A well-staged home begs for an open house. Good Idea? But whether or not an open house brings serious buyers depends...

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Girl's Guide to Painting Your Front Door

<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/Bsmiling.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/Bsmiling.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, you can paint your own front door, and do it perfectly!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What makes this</b></span> a girl's guide rather than a uni-gender guide?<br /><br />Well, you'll paint the door in place, so there's no need to pull hinge pins and lug the door somewhere to put on sawhorses.<br /><br />And like a real lady, you'll get beautiful results without making a mess.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">You'll do it</span><b> </b></span>the right way.  My way.<br /><br />If that's not female thinking, what is?<br /><br />Do <i>not</i> paint a door the way most HGTV hosts paint a door, with it closed, and starting in the middle. So wrong. I've painted many doors, both interior, and exterior. These are my best tips.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/Drawing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/Drawing.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Test your door.</span> </b>Even before you decide on a color and go to buy your paint, you'll need to know if your door was painted the last time with oil paint or latex paint.<br /><br />If you put latex paint on top of glossy oil paint, it will not adhere, and it can begin soon to flake off.<br /><br />Testing is simple. Dip the corner of a rag in rubbing alcohol. Rub the moistened rag on the paint surface. If any paint comes off, it is latex paint.  If no paint comes off, it is oil paint. If you have a door painted with oil paint, you will have to apply a bonding primer, or else use oil again. You do not want to use oil, and in many states, you cannot even buy oil paint anymore. Talk to your paint supplier about a good bonding primer.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Timing is everything.</b></span> Choose  a day that's good for painting. Since you'll have to keep your door open, it's best if it's not too hot or cold. If your door is a metal one, it's especially important that you not paint on a day so hot that the metal is hot, because your paint will dry too fast, making it difficult to get good results. A windy day isn't good either because the air is full of junk.<br /><br />You need a day when it's okay to leave the door ajar for a few hours. Start when you have more than an hour of undisturbed time because you can't walk away mid-project. If you start late in the day, you want a two-day window of good weather.  <br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have a plan. </b></span> Read these instructions. That's the girly way. Gather your supplies. Here's the list:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/supplies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/supplies.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><ul><li>Work clothes and gloves, because you're bound to get paint on you.</li><li>Fine sandpaper,about the same grit as one of your emery boards.</li><li>Clean rag, damp on one end, dry on the other.</li><li>Broom and dustpan, because debris in wet paint is problematic.  </li><li>Dropcloth, see my thoughts on dropcloths <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/08/painting-your-home-heres-advice-about.html">here.</a></li><li>One quart latex exterior paint, either semi gloss or satin finish, but you'll use less than half of that amount, in case you want to use something you already have on hand.</li><li>Stir stick </li><li>Clean work bucket (empty 1-gallon paint can or a plastic bucket)</li><li>Paint brush, a good one, 2 to 3 inches wide</li><li>Masking tape (optional)</li><li>Step stool if you are under 5'5"</li></ul><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>First step: Prep. </b></span>With the door closed (just like on television!), sand the entire surface. Open the door, and sand the hinged edge and around the perimeter where you couldn't sand with the door closed. Fine grit sandpaper is good for most doors, but if there are rough spots or drips, or lots of trash in the last painter's paint, use a medium grit to start with.<br /><br />Place something immovable behind the door so you can paint it in an open position without it moving or fighting you. Use something heavy, but soft enough that it won't scratch the interior door surface.<br /><br />Sweep the floor all around the door and get rid of all dust and loose stuff. Lay a dropcloth under the door and cover up or move away anything that can be damaged by paint, like your welcome mat, flower pots, porch floor, brick steps, handrail, or furniture. Use the damp rag to wipe down the surface of the door.<br /><br />If you see mildew on the door, wash it with a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, then wipe with a clean damp cloth. Make sure the door is dry everywhere before continuing.   <br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/1hinge.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/1hinge.jpg" width="340" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The edge: End the paint in a grove for a straight line.</span></i><br /><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Cover with masking tape anything you think you will have trouble painting around cleanly, like the doorknob, knocker, house numbers, or the rubber sweep along the bottom edge. I chose to just paint around the doorknob, sweep, house numerals, and glass.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pop the lid.</b></span> Open the paint, and carefully stir it with the stir stick.  Pour all of it into the work bucket and stir again to distribute any solids. Wipe the lip of the paint can with your brush, and use your rag to clean off any paint that dripped down the side, so you'll always have a legible label on your paint can. Replace the lid on the can and get it out of your way so you don't back up to admire your work and trip on it.<br /><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/3cutin.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/3cutin.jpg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Feather out strokes for smooth finish. when cutting in.</span></i><br /><div><i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Edge it. </b></span>Paint the edge first. The rule is, when a door is painted different colors on two sides, each of the side edges gets a different color. The hinged edge gets the outside color when the door swings in. If your door swings out (the way storm doors do) the leading edge -- with the knob -- gets the exterior color.<br /><br />The door I'm painting had painted hinges, so I had to paint them again.  If your hinges are still metal, paint around them, or mask them with tape. Keep a clean line on the edge so paint doesn't wrap around to the inside of the door. Use the damp edge of your rag to clean any paint that goes where it shouldn't.<br /><br />Next I painted around the house numerals, glass, and knob. If you masked any of these things, you can go to the next step.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do reveals and panels.</b></span> If your door has raised panels, paint the reveals next. Then paint the panels themselves. Doublecheck that no paint is dripping down the corners of the reveals.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">Paint cross pieces.</span></b><b> </b>Next paint the rails, starting with the top one, continuing to rail #2, then rail #3 which includes painting around the knob, and finally #4 at the bottom.<br /><br />When you paint the bottom rail, keep paint off the flexible rubber sweep, unless it was painted already by the last painter, in which case you might as well paint it again.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Paint up and down. </b></span>Finally paint the stiles. If you can manage it, make the final brush strokes on the two side stiles go from top to bottom in one stroke. Start with the stile on the hinged side, and finish with the knob side, keeping a clean, straight edge because that's the edge you'll see most often.<br /><br /><table 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/9crosspieces.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/9crosspieces.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Paint the two side stiles last.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />To get a clean line on the edge of the door, lightly load the brush with paint, and lay it crosswise at the edge, patting the paint lightly as though your were applying blush, or frosting a delicious chocolate birthday cake (fantasizing here).<br /><br />This way, you're letting the natural edge of the door make painting a straight line easy. Then, make a vertical stroke to smooth out the paint surface.<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/17howtodocorners.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/17howtodocorners.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">The final up-and-down strokes should </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">cover the ends of the crosswise strokes</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table 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/13edge.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/13edge.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Start the edge strokes like </span></i><br /><i><span style="font-size: small;">you're frosting a cake.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Inspect your work.</b></span> Check every square inch of the door's surface to be sure you don't have drips or runs.<br /><br />Latex paint dries quickly, so depending on the temperature of the day and of the door, you may not be able to do-over brush strokes.  But you can dab away drips.<br /><br /><b><span style="font-size: large;">What about rollers?</span></b> I often use a small roller to paint doors because it leaves a stippled surface that usually levels out to give you a uniform surface with no brush strokes. Brush strokes aren't a bad sign, as long as they are smooth and even.<br /><br />I wrote about the <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-paint-like-pro.html">Whiz  roller system</a><a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/2010/03/how-to-paint-like-pro.html">.</a> If your door is one large flat surface, I recommend using the small roller after first cutting in the tricky parts with a brush.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Pick up time. </b></span>Wait until the paint is dry to remove the <a href="http://dropcloth./">dropcloth.</a><br /><br />Meanwhile, pour your paint back in the original paint can and wipe the lip and clean off the label if necessary. Aren't we neat?<br /><table 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/7knob.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/7knob.jpg" width="358" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">If you roll, you could roll at this point.</span></i><br /><div style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Mr. Lucky is saying to me, "Be sure to tell them to use a good brush." <br /><br />Okay. Use a brush that has a tapered tip. I'm not talking about an angled brush, although that would be fine to use. A tapered tip means the bristles will end gradually, like a layered haircut, not bluntly.  Tapering is what gives you good control of the paint.<br /><br />Wash your brush well, even if you will be using it the next day. Use warm water and a little dish detergent to help dissolve all the paint on the brush.<br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr align="left"><td><a href="http://i951.photobucket.com/albums/ad351/2painters/18fini.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/18fini.jpg" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr align="left"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Drying: Here is where a storm door helps.</span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;"> If bugs fly into the paint, </span></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">let them die </span></i><i style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-size: small;">and pick them out of the dried finish.  </span></i></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />I always switch to latex gloves for this operation because whatever chemicals are in paint to make it dry fast, are hard on a girl's hands. If you got an early start and you are putting two coats on the door in one day, you could wrap your brush bristles well in plastic wrap until it's time for the second coat.<br /><br />The second coat always goes faster, because the prep work is done and the surface is smoother.<br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Watch paint dry.</b></span> The longer you can leave  the door slightly ajar, the better. Closing it too soon could off-set the paint onto your trim or gasket, and that's never a good thing. But isn't your newly painted door pretty?<br /><br />Since your entrance is such an important part of curb appeal, painting a front door is something every gal should know how to do.<br /><br />Order 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>, for more helpful tips and techniques to make your DIY home staging effective and easy.<br /><br /><br /><center></center>

Girl's Guide to Painting Your Front Door

Yes, you can paint your own front door, and do it perfectly! What makes this a girl's guide rather than a uni-gender guide? Well, you...

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FSBO? Learn from the DIY Pros!

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/headerbg_yhlnewtag3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="http://www.younghouselove.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/headerbg_yhlnewtag3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />If you are selling your home FSBO, you need to visit Sherry and John at <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/page/2/">Young House Love.</a> They recently sold the house they have transformed from a small and ordinary ranch into a warm and stylish home for their young family. These two fun people have more creativity in their pinkies than most of us have in our whole bodies, and they are experts not only at DIY, but at explaining how to.<br /><br />My <a href="http://diyhomestagingtips.blogspot.com/p/ebook_02.html">eBook</a>, <i>DIY Home Staging Tips for Selling Your House Fast and for Top Dollar</i>, has plenty of DIY projects that anyone can do to improve the saleability of any house. You can download it now, and start staging your own home easily, effectively, economically, and efficiently. I show you how!

FSBO? Learn from the DIY Pros!

If you are selling your home FSBO, you need to visit Sherry and John at Young House Love. They recently sold the house they have transforme...

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How to Stage a Home for Holidays

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

How to Stage a Home for Holidays

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

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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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