Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Got Kids Got a Home for Sale Heres Seven Tips Especially for You
Got Kids Got a Home for Sale Heres Seven Tips Especially for You
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| Do your children really need a closet full of toys all the time? |
If thats your situation, I feel your pain.
I know how stressful it can be when youve just touched up your wall paint, and discover two days later small handprints all up and down the stairwell.
I know how stressful it can be when your realtor calls from down the street, wanting to show your home in a few minutes, and the living room is draped in blanket forts that cover an intricate complex of Lego villages and train tracks.
With these things in mind, Ive collected my favorite tips learned from PWHOM -- parents with a home on the market.
Systematize. Have routines. Do the same procedures daily. For example, everyone makes his or her own bed as soon as he or she gets out of it, one child puts away dishes after every meal, and another sweeps the front steps each evening. Soon, youll have these habits down pat. Life is simpler with simple rituals, and young ones learn new tasks faster when the tasks are repeated at short intervals, like daily, or even twice daily.
Simplify. Put away the toys and games that are not essential. Most children will not miss the majority of their books, toys, games, dolls and stuffed animals. If storing all but their favorites creates a problem, rotate toys in and out of storage, and explain that the situation is just temporary. Its important for your own sanity that children understand -- as best they can -- the importance of all you are doing to help sell your home.
Squirrel-ize. Thats right, think like a squirrel, and hide things. People on a tour of your home dont need to see your basket of diaper changing essentials, the science project your son is in the middle of, the pile of sports equipment near the back door, or your daughters doll collection. Think accessible, but still out of sight and in a place where home buyers dont look. Here are some hiding places I like for temporary stashing:
- under the bed, in sliding boxes
- an emptied, designated dresser drawer
- pretty shoeboxes, hatboxes, or these DIY cardboard vases
- an ottoman or bench with a storage compartment built in
- the washer or dryer
- the trunk of your car
- a vintage piece of luggage or wicker basket
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| Delegate tasks on your pre-showing checklist to everyone in the household. This is my #3 grandson, and he actually likes to vacuum. |
Supervise. Once infrequently used rooms are decluttered and clean, dont let them become catch-all areas for stuff that has no home. If you can close off rooms like the guest room or powder room, placing them off-limits to family members, thats another possibility. Remind them that its just temporary.
Schedule. Make a checklist of what touchups need to be done just prior to a short-notice showing. If you leave the house for work in the morning, never knowing if a Realtor will bring people through during the day, having a touchup checklist is even more important. I know its asking a lot, but selling a home is like running a business. Children, even young ones, should have a designated role in touchups.
Secret-ize. Put away things like schedules and calendars that show when you wont be home or where your children will be, any paperwork and decorations that show your childrens names, or photographs of your children. You do not know who is coming into your home or what they want to know about you. I dont think I have to go into the details. Its all about keeping kids safe.
Synchronize. Work with your Realtor on timing so that showings are not a problem. Most parents prefer showings during school hours. Ideally, you should never have to refuse a showing. Some buyers breeze into town for the day and dont have much scheduling flexibility. Its more important to let your home be shown with some toys scattered about, and some wet towels on the rods, than to let a possible buyer escape. Many buyers interpret a demand for 24-hour notice as "not serious sellers." Be show-ready! I know it can be a hassle, but stay focused on the prize.
Youll drive yourself mad if you expect organized perfection. Its a balancing act. On one hand, buyers know you dont live in a model home, but on the other hand, buyers watch HGTV and they know the market now is a buyers market. Whatever leverage you can gain by making your home the one that looks better than the rest, gives you a clear advantage.
I give other tips to help you navigate the waters toward a sale of your home in my eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and For Top Dollar. For just $4.99, it will pay for itself over and over and over. Or Ill give you your money back.
Got Kids Got a Home for Sale Heres Seven Tips Especially for You
Sunday, August 28, 2016
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Round Up This Blogs Best Home Staging Posts of 2014
Round Up This Blogs Best Home Staging Posts of 2014
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| Choosing a front door color - thats just one topic! |
My blog’s focus has always been to provide the kind of information that helps a home seller get a better price for her home with fewer days on the market.
Looking back at 2014, I’ve selected the seven posts that I think are the most helpful to that end.
Kick Off the Year!
In January I wrote about what most Americans list as their number one New Year’s resolution – getting organized.
Based on my own experience and the advice of experts, here is an ultra-simple, two-step process to getting and staying organized.
Save Your Money.
Sticking to a home staging budget is one challenge that faces everyone who’s trying to dress up her home for the increasingly demanding real estate market.
Here’s a list of best ways I know to get the most for your money when you’re prepping your home for sale.
Power to the Props.
Details make the difference. Once a home is cleaned and decluttered, you’ll need some decor accessories that deliver the message, “Buy me. You’ll love me.” Here are the special home staging props that earn their keep day after day.
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| In March I listed my six favorite props for staging your home. |
Living in Your Staged Home.
Keeping a prettied, shined, and tidied home show-ready can become a non-stop job if you live there like normal people. Buyers dont expect an immaculate setting, but spaces cant look distractingly messy either.
With some clever planning and rethinking, maintaining that model home look is a whole lot less daunting.
Best Front Door Colors.
I know one decorator who tells her clients, “Painting your front door changes everything!” I agree. But selecting the right front door color isn’t always a breeze.
Here’s tips that make the decision easier and guarantee you and buyers will love the improved curb appeal.
Get in Gear.
If you have trouble staying motivated, welcome to the club. I outline the seven powerful strategies that let you accomplish goals, stay on track, and save your sanity no matter what your schedule looks like.
DIY Wall Decor.
Art on the walls solves a list of home staging problems. Art injects personality, fills up bare spaces, sets your home’s style, adds color, balances the weight in a room, and adds another layer to your decorating. I show you how to create one of the easiest DIY art pieces, the abstract painting.
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| Octobers art project: It looks messy, but the results are stunning. |
I want to thank you, my reader, for checking this blog, and for following me on Pinterest, Google+, Facebook, and Twitter. Im sending you my best wishes for a New Year that makes all your dreams come true.
If selling your home is one of your resolutions for 2015, youll want to download my home staging eBooks to help that dream come true.
Round Up This Blogs Best Home Staging Posts of 2014
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Lighting Secrets to Help Sell Your Home
Lighting Secrets to Help Sell Your Home
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| Wide, white lampshade, check! Pale walls, check! Big lamp, check! |
When your home is for sale, the more light your rooms get, the bigger and cleaner it feels to people touring it.
Here are some tips to use indoor lighting and natural that gets those results.
Up the Wattage
Kinda obvious, but often overlooked: Make sure all your fixtures and lamps have all bulbs in the correct wattage.
The emphasis is on “all bulbs.” How many of us have replaced a bulb in a multi-bulb fixture with whatever we had on hand. Or neglected to notice that, in fact, one bulb was burned out. Double check all your lights.
Replace those boob, ceiling light fixtures with something big and bold and reflective. Dont be shy about installing a chandelier style.
Replace those boob, ceiling light fixtures with something big and bold and reflective. Dont be shy about installing a chandelier style.
When it comes to task lighting, you may personally like the moody look of subdued illumination, and cozy pools of light spaced around a room. But this is the kind of lighting that makes a room look small and cramped.
Whether you or your Realtor shows your property, it’s sometimes awkward to circle the room and turn on all the task and accent lights. That’s why it’s important that general, overhead lighting be sufficient.
Other tricks for boosting the brightness: double up on lamps. Yes, I mean pairs of lamps in close proximity. Or, place a large mirror on the wall behind a table or desk that sports a lamp.
Other tricks for boosting the brightness: double up on lamps. Yes, I mean pairs of lamps in close proximity. Or, place a large mirror on the wall behind a table or desk that sports a lamp.
Best Table Lamps
If you are absent before a showing, you can’t count on your realtor to arrive at your house before her clients do, and turn on all lamps.
In one property I had on the market, I put timers on a couple of table lamps, just to make sure that darker room were always well-lighted when I was away.
To me, the cost of electricity was worth it. No one said it wouldn’t cost any money to sell a house.
To me, the cost of electricity was worth it. No one said it wouldn’t cost any money to sell a house.
Most home stagers prefer white lampshades, and for good reason. Darker lampshades will absorb light so that you’re not getting all the wattage you want.
Also, ditch the ditzy table lamps. They take up too much tabletop real estate for the little bit of charm they bring to a space.
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| Nothing beats a pair. Of lamps, that is. I changed the way the cord exited the base on one of these elephant lamps so they could face each other. |
Best Floor Lamps
An extension cord snaking across the floor to a lamp is a red flag to home buyers. It gives the impression that there’s a problem with the home’s wiring, even if there isn’t. Try to arrange lamps so the cord isn’t visible.
Uplights, Downlights
Uplights, Downlights
One clever way to add some drama to a room is with hidden lights that wash a wall with light. Make sure your walls are blemish-free and expertly painted when you aim a light at them at a sharp angle.
Dark corners in a room are no friend to the spacious look you want. Solve the problem with low wattage uplights that can be left on. Or place in the corner a table with a large table lamp. Wall sconces are another possibility. Some are battery operated so theres no cord dangling below if they arent hard-wired.
An unseen light behind a sofa or under kitchen cabinets give a room a certain glow. Lighting like this can often create a focal point or emphasize one such as a fireplace or some built-in cabinetry.
Proving the Rule
Every rule has an exception. If your home is large, make one of your rooms stand out as a dimly lighted retreat. It could be a romantic bedroom, a media room, a man cave, or a library. It shouldn’t be a kitchen, bath, closet, hallway, or children’s room.
This approach could solve the problem of a room that is already dark because it’s on the north side of the home, has poor natural lighting, or is so small that you’re not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s large.
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| What a cool way to hide a less-than-perfect view, but still let in the light. And theres always room for a creative lighting solution like this sunny pendant fixture. Photo: Meredith |
Are your rooms getting enough sunlight? Even if your windows are small – especially if your windows are small – there are ways to increase the amount of perceived light entering the room.
Keep window treatments away from the actual framed window opening. My window treatments ebook shows you how to make 15 different styles of no-sew curtains and draperies especially designed for home staging.
Also, remove or prune outdoor shrubbery that blocks light entering through windows. Watch the way sunlight moves across a room over the course of a day, and observe what’s shading the room. It could be the lower branches of a tree that’s overgrown or too close to the house. People like open views.
Work with your realtor to encourage her to show your home when it looks best. Perhaps the morning sun floods your kitchen, but leaves bedrooms dim. Since many people don’t care about bright morning sun in bedrooms, mornings would be the best time to show the property. Dark and rainy days are not ideal for showings.
Of course, it’s not always possible to control the schedule, but it’s worth mentioning to your Realtor.
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| You cant beat a white ceiling for bringing a room to life. Dont listen to people telling you that the wall color on the ceiling will heighten a room. Light reflection matters more. Designer: Nate Berkus for Katie Lee. |
I’ve given many ceilings a coat of fresh paint, and the client is always amazed at the difference one coat of bright white paint makes. Over time a ceiling can take on a dull grey or brown tone from dust, pollen, aging paint, nicotine or cooking oils in the air.
Paint sold as “ceiling white paint” is especially designed to be reflective because it’s a pure, bright white. It doesn’t have the durability or washablilty of wall and trim paints, so it’s usually less expensive.
If you think your ceiling can benefit from some brightening (most can) it’s not that difficult to paint a ceiling if you do half a room at a time. Remove the small furniture to another room. Scoot all the big stuff to one side of the room, and cover the floor. Then, working on a step ladder, use a brush to cut in around the edge of the ceiling, and roll the reminder from the floor, using a roller screwed onto a long handle (like a mop handle).
Make your walls feel clean and bright with wall colors that reflect rather than soak up light. Muddy colors with dark undertones will close in the walls of a room more than clear, pale colors. Use a flat finish rather than a finish with sheen. Flat finish tends to blur the boundaries of the room, making it feel larger.
Light Your Way to a Purchase Offer
“Plenty of light” is high on the wish list of most buyers. Even if you don’t have an abundance of natural light, you can still go a long way towards pleasing buyers by putting to work my tricks to create the sense of light-filled spaces in your home.Want more tips and encouragement to help you sell your home? That’s what you get when you have my handy eBook, DIY Home Staging Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar. It’s just $4.99 and is an instantly downloadable pdf. You can start today to make your home the one that real estate buyers want.
Top photo: Room design by Melanie Coddington, via Cococozy.
Lighting Secrets to Help Sell Your Home
Saturday, July 23, 2016
If You Ask Me About Home Staging And You Did
If You Ask Me About Home Staging And You Did
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| He may be your best friend, but ... |
You can ask me home staging questions and offer your own give advice on my Facebook Group Page.
Q: Our fenced backyard is a wasteland. We let our dogs have the run of it, so we have basically no landscaping there. The front yard has good curb appeal. What can I do?
A: There really isnt much you can do, is there? Fencing a portion of the yard would cost money, look less than satisfactory, and probably make your dogs unhappy.
Replacing your fencing with invisible fencing would also cost money, and necessitate landscaping the backyard.
Id make sure the landscaped areas around your home that are outside the "dog run" look really pretty.
With luck, youll find a buyer who wants a backyard thats low maintenance and dog-friendly.
A: If you have only two bedrooms, I would stage both with a queen or double bed. But if you have three bedrooms, Id stage the third with twin beds. If the third room is small, even a single or a sleeper would be fine.
Also, let your budget be your guide. Dont go out and buy beds you dont want or need.
Q: Should I change the bathroom faucets in my home? They are gold. They work well but I know they arent the latest style.
A: In my eBook, I recommend changing faucets and other hardware like hinges and doorknobs so that metals match. Matched hardware makes a home look more like a new home.
The gold faucets will definitely date your home (unless they are actually sold brass and in an historic home). However, if you are on a tight budget, and the faucets are in great condition, and youre not replacing other outdated, fixed features such as 40-year old countertops and pink toilets, Id let the gold faucets stay.
In other words, it depends on your home, how youve priced it, and the type of buyer you expect to attract.
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| Faucets dont have to be expensive. And installing one can be a DIY project. Photo: Tiek Built Homes. |
Q: When we stage our home, do we need to convert our home office back into a bedroom?
A: A home office is a definite perk. But homes for sale are listed according to how many bedrooms they have. So, if you reduce the number of bedrooms in your listing, you might as well reduce your price and the desirability of your home!
A room is a bedroom if it has a closet. My advice would be to stage your home office as a bedroom, but keep its office status as well. Its all in how you arrange the furniture. Either squeeze the office space down to just a desk and chair. Or squeeze the sleeping space down to a convertible sofa or sleeper chair.
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| Most bedrooms have space for a small office if you make the bed either a day bed or sleeper sofa. Buyers see the flexibility of the space. Photo: BH&G. |
Q: I plan to paint all three bedrooms in our home. Is it important to paint inside closets, too?
A: Good for you for giving your walls a facelift! Remember to keep those colors light and neutral.
Even though the job may sound daunting, I recommend painting closets. You may have already decluttered your bedroom closets. If not, painting is a great excuse to empty them, then discard or recycle or put into storage whats left.
The good news is that when you paint a closet you dont have to get too fussy about wall imperfections and such. You just want it to look bright and clean. For this reason, I always paint closets white rather than the color of the bedroom. Give the ceiling a fresh coat of white as well, and youll be surprised what a difference it makes.
Do YOU have a question about staging your home for the real estate market? Id like to hear it.
If You Ask Me About Home Staging And You Did
Sunday, July 17, 2016
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