TO DO:

I don't know about you, but I love a good checklist of "To Do" items.  No, I'm not always crazy about the work associated with these lists, but I love the feeling of accomplishment when I've worked my way through them!  Here is a short but important list of things for you to do before marketing your house:

1. Go floral!  (Important note:  OUTSIDE not inside.)  Curb appeal is the first chance you have to make a good impression on potential buyers.  Make sure the lawn, bushes and trees are neatly manicured, weeds are eliminated, grass healthy, and some color is added with seasonal flowers.
2. De-clutter!  The way you live in your home and the way you sell it are two different things.  You may like having your formal dining room house your exercise equipment but potential buyers will not.  Purge your closets - put the off season attire in storage.  Speaking of storage, you may need to consider renting an off site unit if you have quite a bit of "excess" that is taking up space and in turn, taking money off your sale price.  Extra pots & pans, holiday entertaining items, TOYS, and so forth need to go.
3. Use your rooms!  If you have "re-purposed" any room in the house, be sure you transform it back to it's original use.  This holds true for most dedicated exercise rooms, bedrooms that are now a home office, sunrooms used as storage, and so forth.  The size of your home and neighborhood will dictate whether these suggestions are hard and fast so be sure you talk to your real estate agent early in the process.
4. Clean!  Once you've de-cluttered and you can see your baseboards again, make sure you clean them, the floors, shine your fixtures and hire a professional to clean your windows.  Let your interior shine!
5. Need replacements?  If you have big ticket items that are old and worn out...or will be soon...get estimates on how much it would cost to replace them if you don't do it yourself.  Of course, I suggest doing these projects prior to putting the house on the market so the potential buyers don't remember your house as the one with the really bad carpeting....
6. Inspection.  Hmmm...these are usually saved for the buyer to conduct during the option period, isn't it?  Well why not be pro-active and eliminate any surprises that may arise and avoid the low-ball counter-offers that will come if there is anything that needs to be addressed? You'll rest easily knowing what the buyer's inspector will find and will be on your way to a smooth sale.

Now how difficult is that To Do list?  And it certainly isn't expensive!  Just a little effort will go a long way in making your home stand out from the rest.  By taking the time to address just these six simple items, you'll maximize your selling price and minimize the time on the market.  And hey, if you need help...call me, I love "To Do" Lists!  

My Latest Obsession:

These are from Home Decorator's Collection and can be used in a grouping at various heights for a unique centerpiece, or as a glamorous accent on a console.  In any instance, they are my current fave!

SLACKER (?!)

So what to say after after not posting for so long?  I think the term "slacker" comes to mind....  Although I have been far from slacking.  As a matter of fact, I've been crazed with both fun, personal activities as well as work.  Here is a quick recap of the past couple of weeks:

This is my family that my husband flew in from all parts to surprise me for my 40th birthday.  

This is a "move in" design for a fabulous client that I'm enjoying working with.  I had most of the floor-plan outlined months ago but of course, waited until now to fit all of her furnishings into the spaces. This is just a segment of the project, we have 4 bedrooms, a den and a back house in addition to this.  LOVE my new software!  Move in is a couple of weeks out.

I attended this fun event with 5 of my colleagues from RESA.  Created a slideshow showcasing all of our work too...I was very impressed.  I know some VERY talented stagers!  

 Had a great time - met Elvis!

Oooh.... Needed some powder - I was a little *shiny*.

I might finally get to use these fabulous tree stump side tables from West Elm on a project with one of my all time favorite clients.  I have been slightly obsessed with them for over a year.  She & her hubby honeymooned in South Africa and are hoping to bring some of that feeling back home with them.  I'm excited to work on that theme!

I've also been working on a project in Fort Worth.  Here is the "before" that we took at the first of the year.  Blank canvas.

This isn't the exact angle, and definitely not the final shot but here is where we currently are.  Still needs some work with the accessories on the shelving and install some curtains, but it's coming along nicely!

So that is just a little sample of what I've been doing when not blogging....  Not a lot of staging installations but quite a few "roadmaps" drawn for clients who want to do it themselves this past month.  The ebb & flow is unpredictable!

Why Wait? Stage to LIVE.

So this month I have worked with a client who lived in their house for 5+ years and have taken about 5 weeks to make all of the interior and exterior improvements necessary to put their house on the market.  Another client is one who lived in the space for over a decade, moved into a new home and then did the renovations.  My own dad has done and is doing the same thing:  fixing the house up to move out.  The question I want to yell at the top of my lungs to anybody who will listen (hence, this post...note the capitalization to signify a raised voice?) is: 

WHY NOT ENJOY THE IMPROVEMENTS WHILE LIVING IN THE HOUSE?!  

One of the beautiful features of having your own home is that there is no deadline.  I would always suggest painting and doing any replacement of the flooring materials before moving in, just due to the nature of the work, but installing curtains, purchasing furnishings to fit the space, organizing the closets, updating the light fixtures - all of these can be done on your own schedule and budget.  Landscaping - or just planting potted flowers - is a simple, inexpensive and happy update that anybody can make in the springtime.  You can even buy potted flowers at the grocery store!  

Is it just me?  Who wouldn't want to live in a tidy, well decorated space?  Stage your home to LIVE and then when you're ready to sell, you'll already be ahead of the game and living in a space that is comfortable and relaxing instead of a construction zone.