Faced with a huge amount of unsold homes, many would-be sellers are struggling to make their properties stand out in today's real estate market. But while the economic head winds are beyond property owners' control, they can dramatically improve their chances of making a sale by devoting attention to an often-overlooked corner of real estate marketing: home staging. "The goal [of home staging] is for the buyer to mentally move in. "If they cannot mentally feel and see themselves living here, you've lost them."

Get them inside. The first thing a prospective buyer notices about a home is not the living room but the front yard. "A lot of people think staging is the inside only". "[But] we've got to stage the outside to get them inside." So cut the grass, trim the hedges, rake those leaves, sweep the sidewalks, and power-wash the driveway. And make sure you don't have too many potted plants scattered around he property. "Nothing dead," ....."You'd be amazed how many people have dead plants in their yards."

There are more than 101 ways to increase the value of your property, but there are far fewer ways of adding value without spending a significant amount of money on home renovations.

As the housing market has come to a SLOW down, many homeowners are turning to better interior designs and furnishings to beautify their homes and try to increase the value of their property.

It is not always easy to increase the value of your property, however there are a few things to avoid. We have found that having a hot tub can take a toll on the value of your home (parents worry about safety and maintenance costs) and the installation of new carpet and flooring has a very minimal impact on the value of your property as many people prefer hardwood floors.

Increasing the value of your property sounds straightforward enough, but it is often trickier than many of us realize and we can often get it wrong.

Take a look at these three straightforward ways to increase the value of your property:

1- Let in the light

When you are looking to sell your home, it’s vital that you make every inch of your house as bright as possible. This can easily be achieved by allowing as much natural light through your home as possible; you may need to consider some newer, lighter window coverings and ditching the old dusty curtains.

If you allow natural light in your home and place mirrors on the adjacent wall, the light will reflect throughout the round to create the illusion of spaciousness, even in the smallest of rooms.

It’s crucial that when you are showing potential buyers around your home that your entrance hall is warm, clean and inviting. Remember that homebuyers will judge your home within seconds so it’s crucial.

2- Go minimalist

When you have been living in a place for more than five years, you often acquire a large amount of STUFF and furnishings. We advisable to de-clutter your home and remove any unnecessary items that are taking up valuable space; buyers are looking for space….

You should find that with the de-cluttering of your home the more light comes through your rooms, as it has less obstacles blocking its path.

3- Make the important rooms count

We have found that there a lot of value added to a property by replacing an old kitchen and bathrooms with a new one. If you feel that you can do a good job yourself, you could save yourself a third of the cost of hiring a builder by renovating it yourself. You can purchase show room model bathroom and kitchen materials and do some research for tips on how to install them. However if you are not handy….it would be to your best interest to hire someone to complete the renovations.  Turn rooms back to their original intensions..for an example the living room should not have a pool table in the middle of the room.

Home Remodeling on any Budget

Home Remodeling on any Budget

Home remodeling is a notorious task, often considered a four-letter word by homeowners everywhere. Horror stories abound concerning contractors’ venality, insane city zoning and codes, and projects with skyrocketing budgets and completion dates.

And yet home remodeling is still hugely popular. And that’s because home remodeling gives old homes new flavor, making your old home feel new again. Truly, a good remodel can sometimes be even better than purchasing a new home.

Oftentimes, full scale home remodeling, complete with contractors, full additions, and brand new appliances/flooring/counters, simply isn’t an option. So how can you get the best results when home remodeling on any budget? Well, consider these simple ideas, which can have a big impact on your home without draining your bank account.

Paint

Painting makes an immediate impact on any home. Updating old or boring color schemes often is change enough to give an old home new personality. And it is by far your cheapest option when it comes to remodeling. But where can painting have the biggest impact? Well, that really depends upon where your home needs it most. But here’s where it is typically most effective:

The kitchen

Having a new, stylish kitchen  can update the house as a whole. And, depending upon the rest of the kitchen, sometimes a fresh coat of paint is all that’s truly needed. So, try adding fresh paint to your kitchen’s walls, cabinets, door frames, or even floor.

Entry way / foyer

Being greeted with an interesting and eye catching paint job immediately upon entering a home is a fantastic way to inject new life into any house and ups the wow factor for potential homebuyers.

Accent walls

Accent walls can transform any room, and are extremely affordable (not to mention simple). All it takes is painting a single wall in any room. Try using bright vibrant colors that complement the current theme/color scheme of the room to give the room a sense of depth and personality.

Lighting

Poor lighting can be a serious problem in any house. The transformative value of lighting is astounding. Sometimes, all it takes to change a room from dark and dingy into comfortable and welcoming is an update in the lighting.

And, while you’re adding brighter lights, why not consider lighting features? There are all sorts of lighting features that can add personality and style to homes. Lighting features can turn a room into a usable, enjoyable space by increasing lighting, adding personality, and creating atmosphere. Here’s where great lighting can have the greatest impact:

Basements

Basements, especially in older homes, are notorious for being dark, foreboding, and poorly lit. Renovating a basement into a livable room can seem like an overwhelming project, start by adding a little lighting.

The kitchen

The kitchen is one of the most valued rooms in the entire house, often being referred to as the heart of any home. Update it with a nice feature light to bring your home into the 21st century and foster the atmosphere you’ve been missing.

Entryway/landscape

Having a well-lit exterior/entryway in the home works wonders for your home’s comfort level and welcoming presence. No one wants to be greeted by a dark house.

Space reconfiguration/reclamation

Nearly everyone has rooms in their home that sit unused or underused. This happens for various reasons, including clutter, lack of space, or set aside for a specific purpose. A few rooms that are notorious for sitting empty more often than not are:

• Guest rooms
• Dining rooms (especially if you have a table in the kitchen as well)
• Basements
• Storage closets

Try multi-purposing these rooms and you’ll be surprised how much larger your home will feel. For example, the guest bedroom can double as an office, dining rooms can become a part-time game room, basements can be turned into another bedroom, and unused/cluttered storage closets can be combined to reduce clutter in other rooms.

Of course, the only real limit on how you repurpose your rooms is your own creativity.

The little things

Don’t forget the little things when it comes to remodeling on a budget. Things such as changing the drapes, adding new rugs, and changing the hardware on cabinets can make a huge difference. All these things can be done for low cost, but have a considerable effect on the room. Especially when focusing on one room; each change has a cumulative effect.

Remodeling on a budget is strongly rooted in creativity. Put the work and time into creating something that you’ll enjoy; whether it is a freshly painted kitchen, new drapes and an accent wall in the living room, a well-lit repurposed basement, or a beautiful entryway welcoming you home.

5 Repairs to Consider Before Selling Your Home

5 Repairs to Consider Before Selling Your Home

Here, now, are some general guidelines for repairs to consider before selling your home.

Repairs to consider before selling your home #1

Check your flooring -While carpeting was really in style in the 1960s, it seems that hardwood flooring is the order of the day of late. Most old homes tend to have an oak floor base, so if that’s your case, your best bet would be to rip out your carpet and expose this beautiful floor.

If, however, your flooring underneath is plywood, then replace the carpeting with a neutral light tan color instead. That way, at least any type of furniture would blend in.

If ceramic flooring is what you have floating throughout your home, replace any chipped or crack tiles with new ones.

Repairs to consider before selling your home #2

Get started on the paint job - By far, the cheapest and easiest way to increase the value and esthetics of your home, a new paint job will easily appeal to most homebuyers, as they tend to gravitate towards move-in ready homes and not ones that require a ton of work. If you have wallpaper, get rid of it because décor is a subjective thing and a homebuyer wants to personalize their new home with their personality, they don’t want to let yours linger.

Repairs to consider before selling your home #3

Improve your kitchen- If your appliances and cabinets rock, then you are that much closer to an easy home sale. If, however, your cabinets are rickety and old, then chance are you will have to improve upon them with either a paint job or by replacing them altogether.

Minor kitchen remodels return nearly 100% of the cost incurred, so you really have nothing to lose.

While granite counters, new faucets and sparkling sinks would wow buyers, replacing them for sale will not work in your favor and you will likely not turn a profit from it.

Repairs to consider before selling your home #4

Revamp your bathrooms-It is safe to say that minor redecorating in bathrooms will give you a 100% return on what you spend. If your floors are pretty awesome, then spend some money replacing the fixtures and lights, and you are ready to get selling.

Repairs to consider before selling your home #5

Give your curb appeal an overhaul -Okay, for the sake of honesty, if your roof needs to be repaired, you need to do it, otherwise the chances of your home selling get slimmer with each visiting homebuyer. Buyers tend to frown upon homes where the roof needs to be replaced. That is perhaps the biggest cost you will have to incur for your curb appeal. Besides that, you will need to patch cement cracks in the driveway, plant greenery, caulk windows, clean the door, and perhaps paint the fence if need be. 

What Real Estate Agents Say about Home Staging – Out vs In

What Real Estate Agents Say about Home Staging – Out vs In

Selling your house with Feng Shui

Knowing how to sell your house with feng shui will save your time, money and help avoid useless efforts. The ancient Chinese art of placement known as feng shui offers various guidelines help you sell your property faster and sometimes for top dollars. 

The study of real estate staging is all about how to create auspicious, nourishing energy flow within the given space, that any home should start looking safe, confortable, un-cluttered, appealing and easy to live in. The idea is to use the secrets of feng shui to your advantage. After reading some staging tips from any feng shui website, you may think placing green frog looks good in front porch by the entrance door and its good feng shui staging technique; however potential buyer might not appreciate it. Always remember, feng shui staging technique is not for selling one particular house, but is all about selling a specific emotion. Be very mindful about the quality of energy at your front entrance porch and make it look as fresh and as inviting as possible. 

If you are staging house or property, definitely invest your time and efforts in landscaping and front appearance, this will increase the value of the property as well as attract beneficial Chi. If you are staging condo apartment there is nothing much to do outside, focus on the main entrance area and door to bring vibrant and nourishing energy to your entrance area. Use of tall lush plant, vase of fresh cut flowers, good lighting, impressive and happy piece of art and strategic use of mirror to create spaciousness, fresh quote of paint to entry door and opposite wall are worth considering risk free options to have great feng shui in your staging scheme. Make a note, about foyer flooring – if tiles are high gloss and shiny is not good feng shui as it creates imbalance and turbulences in energy field, having area rug to cover it up is great remedy. 

De-personalizing house is yet another technique of feng shui staging. De-clutter is important but de-personalize is critical. Create a spa feel effect in bathroom, but do hide all personal items of the owner, empty the closets, remove all pictures or frames of earlier owner, hide all other religious or cultural motifs and symbols, kitchen is very important – empty cabinets those have glass panels – leave them empty, keep the garage light on and let owner’s vehicle parked in back ally or away from the driveway. Use your imagination and logic in de-personalizing the house, you got it? Remember, residual energy from all these used items is a first stumbling block in selling the house. Every potential buyer likes to see the real estate as clean slate. 

In feng shui staging most important thing to remember is “Energy Triangle”. The energies in Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom are either breaking or making your house sale. Potential buyer should virtually feel he can eat well, rest well and unwind well in order to be healthy in the house he chooses to buy. Good feng shui staging can easily ignite his emotions to make sale happen in very first open house. Be creative, logical and apply feng shui sense to your staging. 

With the use of few feng shui tips and tricks any stager can give home fresh new energy look to make it more appealing, pleasant and comfortable place to live in. As such, it is very likely that the stager is re-hired to interior design the same house by new buyer, and that’s really rewarding experience. 

One Last Point – if you’re trying to help home sell faster in today’s real estate market, you need every advantage you can get! Learn much more secrets of feng shui staging through our FREE news-letters, webinars and seminars. 

Wishing you all successful and rewarding staging career with feng shui tricks. 

COLOR TENDS FOR 2012

The 2012 Pantone Color of the year is Tangerine Tango! Explosively loud and exceedingly bold, Tangerine Tango has been announced as Pantone’s 2012 color of the year. The global authority on color, Pantone revealed yesterday that the shade will replace 2011’s Honeysuckle.

You will see it in fashion, cosmetics, and home decors...

This choice of color,  compliments a spectrum of colors including yellow, purple, blue and green and flatters all skin tones.
The color is exciting and brings life and energy..  One of my favorites, I have introduced it in many of my decorating projects...a great accent color or main room color....enjoy have fun with color!!
As I walked through a department store, I couldn't help but snap a few pictures of one of my favorite colors....