Spring Cleaning Checklist

It’s that time again!  Spring Cleaning!  Who’s excited!!??

It can be a daunting task, but there are lots of tools out there to help you kick off your spring cleaning stress-free.

Here are a couple of my suggestions:

• Walk around your home and address anything that needs to be repaired or fixed
• Work in one room at a time so you do not get overwhelmed
• Bring in reinforcements!  If friends or family are not willing and able, there are organizing and cleaning companies that will help you for a fee.
• Have a list, and check off each chore once you are finished.

Here is a great Spring  Cleaning Checklist by Terry’s Fabrics to help you along your way.

 

 

Good Luck!  If I can assist you in any of your organizing or decluttering needs during your spring cleaning, please let me know!

The Ultimate Spring Cleaning Checklist by Terrys Fabrics.

Staged Home in St. Johns

I had the opportunity to stage a vacant home in the beautiful area of St. Johns, Florida.  This house is a little older, but has great ‘bones’.  The room that I would consider an ‘office’ has wood paneling that they painted previously.  See my blog post here about painting wood paneling.

On to the house…

The kitchen has gorgeous cherry cabinets, nice countertops and stainless appliances.  All it needed was a pop of color.

Before:

After:

The front door opened into a formal living room, with a dining room off to the side separated by a brick half ‘wall’.

Before:

Look at these floors! Gorgeous!

I removed the existing furniture, added a bright green rug, which adds interest to the wood floors.  The plants bring the outside in for an organic feel.  The white sheers soften the feel of the dining room.  I removed the plants in the brick structure and added LED candles.  The artwork brings the colors of the floors with the accent pieces I added all together.

The bedroom was empty, with the same great floors, and had nice natural lighting.  I brought both feminine (comforter) and masculine (headboard) items together to create a flow, and I feel it works wonderfully with the strong aspect of the wood floors. The curtains add a nice touch to the buttery color on the walls.

The office I spoke of at the beginning of this post has the wood paneling walls and had furniture too large for the space.  I removed the exiting futon, tables and desk.

And added a desk more suited for that space, with a nice chair for reading.  I hung the drapes almost to the ceiling to draw your eyes up, which gives the illusion of a larger window.

 

I would love your feedback on my most recent project!

Please let me know how I can help you stage or redesign your space!

 

 

Wood Paneling….

Wood Paneling…Love it? Hate it? Can’t live with it, Can’t live without it? Paneling can be a conundrum…it can add an earthy, warm feeling into a room, or it can be the elephant in the room.  There IS A CHOICE!!!

1. You can paint it.
2. You can work with it.

Here is a beautiful example of painting wood paneling can make a difference.

photo credit of design sponge

If painting the paneling or removing it is not in your budget, then work WITH it!!!

This next post I am going to share with you is amazing.  I love how Charlene Storozuk worked with the wood paneling that she had in HER OWN living room! Her husband gave her free reign in that room with the exception that the wood paneling stayed. So, she designed around it.  She changed the carpet, added black wood blinds and black accents to add depth to the paneling, and some other native decor to tie in with the organic feel of the wood.  This is such an amazing example of working with what you already have.

photo credit of Designer Digz

 

What are your thoughts on wood paneling? Love? Hate? I would love to hear from you!

 

 

 

Bathroom Makeover on a Budget

Bathroom remodels or makeovers are one of the best things you can do to increase value to your home. Repairs and upgrades to a bath (and kitchen, but we are talking bathrooms here) have the highest returns for seller.  One of the beautiful things about bathrooms is typically they are small spaces and will not cost you a fortune to remodel.
Paint can drastically change the look and feel of a bathroom.  Choose cool, calming, clean neutral color like a pale green or blue. Sherwin Williams has a nice bathroom color inspiration page.  If you are making your bathroom over to sell you home, however, I recommend a neutral.  Otherwise, because your bathroom is one of the smaller rooms in your house, you can have a creative license! Have Fun!

You can either paint your vanity, or put in a pedestal sink without breaking the bank.  Here is a great DIY from Lowe’s about painting your bathroom vanity.  If you want or need to replace your vanity all together, TJ Maxx Home Goods sells them for a reasonable price, but they only bring in one or two a week.  While you are at Home Goods, look for a shower curtain! They usually have designer ones for a good price.

Because you are painting inside, you may want to choose a paint with a low VOC.  VOCs (volatile organic compounds) are harmful chemicals that are released as paint dries. Be sure to read the label to ensure you’re getting a low-VOC or no-VOC paint.

Next, you want to change out dated cabinet hardware.  Hobby Lobby has a great selection.  Some may be a little pricey, but you only need a few for your vanity, and you can use their 40% off one item coupon!

I made this little inspiration board from some of my favorite things!

If you have any questions, please let me know, I am happy to help.

 

 

Off-White is color of the year for 2016!

Happy January! Here in Florida, spring is right around the corner. Whether or not you are thinking of listing your home, or just spring cleaning, you may be thinking of paint.

Well, let me tell you, Sherwin William’s color of the year is Alabaster White.  What a beautiful, simple, clean color.  It is not too “true white”, I feel there is depth and a creaminess to this white.  It pairs beautifully with organic materials (wood floors, marble, granite), compliments neutrals, and helps other hues pop. See below how the ceiling just flows with the subway tile, the stainless steel, and the wood floors.

Benjamin Moore’s Simply White is crisp, but soft and smooth.  It would pair well with bright colors, such as navy.  See how it transitions the wood, and makes it appear softer.

Behr’s off-white is called Ivory Keys and it provides classic styling and reflective elements. Not too white and not too cream, the perfect neutral works well on trim as well as walls.

Glidden introduces a soft white that offers “silence and creates a peaceful space away from the hectic landscape of everyday life. As legendary fashion designer Tom Ford said, ‘time and silence are the most luxurious things today.’ In an age of constant interruption and chatter, Cappuccino White offers a soft backdrop that helps defer distractions and creates a calm lightness in the home to encourage a relaxed mind.”

 

Here are the four colors side by side:

 

 

What do you think about this Off-White is White Hot trend?

 

 

 

Sources:

MME, DecorPad, Houzz

Your staged home CAN start a bidding war!

Happy New Year!

I just recently read an article about how one stager and listing agent got a bidding war started and the property sold for over $100,000 the asking price!  Watch this YouTube video.  This house is a perfect example of increasing “buyer desirability factor”.

As I quote Audra Slinkey from this article:

“One of the biggest challenges for agents is getting the seller to understand the need for professional staging, as well as committing them to the sales process. Ask the seller, these few questions which will get them thinking about the quality of product they are putting forth and the dollar potential they are leaving on the table in the sale of the home:

1. What percentage of your home has not been remodeled in the last 5 years?
2. What percentage of your furnishings (particularly artwork) has been purchased in the last 5 years? As you can see from the before video above (which is typical for most homes), most homes have dated furnishings which lowers the “buyers desirability factor” drastically.
3. If you could make 10 percent more on the sale price of your home through professional staging, can I refer an expert home stager your way?”

 

If you are thinking of helping your seller increase the value of their home, or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me today!

 

 

*Photos credit of designedtoappeal.com

*Article credit of Audra Slinkey and Realtor.org

 

 

 

 

 

How Much Does Staging Cost?

How much does staging your house to sell cost?  I found this article from Mike Santos very interesting.  He is in Canada, however I feel it is relevant her in the United States as well.  Here are some of the statistics he provided:

• 79% of sellers are willing to spend up to $5,000 to get their house ready for sale.
• 63% of buyers were willing to pay more money for a house that is move in ready.
• 86% of those surveyed said storage space is important to potential buyers.
• The Top 3 interior features for selling were freshly painted walls, organized storage space and current flooring.
• 79% of buyers indicated they would be willing to pay a premium for a home with an updated kitchen.
• Home staging is typically much less than the first price reduction.

 

What do you think?  Have you ever staged your home, personally or professionally? Call me for a consultation today!

 

*Stats provided by HomeGain2012 (www.homegain.com/sellertools

Mandarin Home-Before and After

Here are some before and after photos of a beautiful home I had the pleasure of staging.

The kitchen has gorgeous granite countertops and stainless appliances, however it was cluttered and not functional.

I used things the sellers already had and…

The den where the fireplace is had some oversized sofas, and the fireplace WAS orange.

I moved the sofas out of the room, moved the kitchen table in so there is more of a dining space.  I painted the orange fireplace black, and VOILA..

The living room was empty, but is such a lovely space with french doors out to the pool, I had to have fun with this room!

Before:

After:

The master bedroom needed some sprucing up.  Here it was…

I was able to use the furniture the sellers had and wanted to bring out the beautiful floors and upgraded ceiling fan!

The master bathroom needed de-cluttering:

I changed out the medicine cabinet and added pops of color. After:

The pool area is gorgeous, but was a little empty and lonely.  I cleaned up the yard and added nice plants.

Before:

After:

I also added a pretty potted plant to the front porch for interest.

Here it is before:

And After:

I had a lot of fun staging this house.  I love working with what sellers already have, and adding details to liven up the home.  Please let me know how I can help you stage your house to sell FAST!

Post-Thanksging Cleaning

So, Thanksgiving is over, but the holidays are right around the corner!  This article from Houzz is great.  It gives you a step by step “Post Thanksgiving Game Plan”.  How are you prepping for the next round of holiday guests?

Industrial Kitchen by London Cabinets & Cabinetry Plain English

Happy Thanksgiving!

We want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.  May you all have a wonderful holiday filled with love and abundance.  We would love to hear how you are going to spend this holiday!