Designer decorating on a shoe string budget!

Do you admire the homes and apartments you find in decorator magazines and  wish yours looked as good?  You can decorate cheaply without it looking cheap! Find 10 creative ideas for inexpensive home decorating.

1. Yard sales and flea markets: This is the season for yard sales so be creative! Used furniture can look perfect in YOUR home. Re-purposed pieces are in right now, and it’s easy to find the end table you’re missing if you’re willing to do some varnishing or refurbishing yourself.
2. Get thrifty: Don’t spend money on items like candle holders or woven baskets at retail stores. Local markets and thrift stores will have more genuine items at much lower prices.
3. Go online: Pretty construction paper, tape, and scissors can go a long way with a little creativity. Click around the internet for some inspiration. Go nuts.
4. Artificial flowers: They have a stigma for being tacky, but the right bunch in the right vase can brighten up a room. With some light dusting and maintenance, they’ll last for a looong time.
5. Practical pieces: Hang a bunch of little hooks from the wall. You can get the kind that don’t leave marks when you take them down. You can use them to hang up necklaces, bracelets, and rings instead of spending money on tabletop jewelry storage. Hooks look pretty and make quick accessorizing choices easy.
6. Jars: An old trick that we still love: use old mason jars or empty glass food jars to declutter and decorate your desktop surfaces. Jars make spare change, knick-knacks, and pens look neat. Plastic containers can work, too!
7. Throw rugs: Change the look of bare floors or carpeting with carpet remnants. Put them beside the bed, under tables, by the sofa or anywhere you want some color. Why you’re at it, staple some pretty pieces of fabric to a wooden frame (can be unfinished from a craft store) and hang it instead of pictures!
8. Paint it yourself: Invite a few friends over, put on your oldest T-shirt, and get to work. Split cans of paint with others; a wall or two rarely uses up a whole can.
9. Chalkboard on the wall: For last-minute to-dos in your office or recipes in the kitchen, get a little chalkboard and aerosol spray paint. Save yourself the clutter of Post-It Notes everywhere and get the thrill of sidewalk chalk from childhood all over again.
10. Get sew-happy: Make throw pillows or blankets out of old concert shirts for a cool vibe. You can even frame the shirt and hang it on the wall! Sew anything, for that matter; get in touch with your inner seamstress and decorate away.

 

The Four Worst “Upgrades” Homeowners Make

There are many upgrades you can do to your home. Some you want to do to improve your quality of life and some you do to improve the value of your home. Before you spend your hard earned dollars, please read the following. (compliments of Doug Rogers, Associate Broker with Century 21 Millenium in Louisianna.)

This post has nothing to do with personal space, taste, or comfort. One of the benefits of home ownership is NOT having to get permission to make changes to your space. Instead, let’s examine five upgrades that typically return little to no investment at the act of sale.

1) The Swimming Pool– Recently I went on a listing in a subdivision of 200k dollar homes. The owners could not wait to show me their sparkling new cement pond. How much did you “invest” in this project I inquired? Only 45,000 dollars! And wouldn’t you know it, they wanted to ask 260k for their home. At closing the pool commanded a 7k dollar premium. In other works the sellers spent 45k and earned 7k. In my mind that’s a 38k dollar loss!!!!

2) Nothing makes a better den than the garage– I cringe when sellers call me to come look at their 1800 sq. ft home in a subdivision of 1400 sq ft homes. What does this mean? Is the home taking banned growth hormones? Nope, the garage is now a “play room”. Where do guests park their cars? In the front yard of course! Want extra credit? Don’t hire a professional contractor and do the conversion yourself. I could write a book on this one…

3) Granite Counters in a Formica Neighborhood–I once toured a STUNNING 75k dollar kitchen, in a subdivision where the average price was 135k! Need to cook the perfect beef wellington? This kitchen had you covered! The home eventually sold as a short sale for just over the subdivision average. The loss on this project could have bought the owners a new BMW.

4) Any Update That Requires Borrowing Money– Even the best updates struggle to provide a dollar for dollar return on investment. Thinking of taking out a loan, or goodness forbid opening a credit card to renovate? JUST SAY NO! Credit card interest is not your friend.

 

The Most Important Step To Buying A Home

Although this seems like such a small thing, getting pre-approved for a mortgage can be one of the biggest road blocks to buying a home. Read on – especially if you don’t know the difference between pre-qualification and pre-approval!

Via Dan and Amy Schuman- Cleveland OH Luxury Real Estate (Howard Hanna Real Estate Services):

 

If you were taking a home buying class, this would be the first thing you talk about. Basically real estate 101, getting pre-approved.

It may seem simple, yet many potential buyers are making a huge mistake by either neglecting this step or only getting pre-qualified, which is much more watered down version.

Failure to get a firm pre-approval may end up costing you the home of your dreams.

 

GET PRE-APPROVED NOT PRE-QUALIFIED

When the real estate market was slow, the sense of urgency to get financing was not very high. Buyers figured they could take their time to find a home, and then they’d firm things up with their lender afterwards.  However, with the market starting to really heat up and inventories still low, buyers must change this lackadaisical mindset.

The problem isn’t that buyers are totally forgetting to speak to a lender, although some still do not do this up front. They are simply getting pre-qualified instead of pre-approved, and there is a big difference.

A pre-qualification is just the initial step, typically a phone conversation about your overall financial picture. The lender may discuss income, debts, and go over different payment options, but it should not be confused with a firm pre-approval. The problem is that many buyers only do this initial step, and have the false sense of security that getting a loan will not be a problem. Some find out the hard way.

In order to grant a full pre-approval letter,  a lender will likely complete a formal application, pull credit, and collect specific documentation from you such as pay stubs, W-2′s, or tax returns. This will allow them to better define your maximum price range. It may not seem like a big deal but this extra step makes all the difference in the world.

I have seen cases when a buyer gets pre-qualified over the phone, and then ends up not qualifying once the lender verifies all pertinent information. Don’t let this happen to you.

 

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR

Getting pre-approved will make you a stronger buyer and allow you to move quickly if needed. In an active market, you never know when that special home will come on the market, and when it does, you will need to act with a huge sense of urgency. Waiting until after you find your home to get your financing in order may be too late.

With multiple offer situations becoming common, having a solid pre-approval letter may even help you win out during a bidding war.

The difference between getting pre-approved and pre-qualified is merely time and a little effort on your part but is well worth it. In fact, it could ultimately determine whether or not you get the home.

 

9 Curb Appeal MUSTS!

You don’t want a potential buyer drive by your home for sale and decide it looks messy outside so the inside will probably be, too! Here are some tips to help you get it in tip-top shape!

Via Wayne and Jean Marie Zuhl (Hallmark Realtors):

Potential buyers drive past your home all the time. The more often the take notice and call an agent to show the home, the more likely you are to get an offer. Convince them to take notice by using these 10 tips for great curb appeal.

1. Your front yard must be immaculately landscaped. The lawn must be cut and trimmed neatly, preferably on the diagonal. The border between your plantings and lawn must be neat.
2. Sweep the sidewalks, pathways and front porch daily. Put out a new colorful welcome mat. In autumn, leaves must be removed daily. In winter, snow and ice must be removed daily.
3. Your front yard plantings should be neat and attractive. No weeds. No dead branches. New mulch. Plant bright yellow flowers because the color yellow sells.
4. Paint your front door so it looks clean and bright. Buy new hardware for the front door, including a new mailbox.
5. Wash the windows in the front of the house. Be sure that there are neat and clean window treatments in the windows.
6. The light fixtures in the front of your house must be in working condition and should provide soft lighting to all walkways and stairs without causing a glare. Take down the fixture and clean it, or replace it.
7. Be sure your house number is easily visible.
8. Power wash the front of the house to remove dirt.
9. Maintain a neat and clean place for your garbage cans, preferably out of view on the side of the house.

Related articles

• 7 Tips to Improve your Home’s Curbside Appeal (olgerfallaspainting.com)

 

Kitchen tips to help your house sell

The 4 Things Home Buyers Really Want in Kitchen Cabinetry

Houzz - Kitchen Remodel, Bathroom Remodel and More  »

Interior Design

and Decor- For Example:

Staircase Remodel

 ·

Garage & Shed Remodel

 ·

Living Room Remodel

 ·

Kitchen Remodel

 ·

Basement Remodel

 ·

Gym Remodel

 ·

Bathroom Remodel

 ·

Patio Remodel

 ·

 

The Top Do’s and Don’ts When Selling Your Home

Selling Don’ts

1. Think you know more than your Realtor and insist on listing your home over what your Realtor  advises. They are the experts and know the market. This is the most important “don’t” when selling your home, bar none!

2. Clean your home by cramming all your junk into every conceivable storage space. It’s a given that buyers will look in your closets, cabinets, basement and garage. If your storage areas are crammed with “stuff”, you’re sending a flag that their “stuff” won’t fit either.

3. Wait until a few days before your open house to discard or store unnecessary furniture, personal collections and family photos. Rent PODS – the newest, fastest growing self-storage units, or call on family to store the things you don’t absolutely need. This serves two purposes: you’ll have far less to do once you sell and showcase the room’s square footage.

4. Assume buyers are going to take on your deferred maintenance like broken doorbells, leaky faucets, chipped molding, running toilettes and/or torn screens. Buyers want turnkey homes. Moreover, you don’t want to give them instant negatives when they walk in the door.

5. Fill your home with Glad Plugins and similar products. It’s akin to spraying perfume in lieu of a shower – it doesn’t work and buyers suspect your trying to mask unpleasant odors. Clean is the only smell everyone loves!

6. Assume buyers are pet lovers – many are not and some are allergic to cats and dogs. During showings and open houses, temporarily take pets and all trances of them out of the home. Yes, this is a hassle, I know, but it’s temporary and your goal is to sell quickly.

7. Neglect curb appeal – it’s buyer’s first impression of your home in person and on MLS (where 90% of buyer’s start their home search). Hire a landscaping company or do it yourself. Don’t forget to trim hedges, add fresh mulch and blow debris clear from walkways, porch and driveway.

Selling Do’s

1. Find a reputable, seasoned Realtor and let them price your home based on their research, knowledge and comparable comps. Did you know that 85% of people think their home is worth more than it is?!  Defer to your Realtor and trust that they understand the market and are experts at pricing homes!

2. Throw out any outdated, dusty floral arrangements and flower swags that went out with the eighties. Replace them with real plants, or buy high quality silk arrangements that will pass for the real thing – just not at the dollar store!

3. Paint the interior of your home in neutral colors. Nothing cleans and brightens up a home more than a fresh coat of paint. Moreover, it yields the biggest bang for your buck with a staggering150% return on investment. Consult a NJ home stager for the most popular neutral wall colors that have mass appeal.

4. Have your rugs shampooed so they are clean and odor free. You can rent carpet cleaners at most grocery stores or hire a carpet cleaning company. While you’re at it, open all your windows and air out your home every few days.

5. Give every room a purpose taking the guess work out for buyers. If you’re selling your home as a 4 bedroom, but have been using one of the rooms as an office/home gym, return it to a bedroom. If you have a small room with no closet, make that room an office.

6. Make your master bedroom non-gender specific. Invest in neutral bedding and add some decorative pillows. Look at high-end hotels. They are designed to appeal to the masses. Grandma’s homemade afghan isn’t going to cut it!

7. Invest in a home staging consultation. Home stagers are experts on preparing your home for the market. They understand and can implement all the necessary changes that will give your home that competitive edge it needs in today’s market

 

Compliments of Elite Staging and Redesign – Kristine Ginsberg – 201 602 2562

 

Home Staging Morris County – Staged to Sell, Designed to Live!

You have 90 seconds to make a great first impression once your home goes on the market.

 

Want your house to shine?

This is a great post by Cherimie Crane – a Realtor in SC, but her advice applies to all sellers in all marketplaces for any priced home. She posted this on Active Rain, but I really think it bears repeating (plus, it’s entertaining)!

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Many say it is just putting lipstick on a pig; however, I have actually put lipstick on a pig and it most certainly does make a difference. Not only does it get a giggle out of all involved but the pig stands out from the crowd and as my grandma always says, a little color never killed anyone. For the record, it didn’t kill my pet pig either.

Not everyone can afford a professional stager. Staging is crucial and makes such a tremendous difference in selling a home. When possible, hire a professional. When pennies are being pinched, rely on the experience of an experienced Realtor if for no other reason than an experienced Realtor DOES know tips and tricks that will make your home shine.

I am NOT a professional stager; however, I have spent countless hours, days, months and years going in and out of homes. I know what makes a difference in the eyes of a buyer and what sends them straight for another front door! As most Realtors, I may not be a professional designer, but I am a pro at stretching a dime!

The below tips are from years of taking what we have and making it work! Again, if you can afford a professional stager, DO IT. If not, ask your Realtor how they can help you with the following shades of color!

1. Mr. or Mrs. Seller, meet Mr. Clean! – It doesn’t take a professional to clean a house and clean it well. It takes good music, determination and a little hard work. I really like using Mr. Clean white pads for baseboards! But avoid walls, as this can remove paint in some situations!!

2. Walk through each room and imagine yourself as a Bed & Breakfast owner- If you have children, you may already feel like a B&B owner, but this is different. From floor to ceiling you want each room to offer comfort, peace and space for guests. If you think your home already looks fabulous, call your best friend, she will be honest, then call me.

Kitchen- clean the countertops, free them of anything not used daily. Remove kitchen wash rags (never show your home with kitchen rags hanging from oven, fridge, faucet, etc… Please).                         Each morning wipe down all countertops, fridge, range and microwave, use handi wipes or a spritzer of apple cider vinegar and water. Trust me, it works and takes much less time than the panic of realizing you have a showing and you kitchen is not prepared.

Entryway- This matters, and it may just matter most! Free the entryway from clutter, sneakers, and dogs (friendly or not). If you have a table or stand, remove clutter and leave fresh flowers or a nice floral (think small NOT oak tree) arrangement. If you have a giant chalkboard that expresses your disappointment in your husbands failure to run his errands, maybe write, Welcome to My Home instead.

Family Room- Think sitting area, also think about vacuuming all the cookie crumbs, pizza crust and Fido’sfur OFF of all furniture at least weekly during the marketing term. If you have 4000 pillows, remove 3992 of them. Think clean, smooth lines. If the pillows are dingy, either clean the covers or go to Bed Bath and Beyond and pay $9.99 for new covers. Pillows are an easy way to make the color palette throughout a home flow. Choose one color that will appear in everyroom, it adds to the flow and gives consistency. The coffee table should be clean, clear of anything other than a tasteful (ask your mom, if you aren’t sure!!!) book and 1-2 remotes. That is IT. If you have 4000 cords from various electronic time wasters, remove or hide 3999 of them. There are easy ways to bundle them in an organized manner (Bed Bath and Beyond and most any store have small devices for this priced below $5). Make sure it is well lit during showings, not candle séance lit, but lamp/light fixture! Resist the urge to Fabreeze yourself into frenzy, if your home is clean. Fake flower aroma is unnecessary.

Dining Room/Eating Area- It has been my experience that a full table setting (12 plates, forks, glasses that you never let anyone use) is unnecessary. Instead an appropriate (call me) centerpiece and a clean surface is all that is needed. This depends on the room. It if is Formal Dining room, then setting placemats, napkins and a pop of color (again call me) is preferred. If it is an eat in kitchen, a clean surface and nice centerpiece will do the job!

 

Master Bedrooms- Think of every nice hotel you have ever visited (if Motel 6 comes to mind, call me). Clean crisp lines with fresh linens. Corner to Corner make sure anything that is NOT used daily is put away or packed in storage. It is necessary, no matter how painful. It is necessary. The baseboards should shine throughout the entire home, but especially bedrooms/baths. Nightstands should be clear with the exception of a lamp, 1-2 tasteful (call your mom) books/magazines, clock or small flower arrangement. You want the room to feel inviting to everyone, not just women and not just men. The bed is very important. Linens MUST match and pillow cases must be crisp and clean. Pillows and pillow cases don’t cost much, but dingy or stained linens will cost you a sale! If you don’t have time to make your bed each day, you don’t have time to sell your home. Hate me or not, it is true. Leave your bedroom as if your mother in law is coming to stay! Dressers and other bedroom furniture should be clean and completely free of clutter. If you have 4000 framed photos, remove 4000 of them. Sorry.

Guest Bedrooms- More of the same bedroom advice, crisp linens, matching linens, warm inviting and very CLEAN. This can be fun, prepare each bedroom for guests (that you really like) thinking of every possible comfort. Remove anything doesn’t make sense! If you have a treadmill in your guest room, STORE it. If you have your bike in your guestroom, find another place for it. If you have any strange appliance, structure, or cage (yes I said cage) remove it.

Bathrooms- White is your friend. White towels, white throw rugs, white shower curtain. Of course there are exceptions, if your bathroom is painted a stark color; a tan or gray may be preferred. Baseboards must shine, floors must be clean cabinets must be wiped down and cleared out!!! Yes, people open cabinets. Clean, clean, clean, if you don’t know how, don’t call your mother, she failed you, call me. Counter tops should be free of ALL personal items. Do NOT show your home with deodorant, toothpaste, hair cream and or other odd manicuring products strewn about. Do not do it. And please, always close the toilet seat. I know you live there, but it should look as though you don’t.

 

3. Closets, patios, screen porches and other additional spaces- Clean is King. It is worth the cost of a storage unit. I know that is a pain, I have done it myself and yes it is a pain. It is also the difference in selling your home or crying in your grits. Any outdoor living space should allow for actual living. Screen porches should be inviting, offer a sitting area, and have a plant or two, LIVE plants. Closets must be organized, crazy-obsessive-person organized, not the door is closed I don’t care organized. I have a long list of tips on how to do that (just please don’t look in my closet).

As I said, I am not a professional stager. I am a top selling Realtor and I have been for quite some time. I know what it takes to sell a home. I know what it takes to prepare a home for one of the most challenging markets in history. If you can’t afford a professional stager, make sure your Realtor knows the basics!