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HOME DECOR, HOME STYLING

Create a luxurious and relaxing living area in your home

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If you lead a busy life, then the idea of having a room in your home that provides relaxation and calm whenever you need it is probably quite appealing. A place to unwind or spend time with family and friends can not only make your home a nicer place to be but can also do wonders for your mindset. If you have children, you will know only too well how much stuff they can accumulate, and if you look around your home, you might be surprised to note that their belongings have taken over every room!

If there’s a room in your home that is rarely used or has become a dumping ground for things that don’t have a home, why not consider transforming it into a clutter-free welcoming space instead? Here are 4 ways to create a luxurious and relaxing living area in your home. 

Choosing the right color palette

Color can completely change the mood of a living area, so it’s important to decide on a color scheme before you do anything else. Once you know the color palette you are going for, it will make it far easier to choose furniture and accessories. Websites like colorcombos.com are great for establishing colors that complement each other well. This can make it far easier to decide on the main color then add other colors into the mix by way of soft furnishings. Muted tones provide a far softer look and therefore work well to help create a calming and luxurious feel in any room.

Furniture

When choosing furniture for your room, it’s important to consider comfort as well as aesthetics. A modern sofa with clean lines and a picture-perfect look might be appealing, but if it isn’t comfortable, you aren’t likely to use it very often. On the other hand, a sofa with cushioning you can sink into is likely to turn your room into a space that you cannot wait to spend time in. 

In terms of other furniture, consider how you will use the room. If you intend to read lots of books, you might want to get a stylish bookcase and some functional side tables. If you want to get a TV but feel it would ruin the feeling of relaxation and luxury, why not get a TV unit with doors so you can conceal it when not in use? Think carefully about what you need and make sure your purchases are considered ones.

Lighting

Lighting can completely change the mood of a room. Stark white bulbs can make a room feel clinical and unwelcoming, whereas warm bulbs will create a far more inviting ambiance. 

A mixture of table and floor lamps illuminating all four corners of your room will create a fabulous layered lighting effect. Multiple lights will give you the freedom to change the tone of your room as you please and, depending on the mood you are going for, provide you with the ability to have your room well or dimly lit. 

If you are unsure of the lighting styles you prefer, it’s worthwhile looking online for inspiration. Stylish Direct is an online business that sells a huge range of stylish décor items worldwide. From modern wall lighting to more traditional floor lamps, they have an abundance of lighting options available depending on your preference.  

Finishing touches

From curtains and cushions to rugs and photo frames, soft furnishings and accessorize provide the finishing touches to a room. Without them, a room can look incomplete and will be far less appealing. 

Cushions and throws are a great way to add an even more relaxing and luxurious feel to your living area. Whilst you might be tempted to buy matching cushions and place in each sofa corner, it’s a far better idea to mix and match. Buying lots of different sized cushions in a range of fabrics and textures will add depth and give the impression that your room has been carefully and thoughtfully planned. 

If you want to add a more personal touch to your room, add family photographs in an array of frame styles to different areas of your room. Hanging art that you love on the walls will help to complete the room and add to the relaxing mood that you are trying to achieve. 

Filling the room with relaxing and warming scents that you love is another great way to change the mood of a room. Light candles or have some wax melts burning then sit back, relax and enjoy the peaceful and luxurious haven that you have created.  

SHOP HOME DECOR….

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CLEANING

3 Ways to Keep Your Home Smelling Awesome

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Do you ever think about how you can keep your home smelling fresh? All the hard work that you put into making your home as comfortable and tidy as possible can quickly be made irrelevant if there are stinky odors hanging about. What’s worse is that sometimes you can become “nose blind” to the bad smells in your house. People who come to visit won’t be, however. 

There are some surprising things that could be the source of undesirable smells in your home. Here are three of the more common ones along with some advice on how to banish them for good.

1. Bed Bugs

Did you know that when bed bugs invade your home they bring with them a pretty foul smell? Some people describe the smell of bed bugs as being very similar to that of cilantro. The smell of these pesky pests is probably most akin to the moldy and musty smells as if water has been pooling somewhere in your home without your notice. 

If you start to detect a hint of moldy shoe in the air of your home, it is a good idea to inspect for bed bugs. This isn’t an issue that you want to take your time solving, either. Bites from these bugs can be very painful, and an infestation can be hard to get rid of. You should start by washing everything made of fabric in your home, like bedding, clothes, and curtains. You might even need to invest in a new mattress if that is where the bugs have decided to make their home.

You should also consider calling in some professional bed bug experts like Stafford pest control before the problem really gets out of hand.

2. Your Washing Machine

Your washing machine is one of those appliances in your home that gets the most use on a weekly basis. Unfortunately, many people are in the habit of closing the door of their washer once they have removed the wet clothes from it. This stops any remaining water inside from drying up creating the perfect breeding ground for mold and bacteria. The result is an unpleasant smell that can linger in the air. This leaves the laundry room smelling musty and dank.

The first habit that you should get into is that of leaving your washing machine door open after each wash to give it a chance to dry out. If your washer already has a moldy smell, then you should clean it out using either a product specifically designed to do so or a simple self-cleaning method.

3. Other Appliances That Use Water

Your washing machine might not be the only water-using appliance in your home that is a source of foul smells. Things like your dishwasher, garbage disposal, and even your refrigerator’s ice maker could all be culprits when it comes to moldy smells. Just like with your washing machine, you should do what you can to let these appliances dry out after each use. Remember to give them all a good, thorough cleaning every month or two to keep smells at bay.

These are some hidden culprits that can interfere when it comes to keep your home smelling it’s best!


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HOME STAGING

A Guide to Decorating Your Home for the Housing Market

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Are you looking to sell your home in the foreseeable future? If so, then it’s time you started taking the current housing market into consideration. Regardless of its location or its size, most of the time, your home will not be able to sell itself, which is why you need to decorate it in a way that appeals to the potential buyers of today.

If you’re not a professional in the field of interior design, then this could prove to be quite a difficult task for you to undertake. Fortunately, you can read below to get a better idea of how you can prep your home for a viewing.

Declutter, but don’t depersonalize

When it comes to decorating your home with the housing market in mind, you must take one all-important factor into consideration: potential buyers need to be able to envisage themselves living there. They need to be able to instantly see themselves and their family spending time together in your living room, and they need to see their children growing up and developing in their individual bedrooms. They’re not going to be able to do this, though, if your home is cluttered or lacking in a personal touch.

There’s a fine line between decluttering and depersonalizing, but you can tow it. To do this, you should get rid of everything that is of no use to anybody — all of those documents that are just lying around on your dining table, for instance — but you shouldn’t get rid of the dining table itself. Potential buyers need things to stimulate their ideas when it comes to making the home their own, and something like a dining table (more to the point, the potential of family dinners) could do just that.

When it comes to personalization specifically, it’s a good idea to leave your family photographs and portraits hanging up on the wall. As long as they aren’t inappropriate, they will prove to potential buyers that yours is a home that has the potential to be lived in.

Go green wherever you can

You should make your home as sustainable and as eco-friendly as you can, as this is a home trend that many of today’s buyers are now looking out for.

There are plenty of ways for you to go green in your home, some of which include:

Having engineered oak flooring fitted — you can find highly-sustainable Kährs flooring at Kensyard.co.uk.

Having solar panels fitted to your roof — the panels will act as an advertisement to passing buyers of the fact that your home utilizes the sun to create its own energy, which can be a money-saving addition in the long run.

Only ever using high appliances with high energy-efficiency ratings — this will help your potential buyers save on their energy bills going forward, which is, in itself, an attraction.

For your home to be able to reach its full potential on the housing market, you need to spruce it up a bit. Taking the above advice will help you to do just that.


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Guest Bloggers, Uncategorized

6 mistakes to avoid as a first-time home buyer

6-mistakes-to-avoid-as-a-first-time-home-buyer

Buying a home for the first time is a big deal.

To help you get ahead, we’ve outlined some first-time homebuyer tips by calling out six of the biggest mistakes that you should avoid going into the purchase of your first home that could end up saving you a lot of time, money, and frustration.

Mistake #1: not getting pre-approved

Many first-time buyers make the mistake of thinking that they don’t need to get approved for a mortgage until they’ve found their dream home.

Unfortunately, that often ends up being too late.

These days, most sellers require that pre-approvals be submitted along with any offer, and, since your finances need to be vetted before the lender will agree to grant you a loan, this process can take days or even weeks.

Instead, we recommend applying for a pre-approval before you even start looking at a available properties.

Doing so will give you extra time to work on your finances, if needed, and will ensure that you’re ready to submit an offer ASAP once you’ve found your perfect match.

2. Borrowing the maximum amount

Once you have your pre-approval in hand, it’s time to decide how much you can afford to spend.

Many buyers mistakenly believe that the figure they’re given on their pre-approval letter should serve as their target sale price. However, make sure that this move won’t leave you feeling “house poor.”

Instead, it’s better to think of loan amounts as a range. You have the ability to borrow up to the amount on your pre-approval, but you don’t necessarily have to go that far.

The better move is to do some budgeting of your own.

First, look at your income and expenses to determine how much money you’d feel comfortable putting towards a mortgage payment each month. Then, using that number, play around with a mortgage calculator until you land on a price of how much house you can really afford.

3. Overestimating your abilities

Sometimes buyers are willing to take on any number of repairs and remodelling projects in exchange for for a low sale price.

Unfortunately, though, what ends up happening in many of these scenarios is that they end up finding that these properties were steals for a reason.

Often, the repairs require more time, money, and skills than the buyers can afford.

If you’re looking at fixer upper properties that require a lot of TLC — especially foreclosures, short sales, or auctions — you need to be honest with yourself about your abilities.

Do you have any previous remodeling experience? Can you afford to hire professional help? Are you prepared to cope with unforeseen problems and expenses?

Though some of these things may be hard to admit, doing so can end up saving you a lot of frustration in the long run.

4. Skipping the fine print

Yes, you should always read every contract you sign in full.

But, as anyone who’s ever sped through a “Terms & Conditions” agreement can tell you, that’s easier said than done.

While it might be tempting to simply skim your Agreement of Sale (and any addendums), resist the urge. This mistake could end up costing you.

Successful real estate transactions depend on each party fulfilling their respective contingencies by the deadlines specified in the agreement.

By signing, you’ve agreed to fulfill your end of the bargain. If you fail to meet those obligations, the seller may be entitled to take your deposit monies in reparations.

When you’re negotiating your offer, make sure you know exactly what you’re agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line.

5. Bypassing your inspections

Conventional wisdom states that skipping your inspections will put you in a better bargaining position. While this is true, the reality is inspections are for the buyer’s benefit.

They give you a realistic picture of what’s wrong with the property, so that you can either choose to buy it with eyes-wide-open and negotiate on repairs or walk away and find a more suitable option.

In contrast, when you choose to waive your inspections, you’ve agreed to take financial responsibility for any repairs that may come up, even if the problems pre-date your ownership of the property. Weigh your options carefully before deciding whether or not this risk is worth it to you. In some cases, just shortening your inspection contingency might be enough to make your offer more competitive.

6. Forgetting about closing costs

Budgeting to buy a home isn’t just about figuring out how you’ll swing a downpayment and monthly mortgage amount.

There are also closing costs to consider.

Your closing costs will be paid at settlement. They will include any fees needed to facilitate the transaction such as deed-recording fees, title insurance, and appraisal costs.

The exact amount you’ll pay will depend on the specific services needed to close on your property. Realistically, however, you can expect to pay between 2%-5% of the home’s purchase price, and that needs to be factored into your overall cost of buying a place.


This article originally appeared on OpenListings.

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HOME STAGING

5 Easy Fixes to Make your Home ‘Buyer-Ready’

5-easy-fixes-to-make-your-home-buyer

 

A home buyer can be picky so when it comes to selling your home you always want to have your best foot forward and if it is a tough market you really cannot afford to be anything less than showcase perfect!

One of the secrets in catching the eye of potential buyers is to highlight the features of a home that are important to them. Showing buyers that you have what they need, will help sell your home fast and get the best price.

But of course, not every home is perfect. You might not have the best location, neighborhood, space and other factors that are important in choosing a home. But those imperfections, especially the ones you have control over, should not hinder you from having a great showing.

 

We listed 5 tips that will make your home appeal to a home buyer:

 

 

#1 Style according to location advantages:

There is little you can do about your property’s location. Instead of masking location disadvantages with adjectives in your listing, you can factor the location to your marketing plan. Is your address in a hip, urban location? You might want to stage your house in a way that it will appear attractive to young professionals. If your home is located near a high school, designing your home in a way that it will reflect the style that would appeal to a growing family is important. In short, visualize the needs and characteristics of a buyer and set up the property accordingly.

#2 Fix and repair before the showing

Before your first showing, make sure that everything is in working condition. Do you have leaking faucets or clogged pipes? Fix anything and everything that is broken because those become a major turn off. Prospective buyers wouldn’t want to figure out those repair needs on their own and they will just look at the listing down the road instead. If you are working with a realtor, ask them if they have a list of preferred professionals that they could recommend to fix those repairs around the home, or you can check out a recommendation website like Angie’s List

 

#3 Make scents!

First of all, if there’s unpleasant odor in the property, get to the root of the problem and fix it! No one wants to live in a smelly house. Secondly, don’t overdo it with air fresheners. Most people like the look and freshness of lemons, so a bowl of lemons pierced with a fork will do the trick. Lightly scented candles are good as well; scents like fresh linen or clean laundry are usually safe bets.  For cooler months, try baked cookies or even just a bowl of water with cinnamon and sugar in the oven at a low temperature

 

#4 Sufficient lighting for every room

 

Buyers find bright rooms really attractive. Draw back the curtains, open the shades, and make use of artificial lighting if you need to.

A tried-and-tested technique to achieve the most balanced room lighting is to place three lighting sources in a triangular configuration. For example: a floor lamp, table lamp and ceiling light fixture are three sources of light in a room. Another tip is to replace dated lighting fixtures; an inexpensive and quick upgrade that can have significant impact on the look of a property. Remember when you are preparing for an open house have all of your lights turned on – the house will look and feel bigger and brighter!

 

#5 Declutter

When home buyers tour your house, you don’t want them to focus on the clutter. If you have personal belongings on display, like family pictures or collection, or just anything that will distract potential buyers, tuck these away. Think of it as a ‘pre-pack’, you will want to have those items with you at your next home, won’t you? A second benefit to a properly decluttered space is that is makes the place look larger. Bigger is always better for buyers. A bigger space encourages them to imagine how they will add their own personal touch to the property and without your personal belongings; they can start to mentally move in with their things.

 

Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start when it comes to prepping your home for the resale market.  But we hope these 5 steps help you get it ready and sold!

 

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HOME STAGING

Home staging works !

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Home staging is a must in any real estate market.  We have been staging homes since 2003 and even though decor styles have changed the benefits of home staging have not.

Why have your home staged?

Hot or cool market home staging sets you apart from the competition. You want to stand out from the pack and with home staging you do just that.  This is how it works – you have your home professionally staged and then photographed.  Your home staging team will know what works on camera and what connects with buyers in your target group – the staging and styling team have those two important factors in mind. Now that your photos are taken and they are now online – that’s really when the viewings start.  Buyers these days are looking online first – when they see something they like they then reach out to the agent.  Now if your home looks good in photos – there will be lots of interest. Lots of interest means lots of showings which leads to an offer or possibly multiple offers.

Doesn’t a property look bigger when it’s empty?

You would think so but this is not the case.  When a house is empty – it is very tough for buyers to visualize just how big the space is.  Sure they could come with a tape measure and measure the rooms and measure out their furniture in the space but that’s pretty time consuming.  Home staging not only demonstrates the size of the rooms but there is also an emotional connection that buyers get in a staged home.  It is depersonalized enough that the buyers don’t feel like they are guests in someone else’s home but it is welcoming enough that buyers can visualize themselves in the space – living day to day but also for gatherings with friends and family.

See the difference home staging makes? These before and after photos are of a home we just staged. We chose furniture, art and accessories in colour tones that would make the space warm and inviting – we arranged the furniture in a functional way that also shows off the space and the decor selection appeals to the buying demographic, too!

Home staging works!

Home staging works because your home stager and your real estate agent are both working together to get your home sold – they are involved in the presentation of the home and the overall marketing of the home.  When a property looks good in person and in photos – you will generate lots of interests which leads to showings and offers and that means you don’t have the stress of sitting on the market…Home staging works and is a must in every market!

Home staging is a sales tool to help buyers visualize themselves in the home and making it their own.  We love to help real estate agents and their buyers sell their homes quickly, maximize their profit and with limited stress,


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HOME STAGING

Does Home Staging Really Make a Difference?

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Home Staging ….we have all seen it on the TV shows and heard our realtor friends and family talk about home staging!

What is Home Staging and does it really work?

I’ve been staging homes for for about 10 years, and yes – it really does work!

The concept seems strange and I still have people ask for clarification….”So the furniture that was there is removed and then you move furniture back in?” In a nutshell, yes but there is much more involved than just furniture. Cleaning, de-cluttering, repairs, updates, de-personalizing and then the staging / styling – it’s all a part of the process!

 

Home Staging is all about the present the home in it’s best light and setting the scene to attract the buyer. Home staging involves a number of steps to get the property looking it’s best and every house has different needs. Many think that a vacant home allows buyers to see how big the space is, how they can use it and visualize how they want to paint, furnish etc…

 

 

When we stage homes, we also get some ideas from the realtor about the buying demographic and target group – this really help us find a focus for the decor style, colours and also staging the property with the lifestyle in mind.  A young newlywed couple would live differently that a busy family of 4 or 5! So we take that into consideration.

But that’s not the case – an empty home looks cold and uninviting plus it doesn’t present well in photographs, which is how most buyers will see their home for the first time.  Buying a home is an emotional experience – the buyers connect with the home and an empty one is just that, empty and you can’t connect with empty!

So this is what Home Staging does…

Home Staging is about setting the scene so buyers can visualize living in their dream home.  They can see how you can live in the space. The furniture and styling add warmth and help plant ideas of lifestyle and usability of the space and layout. The proper scale and amount of furniture balance out the room and allow buyers to ‘mentally move-in’. 

 

 

Can you believe this is the same room?

This before and after is incredible (photos above).  We did a few things to make this home look it’s best.  For starters, take a look at the drapery.  That heavy espresso brown panel drapery was replaced with some much lighter – look at the difference in the room – it looks open, bright and airy!  We also moved the fireplace (it was an electrical fireplace, so it could be moved). The original placement made the room look long and skinny (almost like a hallway). By moving the fireplace, we have created two spaces.  A living room with fireplace and potentially a wall mount TV and the other end of the room, we staged as a seating area for reading and a small work space.We were careful to pick furniture that was of the correct size and scale. We kept the tones light and airy (see that pop of yellow, a staging favourite).  We have some simple accessories that really complete the look and add warmth to the space.  The art, pillows, plant…they all make a difference in the presentation.

 

                   

 

Home staging sets you apart from the rest.

When your home looks good , buyers (and their agents) take notice! We had a recent property sell in under a week for more than asking (and they weren’t in a multiple offer situation).  The agent said to the buyers “give them an offer they can’t refuse, or you will lose this house”. So they did! Good looking properties look great in photos, these photos are seeing online, then the showings start to happen, lots of showing traffic means good (some times many) strong offers and next thing you know – your house is sold.

Home staging is a MUST – Home staging gets properties SOLD!

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HOME STAGING, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

Home Staging Advice

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“I’m in need of some Home Staging Advice. I know I need to stage my home but where do I start and what do I need to do?”

Home Staging Advice is my speciality! I love staging homes and I love helping sellers get their home ready for the resale market.  It’s amazing to hear everyone’s Home Staging success stories!

When it comes to home staging every property has different needs but the basics that you need to address are the same. Your relationship with your real estate agent (if you are using one) is also really important.  You want to make sure that your agent understands your competition in the market place and that your home is positioned in a competitive way.

 

My Home Staging Advice is to address theses 7 basics:

  1. CLEAN AND DECLUTTER
  2. MAINTAIN
  3. REPAIR
  4. DE-PERSONALIZE
  5. NEUTRAL
  6. UPDATE
  7. STYLE

Start at the top of this list and work your way down.

Let’s start with Clean and Declutter –

Give the house a really good up and down thorough cleaning.  This is a good start.  A clean house feels amazing and everyone loves the feeling of a clean house.  You can do this yourself or hire a professional.  But this is a must! Go through all of your junk – old clothes, old boxes of random things, books and more….unload what you no longer need – this will lighten up the feeling in your space (and your mind, too – clutter is a source of stress), make moving easier and less expensive and the overall look of your home and storage spaces will improve (buyers are looking for storage so you don’t want the closets to be chaotic!)

 

Maintain

This is important because a maintained house is a house that has been cared for. When a house is cared for buyers sense that and they have some real peace of mind. So start with small things like leaky faucets, loose door knobs, burnt out light bulbs….Go through your house (or ask a close friend or a professional home stager) with a fine tooth comb and tackle those details!

Repair

So this falls under the same umbrella as ‘maintain’ but this is for larger issues like a broken appliance, a cracked floor tile, electrical outlets that don’t work.  A home in disrepair tells buyers that this home is a mess and needs attention (and if there is an offer, it won’t be a good one). So be sure to take on those repairs before hitting the real estate market!

De-personalize

By removing your personal items, memorabilia and style from the house – this really allows buyers to ‘mentally move in’.  You will be taking your personal items like family photos, religious pieces and collectables with you anyway…so think of this as a pre-pack. You don’t want buyers to feel like visitors during a private viewing or open house, you want them to feel at home.

Neutral

This is closely connected to De-personalizing the space.  When we move into our home we get creative with colours, wall paper and other decorative elements but when it comes to home staging you really need to tone that all down and go neutral. Especially on the walls! Paint makes a huge impact on the look (and feel of a house) so a fresh paint job in a neutral tone is a great idea (and a good investment).

 

Update

Please don’t be thrown off by this….update doesn’t mean renovate. Small updates can make a whole home feel fresh and new again. How many updates and what you update- well that’s a conversation to have with your real estate agent. Remember what we said about being competitive? Your real estate agent can let you know what your competition is offering in the price point, so certain updates may or may not being worth it. Changing up light fixtures can make a huge difference in a home, new hardware in the kitchen and bathrooms, new carpet (or professionally cleaned carpet), stone counter tops….be sure to have a chat with your agent so you are competitive!

Style

This is a the pretty part and it makes a huge difference it how the house present in your photos. A house without any style or decoration just looks sad. You want your buyers to feel happy when they are walking in the property. So proper scale and positioning of furniture is important and then add a little something.  For some of my favourite Home Staging props, Click here.  But add some accent pillows to the sofa (new ones that you can use at your new place!), a few decor items on coffee tables and/ or fireplace mantle, art and fresh flowers and/ or bowl of fruit.  And be sure to always make the bed.  You don’t need all new furniture or decorative accents to make your home look it’s best, just follow our home staging advice.

 

Remember that home buying is an emotional experience so make buyers feel at home and at ease. Let them mentally move-in … Home Staging shows off the potential of the home and helps your property stand out from the rest. A staged home never sits for long! 

Good luck,

 


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HOME STAGING

Selling, Staging and Smells

selling-staging-smells

Bad smells in a home do not help when selling a home. I stage home so agents can sell them but one obstacle that we come across often is ‘smells’.

I just completed a home staging consultation for a client who is selling her home.

This seller has worked very hard to remove the clutter and make the needed (and necessary) updates to her house like flooring and her property is looking great!  The house has a lot of potential and the seller is really doing her best but one thing we could not get past – was what I decided to blog about today…

SMELLS

The seller has 2 cats and 3 children and like any other busy household there’s a lot happening.  When it comes to selling your home – you can update as much as you like and follow the home staging steps but if that house comes with smells? Buyers will be turned off immediately.  It’s so important to figure out what is making your home smell and how to deal with that (or those) smells.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO TACKLE THE SMELLS IN YOUR HOUSE?

Hopefully you have identified what the smell is (and don’t be embarrassed – all homes have smells).  There are different strategies to deal with each type of smell.

  • Stale air:

  • this can happen in a house that has been ‘closed up’ for the winter season or a vacant home.  It happens to most homes and it’s easy to deal with.  Open up the windows and let in that beautiful fresh air.  It is an instant refresh to the entire home and it doesn’t take long.  I suggest opening up all the windows and pulling the blinds up and the drapes back and let the air (and the light) in!

  • Regular garbage removal:

  • Don’t let the garbage pile up! Be sure to take out the trash daily – kitchen garbage, bathroom garbage and baby nursery garbage (that Diaper genie can fill up fast) all add to the smells in a busy family home, daily removal will keep the smells down.  As an added step, spray the empty garbage cans with a disinfectant (that can help too).  If you waste bins has any food residue (or other residue) give them a good clean with soap and hot water (not daily but every so often – this helps keeps the odours at bay).

  • Cat litter clean up:

  • This is a smell that really turns off buyers, so clean that litter daily! The ‘cat’ smell is a strong one and can really take over a house.  If the cat litter is located in a very visible space and a room that buyers will frequent like the kitchen, bathroom or laundry …try relocating it to a more discreet location like the basement (if possible).  For dog smells, a good carpet cleaning really helps.  Pick up after your dog from the front and backyards.  Before you hit the market – getting your pets groomed can make a huge different in their odour but also excess pet hair that can get on everything!

  • Mold and Mildew:

  • This happens is wet areas like bathrooms and in the early stages – it is pretty easy to deal with.  A good scrubbing with a bleach cleaner will do wonders.  A professional cleaning can do a great job if you are pressed for time.  A mildew smell and musty smell in a bathroom just isn’t a great impression on buyers.  If the problem is really out of hand and can’t be handled with a good cleaning with the right products – consult a contractor as there could be bigger problems like a leak behind a wall – you will want to deal with that before you get on the market.

  • Add some natural scents to the home:

  • Ones that are pleasing and not over whelming.  I recommend natural scents like baking (cinnamon in a pot of boiling water with a dash of vanilla is so easy and smells great), odour-eater sponges (have them out discreetly) can capture unpleasant smells. A lot of plug-ins and potpourris can be overkill and the smells can be a bit chemically.  But this is an easy and natural alternative – Lemon, Vanilla and Rosemary Stove-top Potpourri

We all have smells in our homes but when it comes to selling we need to be extra careful not to have our house smelling ‘funny’ or ‘off’ – it is a huge turn off for buyers.  Your home may look great but if it smells – that won’t matter. 

If you are selling – get the opinion from friends, family and your agent and tackle those smells before hitting the market! Honesty can be tough but selling a smelly house is tougher!

I hope these tips are helpful and you get that home SOLD fast!

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HOME STAGING, WE ANSWER WEDNESDAY

We Answer Wednesday – 7 Low cost Home Staging Tips

we-answer-wednesday-low-cost-home-staging-tips

“We are selling our home and moving to a new city due to a job transfer.  I know home staging sets you apart from the competition.  We want to sell quickly and make the move to the new city easy.  We are on a tight budget, do you have any quick, easy and low budget home staging tips to share?”

 

You are absolutely right! Home staging sets you apart from the other homes on the market and you want to stand out in the crowd especially if you are in a market with lots of competition.  Every style of home can benefit from home staging.  Home staging can get you more money and help you sell faster, so the extra work to get the home prepared for the market will be worth it in the end.  Less time on the market means you can move forward with your new chapter in life without the extra stress and worry.

There are lots of quick and easy, low cost (and no-cost) staging tips. 

Here’s what we suggest:

– Clean.

I’m sure your home is clean but is it spit shine clean? Really get in there and clean that house.  Give it a good scrub down.  Buyers will notice and the home will feel great.  There is nothing like a super clean home.  Having said that, pay attention to the scent of the home.  You don’t want it to smell like harsh chemicals of bleach – that can be a turn off. Stick with scents like clean laundry, vanilla or cotton.

–  Repair.

This may cost a bit, it depends on what needs to be repaired and how handy you are.  Any burnt out light bulbs? leaky faucets? cracked tiles? chipped paint? You need to spend a bit of money here to tend to these issues.   Has it been a while since you painted the house?  You might want to consider a paint job – a fresh paint job goes a long way and make a huge difference! Over look these repairs or just leave it? Buyers will think you maybe left other issues unresolved, bigger issues. If there are too many repairs to pay for and maybe you don’t have the time, consider that when pricing your home with your agent.

– De-clutter.

We all have junk.  Since you are moving anyway this is a great opportunity to lose some weight.  Go through your stuff and get rid of what you don’t want/need you will be surprised how much you can accumulate in a short period of time.  Go through everything – drawers, closets, cabinets etc.  Don’t spend the time, money and energy moving to the new place to just to toss it – get rid of it now.  The house will feel lighter. Plus when buyers see clutter it is a stresser and it sends a message that there isn’t enough storage (one of the top things buyers are looking for is storage).  One area to really pay attention to is above the kitchen cabinets – don’t store anything up there, it’s distracting and looks messy (even decorative items) and bathroom counter tops, we tend to ‘collect’ soap, lotions and more. Clear off surface spaces – kitchen counters, your coffee table, end tables, kitchen table, desk etc…Clear out the clutter!

– Pre-pack and depersonalize.

You know you are moving , so pre-pack certain items that you know are going to come with you.  For instance family photos and collections – we don’t want them in the space because they personalize the space – you don’t want buyers to feel like they are visiting, you want them to mentally move in – your memories will block that from happening.  Collectibles should also be packed up – again they are personal plus they can clutter up the space depending on the size of the collection.  Have a lot of art or books? A few are fine but if you have too many they can add bulk to the room making the space feel cramped, so pre-pack some of those pieces (at least the ones coming with you)

 

– Let there be light!

Pull back the drapes, clean those windows and be sure to replace burnt out bulbs or up the wattage.  Light makes a huge difference in a space.  If you have a dark room, add some table or floor lamps. When it is time for your photos, be sure to have your lights on – over head, task lights all of your lights – it looks so much better in photos! Take a look at the two images below – image 1 has all of the lights on – even though they have beautiful natural light streaming in from the patio doors and window.  Look how bright the room is. Image 2 – no lights on at all.  The light from the window just isn’t enough.  Yes, it is a beautiful room but it looks a bit dull without the lights on.

 

         

– Curb appeal.

Make sure the exterior is maintained, it’s your home’s first impression.  So trim the grass and hedges.  Make sure exterior lights are in working order.  Is the address plate visible and in good condition? Does the door bell work? Shovel or sweep the porch and walkway/driveway. These details are important.

 

– Set the scene.

This is the fun part and the creative part. Use magazines as your inspiration -make the bed and make it look inviting like you would see in a chic hotel.  Have a great dining room space? Set the table to help buyers visualize entertaining in the space.  Add a touch of colour in the kitchen.  Some flowers or a fruit bowl on the island or kitchen table make the room look fresh. Take a look at your furniture or better yet get a friend to help – is there too much? Is there flow? You may need to re-arrange some pieces, so try to find a way to create a comfortable set up that encourages conversation but also shows off the space.

 

Be sure to keep the ‘creative’ stuff last and follow these steps in this order. Remember, home staging isn’t just about fluffing pillows  – it’s a step by step process to make the home look it’s best.  Buyers are looking for their new home not your old home, so follow these steps and your house will shine!

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