10 Tips to Give a Room an Inexpensive Facelift

Decorating a room in your home does not need to be expensive or difficult. Often you can achieve fantastic design results by spending a small amount of money on items that make a big difference, or by using items you already own.

1. Paint will lead to the most dramatic difference and "bang for your buck" for your home. New paint automatically gives a room a fresh look for very little money. If you are willing to do the work yourself, then there are even more savings.

2. Try rearranging your furniture. Look at different configurations that add space to the area. Many times people get so used to one room as it is and they forget to try the easy fixes.

3. Bring in pieces of furniture or other items from other rooms. Or if a room is crowded, take some pieces out. This is virtually cost-free and can make a huge difference in a room's design. A little imagination goes a long way here.

4. Adding or changing curtains creates a great look and pulls a room together. Use fabric that will fit in with the rest of the room's decor.

5. Using a blanket or sheet to cover a sofa or chair is a quick and inexpensive way to dress up old worn furniture.

6. Buy tablecloths to fit over end tables or other tables in a room. They are inexpensive and you can decorate for any number of seasonal or holiday themes.

7. Try using different lighting to change the setting and bring a certain ambiance to a room. Sometimes just moving a light fixture to a different location in a room makes a big difference.

8. Use plants to decorate a room. Bringing in plants is always a great way to add a sense of newness to a space.

9. Add some art and pictures to the walls. Sometimes something as simple as a photo that is blown up and put into an old picture frame creates a very beautiful look.

10. Bring in an area rug to change up the room. Try laying the rug at different angles for a look that is out of the ordinary.

By using your imagination and using some of these decorating tips, it might appear like you spent a fortune and put a huge amount of work into the decor. But sometimes the best designs are the simplest and least expensive.

5 Inexpensive Home Staging Ideas

1) Paint over any dramatic colors in your home.

While you might love the lime green of your kitchen walls or deep plum color of the walls in your bedroom, the people looking to buy a home may not be able to see their own bedding and furniture in your space with those colors gracing the walls. Repainting with muted colors will make your space more neutral and appealing.

2) Check your window treatments.

Drapes or roman shades are often more appealing than mini blinds to prospective buyers. You can make either inexpensively if you've got a sewing machine and some fabric.

If your mini blinds are staying, make sure they are dust free. Take the time to dust and wash any horizontal or vertical blinds well.

3) Hide old or stongly patterned furniture

If your furniture is worn, or excessively flowery, covering chairs and sofas with slip covers can hide old, worn furniture, and hide patterns that might distract buyers from the overall space.

4) Expand tight spaces with mirrors

Mirrors also lend the appearance of a much more wide-open space than having no mirrors would accomplish. If you have a fire place, strategically located mirrors can spread the warmth and coziness (if not the heat) of a fire throughout the room making the room as a whole seem like a much more enjoyable place to escape the winter "blahs".

5) Accessorize without cluttering.

Remove your existing knick knaks and add just a few decorative touches. Artwork, candles, vases, and floral arrangements placed sparingly and strategically can give the room a more polished look.

Bathroom on a Budget

When it comes to home staging there are few rooms that have the same impact of a bathroom when being decorated. There is something wonderful about taking a tired old bathroom and making it seem bright and shiny once again. Most people, however, cringe at the thought of a bathroom remodel fearing the absolute worst when it comes to their financial situation once all is said and done. The good news is that small steps can lead to big changes in rooms as small as bathrooms. These small steps do not have to have large prices in order to be highly effective.

My suggestion with a bathroom is to assess where the worst blemishes and eyesores may be. Painting the walls can be a good place to start but you should first decide whether you are planning to remove any cabinetry.

The vanity in many bathrooms takes up a good deal of real estate. Gone are the days when chunky cabinets were the popular choice for bathrooms. Now people want the bathrooms to have the appearance of a wide-open space. This means that cabinets and vanities are becoming smaller rather than larger.

The toilet in a bathroom is fairly simple to purchase but I recommend leaving it be unless it absolutely needs to be changed. This is not a simple procedure for the novice and experts are expensive. In this case "if it ain't broke don't fix it" is an excellent motto to live by. The same holds true with the shower. If, however, you simply cannot live with your shower (or bathtub) as is, you may want to try hiring professionals to come in and resurface your tub. This is much less expensive than purchasing a brand-new tub and will have yours looking bright, shiny, and as good as new.

To top things off, you will be amazed at the difference that new knobs, fixtures, and hardware can make in a bathroom. Add a couple of lamps for subtle lighting and some decorative touches of your own and you have a brand new bathroom without spending a king's ransom in order to do so. The shower curtain and 'guest' towels should be your largest splurges in your bathroom, as they will tie the room all together. You shower curtains and towels will blend the colors and designs in order to create the overall atmosphere you should be hoping to achieve in your bathroom.

How To Stage A House For The Market

Staging is the process of getting a house ready to sell. It is an important step; it is almost as important as pricing. Many For Sale by Owners make a mistake; they just put a sign in the yard and hope for a buyer. When you sell by owner, it takes careful preparation and planning. In this article I'll show you how to stage the house for the market so you sell faster and make more money.

The overall condition and appearance of a house is important in determining how fast it will sell and how much the buyer will pay.

Curb appeal is make or break. Many buyers won't view a house that doesn't have curb appeal. Others are unable to look beyond your belongings once they're in the house.

Buyers start making buying decisions at the curb, If a house doesn't have curb appeal, you've lost a buyer.

You Never Get A Second Chance To Make A First Impression.

Buyers have built in discount clocks that start ticking at the curb. They look for ways to reject your house and ways to discount your price. The buyer's discount clock is always ticking

Tic, Tic, Tic . . .
• Is the driveway clear and clean?
• Is the side walk free from clutter?
• Is the lawn mowed and edged?
• Is the house inviting?
• Is the sidewalk clean and clear?

Tic, Tic, Tic . . .
• Is the mailbox painted?
• Are box numbers easy to read?
• Are house numbers easy to read?
• Would colorful floors at the front door add appeal?
• Is the front door clean, new or newly painted?
• Is the entry porch clean and clear of stuff?

Does it sound like a pain, tending to all the details? You do want top dollar don't you?

Once inside the house:
• Is the entry inviting?
• Is it well lit? Consider using full spectrum lighting.
• Is it clean and free of clutter?
• Would mirrors make the space seem larger?

You have to detach from the house. The house is a property, not your "home." Refer to it as a house, not your home. You are preparing the house, not your home, for the market. Make that distinction. It will help you stage the house. Is the buyer mentally moving in? It's imperative that a buyer sees himself/herself as living in the house. If they like the house, they'll mentally move in.

You want the buyer to start thinking of it as their home. You have to get rid of family portraits that line the stairs and halls. Too many personal memories can actually make the buyer feel guilty about taking you away from your home. Memory lanes are psychological turn offs for the buyer. You don't want distractions.

You plan to move after you sell right?
• Start packing before you put the house on the market.
• Box up nicknacks, photos and stuff.
• Thin out.
• Box it
• Store it.
• Have a garage sale.
• Streamline.
• Less clutter creates a sense of space.
• Less stuff makes a house inviting.

Come on, you can do it.

Consider storing or selling some of your furniture. Create wide walking spaces. Recliners and sofas, are great for living, but terrible for showing. Clear walking areas. Make the rooms appear larger.

Visit model homes. Notice how sparsely they're furnished. This creates a sense of spaciousness. Go home and start weeding out your excess furniture and clutter.

Lots of lights. Be sure there are working bulbs in all light fixtures. Consider full spectrum lighting as it gives a nice natural light without starkness. Turn on lights for showings.

Clear counters. Goodbye toasters. Goodbye kitchen appliances. Make the kitchen sparkle. Clean stove, broiler and oven. Clean the back splash. Buyers notice.

Bathrooms must sparkle.
• No wet towels.
• No toilet articles left out.
• Clean mirrors and shower doors.

Bedrooms neat.
• Beds made
• Neat closets.
• Pick up clothes.
• Pack most of your clothes.
• Remove excess furniture.
• Create a sense of roominess.

If buyers are thinking move in, help them. Open blinds and drapes Put a bouquet of cheery flowers on the table.

The garage counts. Clean the garage floor. Grease spots are a turn off. Get rid of tools. Pack, hang or store them.

Would you buy this house? in its present condition, for the price you're asking?

If your answer is not a resounding YES; then reconsider your price or improve conditions. Consider hiring a professional decorator.

The final List:
• All Guns and jewelry put in a safe deposit box.
• Put away dog and children's toys.
• Professionally clean all windows.
• Fresh paint pays for itself.
• Heat cinnamon in the oven - not necessary but nice.
• Dresser drawers orderly.
• Music - I vote no, buyers may hate your selection.

In summary you want to remember:
• Create Openness.
• Make the house bright and cheery.
• Create spacious walking areas.
• Make everything shine.
• Approximate the look of a model home.
• Have a guest book.
• Have a flyer.

Good Luck Selling Your House.

About the Author:

Wee Dilts is the creator of the original for sale by owner flat fee MLS program, author of the best selling "How To Sell Real Estate by Owner" book, and has assisted FSBOS since 1983. • Colorado For Sale by Owners can register for MLS, purchase her book, or download Free FSBO tips at
http://www.fsbofriend.com
If you have FSBO questions you'll get a prompt response by writing to Wee at fsbofriend@msn.com

Using Braided Rugs in Your Home

Rugs are used in homes all over the world. They enhance the feel of a room when used as an accent to other decorations. They help protect wood floors and expensive carpet in high traffic areas around the home. And they can also be used to help keep the rooms warm as it insulates the floor. One of the more popular types of rug is the braided rug.

Braided rugs are typically created from cotton, wool or silk, although since any type of material can be braided there is no reason it cannot be made into a rug. A braided rug is exactly as the name implies; the material used to make the rug is braided together until the desired shape and size has been achieved. For many years, the braided rug was made by hand from braids that were sewn together. There are many artisans around the world, that still make braided rugs by hand, creating gorgeous pieces that are typically used to accent special places in the home.

Braided rugs have many advantages for use in the home. They can theoretically be fashioned from virtually any material that can be braided. From cotton, to wool, to fine silk, the material is varied yet the rug itself can be used for many purposes. Heavy duty braided rugs can be used in high traffic areas such as the kitchen or bathroom. Delicate braided rugs from exotic materials can be used as accent pieces or can be used as decorative wall hangings. The color combinations are as varied as the dye in the material and the size can be as large as your budget allows. Braided rug creation is very flexible.

One disadvantage of a braided rug is the maintenance involved with its upkeep. The braids of these types of rugs are sewn together, sometimes from delicate materials such as silk, which can easily fray and come apart during cleaning. Care has to be taken when the braided rug needs to be cleaned. Another disadvantage is that these types of rugs are not necessarily the warmest rug. Some are best used for accent rugs and not for use to help trap heat and keep rooms warm when the weather is cold.

Braided rugs can be found in department and speciality stores. They can be as cheap or expensive as you want to pay. It only depends on the quality of craftsmanship, the size and the material it is made from. An online search can also help you locate those who will create a braided rug by hand.

The Advantages of Home Staging

When staging is achieved in a pleasing and successful manner, a potential buyer will enter the home with their attention centered on the attractiveness of a residence and not the flaws that may exist. Before selling a home, realtors may suggest staging to increase the chances of selling the property within a reasonable amount of time. Statistics reveal that a noticeable difference is seen in the amount of days on the market and final sale price that takes place when home staging is a factor.

Common Home Staging Techniques

There is a wide range of techniques that a home stager will make use of. Depending on the circumstances regarding a home, a few or several different approaches might be taken to stage a property. Some of the most common methods include de-cluttering, eliminating the personal style and reminders from a home, updating older or unattractive fixtures, adding a fresh coat of paint to the walls, rearranging or renting furniture, as well as bringing in accessories that heighten the appearance of the interior and exterior of a residence.

First impressions are quite important to a potential home buyer; therefore curb appeal is another aspect of home staging that a professional may focus on. The exterior of a house is just as important as the inside, especially since it is the first thing people see when they visit a house showing. New plants, flowers, and shrubbery are commonly added to a landscape.

Lighting and the spaciousness of a home is another important detail that stagers will focus on. When rooms look bigger to homebuyers, they are more apt to feed into the presentation. A stager will aim to eliminate dark and tight spaces about a home. The layout of furniture should convey comfort and openness. Items in a room that clutter or crowd a space are usually removed. A variety of accessories are used to elevate the appearance of a residence during a home staging, including plants, silk flowers, baskets, pillows, love seats, throw rugs, floor and table lamps, and mirrors.

What Does Home Staging Focus On?

Through home staging, properties are enhanced and improved by the efforts of a professional, who analyzes the best course of action for a specific residence. The goal is to make a home more inviting and appealing to a potential homebuyer, who may otherwise miss out on some of the things that makes the property unique and livable. Often, after a round of staging, the overall value of the property is elevated as repairs, redecoration, renovations, and supplementary landscaping details are added. In cases where a home is vacant, rental furniture may replace the emptiness of a residence.

The Difference Between Home Staging and Home Decorating

Home staging is not, I repeat NOT, home decorating.

Redecorating a home focuses on the seller and their personality. It makes the home more comfortable and usable for you and your family.

Home staging is not concerned with your comfort. In fact, some of the things you'll need to do when staging your home are downright inconvenient for you.

For example, keeping the kitchen counters free of EVERYTHING can mean keeping the coffee maker in a cupboard. In my house, at least, that'd be a major inconvenience.

Pet food bowls need to disappear off the floor too... a most inconvenient situation for fluffy the cat, wouldn't you say?

And family photos and other mementos that might remind a buyer that you actually live there need to be removed too.

Doesn't sound like home decorating anymore, does it?

And all this is hard to do if you love and live in the home. That's why it is often helpful to hire a professional , who will see the home with a visitor's eyes, to stage your home.

San Deigo Home Staging

Home staging instructor Joanne O'Donnell offers courses in home staging in San Diego, and is the main source for this story on home staging from Realty Times.

She points out that home staging is NOT home decorating. "Decorating is optional, staging is mandatory in order to sell the house for the most possible money in the shortest amount of time," she says.

Home staging as a career is being pursued by many people from a variety of backgrounds. Often simply asking your realtor for a recommendation or two will get you a list of people in your area who work as home stagers. There are also a large number of San Deigo companies offering home staging services on the Internet.

Real Estate agents will often hire a stager as part of the selling package as a standard feature (because it is far easier to offer a benefit than explain to home owners that their home needs some serious work).

Or, simply grab a book, detach yourself from your property, and give the 'do it yourself' option a try.

"People don't see that a lot of things that are in their houses are part of themselves and when you try to sell a house you want to make it as neutral as possible, not necessarily in the colors, but in the way it's presented," says Gerin Canin, a lawyer from New York who is transitioning into a home staging career.

The Aim of Home Staging

Over the years, the real estate market has suffered a few ups and downs, which has prompted individuals selling their home to turn towards other methods in an effort to entice buyers. Since there is an increase in the number of homes for sale, every bit of help is greatly needed to set aside a property from the next in order to encourage a purchase. One of the more popular tactics that homeowners consider is home staging, which transforms a residence before it reaches the real estate market.

The aim of home staging is to sell a house as quickly as possible, as well as get top dollar for the property. Some people do not feel investing in such a service is necessary, but for some, the outcome has been more than satisfactory. When it comes to the cost of home staging, prices vary depending on the state or city that you reside at. If the local demand for professionally staged homes is high, you may benefit from competitive prices. Generally, homeowners should expect to pay between $500 and $5,000.

Sprucing up the Exterior and Yard

People buy what they see. If they like what they see, it is of greater worth to them. Their overall perception of the home needs to be positive, favorable, and hopeful – to fit into the unfolding of their dreams. Value is relative – hence the variation in different appraisers’ perceptions. The neighborhood is very important – location, location, location! Make sure that your house matches the standards that are evident when assessing other houses in the vicinity.

The best makeover you can give your house is one that captures its original style. An upgraded facade protects your home from structural damage and gives it an aura of solid quality. To make a good impression from the moment potential buyers pull up to the house is vital. First glimpses of the home will include the exterior, the garden and lawn, roofing or shingles, window frames, trim and the front door – and first impressions count, and they last! Peeling trim or odd exterior colors could lose you their attention before they come inside.

A lush lawn leaves the impression that someone cares about this home. Well-kept homes sell faster than those that aren't. "Curb appeal" is a crucial first impression that can make buyers either wary or eager to step inside. Be sure your garden look great, trash cans and bikes are put away, house numbers are attractive and easy to see, the front door looks awesome (because you've replaced or painted it and maybe updated the hardware), and that you have some attractive potted plants by the door.

Curb Appeal - Make a good first impression.

Anything you do cosmetically to enhance curb appeal will increase the resale value of your house.

Generally the first impression your home makes to potential buyers is on their first 'drive-by'. That first impression can either open or limit your field of potential buyers based on the curb appeal of your home.

A little extra work may mean a difference in how smoothly the sale goes, how much can be asked for your home and how long it will stay on the market. Many homebuyers stretch economically to get into a home, and what you do to make the property more attractive with less work and cost for them, may work favorably to convince them that yours is a more lucrative prospect than the house across the street.

If a house obviously needs repair or maintenance, a buyer may decide to look for something that is in better condition. The good news is that many improvements that have an impact on selling a home aren't very expensive at all. Take great caution if you consider taking on a major renovation project just so that you can sell your property. There are no guarantees that you would recover the costs of a huge overhaul. Just focus on making the home attractive, clean, presentable and well maintained.

Home Staging Blog

If you're about to sell your home, you'll realize more value for your property if you stage it for selling.

What that means, in general, is that you're taking away all those things that make it your home, in order to turn it into a generic, 'dream space' for potential buyers to see and visualize themselves in.

This blog will be for ideas, photos, tips and tricks for doctoring your home (as the Brits call it) to prepare it for sale.