Accessorizing with Fabrics

Accessorizing with Fabrics

Columbia Interior Decorating Examiner

Columbia Interior Decorating Examiner

Energy Conservation with Windows

Energy Conservation with Windows

When Wall Paper is a Must

When Wall Paper is a Must

Improving The Flow of Energy In Your Bedroom

Improving The Flow of Energy In Your Bedroom

Giving Your Fireplace Mantle a Face Lift

Giving Your Fireplace Mantle a Face Lift

Investing In The Vestibule

Investing In The Vestibule

How to Find Inspiration For Color In Your Room

How to Find Inspiration For Color In Your Room

Decorating for Autumn

Decorating for Autumn

How to Identify Different Decor and Furniture Styles

How to Identify Different Decor and Furniture Styles

How to Stage Your Home For a Faster Sale

How to Stage Your Home For a Faster Sale

Decor that Doesn't Work

Decor that Doesn't Work

Making Neutral Paint Colors Work

Making Neutral Paint Colors Work

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Improving The Flow of Energy In Your Bedroom

Improving The Flow of Energy In Your Bedroom

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How to Find the Best Deals on Home Decor

How to Find the Best Deals on Home Decor

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Columbia Interior Decorating Examiner

Columbia Interior Decorating Examiner

How to Balance A Room Aesthetically

Having a room that is balanced is conducisive to the well being of all those who enter. Have you ever noticed how in most homes there is a room that most people just naturally gravitate towards? This room often is the most comfortable and inviting space. Here are some things to consider when you balance a room to create a feeling that will draw you in.

Balance  with Textures - Rooms usually have several different textures taking place. Whether it is the smoothness of perhaps a leather arm chair, or a lamp base, or the rough texture of carved wooden accents in the furniture or decor. Having these textures evenly distributed in the room with no one dominating entirely over the other is ideal. Large smooth textures from a leather bound sofa can be balanced out by a large Sisal rug on the floor, or a wall hanging with a lot of texture. Always look around your room and identify the different smooth and rough textures. Are they balanced with opposite textures? If not add something, or reduce something. It really makes a difference.

Balancing with Colors - Strong colors are visually weighty in a room. To balance them you must have neutrals to combat their impact. Having too much of any one color in a room can be either too stimulating or too boring. Again this is where balance comes into play. Perhaps the primary color of a room is neutral. Strong darks, or strong brights can balance out the neutral and give it a boost. This can be in the form of dark wooded furniture, or individual art pieces. It doesn't always have to mean paint color. Take time to look at your room to see if the colors are balanced. Too much of either is not good.

 Balancing with Furniture - Room balance is about textures, colors and also furniture. Having furniture that is proportional to the room and in relation to the other furnishings is extremely important. Failing to keep the pieces in scale can create negative closed in feelings if the furniture is too big, or too open and sparse if the furniture is too small. Always keep scale in consideration when buying or arranging furniture. Remember even a not so big piece of furniture can have a visual weight that makes it appear larger if it is in a bold color, either very light or very dark.

Original article: How to Balance A Room Aesthetically - written by Dawn Gagnon on Factoidz

How to Select a Good Real Estate Agent

When meeting your agent, take time to see if you like them in general. Are you comfortable with them? Does their personality suit you? Do they listen, and are they positive? Do they take the time to explain things to you? These are so important because if your personality clashes, communication will suffer and they will be less enthusiastic about selling your home, and this is not good.

Know what you want and make sure your real estate agent listens. There is nothing more aggravating than being taken to see 12 houses and all of them are not suitable. Have an idea in advance about age, condition, square footage, no. of baths and bedrooms, etc.

Ask your agent beforehand, what improvements you can make that may impact your homes value and asking price. My agent set our price and then had us spend a fortune on improvements after the fact. This actually took away from the profit we made. If your agent has arranged to come by to take photos, ask them if there is anything special you need to do, or have them walk through your home first before they take photos to suggest and give you a chance to change something you may have overlooked. Your home is going to be shown on websites all over, potential buyers may be turned off by the pictures and what they see in them before they even bother to view your home. A good agent should know this.

Before you commit to your real estate agent and his company, make sure you tell them that for any home you are interested in you expect to be able to make an offer on the property.  If this is something they don't do or discourage in any way, don't sign on with them. You are the boss!  Its your money. You have the pre-approval, you have the power! Our agent didn't even give us this option and it still makes me mad to this day!

Make sure your real estate agent knows you may need more time to move, and have it written into any contract. We didn't have a clue, and our home sold fast, little did we know that when you go to the signing, and you turn over your keys at the signing, you really have no time to move out, and in some cases the buyer can charge you rent by the day for every day it takes you to move out. My agent told us that, but did not give us the option of requesting rent from our seller for every day they made us wait after closing. You want to get all of this clear before you sign any agreement to use that real estate agent or his agency.

Original article: How to Select a Good Real Estate Agent - written by Dawn Gagnon on Factoidz

How to Improve your Home to Sell Faster

I'm sure you have heard this before, updating and staging your home can make or break a sale. The housing market is a tough sell now with far more inventory than ever. How will your home stand up to the competition? Is your kitchen updated? How are the baths? Is there clutter that needs moving out, even before you do? Are you willing to invest some money to get a return? These are all questions that need addressing if you plan on selling your home and actually getting it sold.

The biggest area to address in your home without a doubt is the kitchen. The real question is, not necessarily can you afford to update it, but can you afford not to? New construction prices are dropping everyday as builders scramble to move empty homes. Do you realize this is your competition? Well it is. Whenever addressing any area of improvement with your home, the template you must use is new construction. Not only new construction, but what is also available in your area. A shrewd seller will have already taken into account what comparable's are around. Have you done this? If not, check out your local real estate agency and view the listings in your area. Factor in age, size and location of the homes you are viewing.  The rule used to be not to over improve for your area. However, that doesn't mean you can't take it up a notch or two. Do your research first before you spend a dime. There are sites that will let you factor in what sort of return you could possibly get per improvement. Bank of America has a calculator that can help you figure out what is worth it. and what isn't. Even at that to a  degree you do roll the dice.

If you don't have a vast amount of money, key improvements and updates can be done relatively cheap if you are willing to  do some of the work yourself. I always recommend starting with your kitchen. I viewed many homes during my own house shopping, and the ones I steered clear of were old, outdated kitchens. Why? Well if it's not obvious, money. Taking the step at a major purchase is daunting enough without also factoring in renovation and updating costs. From the buyer's perspective, a home with outdated old appliances, fixtures, etc. scream "money pit", high energy bills, and potential break downs in the near future. When your home is not updated, think what this is saying to the buyer. It says, what else is old and fixing to go? Probably a safe assumption is, everything. Not to mention, if you can see it and it's bad, what you can't see is probably worse. If you only have a small amount of money, update your appliances. In my neck of the woods, refrigerators often times are not included in the sale price, but ovens definitely are. Check to see what is the "norm" for your area. A modestly priced refrigerator, and matching brand oven, can immediately update the kitchen. If you can add in a dishwasher of the same style, and brand. Those are your big ticket items in a kitchen. However, if that is out of the question, survey the counters, flooring, and cabinets. Cabinets can be refaced, painted and new hardware added. Flooring can be easily updated if you are willing to do the work yourself. A good alternative to vinyl flooring that is outdated, is the new high end peel and stick  tile. For around $1.00- $2.00 a square foot you can really update the floor. Some look so much like stone, you'd have to get down close to it to know the difference, even coming with "chiseled edges" for a real look. Choose neutral tones. This is no time to get wild and creative.  Painting cabinets used to be voodoo, but if they are dark and old, you will save a lot of money by painting them a fresh bright color and adding new hardware. If you can't replace your counters, At least de-clutter them and have them as clean as possible.

Fresh new curtains, clean counters, fresh painted cabinets and walls can usually make a huge difference in how fast your home sells. If you have old appliances and cannot afford to replace them, have them be sparkling clean and fresh smelling. Old is one thing, old and dirty is another. Organize your cabinets and keep them clutter free. I know we all love to see a well stocked pantry and cabinets, however overly filled cabinets and pantries  can send a red flag to a buyer that there  is limited in space. We want the buyer to feel like there is more than enough storage.  Ceilings and ceiling fans need to be clean as well. Buyers notice everything. From floor to ceiling, and everything in between. Never over crowd the square footage in your kitchen. Better to be slightly sparse, than overly cluttered. You are selling your home by the square foot, buyers want the most square footage they can get for their money, so why hide it if it isn't necessary?

If you can afford it,  the second area in your home that will probably help you get an offer would be the bathrooms. Bathrooms can be costly renovations, however, many of the same tactics used in the kitchen can be applied to your bathrooms. Update fixtures, paint old cabinetry, a new shower curtain and towels can go a long way at making your home feel well cared for. If you have it in your budget and your home is older, you may want to consider having your sink and tub re-glazed. This can be done cheaper than replacing these items and they can turn an unsightly Avocado green sink into a newer looking white one. The same with your tub.  A new toilet can also spruce up the area. New toilets can now be purchased as a complete set for as little as $100.00 and be better looking than a green, pink or blue model from times past, not to mention use less water. Fresh white towels, guest soaps, can add little details that stage a scene and tell a buyer that your home was well cared for. This translates as a home that is move in ready, and problem free.

Living areas need to be clutter free, personal belongings can be packed away. This is a great idea anyway because if your home sells, you will be ahead of the packing game and be relieved! Steam clean the carpets, add new bedding in the bedrooms, and make sure your home's furnishings don't distract and overcrowd the space. Buyers are not interested in your collections, photos, or mementos. Having too much "stuff" can make a buyer think you will take forever moving out if they make an offer and this is always a potential headache, especially if they have their own time frame to work in. De-personalizing, and de-cluttering will say to your potential buyer  that you can be out of there in no time, and they can envision their own belongings in the space much easier. If you have to, while your home is on the market, it would be a good idea to rent a storage unit to do this. Think of how stress free your moving out will be knowing that the majority of your things are out of the house, and already packed and waiting for your next home. Its a little investment now, but a huge relief later.

Lastly, address your curb appeal. Lawns should be mown, hedges trimmed, fresh potted flowers can be a nice touch and fences should be mended. Have a friend walk around your home inside and out and tell you what they think you need to do to spruce up the place. Sometimes a fresh honest pair of eyes can be enlightening, since we tend to overlook things we see every day. With limited funds, you should always make a list of what you can do, versus what you can't do  and make the best of it. Many buyers will do what I call " a drive by" when they are considering your home. What they see from the road could either have them hit the gas and floor it, or slow down and admire. Which do you think will get their name on the dotted line? You are not just selling your home, but to the buyer, you are selling a lifestyle, make it as desirable as possible.

Original article: How to Improve your Home to Sell Faster - written by Dawn Gagnon on Factoidz