Thursday, May 20, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Tricks to stage your home like the pros
Even if the homebuyer tax credit has come to an end, it's still a buyers market out there, with prices back at affordable levels and mortgage interest rates near historic lows.
So for all of you sellers out there who haven't yet nabbed a buyer in the spring sales rush, it's still too early to believe that your chance has passed. But you'd better not be slacking off, either.
We've written plenty about the importance of staging your property, especially the outdoors and other areas of the home that need to make a good first impression, such as the front entry or even the front door.
You could take the spendy approach to the advice, which includes tips such as buying a bigger bed to make a room look bigger, or stage on the cheap with tricks such as using at least two sets of pillows in contrasting patterns, colors and textures, shown above, to add a little more appeal to a room.
While you're at it, don't be afraid of color, such as gold accents or simply adding a lush, green plant to a lonely corner. And contrary to popular belief, House Beautiful also says that dark walls actually can make small rooms look bigger, and that wallpaper is easy to use. But don't feel like color is a must, because white always works, too, the article says.
There are plenty of other ways to have fun with your decor. To start with, you might want to forget some of the unwritten rules about what matches, such as dining room chairs. Why not throw in a bench to mix it up a bit?
Similarly, there's no rule that you need a sofa in a living room when cozy chairs would just as easily suffice, and there's no rule that defines a coffee table. Instead of a traditional table, the article suggests you simply use an ottoman topped with a tray.
Think lighting, too. Play with a room's ambience by using four rather than two lamps, and don't forget to make sure your closet is not only adequately lighted, but also full of inspiration with photos or whatever else will help kick-start your day.
Do you have any decorating secrets that you think are key to adding appeal to a room?
So for all of you sellers out there who haven't yet nabbed a buyer in the spring sales rush, it's still too early to believe that your chance has passed. But you'd better not be slacking off, either.
We've written plenty about the importance of staging your property, especially the outdoors and other areas of the home that need to make a good first impression, such as the front entry or even the front door.
You could take the spendy approach to the advice, which includes tips such as buying a bigger bed to make a room look bigger, or stage on the cheap with tricks such as using at least two sets of pillows in contrasting patterns, colors and textures, shown above, to add a little more appeal to a room.
While you're at it, don't be afraid of color, such as gold accents or simply adding a lush, green plant to a lonely corner. And contrary to popular belief, House Beautiful also says that dark walls actually can make small rooms look bigger, and that wallpaper is easy to use. But don't feel like color is a must, because white always works, too, the article says.
There are plenty of other ways to have fun with your decor. To start with, you might want to forget some of the unwritten rules about what matches, such as dining room chairs. Why not throw in a bench to mix it up a bit?
Similarly, there's no rule that you need a sofa in a living room when cozy chairs would just as easily suffice, and there's no rule that defines a coffee table. Instead of a traditional table, the article suggests you simply use an ottoman topped with a tray.
Think lighting, too. Play with a room's ambience by using four rather than two lamps, and don't forget to make sure your closet is not only adequately lighted, but also full of inspiration with photos or whatever else will help kick-start your day.
Do you have any decorating secrets that you think are key to adding appeal to a room?
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