So why is a home decorator and home stager telling you these things? Because if you’ve incurred debt or if you’ve tried to work things out with a creditor to no avail, it’s important to know how to deal with it. Sometimes we have legitimate reasons for not paying a bill, or the creditor is in the wrong.  But even if you know that you owe them money, it’s important to know your rights.

A consumer lawyer can be a big help if you find yourself in this position.  They can help you stop collection harassment for good and help you get on with your life.  In California, The Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA) was enacted to protect you, the consumer.  Debt collectors are allowed to contact you, but they must follow ethical and legal avenues.

For instance, they cannot do certain things like:

• Call you at odd hours of the night
• Contact you at your place of employment
• Accuse you of a crime
• Use abusive or profane language
• And more…

In California, you can stop collection harassment California by visiting this website. They’ll even help you find a lawyer in your state if you don’t reside there.

So, this may be a little off the subject of home decorating, but it’s something that I know people deal with all the time and there are ways to handle it.  You may have lost your job, gone through a divorce, or had sky-rocketing medical bills.  These guys are here to help, check them out!

The problem is, what appeals to you and like-minded people you hang around with is, it may not appeal to a broad range of people – people who want to buy a house that’s ready to move into.  Your lovely red walls and display of “dolls of the world” may be of great interest to you, but they will turn-off a large group of buyers.  All they will see is that they’ll have to re-paint and they’ll go looking for the next house – one that is home-staged and ready to move in!

Also, if you haven’t updated in years, chances are that your house reflects an earlier time.  You’ve grown used to it and you like it.  No problem there.  But, many buyers are looking for their dream home and they want updated features.  If you can’t update, you can at least stage your home in a way that shows buyers the best part of your home.  If you have great windows, show them off!  If you have a fireplace, don’t cover it up – bring it out and make it a focal point!

And be sure to hire a qualified, professioanl home stager and take their advice very seriously.  You’ll be glad you did when your house sells for the asking price or even brings in multiple offers.  Home stagers know that taking a little time and money to get your house ready and do some updating, will pay off in the long run.

Usually, what you spend to stage your house will far outweigh a price reduction if your home sits on the market too long!  This is a buyer’s market so don’t get left behind, stage your house right from the beginning and get it sold!

I do hear this from time to time, however, experience tells me that a well-prepared house will beat the competition everytime.  If you want your house to sell in the shortest time possible, you must do the work to help it appeal to a large group of buyers.

Why?  If you stage your home, you’ll be taking down personal items, photos, collections, and numerous items that mean something to you.  They don’t have the same meaning for buyers.  They detract as they walk through your home, looking at all your “things.”  You want them to see the best features of your house and buy it! Home staging helps you do just that!

Most people need to remove and store some of their furniture.  It’s just too cluttered and there isn’t good flow through the rooms or through the house.  Think about a model house – it’s open, airy, and there’s no “actual living” stuff sitting around!  A competitent, professional home stager can give you a solid strategy for getting your house staged and ready, then keeping it in showing condition while you’re living in it!

Still think home staging is just for “vacant houses?”  If you do, you could be missing out on a lot of extra money for your home.

It costs too much money!  True, it may cost you some money to get your house ready to show well and appeal to mulitiple buyers.  However, not taking the time and investment could cost you alot more! A well-staged house will usually gain offers quickly and sometimes attract multiple offers. Why? Because it’s “ready-to-go” and buyers can just move right in.  Also it looks fabulous and they can imagine putting their things in the house and entertaining guests, raising their kids, enjoying the area, whatever!  So, even though it may cost you something for renovations, fix-up, paint, or maybe even some rental furniture, the money you gain in a quicker sale and a better offer will far out weigh the cost to stage your home.

We’ve sold houses before and didn’t have to stage them!  That may very well be true, but number one – did you get the best price for your house? Did it sell quickly?  And number 2, buyers can afford to be picky these days.  There are a lot more houses on the market today and it’s a buyer’s market.  A home-owner that has taken the time and effort to stage their house for sale will win out over those that aren’t staged to sell.

Of course it’s always your choice whether you stage your house or not, but home staging is an investment in your property just like anything else.  You replace a roof, replace carpet, paint and fix-up your largest investment.  Why wouldn’t you use home staging to show it off and give it an edge in this tricky selling market!

If you’re ready to sell your home, contact me or your local home stager for an estimate and show it well!

No matter if your expertise is in growing beautiful, vibrant flowers or flourishing vegetables, your yard is a place that is uniquely your own.  It’s a great home improvement fix that will last for years. Make it easy on yourself by reducing the upkeep.  You can do things to help, like providing plenty of mulch for weed control and moisture conservation.  You can choose your plant varieties carefully to get exactly what you want.  Do you love a garden that’s always blooming with new colors and textures during the season? Are you concerned about planting varieties that keep the pests down? Or is your main goal having a bumper crop of luscious vegetables, herbs and fruits to entice your family?

All of these will benefit from some careful planning and expert advice.  Use your local nurseries for their wealth of knowledge about growing things in your area.  They know the plants, the soils and the climate and can advise you how to get the most out of your yard.

But my favorite home improvement plan of action is to install a drip irrigation system to completely automate your watering needs and provide your plants with exactly the right amount of water, when they need it.  You’ll find irrigation supplies online along with experts who can help you choose the right components.  Check out the helpful videos, how-to articles and landscaping books geared for all levels of expertise.

I’ve personally used a drip irrigation system to water my gardens, hanging baskets and walkway gardens.  It really does make it so much easier to grow your best garden ever!!

The outside areas do matter!  They are essential when planning your overall home decorating and home improvment stategies.

Here are some things to think about when re-decorating the bedroom:

Comfortable and welcoming...

What kind of bedding do you see on the bed? Change the sheets to something soft and luxurious like silk or satin.  If you need to, change the look of your bedding with a new coverlet or comforter.   New bedding can be a home decorating secret that changes the whole look of your room.  Then don’t forget to pile on the pillows!

What color scheme makes you feel relaxed, or sexy, or comfortable? Typically red makes a room feel warm and sexy. But you can also go with a calm color combo that reflects your style. I prefer neutrals and then punch up the color scheme with darker colors in the pillows, drapes and art on the walls.
What accessories and extras would you include in the room? Candles are always a good bet, but don’t forget the soft music and low lights.  If you’re adventurous, include some of your favorite foods to share…

Alstromeria is colorful and lasts a long time

If you’re like me, fresh flowers always make me smile and feel good.  My favorites are tulips in shades of pink, purple or rose.  But if they aren’t in season, a huge bouqet of alstromeria will do the trick!  Pick your favorites and show off your inner home decorator!

Got your thinking about your bedroom decorating?  Then, get going and send me some comments!  I’d love to hear what you do!
 

If you want to decorate your rooms to have an upscale look, think about the art that you place on the walls.  While you want to see family photos; neutral art will make your rooms look more elegant and upscale.  Keep the family portrait wall in the family room or the rooms where the family gathers to enjoy each other.   And if you’re staging your house to sell, take down all the personal photos!  If you don’t have a natural focal point such as a fireplace or dramatic windows, create an accent wall over the sofa.  Use a large piece of art that fills up the space and catches the eye when you enter the room.  Or put a grouping over your bed.  Think about filling a space with one or two large pieces rather than many small, unimportant ones.

• Have an overall color scheme.
• Your wall paint, furnishings and accent pieces should all go together.
• Choose art pieces that bring out the colors in your room.
• Or, if you’re planning to re-paint and re-furnish, pick a piece of art that you absolutely love!  Then pull your paint colors from that.
• Modern, abstract pieces need sleek, modern furnishings and look best against bold colored walls.
• Landscapes and outdoor scenes give an overall feeling of nature.  So pick your wall colors from a natural, muted pallet.
• Floral art works best with soft, natural colors.
• If you like the exotic look (my favorite) use hammered metal wall hangings or rustic frames on mirrors.
• Palm or animal motifs look terrific on muted neutral walls.

Create the focal point wall in the most logical spot.   See where your eye naturally goes when you walk into the room.  That’s where your most important artwork needs to go.  Then, arrange the room’s furnishings so that it all points to this wall.

Before home staging, a nice living room...

If you’re a remodeler or an investor who does fix n flips, you may be tempted to leave a house empty and save the money it will cost you to stage a house.  Maybe you’ve done expensive and time-consuming renovating, but don’t want to spend the money when it comes to furnishings!  It might be tempting to just “put it on the market and see what happens!”  You could be making a costly mistake!

When you consider the money that it costs to stage an empty house, it’s relatively inexpensive to rent furnishings and hire a professional home stager to set it up for you.  A good home stager can quickly assess your house and decide what it needs, then have it delivered, set-up and ready for photographs usually in one day.  Without home staging, your photos will look un-inviting and buyers wont see your house for what it could be.  That could cost you time and money on the market!

By not going the extra distance and putting the finishing touches on your creation, it’s like renovating the kitchen and leaving the old appliances in place.  It just doesn’t work.  Or it’s like getting all dressed up for a special occasion and then wearing your old tennis shoes!  It may be a style statement, but it doesn’t really impress anyone!

...After home staging, much more appealing!

Home staging provides the emotional appeal to enhance your great renovations.  Not staging your investment may also leave money on the table when it’s time to sell.  What you can get for a house that’s staged versus one that is not staged is well-documented.  Staged houses bring in more cash!

As I always say,

Home Staging is the Investment That Pays You Back!

Simple items make an intersting focal point

Buy a new plant stand and display nice quality silk plants or go for real!  Plants always add life to a room.  If you don’t have a green thumb, there are some good quality “fake” plants.

Group some great vases, baskets or bowls on a display shelf.  Keep the clutter down and make the decorative pieces the real stars.

Decorate your home with natural elements.  I love adding river rock, seashells and candles.  Fill a bowl or a tray with any of these and add a trio of candle that match or compliment your color scheme.

Even though these are simple ideas, they are easy to do and will give your room a fresh new look!
What questions do you have about home decorating?  I’d love to hear from you!

It’s no secret that staging your home can improve it’s appeal to buyers and help it stand out.  A home stager can help your home sell itself.  As a professional home stager, we can make even a modest home look chic.  We reveal your homes assets and organize what’s left. Call it “purging for the maximum sale!”   You may not have much time to enjoy it though, because typically staged homes sell faster than un-staged homes.

Statistics show that 70-80% of buyers these days shop the internet when they’re ready to buy.
So…your photos have to look good to even get a showing!  Stage before you take those all-important pictures!  Your goal is to get buyers inside and then to have them fall in love with your home.

Consider the condo in Boulder, staged by Debbie Fiskum.  The owner had bought another house in Westminster and needed to sell.  She had fixed it up, cleaned, painted and re-carpeted the whole condo.  She got several bites but no one made an offer.  Knowing that her small condo looked even smaller without furnishings, she called Debbie and together they put a few furnishings in strategic places, then added some plants, artwork and colorful accessories to catch the eye.  The very next buyer that looked, made an offer and it sold within a month!  Coincidence or clever merchandising?

You can’t afford to take chances with your biggest investment.  In order to get the best price and to sell it quickly, your home has to appeal to a broad range of buyers.  All those great collections you have; and family photos look great while you’re living there.  But while your home is on the market, it should be very neutral and impersonal.  Think about those model homes you’ve seen.  They are clean and clutter-free so you can imagine yourself living there and filling it with your own personal touches.  Lovingly pack away all the cute little knick-knacks, photos, collections, and de-clutter every open surface!

So, spend a little time and effort before you list your home and you’ll reap the benefits in a quicker sale and a better price.  If you don’t have the time, patience or know-how, a home stager can be money well-spent!