Show Notes: Getting Your Home Ready To Sell On A Budget (3/15/14)

 

Are the dollar signs rolling in your eyes like a slot machine when you think about getting your home ready to sell? Here a just a few ways to save some money and and add a little WOW to your home:

1 Paint Dollar for dollar, a fresh coat of paint gives you more bang for your decorating buck than anything else. So break out that roller and slap on a couple coats of crowd-pleasing warm white or sand paint.

2 Improve the lighting 
Replace any dated light fixtures ASAP. How can you tell if it has to go? If it’s over 15 years old and looks it – yet isn’t a vintage (50-75 years old) or antique piece (older) – it should probably go. “Retro” is not something most homebuyers are looking for.

3 De-clutter
 Take the collectibles off the mantel, put the mismatched armchair into storage (or better yet, donate it) and pare your closets down to what you’re actually wearing this season, packing away the rest. Ideally, all this extra stuff would head to charity (if in good, saleable condition), the garbage dump, or into storage. The more you store onsite, the more cluttered and small your home appears.

4 Give dated bathrooms a facelift
 A nice bath helps sell a house but, don’t invest in a total renovation. Bring an out-of-date bath up to speed with gleaming white walls whether via a fresh coat of white bath and kitchen paint or ceramic tile and new stylish bathroom vanity lighting. Buy neutral new shower curtains, a simple new bath mat and vanity set, and have fresh flowers in the room during open houses.

5 Take down curtains
 Dated window treatments need to come down, pronto (if it’s over 10 years old, get rid of it). If privacy isn’t an issue, just leave the windows bare to maximize natural light and make the room’s dimensions seem more generous. Otherwise, buy basic-issue cotton or linen drapes from A well-priced retailer.

6 Put up mirrors
 Make small rooms appear bigger and dark rooms seem brighter by adding an attractive wall mirror. A boxlike dining room will benefit from a leaning floor mirror  and an entranceway more welcoming with a console mirror.


7 Update porch hardware 
Increase your home’s curb appeal by updating the hardware on your front porch. Buy a doorknocker or bell, mailbox, kick plate, doorknob and lockset in a set or in complementary styles. Brushed nickel is a neutral finish that will never date, while oil-rubbed bronze is another favorite.

8 And the porch light
 Update your porch light to coordinate with the new hardware.

9 Spiff up the front yard
 Refresh your front yard according to the season. In spring, summer and fall, trim back dead plants and foliage and plant attractive annuals or perennials in flowerbeds. In winter, keep the walkway shoveled and cut back any tree or shrub branches damaged by heavy snowfall. A pair of planters flanking the front door and filled with seasonal arrangements instantly conveys pride of ownership.



10 Tend the backyard
 Simple fix-its will make the most of your existing yard layout. Replace any damaged boards on your deck or fence, and apply a fresh coat of paint, or stain and sealant if the finish needs it. Weed and groom your garden and add some perennials for color when in-season. Think “tidy,” “update” and “refresh

Resale-Ready™ An Affordable Alternative to Expensive Staging for Home Sellers

The Interior Redecorators Network® (IRN), the international organization of one-day decorators with members in more than 100 cities. The not-for-profit group will be helping home sellers prepare for spring open houses by utilizing existing furnishings to redecorate residences in hours.

Resale-Ready™ staging incorporates clearing clutter, correcting decorating blunders and rearranging existing furniture and accessories to make homes look more spacious, stylish, elegant and more saleable. Curb appeal is also addressed.

A Resale-Ready™ makeover generally costs several hundred dollars, based on the size of the home, as opposed to a conventional staging job that costs between $1500 and $3000, plus pricey furniture rentals and delivery charges.

The Interior Redecorators Network is a 501C not-for-profit trade organization of certified interior redecorators located across North America

For more information on the Interior Redecorators Network, Resale-Ready™, and to locate a certified interior redecorator near you, go to

http://www.InteriorRedecorators.com

Websites mentions:

 

Rustoleum:

http://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/varathane/

Panasonic

http://www.panasonic.com/business/building-products/ventilation-systems/index.asp

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