| Chances are the words "seller's market" will not | | | | out perfectly for the sale. |
| be uttered in reference to this year's housing | | | | The decorator was gracious enough to go |
| market. But you may be in a position where you | | | | furniture shopping with me. Knowing we have to |
| HAVE to sell your house now. In this current | | | | stay within a certain budget, she suggested we |
| housing market, to say the competition is tough is | | | | meet at Jordan's Furniture Outlet Store in Avon, |
| an understatement. You only have one | | | | MA. We purchased our couch here for a great |
| opportunity to make a great first impression on | | | | price. Jordan's is where our decorator shops on a |
| your potential home buyer. | | | | regular basis (for the clients on a budget, whose |
| We were fortunate enough to have an interior | | | | homes she stages) to get some great deals. |
| decorator walk through our home, and give us | | | | Items are either overstocks or have some minor |
| some very good (free) house staging advice as a | | | | flaws. The turnaround is fast, because there are a |
| gift to us. Here are eight tips on how to stage | | | | lot of repeat customers scouting out the great |
| your house for sale. | | | | deals. |
| 1. Clear out the Clutter. Yes, clear out the clutter | | | | We spent $700 on a couch and love-seat, and |
| in every room, every closet, and even the | | | | the couches were flawless overstocks. This |
| basement (aka the dumping ground). The potential | | | | purchase qualified (then) for entrance into their |
| home buyer can't see through your mess, and | | | | Red Sox Monster Sweep, which they are |
| shouldn't have to imagine what your house would | | | | promoting again this year. If you purchase from |
| look like without the clutter. | | | | them, and the Boston Red Sox sweep the World |
| To clean out our clutter, we rented a 15 yard | | | | Series, Jordan's will give you a rebate for the |
| dumpster for a couple of weeks spending about | | | | entire amount of the eligible item. Wouldn't that be |
| $300. It's a great, freeing feeling to toss all that | | | | nice? |
| stuff out, believe me! | | | | Using last years "Stimulus Check" and tax refund, |
| If you have items you need to keep, but space is | | | | we purchased the couches ($700) an antique |
| an issue, check out the rates at your local | | | | white and cherry table ($167) six antique white |
| storage facility. We are currently renting a 10 ft. x | | | | side chairs ($57 ea.). Please refer to the photos |
| 10 ft. storage area for $75 a month. This has | | | | below. We are very happy with the furniture, and |
| allowed us to clear out our basement. Our plan is | | | | of course it will come with us to our new house. |
| to finish our basement, and turn our two | | | | 6. Move your furniture. The new couches were |
| bedroom into a four bedroom home before | | | | placed in our living room and the "old" leather living |
| putting it on the market. | | | | room couches were moved out into the great |
| 2. Paint using a neutral color. Whether it's because | | | | room. |
| of an unusual color choice, or just to cover up | | | | I am no decorator, so this is where her advice |
| scuff marks, and your kid's artwork, painting will | | | | was really helpful. To make the room look 100 |
| really help to clean up your house. We have an | | | | times better, she pulled the couch away from the |
| open concept home where the kitchen living room | | | | wall, to create the "L" shape that you see in both |
| and dining room are all wide open. | | | | the living room, and the great room photos. This |
| The decorator recommended the neutral paint | | | | one change gave the room a more intimate |
| color: Benjamin Moore, Powell Buff. Benjamin | | | | seating area. The room immediately felt cozier |
| Moore paint is expensive, but you can save some | | | | and more inviting. She suggested adding a sofa |
| money by getting a swatch, and have Home | | | | table behind the couch, displaying a lamp and an |
| Depot or Lowes match the color with a more | | | | ivy plant, none of which we have purchased yet. |
| economical paint. | | | | In the great room photo, you will see that each |
| This neutral color, painted throughout most of our | | | | couch is flanked by an end table. On each end |
| house, has given the house a clean/rich | | | | table there is a 36" tall lamp. The coffee table is |
| appearance. We also used this color in the hallway, | | | | centered and displays a pretty bowl. Also in this |
| and in our boy's bedroom. | | | | great room photo, the TV is flanked with shelves |
| 3. Clean the carpets and re-grout the tile. While | | | | on either side. This was the decorator's |
| cleaning the carpets will obviously improve the | | | | suggestion to move our shelves around the TV, |
| appearance of your house, re-grouting the tile | | | | and to make a focal "entertainment center" out |
| was something we wouldn't have thought to do. | | | | of what shelves we did have. |
| We have an ivory color tile in our front entrance | | | | The bedroom furniture was moved into the |
| and bathroom. The grout was a taupe color. The | | | | orientation shown. The decorator suggested floor |
| decorator suggested going over the existing grout | | | | length drapes for the window treatment. She |
| with a lighter color grout. This job is easy, but | | | | suggested 24" table lamps for each night stand, |
| time consuming and messy. Check out Lowes for | | | | and matching pictures to hang above each night |
| a huge selection of grout colors and tools for | | | | stand. The sleigh bed is now the focal point upon |
| grouting. We chose a lighter taupe and the results | | | | entering the room. |
| are impressive giving the tile a fresh look. | | | | 7. Decorate at a discount. The decorator took me |
| 4. Replace carpet if necessary. Our great room | | | | to another one of her favorite stores, Home |
| carpet was just over ten years old. It was in a | | | | Goods. I think I had only been to a Home Goods |
| room with a wood burning stove, and it was also | | | | one other time in my life, but this particular trip |
| the room where the kids hung out, and made | | | | was certainly worthwhile. |
| many a mess. That carpet was stained so badly | | | | Based on the living room wall color and couches, I |
| that it was an embarrassment. We were long | | | | picked out two similar pictures, that we hung |
| overdue for ripping it out. We easily disposed of | | | | close togehter behind our coach. These pictures |
| the old carpet right out the slider and into the | | | | have green, orange/red and brown colors. With |
| dumpster. | | | | the pictures in my cart, I was able to match the |
| The room is rather big at 20 ft. x 20 ft., and we | | | | colors to glass candle holders, bowls and other |
| agreed that faux wood laminate would be the | | | | "chatskies" (as the decorator calls them). She |
| best choice. We purchased the laminate at Lowes | | | | suggested adding some faux grasses and (believe |
| for about $300 (less than the price of carpet) and | | | | it or not) plastic artichoke decor. It really looks |
| installed it ourselves. It was a tough, all weekend | | | | nice! |
| job, but the result is a nice clean "wood" floor. | | | | 8. Keep the house warm and smelling fresh. Our |
| 5. Evaluate the furniture and replace if necessary. | | | | Great Room has a propane stove for heating. |
| Our furniture was fine with the exception of our | | | | During the winter months, we normally keep the |
| informal dining room table and chairs, and one | | | | heat off, unless we are out in the room. The |
| couch that we had in our great room. This couch | | | | decorator advised us to keep the room warm if |
| was nearly as old as I was (we are the third | | | | showing the house during the winter months. Also, |
| owners) and had been covered just as many | | | | using pledge furniture cleaner before a showing will |
| times. It was in rough shape, but It had worked | | | | leave the house smelling clean and fresh. |
| out great for our two messy boys! The | | | | House staging is a lot of work and can seem |
| decorator said it was time for the couch to go. | | | | overwhelming, but take it one step at a time, and |
| That's where the dumpster really came in handy! | | | | you will get there. For the short time you remain |
| The table and chairs were outdated too, and we | | | | in your house, you will enjoy the fruits of your |
| sold them on Craig's List. These were stored in | | | | labor. Good luck! |
| the storage unit, and the neutral location worked | | | | |