Do you have an overwhelming room that you know you need to do something with, but don’t know where to start? Can you really see a vision through the clutter? How do you decide what you want? What’s “in” and what’s yesterday? It can be paralyzing.

Take comfort…you’re not alone! It’s challenging to develop a design plan when you’re not starting with an empty room.

First step is to get in touch with your own personal style. Yes, you do have one even if you’re not sure what it is. Thumb through some of your favorite design magazines and pick out pages of rooms you like, even if you’re not sure why. You’ll start to see a trend over time.

In fact, I constantly refer to my vast “inspiration files” by room. Yes, I’m a design magazine junkie! Name a room, I’ve got a big fat file of ideas!

Once you can imagine your space as something you would be excited to work towards, it will be much easier to execute your design plan. Tip: as you’re clearing out what you don’t need or want, keep your eye out for hidden treasures that can be re-purposed or used in other rooms!

So go ahead, make it happen. Need help? Me and my inspiration files are here for you!

Life’s too short to live in (and clean) a room that just doesn’t work for you!

When preparing your home for sale, it’s tempting to dismiss a potential problem as something a buyer could “surely look past” and expect them imagine the home without that little problem. You know what I’m talking about…outdated light fixtures, nasty carpeting, old windows, loud colors, damaged sink, ill-fitting door, and so on.

These can be relatively inexpensive fixes and can make a HUGE impact in the mind of a potential buyer. Just because you’ve been able to look past your home’s little blemishes over time doesn’t mean buyers will.

Perhaps it’s a project that’s been on your “honey do” list forever, but never got to.  I’ve got some news for you…moving doesn’t get you off the hook. Those projects still need to be done, whether for you’re personal enjoyment or to compete with the highly-competitive real estate market.

Will completing these projects help your home sell for more than your asking price? Probably not. But it will sell faster if it shines over the competition in your price range. And the longer it takes to sell, the more dreaded “price reductions” you’ll need to endure.

So what are you ignoring on YOUR “honey do” list? Might as well get it done now – time is money!

I have a thing for bathrooms.  As a home stager, I especially LOVE staging them.  But as a homeowner, it’s not always very practical to live with a staged bathroom.  What is eye candy for the buyer is often inconvenient for the seller.

So I’m going to help you out today with some tips for staged-bathroom survival, show some examples of staged bathrooms, and some easy updates for those of you who are not trying to sell your home.

First, let’s talk about a few tips to help you survive your staged bathroom:

• Use a caddy to hold personal toiletries to keep them off the countertops when not in use.  Kind of takes you back to the old college dorm days!
• Keep “guest” towels to use for home showings.  Toss your “real” towels in the dryer when buyers are coming through.
• Keep counter wipes, Windex and paper towels handy in EACH bathroom for quick cleanups. Tip: a little Windex on all the little shiny parts does wonders for a bathroom).
• Don’t use contour rugs or toilet seat covers.  One more thing to get dirty and they never stay in place (plus they’re kind of gross).
• Use liners in your trash can.  It’s cleaner, and makes for a quick toss-out!

Ok, now let’s check out a few before and after shots of staged bathrooms. The first two examples are from vacant homes.

This vacant bathroom feels much more luxurious with warm tones.

Now this example is from an occupied home – and note that the sellers did not spend much money at all to update the bathroom.  It just needed a few style updates. Simple curtain made out of kitchen towels, more contemporary artwork, fresh towels and a little de-cluttering made this bathroom feel move-in ready.

Even if you’re not moving, there are some staging techniques you can use to infuse some style into your bathroom:

• Look at your bath linens with a critical eye.  They often wear out and/or get outdated before you really notice it!
• Take inventory of what is on your bathroom counters.  If you don’t use it daily, store it somewhere else. If it must stay, store it in a decorative container.
• When is the last time you looked under your bathroom counter?  Some purging and organization can do wonders for your bathroom and your mindset!  It’s the same feeling you get when you clean out your purse.
• Bathroom a little bland?  Bring in color with rolled up towels or washcloths in a pretty basket.
• Look at the artwork and accessories in your bathroom.  Avoid smaller pieces as they tend to make a room look smaller.  And dried flower arrangements tend to look tired very quickly.

There you have it!  Thanks for sharing in my bathroom obsession!

Congratulations on the decision to put your home on the market!

Now, take a deep breath, and take a walk through your home – what colors are the walls?  Do the rooms flow well, or is each room it’s own decorative eco-system? Are the colors dark or bright? Nothing wrong with that, unless you’re selling.  How you live in your home is different than how you sell it.

Yes, in theory, buyers should be able to look past the colors of your walls to envision themselves living in your home.

The reality?  Wall color is the first thing they talk about!  Watch enough “House Hunters” on HGTV and you’ll hear the same comments about wall colors over and over.

“Nice room, but I’m not sure about the color”

“What were they thinking!”

“Wow, this would really need to be painted”

Painting is one of the most inexpensive ways to update the look of a room.  Not only can it neutralize the room, but it also gives it that “new car” fresh feeling!

Which begs the question, what keeps a seller from painting a room to sell?  Here are some excuses I’ve heard:

• But I like the color (newsflash – it’s not about what YOU like!)
• I’d have to move everything to paint (hello…aren’t you moving anyway? Prepack while you’re at it!)
• I don’t know how to paint (cop out – it’s not that hard, and you can always get help – many family members will work for pizza!)
• I don’t have time (since time = money, why can’t you carve out a weekend to do something that will make you money in the end?)
• I wouldn’t know what color to paint it (then ask for help!)

Still don’t believe me?

Ok, enough nagging! If you’re serious about selling your home, give it every competitive advantage you can!

We’re thrilled to announce our new i-Staging Service.  It’s a great way to save time and money – the ultimate do-it-yourself with professional direction.

How does it work? Simple.  Select the option for 1 room or 4 rooms, then complete an easy online questionnaire.   You get your staging report within one week.

And yes, we guarantee our i-Staging services – you have 30 days after we send your design plan to ask any questions or clarifications.

Bonus – if you send us your “after” pictures, we’ll make a 2nd round of tweaking suggestions at no extra charge!

Results are in for the 2009 HomeGain top 12 home improvement survey.  Once again, Home Staging proves it’s value with an average 586% ROI.  That means if you spend $300, you’ll realize an average price increase of $1,780.  Click here to read the entire report.

HOMEdigz.com is a new online community for home enthusiasts set up in a room-by-room format.  It a welcoming place online for homeowners and businesses to chat about their homes and projects in a casual environment.  In other words, it’s lots of fun!

It’s free to register, so go check it out today.  And if you own a business in the design/staging industry, learn how HOMEdigz.com can help you drive traffic to your website.

As a cobbler’s kids often have no shoes, updating this website has been on my list of to-do’s longer than I care to admit.

We’re still tweaking some spots here or there, but the core is pretty much complete.

I hope you find what you are looking for, and please sign up for the new Rooms That Work eNewsletter!  And while you’re at it, join the RTW fan page and follow our tweets!  I love that there are so many ways to stay connected!

Have a great day!

Susan