Is There a Room YOU Need Help With?

Olioboard is announcing a new service just for YOU!  

What is Olioboard?

Olioboard is a...

Online marketplace that matches consumers with their own FREE interior e-Designer. http://v2.olioboard.com

Here is some information to help you get started:

About the New Service...

Today Olioboard launches its much anticipated FREE personalized e-design shopping platform https://v2.olioboard.com/. The new service connects those in need of design help with professional interior designers who help the clients shop for products that are the right fit for their home.

The client simply creates a profile and Olioboard matches them with a professional designer based on style compatibility. After learning about the client, the designer creates 2 customized room designs. The client can shops the look directly from the virtual room designs with most orders shipping free to the client's door.

“At Olioboard we are passionate about creating a new and innovative online shopping experience that moves away from Commodity Commerce towards a more emotional and personalized e-commerce experience,” says Sheilah MacSporran CEO of Olioboard. “Shopping online is a great way to get the best deals on products but it is also tough to find the right sofa when you are confronted with thousands of options. Our designers learn about you, your likes and dislikes and select the perfect items that fit your style, your home and your budget.”

Olioboard does not charge clients or designers. It takes a sales commission from its retail partner Hayneedle.com and shares the majority of it with the designer. “We are thrilled to be partnering with Hayneedle.com, one of the largest and most trusted online retailers for home furnishings and décor. With Hayneedle.com we are able to provide products for every room, every style and every budget to satisfy any client’s design requests.”

Here are what some Olioboards may look like when working with a client:

Here are a few of my Olioboards:   https://v2.olioboard.com/client/register?ref_id=37

  

So, if you have a room in your home that you need help with please check out the services on https://v2.olioboard.com/

Warming Up to Sell

Are You Thinking of Selling in the New Year?

It may be below zero with the wind chill, but here are some indoor things you can do to get your home ready to list:

1. Take some pictures of each room in your home.  Take an objective look at them.  Imagine you're the buyer and looking for a house to buy. Try to view the pictures the way a buyer would.  Do the rooms look cluttered? Do the rooms have good flow from one to another?  Is there too much furniture?
2. Start with the main areas of the house such as the Kitchen, Living         Room, Family Room, Master Bedroom and Master Bathroom.
3. Make some piles of things to pack, to sell, to give away or donate. (A   home doesn't need to be cold and empty in order to list.)  Start packing and remove your piles.  Consider renting a storage unit if you don't have room in the home to store them.

Things to pack:

1. Pack away formal portraits.  You want buyer's to be able to see themselves living in the space.
2. Pack up expensive breakable collectibles to avoid them getting damaged during showings.
3. Pack away items that you don't need to use daily, such as large cooking items you use once a year.
4. Go through cabinets and closets to purge items.  Consider getting plastic containers or baskets for under the sinks or in linen closets to give the spaces an organized appearance. 

Why do Home Stagers and Agents ask you to take down personal items and start packing?

Here are a few of homes I've staged before and after photos:

                                                

Before

                                                    

After

Before

                                                    

After

                                                           

Before

                                                             

After

Before

                                                             

After

When a Buyer walks through the product you are selling (your home), we want them to get a spacious feeling.  The Buyers should be able to walk room to room without bumping into furniture.  The rooms should have good flow, a good arrangement of furniture to help the rooms show well.  When there is too much of your personal belongings the Buyer can become distracted looking at your items instead of looking at the product you are selling.  Organizing the closets and cabinets shows the Buyer there is plenty of storage space throughout the home.

When you prepare your product/home prior to listing it this allows the Agent to get great pictures for the listing and start showing it sooner.  Isn't that the ultimate goal?  Show the properties positive features and sell it for top dollar.

Now that your product has been depersonalized, uncluttered, organized, it's time to freshen up towels and hand towels to display for listing pictures and showings.  This is also a great time to give your product a good cleaning. Some professional cleaners offer Whole House cleanings, where the house is cleaned top to bottom including windows.  This is a terrific option if you work and just don't have the time to accomplish this task.  Well worth the money!

Working with a Home Stager will help you accomplish everything you need to get and have your home listed quickly.  As a Home Stager I make sure my clients homes flow nicely from room to room and highlight any positive focal points in the home. I offer paint suggestions if needed to give the home a fresh clean feel.  It is amazing what a little painting can do to update a space and tie the rooms together. 

So enjoy the winter by getting your home ready for the Real Estate market!

Have YOU Decorated for the Holidays Yet?

Have you decorated for the Holidays yet?  It's not too late!

Let's start with the outside, here are some great ideas I found on Pinterest.    

                                             

      What a great idea for a mailbox!!

                                              
  




Don't we all have buckets behind our sheds?  This is a great idea to re-purpose containers we don't use in the winter.

                               
                                     Love these simple yet fun ideas!    

              


                             

There are hundreds of decorating ideas on Pinterest!  Whatever your style is from over the top to very simple, you can find all kinds of inspiration on Pinterest and many other sites on line.
 http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=christmas%20outdoor%20decorations&rs=ac&len=17

Here are a few ideas to brighten up the interior for the Holiday season and some beautiful trees!

I love the elegance of this arrangement.  Gold has made a come back for sure... Nothing says Happy Holidays like a beautifully decorated mantel.

                  

              
         

Loving this very colorful and fun mantel decor!

                           
                                              

 

These room look so cozy and welcoming for entertaining friends and family.

                     

    A spectacular Holiday table!!


Well, I don't know about you but I'm really getting in the Holiday spirit finding all these wonderful ideas on Pinterest.  I hope I was able to give you some great ideas to start your decorating or maybe add some new ideas to your home for celebrating with friends and family.

From our home to yours Happy Holiday's and here is to a Very Happy New Year!!! Cheers!

                                  

Front Door Envy

Thinking of selling your home?  How does your front door look?

Curb appeal and how your front entrance looks are very important when getting your home ready to sell. When a buyer is ready to make a final decision they will remember which home made a lasting first impression. So... Don't slam the door in their face, instead have your home say, "Welcome Home".

Here are some curb appeal ideas:

• Prune those shrubs! Pruning is vital to help see your home on the listing and from the road.
• Pull the weeds you keep walking by and freshen up the bark mulch.
• Add a few mums to the front walkway and around the mailbox.  

Some favorite curb appeal photos from Google.com and my own home.

Here is an example of what your house should not look like when trying to sell it, just had to share it:

Front door transformation:

• Touch up trim paint so it looks clean and fresh.
• Wash windows especially in the front of the house so it will sparkle.
• Update the door or add a new coat of paint so it will pop compared to the rest of the house.
• Don't forget to wash the outdoor lights or better yet replace them with a more updated style.
• Pressure wash, pressure wash, pressure wash! It is amazing how good your walkway and front stairs can look after a good pressure washing.

Here are some updated front door examples.  Using a different door color can really help your home stand out from the rest in your neighborhood.

I hope I gave you some ideas when getting your home ready to sell!!

Sell Faster!!

Selling, Selling, Sold!

If you are thinking of selling your home you may want to take a look at other homes similar to yours on the market.  Look at the on line pictures to see how the home is being marketed to buyer's.

When I'm working with a client very often one of my recommendations are updating some areas of the home, such as the kitchen and bathrooms. It is amazing how making a few simple cosmetic updates can help sell a house faster. http://www.mirrormate.com/ 

Only 10% of people can see beyond what is in front of them when looking at real estate.  Working with a Home Stager can help set the stage to appeal to buyer's which help market the home better on line and for showings.

Here are some examples of some of my clients before and after bathroom updates.

Before this bathroom was dark and dated.

The bathroom was painted a neutral color, the sheers were removed, added some new accessories and towels. This bathroom now looks updated!

   

                          Before some updates and staging.

This bathroom just needed some decluttering, a good cleaning and some simple accessories to give this bathroom a clean fresh feel.

This bathroom had a dated feel so we suggested updating the mirror, light, counter, painting the oak cabinets white, new hardware and new crown molding.

This bathroom looks updated, clean and high end.  Which bathroom would you like to see in a listing?    

The cabinets in this bathroom were painted black, updated the light, added a MirrorMate frame to the mirror and some new accessories.

Don't they look better staged???

So, if you are thinking of selling your home find a Home Stager http://arrangedtosell.com/ in your area that will help your home out shine the competition!!!  You'll be glad you did...