Home Staging

When trying to sell a home , people want to know if there house is 'staged' to sell.  Often they ask for help.  I will go in with props if needed, and rearrange lighting, seating, or room function only to hear someone say: "wow!  I wish I would have known this before, I might not have wanted to move"!


I think there is a point there.  People get set in their ways.  A fresh eye comes in and gives a new prospective on an old living situation.  Why do  people should  wait until they move to have someone come in and assess their home?  I believe you should be practicing all the time.  Paint colors, furniture placement. It might solve a lot of your frustrations with the house and you might just decide to live there a little longer!


So, how does one get started?
Every home reflects the people living there.  What kind of home do you want to have? Clean, cool, contemporary, warm, inviting, country?    So start there.  What kind of feeling do you want people to have when they walk through the front door?

 Now,  go to the front door.  With the door at your back, try to see the living room as a visitor does and ask these questions:  What does the entry- the room room make you think of?  Does it seem like a space you would enjoy spending time in?  Is it light and bright?  What kind of a feeling does the room give off?  It can be tastefully mis-matched or it can be down right old and worn and not a well loved space. Which do you have?

Ask for help.  More than one set of eyes can make a big difference and no excuses when you hear or feel negative responses.  Your best friend or neighbor would be a place to start.  Family might make it tougher.

Once you have your answers, the next part is if it doesn't meet your expectations, how does one change it without breaking the bank? and should  a well staged home look like?

Your entry should be open, light and bright.  Your living room should have no obstructions .  So, placing furniture so that you can walk into a room without walking around something is important.  Colors can be any colors as long as they are not overpowering and you start with a pallet of colors rather than just throwing them altogether and having a big mess.  Pick a main color for the walls.  Pick out 2 more colors for the rooms pieces parts...chairs, curtains/blinds and accent colors.  You aren't moving anywhere so you don't have to paint everything white.  And, if you are moving, keep the color, but subdue and mute it.



 Paint is an easy way to change the feeling of the room or just to clean it up.
Get rid of clutter and items that don't belong into the room is another great thing to do.
Get a trash bag..any size..and keep it handy for those things that are going to be thrown out.
Get a box - and keep it handy to put items you will store and another for the items that are too good to throw away but that you are tired of or don't want or have room to store.

 Have you noticed all the new apartments going up over the past few years? Don't you sometimes thing...where are all these people coming from that are moving into them?

Here is a section of a report from ReisReport:

"Demand for apartment units increased during the fourth quarter, with occupied stock increasing by 46,986 units" . "For the calendar year 2012, 140,124 units were absorbed."

So, you were right! a LOT of new apartments...not just a few new ones.

Where are the people coming from...out of state? didn't know we had this many people to fill these places!

Here is where I think they are coming:

1. Displaced (foreclosed on) home owners who lost their homes in the economic down turn.

2. Baby Boomers that don't want to worry about taking care of property and don't want a condo fee on top of a new mortgage.

3. People transferring - loose one job..have to find another..somewhere.

4. Graduates not ready to buy a home.

5. Seniors who are single and not ready for assisted living.

6. Younger generation with great "toys" but no money saved.

I'm sure you can think of a few, as well. Here is my thoughts about it though...This trend started the same time as the economy tanked. What's going to happy if /when the economy takes a turn?
I think housing will see a boom. And , to meet the needs of the boom...a lot of those apartments will do what they started doing in the 1990's...turn into Condos . Seems like history repeating itself. What do you think?

Getting your house in order - Part II

Getting your house in order for what ever reason..
               season changes,
                    selling ,
                       or just want to feel better about where you live-

isn't easy. CHAOS (Can't Have Any One Over Syndrome) is especially true for anyone who works out side the home and especially true for those who don't. One is not enough time, the other is not seeing what others see- becoming oblivious to the clutter and dirt.

Lists can help. Honestly. They are how I survive. It's one thing to have it "in your mind" to do; it's another to see it on paper and be able to cross it off.

Here is the FLYLADY's List. I think it's excellent because it reminds you to care for yourself and your family in the middle of your CHAOS.

"1. Make a list of what needs to be done.

2. Look at the list and prioritize, don't just up to do it yet.

3. Drink some water, tea or your favorite beverage.

4. Spend this 15 minutes calming yourself. Breathing deep and slowly thinking about the next hour and what you can get done.

5. Love on your babies.

6. Kiss your husband.

Then go back to work with a renewed spirit.

No more turning in circles, not knowing what to do next. You have a plan. You can do this, if you will just think slowly and calmly, write a few things down and then you won't feel so stressed. Being stressed about this is not going to help. In fact it will make things worse.

Now set a timer for 15 minutes and take a break.

You are Really FLYing when you can do this! "
FlyLady

Getting your house in order

"Are YOU living in CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) like Franny in the pink sweats? Do you feel overwhelmed, overextended, and overdrawn? Hopeless and you don't know where to start? Don't worry friend, we've been there, too.


Step through the door and follow FlyLady as she weaves her way through housecleaning and organizing tips with homespun humor, daily musings about life and love, the Sidetracked Home Executives (SHE) system, and anything else that is on her mind."-Flylady.com


For anyone who has known me for any length of time, cleaning and ridding myself of clutter is something I strive to do but am not always successful.  Perhaps clutter  I have many projects going in many different directions and I WILL finish them. Sometime.  I found FLYLADY years ago and she has helped me a lot.  That sentence that says "Hopeless and you don't know where to start" speaks to me.  So, I'm going to borrow from her the things that has helped me the most in the hopes that, if you are like me, then perhaps you will become a fan and make your  life a little easier at the same time. Because I truly am a Sidetracked Home Executive .  Picking up a few tricks will help you now and in the future .  For guests, for family, and for me should you ever decide to sell.


Today I am including one of the BIGGEST helps for me.  DECLUTTERING!!  HUGE help.  Hope you will think so, too.  


Put your home on a diet. If this is difficult for you, try reading one of my favorite books, "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston.

1. When to Declutter: Decide how often you are going to declutter a zone. Do a little every day - use a timer. But be warned - this can become compulsive! Once you get started you will want to clean like a banshee! Don't burn yourself out! Only do small amount at a time. The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight. When you set the timer you can only do two sessions at a time. This goal may seem unattainable right now, but you can do it in little pieces. In a couple of months, the whole house will be decluttered.
   
2. Decluttering Equipment: You will need garbage bags, boxes, magic markers, and a dust rag. Label the boxes "Give Away", "Throw Away", and "Put Away". Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic garbage bag.
   
3. Set your timer: for 1 hour (or 30, 15, or 10 minutes - it does't matter how long). Just do the job as fast as you can and do not pull out more stuff than you can put away in that length of time. This means just one drawer, one closet (or even one shelf in one closet), one magazine rack, or digging under just the furniture in the zone. Not all of them at once!
   
4. Start at the entrance to the room: Then, work your way around the room clockwise. Do not skip a spot. Whatever happens to be next, just do it.
   
5. Declutter Away! With boxes at your feet and dust rag in your waistband, start off by cleaning out and getting rid of the things that do not belong in this room. Put garbage in the "Throw Away" box, donations in the "Give Away" box, and stuff that goes somewhere else in the "Put Away" box. Don't worry that you do not have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish you will. That's a promise from FlyLady!
   
6. What to declutter? Things to ask yourself as you get rid of your clutter:
   • Do I love this item?
   • Have I used it in the past year?
   • Is it really garbage?
   • Do I have another one that is better?
   • Should I really keep two?
   • Does it have sentimental value that causes me to love it?
   • Or does it give me guilt and make me sad when I see the item?
   
   Cleanse this room of everything that does not make you SMILE.
   
7. Sing this song: "Please release me, let me go" as sung from the stuff's point of view. It needs to be loved by someone and if you don't love it - GET RID OF IT!
   
8. Get rid of the garbage! When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trash can, the pickup truck, or wherever you keep your garbage. Put a new garbage bag in the "Throw Away" box and keep on Flying until the timer goes off.
   
9. Donations: When the "Give Away" box gets full, seal it off, and put it in your car. The next time you are out, you can donate to the area thrift shop. Do not save your clutter for a yard or garage sale, you will be blessed by giving it away. The value can be deducted on your income tax. Remember you are trying to get rid of clutter - not relocate it somewhere else in your home. Now, grab another box, label it "Give Away", and get back to work.
   
10. "Put Away" Stuff: When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and run around the house (good thing you have shoes on - right?) and put the items in the room where they belong. If they have a place, put them there, if not put them in the room where they logically belong. By the time you have finished you will have a place for everything and everything will be in it's place.
    
11. Timer Goes Off: When the timer goes off, you have to put away all the boxes, but first you have to empty them all. Go as fast as you can. 

FLYLADY.com

Why should you consider purchasing a home?

Do your upstairs neighbors stomp on your ceiling? Do the meatballs they're cooking next door fill your apartment with the smell of searing meat? Perhaps you long to sit quietly in your own backyard after a long day. Buying a home is a big step, but maybe you're closer than you think.


For the vast majority of us, owning a home is part of the American Dream. According to a study conducted by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, 87 percent of those polled cited owning a home as the number one criterion for defining "the good life."


Owners and renters alike considered homeownership desirable for the following reasons: the pride of ownership, their dislike of paying rent, and the ability to change features of their homes to match their individual tastes and needs.


Like Mom and apple pie, owning your own home provides a sense of security and well-being that's hard to beat. Home is where we raise our families, have friends over for summer barbecues, paint the baby's room pink or blue, and find refuge from the outside world.


In addition to these intrinsic benefits, owning a home offers other advantages as well. For instance, as a homeowner, you have control over your environment. Not only can you change your home to meet your needs, but you also aren't subject to the terms of a lease or a landlord. As a homeowner, you can experience the emotional and financial security that comes from knowing what your housing expenses will be from year-to-year. Unlike rents, which can increase annually, most mortgages have fixed or capped monthly payments. So, as a homeowner, you can have a much better idea of what proportion of your paycheck goes toward your home. Think of it as the ultimate savings plan--it sure beats a passbook.


Bottom-Line Benefits
And it only gets better. Homeownership is the primary component in the creation of wealth for many Americans. (Data from Harvard University's Joint Center of Housing Studies illustrate not only that the median net wealth of homeowners is 34 times greater than that of renters, but also that over half of that wealth is generated from home equity.) As you pay down your loan amount each month, you accumulate equity, a growing ownership interest in your property. If you need funds, you can borrow against this equity in the form of a home equity loan. Further, interest on a portion of home equity is tax deductible.


Remember, most homes appreciate in value over time and can be a source of income for you, especially if you've lived in your house for many years. When you retire, you can sell your home if you need the funds or make use of a home equity conversion mortgage. This type of mortgage allows you to continue to live in your home and receive a monthly check at the same time. In essence you are able to tap into the accumulated home equity and receive a monthly sum which reflects the amount of that equity and the number of years you wish to receive that payment. In return for providing you with the payments, the lender receives an ownership interest in the home. These mortgages sometimes are called reverse annuity mortgages. Ask your lender about them.


Finally, don't forget about the significant tax advantages of owning your home. Interest on a home mortgage and property taxes are deductible. For most of us, mortgage interest provides the largest tax deduction. Also, a home is the single most important factor that determines whether you will be able to file a return which takes advantage of the wide range of allowable itemized deductions.


-article from the OAR