Re-Posted from http://theweeklybookscan.blogs.realtor.org/2017/03/14/help-clients-get-a-clearer-view-of-clutter/ [Note: This article was originally addressed to real estate brokers. To minimize your confusion, I’ve made a few minor changes. All changes are in brackets and all omissions are noted with ellipses.] Posted in Book Reviews, Uncategorized, by Meg White on March 14, 2017 OK, it’s confession time: I haven’t even been in my house for a full two years yet, and it’s already time for a decluttering session. Maybe part of it was moving into a place that didn’t need much work (oh I know, poor me!). When we moved in, my husband and I just got unpacked and settled as soon as we could without putting a lot of thought into how to organize our stuff. On the flip side, it could be the boxes we never unpacked in the move before last, which we just trucked along to our next place where storage was much more plentiful than before. But Amanda Sullivan, author of Organized Enough: The Anti-Perfectionist’s Guide to Getting—and Staying—Organized (De Capo, 2017), would probably point to her belief that pretty much everyone needs to incorporate the habit of continually of decluttering into our daily lives. “Your home is a living, breathing thing, like a garden. You must constantly weed and winnow items because, with no effort on your part, it will always be growing,” she writes, suggesting readers keep a dedicated bag or box for getting rid of unneeded items. But what if [you] haven’t employed this trick and have years of built-up reservoirs [you] need to purge before putting [your] home on the market? Honestly, I’d recommend picking up a copy of this book…. I was only a few minutes in when I was inspired to go home and tackle my closet. Despite being the owner of the intimidatingly titled professional organizer/coaching business The Perfect Daughter, Sullivan is exceedingly nonjudgemental and concentrates her advice on making homes livable, rather than immaculate. Indeed, Organized Enough hangs on the principle of FLOW: Forgive yourself. “Having a disorganized home does not mean you’re sick or dysfunctional,” Sullivan assures readers. Let stuff go. She suggests beginning with with the easy stuff (which is why I’m headed to the closet and not those unpacked boxes in the basement) that will make the greatest visual impact. Organize what’s left. Don’t head to the Container Store until you’ve accomplished the above steps! You have to take stock before you know what you need. Weed constantly (addressed above). So keep this one in your back pocket . . . . Sullivan also includes tips to motivate specific types of people (photo journaling or Pinterest boards for the visual learners, using a notebook to craft a narrative of change for...

  *This infographic was produced by ChoiceHomeWarranty.com. Re-Posted...

Re-Posted from http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2016/05/09/10-ways-to-boost-your-homes-value-on-a-200-to-2k-budge/ Submitted by HowMuch.net Maintaining and increasing your home’s value can pay off in major ways. Not only does helping your home hold value help it sell for its full amount, it can also help your home sell more quickly, help maintain your neighbor’s home values, and ensure that you’re not overpaying in property taxes. These 10 projects are listed from least to most expensive, and may help you increase your home’s value. Best part: None of these projects cost more than $2,000, so you don’t have to break the bank to take on these projects either. —-Low Cost: Budget under $500—- LAWN FERTILIZING Fertilizing your lawn may not seem as though it’s doing much for your home’s value, but a well-maintained lawn plays a major role in your home’s curb appeal. Curb appeal is how well your property looks from the road, and has a major impact on your home’s value and resale. Fertilizing a dry, brown, or otherwise patchy lawn can help boost your home’s curb appeal, and in turn its value. Cost: The average cost of lawn fertilizing is around $.03 a square foot assuming a 6,000 square foot lawn, for a total of $180. Total costs range from $.02 a square foot for a DIY job to $.04 a square foot during peak season. Money Saving Tips If you are able to tackle this job DIY, you can save a lot of money (which you can then use to plant shrubs or trees to further increase your home’s curb appeal). Tackle this job at the beginning of the season to avoid paying peak prices. INSTALL AN ATTIC FAN The attic is one of the most overlooked areas of the home when it comes to the impact on the rest of the home. Attics that are not properly insulated can become superheated, which can overheat the roof, cause ice dams, and raise your energy bills. Installing an attic fan can help protect your roof, lower your energy bills, and improve your home values. Cost: The average cost to install a gable mount electric attic fan is around $275 for spaces up to 2,500. Total costs range from $39 for a wind-powered vent to $321 for an electric fan to cool up to 3,000 feet. Money Saving Tips Look into getting a solar-powered fan, which will not only run when you need it, but will also lower your monthly energy costs to run it as well. PAINT A ROOM IN YOUR HOME Dingy, old, or out of fashion paint can really hurt the resale of your home. By giving a room in your home a fresh coat of paint, you can help remedy this problem. Choose...

Re-Posted from http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2017/04/17/revisit-your-listings-curb-appeal-have-you-done-enough/ By Caroline M. Carter, guest contributor You’ll want to leave potential buyers with a great impression of your listing’s exterior, that is if you want to motivate them to want to see more. But what do you do if the front entrance to a house looks dated, insubstantial and unwelcoming? Change it. What impression does this front door create for the potential buyer? Does it communicate value to the buyer? Is it worth their time to schedule a showing? No. The front door currently presents as an unimpressive–utilitarian front door with a tarnished, pitted brass doorknob and mail slot. With a quick trip to the nearest home improvement store, the updated entrance goes from drab to fab. A critical investment of $300 for new black paint and polished brass handset, knocker, mail slot and kick plate transformed this entrance and creates value in the mind of the buyer. It now presents as more polished and welcoming. It’s substantial, safe, secure and well-maintained. As a result of this quick fix, the buyer will now assume that the interior of the house is worth their time to schedule a showing. But wait, not so fast. All doors are important. The basement door facing the main street of this same house is unsightly, insubstantial and creates confusion in the eyes of the buyer–where is the front entrance? What is this door and where does it go? A simple black painted lattice framed outer door with no handle creates a more artistic and secure looking distraction so the buyer instantly knows that it is not the main entrance. Here’s another simple, inexpensive way to spruce up the curb: Update the house numbers. In the photo below, we added a newly installed black plaque with 4” house numbers on the stone wall closest to the stairs to the main entrance. It’s visible from the street and leads buyers to the actual front entrance. So, view your entrance and front door with a more critical buyer’s eye. Does it create a positive impression of perceived value? Does it compel the buyer to make time to schedule a showing? If not, it’s time to enhance it. First impressions...

Re-Posted from http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/2017/02/27/the-essentials-to-styling-your-home-to-sell-quickly/ By Patti Stern, PJ & Company Staging and Interior Decorating It’s hard to believe the early spring selling season is already upon us! This means that homeowners who haven’t prepared their homes to list now should implement some of the following PJ & Co go-to styling tips if they want to get their listing noticed and sold quickly when the market gets flooded in April and May.   Remove clutter to maximize space. Play up key features such as windows, hardwood flooring, walk-in closets, spacious cabinets and counters by removing clutter and personal items that are distracting to buyers. Enhance the size of a room or storage area by doing the following: Remove heavy window treatments, replace or cover carpeting with bright, modern area rugs, paint walls and dark trim in lighter neutral tones, and rearrange or remove furniture. Give each room a purpose. Savvy buyers are looking for a house that will match their lifestyle and accommodate their needs. Therefore, it’s important to put yourself in their shoes and determine how a room should function instead of how it already functions for that homeowner. If along the way the owner had converted a living room into a game room (as shown in the photo above), you’ll need to take the space back to its original purpose. That may mean bringing back the sofa and coffee table that’s hiding in the basement so that the home doesn’t look deficient in any way. Freshen walls with neutral colors and artwork. The perfect starting point for an instant boost is a fresh coat of neutral wall color, such as a warm grey or beige. It not only brings a fresh, modern feel to a space, but it also creates a backdrop that showcases the other elements in the room, such as the bright white trim, wall art, and furniture. It’s also a great fix after taking down dated wallpaper as well as for covering up imperfections.   Use bright, modern accents for inviting style. When possible, we like to add furniture with clean lines for universal appeal and complement beautiful bold accents that really bring a neutral room to life. And if the homeowner decides to keep their tired, worn or more traditional furniture, camouflaging with modern pillows, throws, rugs, lighting and colorful accents in geometric patterns, fabrics and finishes will create the warm, inviting vibe that today’s buyers are attracted to. Don’t forget about curb appeal! Especially after the cold winter months, it’s just as important to style the outside of your home to welcome buyers inside. Spruce up the yard, make necessary repairs, and update the front porch with cheerful accessories such as a fresh welcome mat,...