Introduction to Home Staging

We plan to start building a house in the next few months and need ideas. I like the meditrainian look with earth tones, wood floors. I can’ seem to find good sites on the latest look that includes lots of pictures so you know what the room looks like. Does sombody out there know any sites or even good magazines for ideas as well as box stores that have good deals on fixtures flooring and so on? This is my first time building a home.

Try going to TLC on the Discovery Channel website. They have good ideas from the designers from Trading Spaces, Moving Up, and While you Were Out. Otherwise HGTV too!!

suppose iam 30yrs old and at this stage i want to complete my graduation like b.a., b.c.a., etc….will i have to face any entrance exam or will i be able to get direct admission in b.a.from ignou university…as i’ve completed my 12th in yr 1988..what is the age limit and how much is the fees…..PLZ GUIDE ME AND DO THE NEEDFUL.

I’ve been working on my Bachelors for going on three years now and I’ve been in classes with people with the same goal in mind as yourself. Obviously, the average age range in my classes was men and women in their late teens and early twenties, but I’ve also had several classes with people well into their thirties and fourties. The oldest person I’ve ever gone to school with was a grandmother in her early fifties. That’s determination for you. The only thing I could tell you is that more than likely a 30 year old will have to start from community college upward, and then transfer to a four year institute. Even if a 30 year old had glowing marks in high school, straight A’s, honor roll, etc. colleges usually disregard your high school grades/GPA and SAT scores if they were taken more than five years ago from the time of application for college. If this is you, I wish you luck in your decision. And if this 30 year old you speak of is someone else, I wish him/her the best of luck too!

votes for the republicans?
Oh yeah, the good old Blackwater! Those guys know how to party.

This is an excellent question. In my opinion this SOB Bush most definitely will start war with Iran. Israel will start bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities and how could America leave its friend Israel alone. Obama is not going to start any wars so hat corporate America and especially large oil companies will direct Bush to go to war with Iran before his term is over.

Last night we put our 10 week old kitten outside to sleep. He had been sleeping in the garage until last night and he spends most of his day outside. He didn’t even sleep in his little cat bed, but on the patio furnature! This morning I went outside and the kitten was still sleeping, and looked fine, but wasn’t quite as playful (Fluff [the kitten] is a VERY playful kitten). I got him some food and water and he acted like everything was normal. Is the kitten mad at me and my family for making him sleep outside? Is it ok to leave him outside at night? We live back in the woods and the only other cat we’ve ever seen around our house is a stray, but it gets along fine with our sweet little kitten?
The kitten also stays outside sometimes till 1 or even 2 in the morning until we bring him in, and when a racoon or something comes around, he just sits there, like he doesn’t even care
One more thing, he never leaves our deck and has shelter there

OK here goes, I put my cat outside about a year ago when he was about 10-12 weeks. I got him neutered shortly there after. He is a terrific cat!!! He kills shrew and mice that would otherwise come into our home(in the country), I’ve watched him wait for cars to pass before crossing the road but for the most part he stays on our property. He is scared to death of vehicles and if he hears one he won’t go near the road. We have opossoms and racoons that come onto our portch if we leave his food out at night and he just sits there and watches them eat! He is fully vaccinated. So, we no longer have mice in the house (we did before he came along), we don’t leave food out at night, he gets along with the wild creatures including the deer that visit our yard. The biggest problem we have is he digs in my flower beds.

To those of you who think it’s wrong…I say @&#* you. It depends on where you live and how well you take care of your cat! I hope you all have mice in the house!

http://www.ziprealty.com/featured_homes/virtual_tour.jsp?listing_num=2575151&property_type=SFR&mls=mls_phoenix&featured_home_id=1862199&cKey=btfmg6h6&source=ARMLS&page=3. We would love some feedback of what you think how the house turned out. The listing front shows the before pictures and the virtual tour shows the after…..
http://www.ziprealty.com/featured_homes/home_detail.jsp?listing_num=2575151&page=3&property_type=SFR&mls=mls_phoenix&featured_home_id=1862199&cKey=27wtrjw7&source=ARMLS

We do Interior staging all the time for clients selling their home, for new home builders and in our own rentals where we set up models of each unit type. I downloaded the virtual tour and no offense, this was a very basic job. I don’t mean to be rude or offensive, but when we set up we bring in accessories, furniture, books, electronics, pictures for the walls, pillows, throws, lamps, etc. and we set up each room with a traffic pattern that encourages flow through the home. This design has no concept, is too stark and makes the home cold. Worse yet it makes it look like everything is builder basic which cannot justify the asking price. The home has a great floor plan and terrific bones which aren’t being used to their fullest potential.

I am getting married and moving in to my first home. I don’t have a good decorating bone in my body. So, I welcome help from anyone with great ideas! Thanks!

hgtv.com
diy.com

Staging your home for a quick sale can be a time consuming task, even more so during the winter months. Not only does one have to contend with other homes on the market, and numerous buyers, but the weather can present a problem in terms of access to the home and the cleanliness of the interior. In some areas this is not really a big deal. Places like Arizona and Florida do not have to contend with snow and ice. In order to ensure your home shows to its full capacity during the winter months, here are some good things to do.

Access to a home is crucial during the winter. Sidewalks and driveways can easily become danger areas as ice and snow can turn even the nicest yard into a skating rink. Its a daily task to ensure that the driveways and walkways are clear and safe. Keep a good supply of rock salt or another de-icing agent on hand. The last thing you want is a prospective buyer to slip on their way to the door. Remember if people have to trudge through knee deep snow to reach your front door, it won’t look good for you as a seller. Keep the driveway shoveled and de-iced at all times. Its also a good idea to clear snow off the eaves and edges of the roof. Make sure there are no dangers to the visitors to your home.

Keeping the inside of a home clean while the weather is cold and snowy presents a different challenge. This is compounded if your home is a popular showing. With numerous people coming in during a day, its a great idea to have plastic shoe covers to help stop the problem of snow and dirt getting tracked into your home. During the cold months is a great idea to keep the house warm and inviting. If you have a fireplace, light it. The ambience and warmth will help visitors to stay longer and explore all that your home has to offer. Ideally you would like your home to be as inviting and interesting as possible. The winter months give a homeowner the opportunity to showcase their homes during the dreary winter weather. It’s a chance to turn your home into a winter palace that will interest buyers from the moment they see it.

Adam Coyle
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/staging-your-home-during-the-winter-months-113420.html

During the winter months, you may find that snow is getting in the way of your staging. It’s difficult to show a home effectively when the yard is snowed in and making traversing the property difficult. By clearing snow out of areas you know will be traversed in the course of a home showing, you will make it easier for potential buyers to explore your property and provide a good impression.

Walkway: The walkway should be completely free of anything resembling ice and snow, and that includes icicles that are in danger of breaking and lancing down at some unsuspecting homebuyer. Make sure that any snow “walls” you may construct in the course of clearing a path are packed and will not collapse easily.

Parking: Keep in mind that at least one other vehicle and probably two will be making their way to your home. Make sure that they have access to safe, secure parking. And I don’t mean the street. You may have to dig out spots, but it will pay off by creating a less stressful atmosphere for buyers who probably don’t really want to be driving out in the slippery streets anyway.

Property: If you have extensive property or outbuildings, digging a path that at least shows most of the property and allows safe access to any structures or notable features will definitely be a good idea. Make sure that the path is wide enough to accommodate an average person walking normally. The less stress your buyers have about actually getting around, the more positive of an impression your home makes

Back entrances: Your back door should be as snow and ice-free as the front. If at all possible, clear a path around the entire house, following any present walkway. The more free your buyers are to move around, the better, and they will want to inspect the back door and the cellar, if any, so make sure that these areas are cleared.

Alleyways and Secondary Driveways: Clear a path around the back of your property if it can be accessed by an alleyway or another driveway. An impression of openness and ease of entry and exit makes your home more appealing, especially in weather where mobility is somewhat impaired.

It may be back-breaking or expensive to clear all the snow from the areas above, but the good impression this leaves behind will be worth it. No one wants to wade through snow or slip on ice while they are carrying on the business of house hunting. Plus, having cleared pathways, parking spots and entrances can make your house seem more appealing to the buyer. Your home will seem more cared-for and more worth the asking price.

Kevin Bilberry
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/staging-a-home-with-your-snow-shovel-717255.html

As professionals migrate to home offices and the life of freelancers, or their careers advance and they bring work home, the home office becomes a necessity. However, more decorating mistakes are made in the home office than anywhere else in the home.

First, the home office rarely needs an office modular system. In fact, today’s modular systems are space hogs, can be uncomfortable, and increase stress. The office desk and space should fit the professional’s needs – not the other way around.

If you do not need a file cabinet at your finger tips, then do not buy a module with a built in one. Instead, use that space for something you may need like maybe a printer stand, or a small table to keep a laptop on, if you work on 2 or 3 computers at a time.

I have a friend who uses a Mac and a PC. Instead of creating a workspace that facilitated his ‘web/cell movie’ business, he has his Mac on one table and his PC five feet away. After several frustrating months he discarded half of his $7 000 module office, and bought a $47 table from a local office store.

He put the work areas back-to-back. Now when he needs to switch computers he turns around. However, he admitted to me that this is not an optimum situation. When he has the money, he is making a wall bracket that will hold multiple computer monitors, and a desk that will hold more than one keyboard.

Another consideration should be whether you need shelves or drawers. Personally, I find that shelving is easier for me to use. In fact, I recently tossed the $400 file cabinet I bought and installed several shelving units up out of my way, but within reach.

Another overlooked aspect of the office is heating. Many home offices bank the office desk against an outside wall. The temperature under the desk can be ten degrees, or more, lower than the rest of the room in the winter months.

The winter can also cause lighting problems. Florescent lighting is a good idea for an office, as long as it is bright enough for the professional’s needs. There are different types of florescent lighting. The best lighting for the winter months replaces the sun’s rays. Green house and sunlight bulbs can improve productivity and reduce the chances of SAD.

The last consideration is ventilation. Few people take the time to analyze the ventilation in their offices. Trapped pollutants from carpets, solvents, insulation, and formaldehyde in foam and insulation all cause lung-irritating pollutants that contribute to what is now called office sickness.

The most important thing to take into consideration is your personal lifestyle. Many people think they can move their office home and leave office politics, stress, and frustrations behind. This will not happen.

It is important to take stress and anxiety into consideration. Some freelance professionals address this by adding a good sound system to their office. Others add a television. Long time work at home professionals all talk about the need to hear ambient voices. No man is an island.

One great way to learn what is needed in a home office is to follow the blogs of freelance writers and graphic artists. Many talk about the ups and downs of working at home, and how to overcome them.

Bruce Chandler
http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/decorating-the-home-office-126092.html

Why stage your spare room? A staged bedroom helps emphasize the size of the house and number of bedrooms, not to mention giving the impression of a well-rounded residence. Also, a clean bedroom looks a lot better than a cluttered spare room. Since a proper Home Staging can lead to a quicker sale and higher sale price, the time and money you spend on this can net you significant returns.

1. Dig Into The Pile

If you have a spare room in the house you’re planning to sell, you may well have something that you can use to stage it with. Is that a lamp hidden under all those old suitcases and the clothes you can’t quite bear to throw away? Drag it out and see if there can’t be something done with it. If you have an old set of drawers awaiting a visit from your local Salvation Army, ask them to hold off and see if you can use it to complete the illusion that this is a guest bedroom. The same goes for any old bed, painting, etc. that you can temporarily repurpose from your belongings.

2. Borrow

You probably know someone, family or friend, who has a spare bed, furniture or tasteful art that you can temporarily place in the room to create the illusion of a happy bedroom. Many people will happily give you castoff furniture in return for you taking it to the local thrift store upon the sale of your home. If the item is to be returned, however, make sure it gets returned clean and in the same (or better!) shape it was when you first borrowed it.

3. Freecycle, Craigslist and thrift stores

Freecycle.org is a non-profit organization that began for the purpose of enabling people to get rid of unwanted items without sending them to a landfill. There are groups all over the world. Craigslist and other ad sites are another alternative. Many people are just trying to get rid of their stuff, hopefully for a few bucks. Much of this is perfect for staging purposes. Thrift stores are another cheap option.

4. Redecorate

A coat of paint or an inexpensive slipcover can make dingy walls and old furniture look much more attractive. Choose a bright, airy color for the walls, perhaps a white, blue or pale yellow. Furniture can be given a quick coat of paint that perhaps matches the room’s trim or complements the color of the walls. Make sure your blankets, rugs and curtains are in a solid neutral color, which will pull the room together without distracting the eye.

5. Repurpose

What you’re aiming for is the look of a bedroom, not necessarily the actual article. This means that your coffee table could actually be a box covered with an attractive looking tablecloth. It may surprise you how well a blanket or throw can help disguise any furniture dings, rips or scratches. Your bed doesn’t have to be an actual mattress; air mattresses set up underneath some art with a comforter and plump pillows are all the bed you need.

Marci McFarland
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/5-cheapskate-tips-for-staging-your-spare-room-684546.html