Home Staging Tip of the Week

Let the sun shine in.

Buyers love light and airy living rooms. Open up your window shades to let some light in. Cheat some sunshine with a light-colored paint and lots of artificial lighting. You can never have too many lamps. Uplights are an inexpensive way to add lighting behind furniture and plants. Last, arrange the space with lightly colored furniture, and you'll have a living room that brightens your chances of a sale.

A recent vacant staging lighting dilemma -

This charming room had nice big windows in the front and these two side windows shown in the picture. Unfortunately, the three large front windows opened to an enclosed porch which darkened the room. It also had no ceiling light.

Light paint, light furniture, and 3 floor lamps placed in a triangular pattern helped give this room a nice glow, especially in the evening.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Let's barter!

Barter: To trade goods or services without the exchange of money.

I've always been a trader at heart. From trading marbles and rocks, barbie doll clothes to books, the love for trading hasn't changed since I grew up. My most recent "trade" is for salon services.

I am redesigning a small salon space in return for pedicure and manicure services. What fun! Not only do we both get to do what we love, she gets a new look to her space and I get some lovely guilt free nails and toes.

While bartering can't happen all the time as there are bills to pay, I definitely will barter when I can. Hmm, wonder if they would take staging services for my car payment this month?

Do you barter?

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

TIps to beat that summer heat.

This weekend in Central New York temperatures hit the 90's.

A/C is great for staying cool and so is a pool, but here a few alternative suggestions to beat the heat in your home and maybe even save some $$.

Change up your wall color this season. Cool colors will make your home feel cooler. White, gray, light green and light blue on the walls reflect the light away and won't retain heat.

Pair your wall color with white for an extra cool, summery look - white trim, soft white muslin drapes, and white accent pieces will give the room a breezy cottage feel.

Remove heavy rugs and throws and opt for lighter materials. Bamboo rugs are a great natural element to bring in (and they are inexpensive too).

Pull in a few accent colors from your garden - orange and yellow are especially vibrant against cool colors.

Turn on that ceiling fan - ceiling fans help keep you cool while using less energy than a 100 watt bulb.

If you do use A/C, make sure you keep your A/C unit in a shady spot - direct sunlight on the unit decreases efficiency. No shade? Plant trees or bushes around it to make shade.

And finally, switch from cotten sheets to linen on your bed. Linen will keep you cooler as it has better wicking properties.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.

Home Staging Tip of the Week

One of the hardest parts of getting your home ready to sell is de-personalizing it. In order to make it appeal to more buyers, you'll need to remove your family photos, all personal belongings and yes, even your collectibles. If a buyer feels they are "visiting" your home by seeing the family photos, collectibles and decor, then they can't picture themselves living there.

So when you are getting ready to sell, don't get overly attached to your things “We buy all our furnishings and accessories because we love them. We have a tendency to think everyone else loves them, too, and that’s just not true,” says Barbara Jennings, author of several home-staging guides. Look at your furnishings with a critical eye and remove anything that doesn’t complement each room’s best features.

Don't forget your belongings will move with you for a treasured place in your new home, so pack them away now.

Smart Move Design is a Home Staging and Redesign company located near Syracuse, NY and serves the Central and Northern New York areas.