It's Kitchen Craze time here at HOMEdigz.com! Whether or not you like to cook, the kitchen is the heart of the home.

We're spicing it up with a contest...every post or comment made through June 30, 2009 earns a chance at winning this fabulous book of creative kitchen ideas for your home: Kitchen Ideas That Work by Beth Veillette, an award-winning kitchen designer.

Read articles and join kitchen discussions already in progress, or start your own topic!

Not a member yet?  It's free and fun...register today!

Who doesn't love a good before and after, huh?  Especially a kids room!  Without further adieu, here it is:

First, the after:

And here's the before:

Read more about it at www.HOMEdigz.com!

Susan J Smith
Rooms That Work LLC
www.HOMEdigz.com

New feature on HOMEdigz.com - we post a problem room, and you get to give your two cents. Best part, the homeowner (who is a good sport) will implement those ideas (within reason) and post "after" pics!

Here's the room:

 

And here's where you go to offer advice!

(note: you need to register to comment, but hey...it only takes a minute!)

So please join the conversation!!!!

Susan Smith
www.HOMEdigz.com

A few weeks ago I launched HOMEdigz.com for beta (new online community forum for home enthusiasts).  While not staging focused, it is a wonderful showcase for interior redesign, and is organized by type of room.

We're already up to 33 members with just word-of-mouth communication, and I'm launching an ad campaign starting in April to invite homeowners to the forum.

If you haven't checked it out yet, we'd love for you to join us!  Not only is it a fun place to hang out, but there is a lot of perks for business members.  You can submit articles to showcase your expertise and help with SEO, there is a free online directory for businesses, plus a bonus "business-only" forum to chat with other businesses.  See www.digzbiz.com for more details on biz perks.

Please join us! :)

~Susan

www.HOMEdigz.com
Get inspired. Get it done.

It's that time of year again - if you're thinking about putting your house on the market, get ready for a bit of incovenient living. But the payoff is well worth any inconvenience. Once you get your home sale-ready, you need an efficient action plan to accomodate the not-always-convenient showings of your beloved home.

You know how it goes...you get a call from your realtor that a potential buyer wants to see your house...in 30 minutes! So you have to pick up the house, load up your kids (and pets), hop in the car and try to find something meaningful to do for an hour or so.

How you live in your home is quite different than how you sell it. Assuming you've already followed your Professional Home Stager's instructions, you're a step ahead in preparing for show time. After all, you want to make sure it shows at its best when the curtains come up! Here are some helpful checklists to prepare your staged home for show time in 30 minutes or less.

Safety

• Hide liftables - wallets, mail, jewelry, small electronics, passwords, financial statements, etc. Most people are honest, but it helps if you remove the temptation.
• Conceal any prescription drugs.
• Don't light candles (fire hazard and looks like you're trying too hard).

Lighting

• Turn on lights and open all curtains - yes, even in the daytime.
• Make sure windows are clean.

Pick Up

• Toys, clothes, papers, general clutter.
• If worse comes to worse, grab a large garbage bag and stuff everything in it and take it with you. You can put everything away when you get home.

Kitchen

• Wipe down counters - keep disposable wipes by each counter area to make it quick and easy.
• Make sure the sink shines! There is nothing more disgusting than a dirty sink.
• Empty the trash - even if it's not full yet.
• Countertops - opt for single large accessory rather than a group of small things - doesn't have to be out all the time, but "places everyone" applies.

Bedrooms

• Make all beds, and arrange decorative pillows per your stager's instructions.

Bathrooms

• ALL toiletries hidden (keep daily use items in a handy cubby that can be stashed under the sink)
• TOILET SEATS DOWN
• Put your towels in the dryer & bring out "show towels"
• Wipe down counters and mirror
• Sniff test -air freshener if needed
• Empty the trash

Pets & Kids

• Don't even think about leaving the pets behind!
• Keep the car pre-stocked with snacks, water, games, dog leash, picnic blanket, diapers (if needed), and extra changes of clothes (you never know).
• Make up "car games" such as "left, right, or straight" - a game where each kid gets a turn picking which way you turn. Whenever you find someplace interesting, stop and have a car party.
• Have a list of fun places you can visit, such as a pet store, local park, library, etc.

Ambiance

• Music - Play some classical or jazz music softly to add ambiance and minimize eerie silence.
• Concession Stand - Candy Bowl - put out some wrapped candy.
• Check Thermostats - make sure it's set at a comfortable temperature.

So let's get the show on!

 

Susan Smith
Rooms That Work
www.roomsthatwork.com
blog: www.yourhomeonlybetter.com

I found this article online in the Everret Washington Harold Net: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090104/BIZ/701049948/1005

First, I must premise that these findings are from an annual survey conducted by Mark Nash, a Coldwell Banker broker and real estate author who uses a network of 839 Realtors in all 50 states and eight Canadian provinces to acquire consumer responses to a variety of housing questions.  He wrote "1,001 Tips for Buying & Selling a Home".  The article was written by Tom Kelly of HeraldNet.

While some of you may agree or disagree with some of his points (and I won't list them all here...read it if you like), there were a couple excerpts I found interesting:

What's "in" for 2009: Real estate agents as a housing resource not a salesperson. Skilled agents who help consumers determine if they should buy or sell a home. Home ownership is not for everyone. Factors such as a job move in three years or fewer, marginal credit and lack of interest in home maintenance can be reasons for a resource-driven agent to advise their client not to buy.

What's "out" for 2009: Home staging. A recently over-used, low-cost marketing strategy for vacant or occupied homes with longer than normal market times. Buyers have said "enough" of the non-professional usage of assorted leftover props placed around a for-sale home to make it supposedly homey. Buyers are saying "market it as it is and clear out the tired silk flowers and stale potpourri."

Here are my two cents:

1) Agents as "Housing Resources" is another way of saying "those who are really good at their job will do well"

2) Staging isn't going away, but those who jumped in without a clue will fall by the wayside.  Those who are good at what they are doing will be a very strategic tool for the "Housing Resource" agents referred to above.

Your thoughts?

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It's not everyday in Connecticut that you see an animated, illuminated flamingo grazing alongside a couple traditional reindeer lawn ornaments. 

But sometimes you've just gotta break the rules!

"Bingo" (the name my kids gave to the flamingo) was an early Christmas present to my husband from my sister (who drew his name this year).  Here's the fun part...he drew her name too (but she doesn't yet know it) and hasn't picked out her gift yet.  Any suggestions?  ;)

 

Susan Smith
web: www.roomsthatwork.com
blog: www.yourhomeonlybetter.com

Greetings fellow bloggers! 

I recently moved my "non-Active Rain" blog from Blogger to Wordpress.  Why?  Because I wanted more functionality in terms of categories, pages, etc.  But if you switch, note that you can't use Google Analytics w/Wordpress...but they do provide sufficient stats of their own.

I also purchased the url of my tag line to use as my blog URL - more professional and consistent with my branding.  And just to make sure it's obvious on my website, I added it on the home page as a widget.

I'm sure as I play around with it I will find features I really miss, but so far, I'm pretty happy with it.

Happy blogging ya'll!

Susan Smith
w/ www.roomsthatwork.com
b/ www.yourhomeonlybetter.com
e/ susan@roomsthatwork.com
p/ 860.808.4171

 

Goodbye Pink, Hello Beach! When a little girl decides she's too big for pink, it's a wonderful opportunity to work together to find a better look for her most important room. We painted the walls BM "White Sand", added colorful beach and ocean accents and covered her chair and bench in a coordinating pillowcase from her new bedding. For her, the highlight of this room is the banner flags draping the room and hanging over the bed, and the fiber optic butterfly lights strung across her name. Makes for a great nightlight! And the real bonus here - if the homeowners move, it's a lot easier to sell "white sand" than "pixie pink!" -Susan

See if you can tell what was changed, and how much was spent!

Front Door before:

front door after:

Rooms That Work
Your home, only better.
www.roomsthatwork.com
860.808.4171