Interior Decorating – Home Staging

Archive for September, 2009

When selling a property in the Baltimore area, house staging can go a long way to help make the property as appealing as possible to potential buyers. As selling and buying in Baltimore is highly competitive, a seller needs to use ever possible method to increase desirability among buyers. A highly desirable property not only sells faster, but it also sells for a higher price.

Home staging in Baltimore consists of several things. First, it consists of landscaping the property, both front and back, to be as beautiful as possible. Trim the grass, as well as any shrubs and plants that are integral to the property. If the property has a pond, the pond should be cleaned and manicured for presentation. Ponds should be stocked with healthy fish and plants to improve the appearance of the property. Trees should be pruned as needed so that they look healthy and add to the property. If the exterior of the home is looking worn from age and weathering, a fresh coat of paint can greatly improve the first impression of the buyers.

The next aspect of homestaging in Baltimore is to make the interior of the property as beautiful as possible. When possible, use neutral colors on the walls, with accessories adding vibrant accent colors. You want every room to look warm and inviting. Make certain that you have taken the time to remove things such as personal photographs and keepsakes from vacation. These items will take away from the buyer’s ability to see themselves living in the property you are selling.

Cleaning is an especially important part of home staging in Baltimore. Every surface and every corner from floor to ceiling, must be immaculate. A clean home shows much better than one that has dust in the corners or dirty grout. Take your time and make certain that you have cleaned every room in the building, including the attic. The kitchen and bathroom should have even more attention focused on them, as buyers are especially keen on the state of both of these rooms.

Finally, you need to make certain that you make the most use of accessories when homes staging in Baltimore. As the competition is extremely fierce in the area, the clever use of accessories, ranging from candle holders to vases of flowers. If you are using flowers as a part of your interior decorating, you need to ensure that they are always fresh. Wilting flowers should be removed or discarded as they will take away from the overall appearance of the home.

Peter S. Museer

If you are selling a property for the first time, a free home sale checklist can help take a lot of the guesswork out of it. For each room in your home, you need to make certain that you have taken care of everything possible. Below, you will find a free house staging checklist that will guide you on the preparation for your exterior and interior of your property.

Free Exterior Home Staging Checklist:

1: Cut the Grass
2: Trim any bushes, trees, shrubs
3: Weed any gardens, mulch as needed.
4: Paint the home if required
5: Clean driveway and other non-planted surfaces
6: Clean windows
7: Remove any excessive lawn ornamentation.

Free Interior Home Staging Checklist:

1: Dust all Surfaces
2: Sweep and Mop or Vacuum.
3: Remove Photographs, Souvenirs and Personal Items
4: Removal Large, non-furniture items excluding lamps and lighting
5: Pick a neutral color scheme for the room
6: Add Sparse Accessories.

There are some rooms that need more attention than others. Below, you will find the most important rooms and why they are important.

1: The Entry.

This room is the first thing people see when they enter your home. Focus a great deal of attention here to ensure a good first impression.

2: The Kitchen

This is one of the most important rooms. People spend a great deal of time in their kitchens. A bright, well lit, well organized kitchen will make a great deal of difference.

3: Bathrooms

Clean any bathrooms you have, unplug any drains, and make sure they are well lit. A bathroom needs to be spotless in order to be appealing. Clean towels and accessories should be used to make a bathroom more inviting. Replace caulking and ensure the tiles in the shower are spotless. Buyers will check every corner of a bathroom.

4: Living Spaces

The Den, Living room, and entertainment rooms should be in top form. Neutral colors make a big difference, but add splashes of color to make all of these rooms more inviting. Work to be sure that those purchasing the home feel they can entertain guests. Make the best use of space and ensure that the room is as open appearing as possible.

5: Bedrooms

It is important that you make your bedrooms look inviting while storing away any personal items. The bedroom often has many personal items, such as photographs, figurines and decorations. Remove these items so that your home shows better to potential buyers.

When using this free home staging checklist, the more effort you use in staging, the better the results will be.

Peter S. Museer
home stagers

Home staging and the redesign of many aspects of the interior of a property can go a long way to selling a home quickly. However, there are some things that you need to keep in mind if you wish to stage a home properly. First, it is important to remember that the goal of homes staging and the redesign of living spaces is to appeal to the buyers, not to your own personal taste. When you are trying to decide what to do with a room, you need to find the best ways to make the room look elegant and sophisticated while also making the space comfortable for you to live in while you are trying to sell the property.

The first step when staging your home of your property is to clean everything, both inside and out. The curb appeal of the property is especially important, as it is what people will base their first impressions on. When you do your landscaping, it is important that you showcase the best characteristics of the property. For example, if you have a flowerbed in the front of your house, you should concentrate efforts on ensuring it is weeded and planted with elegant, blooming flowers. Any walkways should be swept clean of any grass or debris, and all grass should be uniformly trimmed. While the front of the property is often considered the most important, any backyard should be treated in the same fashion, as this is often a part of the curb appeal of the property. When you are done landscaping, all tools should be neatly stored in your garage or other storage space. No tools, hoses or toys should be left out on the grass.

Cleaning is a massive part of home staging and redesign efforts of a property. When you are home staging, you should clean every surface, even if you have to move heavy furniture to get into the hard to reach places. If you have rooms with odd pieces of furniture, such as pool tables or pianos, you should take the time to showcase these items, as they add a unique touch to the property. However, when you are cleaning, you should make certain that you focus on getting everything as clean as possible, not on rearranging your accessories. There will be plenty of time for that after you have removed every trace of dirt and dust from your home.

Peter S. Museer

Almost all wooden shutters are constructed from a
solid hardwood. This helps to give the shutters
the necessary stability for daily usage. Windows
can be a naturally harsh environment, with direct
sunlight, fluctuating humidity, and the rapid
change in temperature.

All types of wooden shutters can withstand all of
these types of conditions. Wooden shutters are
constructed to withstand harsh climates from the
intense heat and sun of the tropics to the
intense cold of the North. Keep in mind, not all
shutters are created equally, as the selection
of wood, types of joints, and overall design will
determine the quality of the ending product.

In the overall structure of a wooden shutter, the
type of wood is very important. All wood is
chosen based on durability, weight, straightness,
length, and overall finishing qualities. Basswood
is one of the best examples, as it builds an
exceptional shutter. Basswood also ranks high
in just above every characteristic you could
possibly imagine.

The joints of the wood will need to be solid and
strong in order to create a long lasting wood
shutter. Finger joints are also important, as
they connect two shorter lengths of wood. The
finger joints show through the finish of a
painted shutter and may look poor from the
start for a stained wood shutter.

Having strong joints between stiles and rails
will prevent the two components from separating
or tearing apart. The joints should be glued
and dowled for the strongest bond and the
best overall performance.

By purchasing wooden shutters, you’ll get
quality shutters at a great price. Before you
buy, do your research on the company and make
sure that they know what they are doing. If you
buy from a reputable seller, you’ll get
everything you need for excellent wooden shutters,
and instructions on how to install them yourself
if you wish.

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The benefits of lined curtains over unlined curtains or any other type of window dressing are many and varied. Firstly, the lining contains insulating qualities which can regulate a room’s temperature in summer and winter, so your room will always be at a comfortable temperature. Because sunlight can often cause fading on soft furnishings, the lining on the curtains has been designed to stop this, and so your furniture can last longer. There is an added advantage if you use curtains with a blackout lining, as this can be especially useful for light sleepers or night workers who need to be able to get to sleep even when it is sunny. But whilst we may understand and want all of these benefits from our lined curtains, is it cheaper to buy them readymade or to make them ourselves?

To make lined curtains you need to list all of the things you will need to finish the job. You need the lining for the curtains and the material that will be the front panel, and you will need enough so that pleats can be made when the curtains are closed, so about one and a half times the width of the window. Remember that you will also need to buy enough matching coloured thread to sew all the hems of your curtains, and heading tape which needs to cover the whole top of the curtains when flat. Remember the most important bit, the sewing machine, unless you plan to stitch the curtains by hand. Your labour should also be factored in to the cost of how much it is to make lined curtains yourself, because you could be doing something much more fun.

So it may be cheaper to buy lined curtains that have been professionally made and fitted to your window when you think about all the factors that go into making lined curtains at home. Readymade lined curtains come in a host of colours, patterns and sizes and are made to the highest quality, available at high street stores and online shops. You can get curtains to fit any size window and prices can be low if you find a good stockist. Buying online is one of the best ways to purchase lined curtains because the range is unbeatable and delivery is quick and simple.