The Gray Dutch Colonial

FRONT DOOR

BEFORE


AFTER


This house certainly had some curb appeal. The outside had recently been painted; however, there were details that had not been finished which left buyers wondering, "What else has been forgotten?" I suggested that the seller add some colorful potted flowers on either side of the door, freshen up the paint on the railing, and hang an American flag.


LIVING ROOM



When the family moved in several years ago, they made the dining room a living room and the living room a dining room by changing out the light fixtures and the furniture. I suggested they move the rooms back to their original purpose.


DINING ROOM

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AFTER


As I mentioned above, the dining room was in the living room. Once the spaces were changed back to the original rooms, we staged the room by strategically placing a few accessories and taking down two of the window panels to allow more light to come in.


KITCHEN

AFTER


AFTER


The kitchen was cluttered with everyday items and small appliances. I recommended that the homeowners give the kitchen a deep cleaning and that all the small items needed to be stored neatly or packed away. With just a few minor changes, the kitchen is clean and welcoming for buyers.


PLAYROOM/READING ROOM

BEFORE


AFTER


The playroom underwent a dramatic transformation with only a few changes. The biggest difference was made after the toys were stored and several small items were replaced with one large object. For instance, the small picture frames to the left on the window seat were replaced by one lamp, which also gave this room more light.


FOYER

BEFORE


AFTER


The foyer was dark, so to brighten this area we replaced the bulbs in the overhead fixture with a higher wattage. It was also tidied and a few accessories (pillows and candles) finished off this area.


HALLWAY

BEFORE


AFTER


The personal pictures in the hallway were taken down and replaced with two large neutral pieces of art. I didn't want buyers to be distracted by the number of photos and miss the open foyer and beautiful banister.


UPSTAIRS HALLWAY

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AFTER


The upstairs hallway was in the process of being remodeled when I went to see this client's house. By the time it went on the market the project was completed so that buyers didn't feel like there was still work to be done.


SECOND FLOOR PORCH



This area was a great additional living space to the house but was underused and forgotten. We staged this area with a small table, two chairs and a plant to create a serene place to sit and read or enjoy the outdoors.


FIRST FLOOR PORCH AND PATIO





The porch area was freshened with a new coat of paint on the steps, a chair and a potted plant. Stone pebbles were put under the table and all weeds were pulled. The landscaped area also got a new bed of mulch and flowers.

The White Raised Ranch

FRONT DOOR


Welcome! That's what you feel when you see the brightly painted front door, clean walkway and maintained landscaping of this charming house. The sellers followed my suggestion to paint the front door red, which was originally burgundy, and they replaced their collegiate flag with an American flag.

LIVING ROOM


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After

KITCHEN


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After

DINING ROOM


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After

MASTER BATHROOM


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After

MASTER SUITE


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After


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After

GUEST BEDROOM


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After

OFFICE


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After

HALLWAY


After; this hallway used to be covered in personal photographs. I recommended that the sellers take them down and replace them with one or two decorative pictures.

BACKYARD


After


After; I also suggested that the owners create a simple seating area so that buyers could imagine themselves using this space.

Simple Changes Go a Long Way

1. Unify a kitchen by streamlining the color of the cabinets and the appliances. Here is a kitchen with white cabinets and a black dishwasher. The dishwasher is less conspicuous when it's the same color as (or similar to) the cabinets, and your eye is drawn to window instead of the mismatched appliances. The white dishwasher in the picture below was actually found on Craig's List for $100. There is also something called appliance paint and this is how to use it if you want to change the color but not the appliance.


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After

2. Define the space. This bedroom was used as a closet because of the lack of closet space in this old home. Instead of drawing attention to this fact, the room was staged as a nursery in order to showcase the room's original purpose.


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After

3. Depersonalize and accessorize. Store all personal items and photographs so that potential buyers aren't distracted by them. Depersonalizing also allows potential buyers to see themselves living in the house more easily because they imagine their personal things in the home rather than yours. Below, the personal picture frame above the bed was exchanged for a painting (that was found in another area of the house) and the monogrammed pillow was removed.


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After

4. A new coat of paint can make all the difference. The shelving and walls below were painted neutral colors which make them look clean and the room more spacious. Arrange a few things on the shelf, in groups of three, to give it purpose and to show off the space.


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After

5. Organize. Make sure that all pantries, built-ins, bookcases, closets, basements and attics are organized and free of too much clutter. Use baskets, bins and boxes to organize items, especially smaller ones, on open shelving.



6. Go green. Add color and freshness to a room by adding greenery. Real greenery is preferred over faux, but if you aren't living in the house or if the room is too dark, go for plants and flowers that look as real as possible. Target has some great faux floral as does TJMaxx, Michaels and Marshalls. The first two shown below are under $25 at Target. If you decide to use real greenery, buying freshly cut flowers can get expensive if your house is on the market for a few months. Opt instead for potted plants or fresh cuttings from your yard. Magnolia leaves, tree branches with nice leaves or flowers or something similar to pittosporum in a vase will work perfectly.

Lemon Plant


Floral Peony Centerpiece

Parlor Palm in a Bamboo Planter