Make your house picture worthy

As many of you know, my family is being transferred to Illinois.  We have been up to our eyeballs in house work.  Working to purge, declutter, straighten, clean, and make our house look show worthy.  We have moved on average every two and a half years, and we strive to sell our house quickly and for top dollar…Every Time.

However, at this point, I am So Over It. Seriously.  We prepped the house last week for the first Realtor to come look at our house on Monday.  Then, we had to keep it picked up, and refresh it all for another Realtor to come over last Friday. 

By the time this Monday came around, the whole house needed another cleaning after having kids home and playing all the weekend.  Plus, we had pictures scheduled for Tuesday.  So, not only did we need to clean and make everything sparkle and shine, we needed to put everything away. 





You see, when prepping your house for photos, you need to look at the room and pretend you have a camera lens in front of you.  What looks out of place?  What might stick out like a sore thumb? 

For example, I know I always have a basket on my desk for mail, but for pictures, it needs to go away because the basket just looks messy.  The fruit bowl with spotted bananas…behind cabinet doors.  The dog food bowls…in the garage.  The dog crate…in the garage with the dogs!  Paper towels by the kitchen sink…they need to move under the sink.  Remote controls for the TV, sound and game systems…put them in a drawer.  You really need to scrutinize every room to make it look perfect.  The pictures of your house can make or break the decision for people to look at it or not. 

This is when I like to bust out the cleaner and make all the bathroom fixture shine, make your granite sparkle, use stainless steel cleaner and polish those stainless steel appliances in the kitchen.  Vacuum every room and walk in closet.  Vacuum the sofas…believe it or not, they will look better in the photos.  Fluff all the pillows on sofas and beds.  Turn on EVERY light in the house.  And, don’t forget some fresh flowers!  Fresh flowers are the finishing touch. 





Our picture session was successful.  I even had the photographer tell me she is in homes all day every day all over Southern California, and my house was one of the best she had ever seen.  She thought my house was one of the model homes for the neighborhood.  Nope…it was white and builders grade when we bought it.  But, our paint colors and decorating are up-to-date and the house is as clean as possible.  That translates to show home worthy.  It really was an awesome compliment to receive.  It made all the hard work worth it.  She also asked me if I could consult with all the sellers she photographs for so they can prep their home like mine!  I was blushing. 

Now, I had to keep our house spotless and perfect for One.More.Day.  Video was being shot on Wednesday. Ugg…I needed wine. 

The video shoot went well…that is what they tell me anyway.  I was sitting in the car with my dogs parked down the street during the video session so no one would have to listen to barking in the background.  That could have been an ambiance killer.  Oh the things we do when trying to sell our homes!

Now, today is my last day of sanity.  The house gets listed tomorrow.  I have to make sure my valuables are locked up – out of sight out of mind.  That goes for jewelry, computers, ipods, tablets, kids piggy banks, and prescription medicines.  Don’t forget to actually shred the items in the shred box and lock up that file cabinet with paperwork and bills.  You never know who is going to be in your house.  Not that all people looking are criminals – I like to think most people are honest.  But, people are funny.  You never know what they will do when presented with an opportunity. 

Also, think about your furry kids.  We are expecting a ton of activity from the moment the house is listed through the weekend.  I already made an appointment to board our puppies for the weekend. It will be less stressful for everyone that way.  We won’t have to keep taking the dogs in and out of the house, the dogs won’t have to be hanging out in the car for hours on end. 

So, I’m off to go shred paperwork.  Wish me luck for the weekend.  I’ll be at the winery trying to hold on to some sanity.  Happy house selling!

Preparing your Home for Sale

I’m not going to lie.  Prepping your house to sell it is a @*!$#.  No.  Really.  It is. 

We have been cleaning, decluttering, purging, cleaning, freshening, straightening, cleaning, repairing, touch-up-painting, cleaning, and gardening like crazy over the last couple of weeks!  And drinking wine…because how in the world are you supposed to do all that without wine?!?!?!  I’m not entirely sure it is possible. 





There are a few steps to successfully preparing your home for sale.  Here is my list:

1. PURGE.  That is right…purge.  Go through every closet, cabinet, bathroom, basement, garage and room in the house.  If you haven’t used it in two years…get rid of it!  I know the pros recommend getting rid of something you haven’t used in one year…but I like to be double sure.  I go with two years.  Because, then you can’t argue it.  One year…you might still use it.  But, if you haven’t used it in two…no way…out it goes.  I don’t mean throw it all in the trash.  If it is in good condition…donate it!  Find a good charity, a neighbor or friend that might be able to use it, or have a garage sale.  There are even local Facebook groups that you can sell items on, Craigslist or Ebay.
2. DECLUTTER.  Reduce everything on display {pictures, decorative accessories, etc} by 50%.  Now, don’t strip the room completely bare…but if you have ten candles and five pictures plus some books on your fireplace mantle…get rid of at least half.  Leave a few well-placed candles and a picture.  You don’t want to strip all the personality and warmth from a room, but you don’t want it cluttered either.  A happy balance.
3. REMOVE.  Are you planning on taking window treatments with you?  How about that expensive chandelier?  Ceiling fans?  What about the top of the line oven/range?  If you are, that is fine…get it out of sight before you list your home on the market.  For instance, we removed a chandelier from my daughter’s room and replaced it with a less expensive white ceiling fixture.  The room actually looks more open without the chandy hanging.  When listing your house, whatever is attached will be expected to stay.  If you don’t want it to stay, don’t even let people see it is there.  
4. FURNITURE PLACEMENT.  Take a hard, long look at how the furniture is placed in your home.  If you moved your sofa to another wall, would it make the room look bigger?  How about removing a few chairs from your breakfast bar?  Think about walk-ways…do you need to move a console table out of the way so multiple people can get through comfortably?  Where is the dog food bowl?  Does it need a new home so people don’t accidentally kick it and spill water everywhere?  Be open to changing things around.  You want a nice open feel and excellent flow in your home.
5. STAGE.  Maybe the “dining room” you are using as a play room {or an office in my case} needs to go back to a dining room for showings.  What are buyers in your price range and area looking for?  Think about “staging” spaces to show buyers what the space could potentially be.  Set the kitchen or dining room table with pretty dishes and fabric napkins.  Add fresh flowers here and there.  Maybe a pretty plant for a corner of a room.  Wine glasses and a bottle of wine {even if it is empty} on the kitchen island.  Pretty, new fluffy towels in the master bath and some bath salts to give a “spa” feel.  Don’t forget the front walk way either.  Some fresh flowers in a pot near the front door and a new Welcome mat go a long way.  You want the house to feel…and smell…like home.  Bake some cookies, plug in that wax warmer with a yummy scent, add some oil reed diffusers.  Just make that house smell wonderful.
6. PAINT.  Ok, this is a hard one for many people.  I know you love the paint colors in your home.  I love my sunshine yellow dining room / office. But, let’s get real here.  People are going to walk into my house and gasp at the yellow.  I know you and I know it is just paint.  But, to a potential buyer…that can of paint equals work for them.  Unless the buyers are looking for a fixer-upper, they want move in ready, which usually translates to neutral colors on the walls.  Now, I’m not saying you should paint every room in the house beige or white.  NO, please don’t.  But, make sure the paint colors flow through the house.  Something earth toned is best, even if it is an earthy shade of red, blue, green, yellow, or plum.  It doesn’t have to just be beige or grey.  You want something that appeals to a wide array of people. AND, don’t overlook the baseboards in your house.  Those pretty white baseboards should look pretty and white.  Not, scuffed with black marks all over.  Try cleaning them with a damp sponge or a magic eraser type sponge.  Or, simply give them a fresh coat of white paint.  It really will make all the difference. 
7. FIX.  Settling cracks, grout, mildewed caulking in bathrooms, nail holes in walls, separations in trim or casings around doors and windows, window screens, etc.  Holes in outdoor concrete, brown spots in the grass, wilting or dead plants, don’t forget the outdoor pool, spa, playground and fence.  If a buyer can see something that needs fixing, that is time and money for them.  They will start subtracting from that list price.
8. CLEAN.  Yes…clean. Clean more than you have ever cleaned that house in your life.  You want it spotless as if it were a brand new home.  Once again, dirt equals money off the list price for buyers.  If you have to hire out window cleaners, carpet cleaners, gutter cleaners, even a maid to temporarily help with the upkeep of your house while it is on the market, it might be money well spent.  If you can get asking price for your home, then it is worth it.  Don’t overlook the care of your lawn either.
9. UPDATE.  Depending on your price range and your market, you might have to spend some money updating your home in order to ask top dollar.  This means kitchens and bathrooms.  If you have chipping laminate or tile countertops…you might need to replace those.  Natural stone {granite} is what sells best.  Mismatched kitchen appliances?  Rethink that.  Stainless is what sells.  Dirty outdated tile in the master bathroom?  Replace it with something new and clean, white works great.  You will be surprised how those few changes will make all the difference in selling your home.  Check with the realtors in your area, ask their opinion.  They will tell you what buyers are looking for.  You may not think you have the money to spare, but being able to price your home significantly higher or sell it quicker might be worth the expense.  
10. MAINTAIN.  Now that you have cleaned, fixed, painted, decluttered, purged, moved furniture and staged your home…keep it up while your home is on the market.  I know it is a pain, but for full price…it is worth it.  Keep wipes in every bathroom for a quick clean.  Windex and paper towels are my favorite…it is so easy to spray on bathroom fixtures for a quick shine, it works great for spot cleaning tile floors, windows and mirrors, etc. Every night give your floors a quick sweep or vacuum, make sure your kitchen counters are wiped clean, dishes are in the dishwasher and not in the sink, laundry is done every day. If you have pets, don’t forget to clean up their space and their waste from outside.  Like I said…a pain…but well worth full price.  Keep your eye on the prize.

The biggest and most important item to keep in mind when selling your house is…IT IS NO LONGER YOUR HOUSE. You are trying to SELL it, not keep it.  How you live in your house currently is NOT how you live in your house when you are selling it. You must make sacrifices and changes to your daily routine in order to sell quickly and for top dollar.  Period.  After your house is under contract and you are no longer showing it, you can start relaxing and going back to your old ways again.  And, don’t forget the wine…you’ll need it to keep your sanity through all of this.

Have you put your home up for sale recently, or been house hunting?  What are some thing you did, or noticed that other people did, that made a difference when selling your home?  Did I miss anything on my list?  I’d love to hear.

A New Adventure for Old Suzanne

Adventure.  Yes…adventure for sure.  Aren’t you jealous?  You shouldn’t be…I have been buried under a mountain of phone calls and appointments.  Plus, it is Spring Break for my kiddos.  Two weeks of Spring Break!  I have been doing my best to entertain them and enjoy our family time together.  SeaWorld, Coronado Island, the pool, etc.  But we have a not-so-fun family task ahead of us.  You see, my husband’s company is transferring us back to Illinois…ASAP.  Yep…after just two short years in Southern California, we are headed back to Illinois. 

Let me just let that sink in for a moment.

Still processing…

Let me pour a glass of wine.

Nope…I think I need the bottle.

What?!?!?!??!

Ya…it was kind of like that.  Honestly, I’m still having a hard time accepting it.  We were supposed to be in California for about 5 years.  FIVE.  It has been two.  I’m kind of heartbroken.  Truly.  I love where we live, I love our house, I love our friends.  My kids are happy, they love their friends, they love their sports teams.  We Love The Beach!!!  Flip flops in January.  Sunny days 90% of the year.  Swimming pools 9 months out of the year.  Mountains. Snow on our terms.  Wineries.  Disneyland.

We are headed back to four seasons of really HOT and HUMID summers and FREEZING winters.  More winter coats than should be necessary. Icy roads.  Swimming pools for only two and a half months.  Tornadoes.  Bugs…lots and lots of bugs.  Eew.  But, also, FRIENDS…really great friends that have been dearly missed.  And Family…most within a day’s drive.  Snow.  Making Snowmen in the front yard.  Sledding.  Fireflies…hundreds of fireflies twinkling in the warm summer nights.  Thunderstorms.  Christmas-time in Chicago. 

A New adventure is starting for our family.  We are starting by getting our house ready to put on the market.  My husband and I are pros at this…seeing how this is our fifth move or so since we have been married. We have moved, on average, every two and a half years.  No joke!  Truly, I have numerous people tell me I should start my own Home Staging business. Maybe one day.  Until then, I have SO.MUCH.DECLUTTERING to do.  It is amazing how one family can accumulate so much stuff! 

I apologize that I may not be around as much in the up coming months.  But, I will be keeping you all updated on the complete insanity that I will be going through.  An abundance of wine will be needed.  After all, I have to drink it all before we move…the moving company won’t take it!  A likely excuse…

And...If I haven't told you about our upcoming move in person yet...I wholeheartedly apologize.  I truly have had a hard time telling anyone...even our kids.  Because...I'll cry...or you will cry...and then I'll cry...and it will just be a sad mess.

Have you gone through a big move?  How did you handle it?  What is one thing that sticks out in your mind? 

Easy DIY Tomato Costume

I know…it sounds crazy…right?  A Tomato?  Who and why on Earth would anyone want to be a tomato?  Well, my child playing that part in a Garden Play…that is who.  So, off I went trying to figure out how to make a tomato costume…because it is March…and Halloween was 5 months ago…and no one carries tomato costumes to buy at this time of year.  Awesome.

What you will need:

• two red T-shirts, one fitted and one super large
• 3 {9x12} rectangles of green felt
• red and green thread
• poly-fill
• needle and pins
• sewing machine

Buy two T-Shirts in pretty tomato red.  One the size of your child, one as large as they make them.  In my instance I bought a child’s XS and a child’s 2XL.  Start by sewing the hems of the two shirts together.  I will be totally honest, this took me a moment to figure out because you want the shirts to both be right side out…the small one on the inside, the large one on the outside.  So, you have to turn the outer shirt outside-in, then pin and sew.



I used my sewing machine on a zig-zag stitch. Zig-zag stitches are my friend.  They last longer, and that is good when making this costume for a six year old.



Next, on the large shirt, cut the sleeves off at the seam.  Pin and sew the sleeves of the two shirts together at the seam of the smaller shirt.



Now for the fun part.  Stuff the two shirts with an entire bag of poly-fill.  You can use more or less poly-fill depending on how puffy you want your tomato to be.  My kids had fun helping with this part.



Sew the two collars together to close up your tomato and keep the stuffing in.



The tomato body is done!  That wasn’t so bad.

Tomato Vine Collar:
Out of green felt, {I used one felt rectangle 9x12} cut a green “collar”.  You need it just large enough to fit over your child’s head.  Make it about 2 inches thick.  With the remaining two felt rectangles, cut out tomato leaves.  I did have to look on google images for tomato leafs, and I discovered they are all different depending on the variety of tomato plant.  Good news for me!  I can make any leaf shape I want and it can be called a tomato leaf.  So far this project is rather forgiving!



With a needle and green thread, stitch the green felt tomato leaves to the two inch green felt vine collar.  Mix up the angles of the leaves to keep it more organic and natural looking. 



Finally, the tomato hat!  Use one of the large T-shirt sleeves that you cut off for a beanie hat.  With a needle and red thread, loosely and in large stitches, sew in and out on the smaller end of the sleeve.  Pull your thread tight to make the sleeve opening close up and make it look like a hat.



Next, sew on a few of your tomato leaves to the top of the sleeve-turned-hat.  Now you have an adorable tomato beanie…and your costume is complete! 



Pair with red or green shorts, pants, or leggings.  My son is going to wear green basketball shorts.  Perfect.



Here is a close up of the hat and collar…


 

And to keep the cuteness going, a side shot…



There you go!  And Easy DIY Tomato Costume!  Don’t you just want to eat him up?