Makeovers

Make a list and Plan Your Work

Ihave worked with dozens of clients who waited until the last minute to get their homes ready for sale. Because they didn't allot enough time to get things done, they ended up showing their homes with smudged walls, dirty carpets, tired furnishings and uncleared clutter. Procrastination caused tremendous stress and the loss of thousands of dollars.

Please learn from these homeowners' mistakes! The moment you know you are going to sell your home, make a list of what needs to be done and plan out your work. Every minute you spend updating, fixing, cleaning, clearing clutter and creating beauty is money in your pocket!

The owners of this home were very smart planners. As they had lived in their home for many years and things hadn't been perfectly maintained (and they were a bit on the packrat side, too), they knew they'd have to set aside time to get their home ready for viewing. They also wanted to maximize their sale price, as they were approaching retirement.

We met several months before their planned sale. During our first appointment I made suggestions for major garden work in the front and back yards and selected paint colors and new carpeting. I also made a list of the furniture that needed to be removed to create a more spacious-looking home. I told them which pieces of furniture to leave and set aside accessories from their collections. Everything else would be packed for their move. I would return to do the final staging of their home the week before the house went up for sale.

Before

On my return, all the garden work, painting and carpeting had been completed and the basic furnishings were left for me to work with. The living room had the makings of a pleasing conversation area but needed some refinement and repositioning of accessories.

•Most of the furniture was lined up along the wall with one of the nesting tables out of the "nest". A lonely companion chair to the sofa was floating out in the middle of the room, blocking traffic flow.

•The homeowners didn't have a coffee table, so we needed to find another solution.

•The tree was healthy, but too tall next to the low couch,

• We needed a few accessories to flesh out the room. There was nothing over or on the mantel, so we'd have to create a focal point.

After

•I centered the couch on the long wall and moved the companion chair closer to the fireplace. This created a cozier conversation area, improved the traffic flow and increased the apparent size of the room. I removed the smallest nesting table and used it elsewhere in the house.

•The homeowners had a set of stools in another room, which I positioned in front of the couch to take the place of a coffee table.

• Any living space is enhanced by a healthy, living plant. It didn't make sense to buy a shorter tree when they had a perfectly good one, so I lopped off a foot or so from the top (with the homeowner's permission, of course!).

•The homeowners were avid drummers and wanted to keep their drums on display. As we didn't have any artwork to hang over the couch, the drums filled the space nicely. I hung a colorful picture over the fireplace and arranged a few simple accessories on the mantel to create a focal point, which blended with their personal style and colors.

(c) CTW Features

Kit Davey, an interior designer based in Redwood City, Calif., helps clients redecorate their homes through the creative use of their existing furnishings. Send your design questions to kit@ctwfeatures.com