External curb appeal is very important when you are planning on selling your home.  Your yard should appear as if it takes care of itself.  Over 85% of potential home buyers are starting their search for a new home on the Internet.  After a home buyer looks online they are going to drive by your property and take a look at the external curb appeal. 





Here are some home staging tips for the outside of your home:

1.  You should be able to see the front door clearly from the street.  Please trim any trees or bushes that are blocking the front door.

2.  All your trees in the front yard need to be trimmed and fresh mulch needs to be put down in all your planter beds.

3.  There should be no weeds growing out of your planter or flower beds, please remove them.

4.  Your grass needs to be cut and edged along all the walkways and the driveway.

5.  All external lighting fixtures need to be in working order and have the highest wattage bulb installed in them. There needs to be a light left on at night to show the house number and your front door area.

6.  All trash, toys, and debris should not be visible from the street.  We certainly do not want to turn off any potential buyers in this market.

7.  Any fencing needs to be painted or powerwashed, so it will appear clean and new.

8.  If the driveway or walkway has any stains, please powerwash them to remove any unsightly stains or spots.

9.  During winter months, always clear walkways and the driveway as soon as possible.

10.  During summer months, always have planters with flowers on either sides of the front door to frame the door and draw the attantion in from the street.

Good luck with your home sale.

-Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign now sells semi-custom window coverings at discount prices. Our window coverings include roman shades, Levolor and Dynasty blinds, faux wood blinds, bamboo blinds, woven wood blinds, cornices, valances, sheers, and drapes. Our roman shades can be ordered in 100% pure silk, linen, cotton, or designer fabric. We also offer Benjamin Moore color consultations and test color boards, interior decorating, home staging, and redesign. Please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com for more info or call 845-538-3623. All window covering appointments include a free 30 minute design consultation for the same room. We serve Passaic County and Bergen County of New Jersey and Rockland County and Orange County of New York, basically the lower Hudson Valley. We are an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors, a member of RESA, ASHSR.

I was called in to help stage a home by a Realtor in Passaic County. The home was in very good shape, the home sellers had already did an excellent job of de-cluttering the home. The home was in a very desirable school district.

My main two concerns after viewing the home was that it was recently painted (about a year ago) and most of the walls were now beige and would buyers remember this home.  Both the Realtor and home sellers were fantastic to work with and implemented every suggestion in my report and also had me back to provide a few hours of "hands-on" staging to perfect the home.

The home had its first Open Houses scheduled for mid-December.  Due to bad weather, no one showed up on Saturday.  On Sunday, several interested buyers viewed the home.

I received a call from the Realtor on Monday (one day later), "We already have an offer!"

Here are some pictures of the home:

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign added the chair rail molding (mid-level on the wall) and the four inch casing molding around the bow window.  The home sellers painted the bottom portion of the wall to create more interest on my suggestion.  The pillows and chenille throws were also added for more color.

Here, we carried over the maroon color scheme and installed the drapes.  The home sellers removed the table cloth and bought my candle centerpieces. A green plant was added in the left corner of the Dining Room.  The Kitchen was basically perfect already and all we did was add a glass bowl of apples and lemons for some additional color.

We carried the maroon color scheme into the bedroom as well.  The lamp shades were updated to the new color scheme to tie it all together.  A piece of furniture was removed and a green plant was added to this room.  All the decorative pillows were also bought per the Home Staging Action Report, which contains itemized lists of what should be purchased for each room.

The home sellers brought in professionals painters and had the dark paneling on their walls painted.  The furniture was re-arranged to showcase the fireplace and one additional chair was brought into the room for balance. 

If you would like to see "before pictures" please send me an email and I will forward the pictures over to you.

According to Home Gain's latest survey of 1,000 Realtors (November 2009), home staging now has a 586% return on investment for home owners.  

In this economy, there are three things that will always sell a home: 

1.    Price - Your Realtor needs to price the home correctly!

2.    Location.  Unfortunately this cannot be changed.

3.    Presentation.  This is where a professional home stager comes in!

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign would love the opportunity to prepare your home for sale and is highly trained in what changes are required to attract the largest potential buyer audiences.  Home staging is knowing when to stop accessorizing, even when you are using very tasteful pieces. Accessories need to be placed at various levels to attract buyers ~ eye level, floor level, and mid level. The proportion and scale of your accessories are also important so the desired result in achieved.

Good luck with your next home staging project and remember to always call in a professional home stager to achieve the most desired results.

Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign serves the Rockland County and Orange County area of New York, Bergen County and Passaic County of New Jersey. Kate is an affiliate member of the Passaic County of Realtors. Kate's Home Staging and Redesign is now offering Full Digital Services to sell your home quickly. In other words, we will bring in the accessories, we will stage your home, we will re-take all the digital pictures, and then we will load these pictures into a virtual show to help sell your home.

Contact Kate today to see how a home staging consultation can help sell your home, for more information please visit http://www.kateshomestaging.com or call 845-538-3623. A staged home will sell for up to 10% more.

Mirrors are a Feng Shui chi enhancement because this object can activate and circulate chi throughout your home. A well placed mirror can bring light into a dark area, reflect something beautiful, visually enlarge a small space, and provide s sense of safety. Since mirrors activate chi, their placement is always a good idea in your home office, kitchen, living room, or family room.

Your bedroom is a place for relaxation and reflection. Mirrors can activate energy in your bedroom, which can influence your sleep. The larger the mirror is, the more it will negatively influence your sleep.  Closet doors with mirrors are considered a problem and should be covered with a curtain that can be closed at night and opened during the day.  Another option for the mirrored closet doors would be to replace them with a wooden door.

Mirrors on top of dressers are another problem in bedrooms.  A simple solution would be to drape these mirrors with fabric during the night to ensure your sleep is not disturbed.  According to Western Feng Shui, the only time a small mirror is permitted in the bedroom is when the door cannot be seen from the bed. All other mirrors should be avoided in the bedroom.

When selecting a mirror (for your living room, kitchen, bathroom) it is important to ensure the mirror will reflect entire images.  For example, if you have a dressing mirror that chops your head it could affect how you feel about yourself negatively.  Also, it is best to avoid mirrors that are broken up with decorative bevels.  Mirrors should never be placed directly across from each other, this creates an endless reflection which can be very confusing.

So, if you are having trouble sleeping in your bedroom perhaps it is the active chi in your mirrors keeping you up at night. Covering your bedroom mirrors with fabric for a few nights may be worth trying to see how much better you are able to sleep.

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, we specialize in home staging, interior redesign, home decorating, color consultations, home decor discounts, crown molding installations, and more.  Call Kate to schedule your design appointment at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com.  Kate's Home Staging and Redesign serves the Rockland County and Orange County area of New York and Passaic County, New Jersey. We work within all budgets to help you design your home.

Lately, interior design work has been keeping me quite busy.  A theme has been developing among the homeowners who call me in for their Interior Design Room Consultations.  Most homeowners are looking to simply their lives and create a more harmonious home environment while spending the least amount of money possible. The goal of the designs are to make the rooms more livable, but also to have them stand out.

Since budget is such a huge part of any interior design project (or any project for that matter) I wanted to share with you a website that really helps break down the cost of various projects - from replacing a lock, renovating a bathroom, to the addition of an entire attic bedroom (one of the top renovations in the 2009-10 Cost vs. Value Report just released).

http://www.costhelper.com/cost/home-garden/home-garden.html

Having a rough cost estimate before you arrive at your client's home is invaluable and will only make your company stand out among the competition. Good luck with your design projects!

Kate

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign specializes in home staging, interior design, home decorating, color consultations, window coverings, vendor discounts, and virtual shows for real estate.  We service the Rockland County and Orange County areas of New York, and the Bergen County and Passaic County areas of New Jersey.  For more info call Kate at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com.

After living in your home for several years, it becomes increasingly more difficult to notice those everyday items that need to be updated and your bathroom is no exception.  Depending on the size of your bathroom, it could be quite costly to renovate.  Why renovate when you can completely transform your bathroom by simply updating key aspects?

Here are a Few Quick Tips to Freshen Up Your Bathroom:

1.   Replace all your outdated or worn out towels, with new, plush towels in a more bolder color.

2.   Upgrade your cabinet hardware to create a more streamlined look.

3.   Replace that old medicine cabinet, with an oval, ornate mirror.  This will really set off the look of your bathroom.

4.  Update your old bathroom vanity, with a new pedestal sink.  A small pedestal sink can be purchased for under $200 and can really open up the space in a small bathroom.

5.  Replace your existing towel and toilet holders with more modern replacements in a pewter finish.  Anything in a brass finish should really be replaced as this dates your home.

6.  Update your bathroom faucet with a more modern looking one.  Here again, pewter is a great choice.

7.  Switch out your plastic shower curtain with a white fabric curtain that has a slight pattern on it.  This will give your bathroom some more texture.

8.  Paint your bathroom walls a warm color such as a medium brown or pale green.  Paint is a great way to transform a room and is very cost effective.

9.  To create further architectural interest in your bathroom, wainscoting and chair rail molding can also be used.

10.  Add the finishing touches to your bathroom, such as silk flowers to the back of the toilet tank to draw your eye up or towels rolled in a basket under a pedestal sink.

If you need some home decorating help and live in the Rockland County, NY or Orange County, NY area please contact Kate's Home Staging and Redesign to schedule a design consultation by calling 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com . We specialize in interior redesign and transforming your space is our specialty.

Installing crown molding is an architectural upgrade that can give a plain wall interest, depth, and formality. The choices of crown molding could be staggering for the typical home owner and can be purchased in a variety of material from plaster, pine, mahogany, to primed mdf. The size of the molding depends on the details of your home from ceiling height to design style of your home. Crown molding is typically placed along the seam where the celing and wall meets; it can also be used in fireplace mantels to create further architectural interest. If you have over a 9 foot ceiling height, you will need to go with at least a 7 inch crown molding or else it will be lost. Another tip when using crown molding is that you can always leave a small space to add lighting behind the molding; soft lighting that reflects off the ceiling always sets a great mood.

Chair rail molding is another great way to add architectural interest to a dining room or living room.  This molding is a horizontal molding usually added 36 inches to 42 inches from the floor.  It can be installed when a two tone paint scheme is being used in a room, over wainscoting, with shadow boxes, or even by itself. Most chair rail molding is under $2 a foot, for the primed mdf, and it will have a dramatic impact on a room. My preference is a 3 inch chair rail with many curves for visual interest.

If you have added crown molding and chair rail molding, it is important to also update your baseboard molding.  If you selected a 3 inch chair rail molding you will need to go with a 5 inch baseboard molding; this will provide the balance you are looking for.

As mentioned before, wainscoting is a great way to cover the lower part of any wall that could be damaged and works well with chair rail molding. Wainscoting works well in bathrooms that have pedestals sinks, it will create a more sophisticated look but is a rather inexpensive addition. It also works well in country-style homes.

Molding can come in a variety of types and sizes. The more ornate moldings add a sense of grandeur and sophistication to any home and it will stand out against the competitions.

If you are not sure what type of architectural accents to add to your home, please contact a local home stager.  We are trained in interior design principles and will be able to point you in the right direction. Home staging - the inexpensive interior designer.

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, specializing in home staging, interior design, home decorating, color consultations, home decor discounts, semi-custom window coverings, and custom wood signs.  Call Kate for your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .

A working environment within the home can be difficult Feng Shui, as the energy from this area can affect the entire house.  More Yang (work) energy is likely to gather in the home office area of the home because contact with the outside world will be the greatest in this room.   The home office is best located in close proximity to the front door of the home and should have a separate entrance for clients. This room should not be of an irregular shape and have any exposed ceiling beams. If your home office is a shared room, please use a screen to try and separate the rooms.

Placement of Your Desk

Your desk should not be placed directly under a window as this will disturb the flow of chi. Your office desk should be situated so you can view the entry door into your office and your back should be against the wall.  A good option is to position your desk on an angle and to place your chair into a secured corner; there should be no windows behind you when you are in a corner of a room.  Your clients should be seated in front of you in a smaller chair with their backs to the door.  If your back is to your clients as they enter your office it symbolizes an absence of power and control.  If you are using a built in desk that is built into the wall and cannot be turned around, please install a mirror over the desk so it can capture a view of the door way into the office. Since most homes in the United States are missing the Fire element, why not install a mirror with a red frame?

Components of Your Office

Since computers, printers, scanners, and all your other business equipment are very yang, the additional of greenery is always a good thing.  Green plants are very Ying and can help diffuse the yang energy.  Please make sure your desk is clutter free and all storage units are not taller than your desk.  Shelves that are built into the wall over your desk can be oppressive.  Aspirational images should be hung in your office. Good lighting and bright colors can all support success in your home office. Please make sure there is nothing stored behind the door that would prevent it from being fully opened; this would symbolize a restricted flow of auspicious opportunities in your career.  If you are not sure how to place the objects on your desk for optimal Feng Shui, the Baqua Map can also be applied to a small space such as desk. For example, the Love and Marriage quadrant falls in the back right corner and the colors to use are reds, pinks, and white.  You could setup a photo of you and your partner in a white picture frame on the right corner of your desk.

It is important to keep your work life separate from the rest of your life, especially when you work from home. Any obstacles that keep a door from opening fully need to be removed immediately to increase the flow of prosperity.  When arranging your home office please make sure your main furniture pieces have a view of the entry door, this will influence your outlook on life.  Always use the Baqua Map if you are not sure where to place an object in a room or even on a smaller surface such as a desk.

Feng Shui is a Chinese Philosophy that has been around for 3,000 - 5,000 years and is based on the art of placement.  If any of your rooms so not feel right when you walk into them, you may benefit from a Feng Shui design consultation.

Kate Case, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, specializes in home staging, interior redesign, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, and more.  Call Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .

Home Staging is the process of highlighting a home's strengths while downplaying it's weaknesses, through techniques such as depersonalization, de-cluttering, cleaning, addressing maintenance issues, and implementing interior design principles. A typical home staging consultation will last about two hours and will have your home headed in the right direction for a quick real estate sale.

Here are a Few Home Staging Secrets and Tips to Help Sell Your Home:

• Remove any furniture from your home that is broken or very worn out and that does not serve a needed purpose.  For example, do you really need several extra chairs in your Living Room when you already have a couch?
• Replace any light bulb that is older that 1 year.  Replace the light bulbs with GE Reveal light bulbs, this type of bulb will give off a clear white light and your home will look lighter and brighter if you use it.
• All clutter needs to be removed from all your counters, dressers, tables, and sinks. If you have not used something is over six months, now is the time to pack it away in a moving box.
• Never place furniture up against a wall; there should be at least a 6-8 inch gap behind every piece of furniture.
• Every room should only have one purpose; your Dining Room needs to be turned back into a Dining Room - it should not be your kid's craft room!
• Heavy, dark window treatments should always be removed.  When you are selling your home, you want to use sheers and silk window treatments on your windows to allow natural sunlight to beam into every room.
• Light your home appropriately.  According to HGTV, aim for 100 watts of light for every 50 square feet in your home.
• Bring greenery in the form of real of faux plants into every room.
• To freshen up the appearance of any room, use paint in a neutral color.
• The best accent colors to use are red and black, these colors give your room a rich and luxurious look.
• External curb appeal is very important, if a potential buyer is turned off by your home's front yard it is unlikely they will want to enter inside your home.

If you are planning on selling your home, the best time to consult a professional home stager if before you place your home on the real estate market for sale.  In this economy, you only get one shot to make the right first impression.  A professional home stager can help you design each room of your room to ensure you attract the largest potential buyer audience.

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign works with home sellers and local Realtors to ready home for sale. Contact Kate to schedule your home staging consultation by calling 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com for more information.

Interior redesign is a type of decorating that incorporates the home owner's unique personality and the room's function by trying to keep the design costs low by first utilizing what the home owner already owns.  An initial interior redesign interview and questionnaire is provided to all my design clients to ensure, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign has a thorough understanding on your design needs and your likes and dislikes, in regards to color schemes, fabric textures, lighting schemes, room styles, and more.  Every interior redesign consultation includes a complementary color consultation to ensure your room will look fantastic. An initialinterior redesign consultation will take at least one hour per room to ensure all areas of the design are addressed appropriately.  All interior redesign consultations will incorporate all the interior design elements such as balance, harmony, proportion, focus, and space to ensure your room "feels right" the moment you enter into it.

After we measure the entire space and decide on some color schemes for your space, an Interior Redesign Proposal will be produced that will outline everything your space may need.  A typical Interior Redesign Proposal will include:

• Furniture Suggestions
• Benjamin Moore Paint Color Suggestions
• Lighting - Table Lamps, Floor Lamps, and Ceiling Lamps may be suggested
• Accessory Color Schemes and examples of Accessories to be Purchased
• Artwork Suggestion and which Vendor to Use
• Carpet Suggestions
• Window Coverings are Suggested and fabric samples are brought to the second design consultation
• A Floor plan will be provided
• A Design Board is Provided
• Samples of the Benjamin Moore Paint is Provided

Once the Interior Redesign Proposal for your home has been completed, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign will return to your home to go over your room new layout and all the suggested furniture and accessory purchases required to complete your room. Kate's Home Staging and Redesign also offers some basic handyman services such as the installation of crown molding, chair rail molding, hanging pictures, hanging mirrors, and the installation of all the window coverings that we sell.  If the home owner is happy with the Interior Redesign Proposal, the next step usually is to schedule an additional measuring session to be able to estimate what type of molding will be installed in your room and to double check the dimensions for your window coverings. A molding and window covering proposal will take a few days to put together for the home owner and will then be emailed.

Kate's Home Staging and Redesign also has an exclusive vendor partnership list, in other words we only work with vendors that we feel are the best.  We work with only one painting company to ensure all your projects run smoothly and he guarantees his work for two years. When you contact us for a room redesign, we will ensure your project runs smoothly from the beginning to the very end.  Kate's Home Staging and Redesign is also able to offer our clients up to 12% off at certain retail furniture stores, which is a dramatic savings if you are furnishing an entire room.

If you are uncertain about how to decorate a room or just want to spruce up your home, please consider Kate's Home Staging and Redesign.  We pride ourselves on exceeding our clients expectations and transforming ordinary room into extraordinary masterpieces.

Kate Case, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, serving Rockland County and Orange County, New York and Passaic County and Bergen County, New Jersey.  Contact Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .

As you enter a new home for another interior design or interior redesign, how does a designer find inspiration to transform the room?  What is the room does not have a redeeming arhitectural features to work with? What if the room has to be used as a walk through to get to the other side?

Well, this is what differentiates the experienced interior designers from those with less experience. Great interior design can be created in almost any room by manipulating the variables of design and using them to lead the eye to specific objects or areas of the room.

A room that is devoid of architectural details can be transformed with the purposeful placement of furnishings and color to help style emerge from the room. A timeless, mahogany wood floor could be installed on a 45 degree angle to create further visual interest and to draw your eye into the room.  Using several textures and fabrics on the furniture in the room can create an sensual look and invite you to investigate the room further.  Furniture must always be in proportion to the size of the overall room or else the room will appear overcrowded.  Window treatments can be prominent and become your focal point.

The addition of wood paneling, wainscoting, crown molding, chair rail molding, ornate corbels, or even shadow boxes can completely dress up a room and create a look and a feel that was not there before. This woodwork can establish a pattern and provide rhythm to a plain surface. The molding can be stained a dark wood stain to allow the grain to show through or painted a high gloss white to reflect the light in the room.

A room that has doors on opposite sides of the room can be setup as two distinct areas but similar colors and styles should be used to help unit the space. In a small living room with a low ceiling, tall thin bookcases can be used to emphasize vertical proportions and be placed at the ends of the wall.  Smaller rooms would be painted in lighter paint colors to reflect light and to make the room size less obvious. Mirrors should be used to provide focus and reflect light, especially in a darker room.  Art and accessory placement can really transform a room. Symmetry and asymmetry needs to be applied when appropriate when implementing art and accessories.

Three types of lighting (ambient, task, accent) must always be used to complete the interior design of any room.  Having lights installed on dimmer switches will allow better control of ambiance in the room.  Three way bulbs are another great option to control the amount of light entering a room. Candle lights screams romance and intimacy and should be implemented when appropriate.

If your home does not inspire you, maybe it is time to call in an interior designer or interior redesigner. A great design will incorporate the home owner's unique tastes to ensure you as satisfied with the transformation.  By using wall paint colors, different textures and fabrics on your furniture, selecting optimal lighting schemes, deciding on the room layout, selecting wall moldings, your home will be transformed from ordinary to extraordinary.

Kate, Kate's Home Staging and Redesign, serves Rockland County, NY and Orange County, NY and Passaic County, NJ.  We specializes in home staging, interior design, color consultations, custom wood signs, semi-custom window coverings, home decor discounts, and more.  Contact Kate to schedule your design consultation at 845-538-3623 or visit www.kateshomestaging.com .