Posts in category Selling Tips

PROACTIVELY PROMOTE YOUR HOME ALL DAY LONG!!

Jun08
2017 Written by mary.w

Maximize the impact of your BuyOwner.com advertising by proactively promoting your home throughout your daily activities.  Also, take a few hours a week and be deliberate with your personal marketing. You might not connect with your buyer but rather with someone who will share it with their friend or family member who wants to live in your area. Think beyond your buyer and create a network of marketers sharing your home with others.

Goal #1: Get your phone to ring or your email or social media messages to load up!

DISTRIBUTE FLYERS: Use your BuyOwner.com Online Seller Tool titled “Create Flyers” to personalize and print out eye catching flyers and then distribute them everywhere you can**:

    1. Area supermarkets and stores.
    2. Cafes.
    3. Local schools.
    4. Police and Fire Departments (many require that they reside within the city they protect).
    5. Non-profit organizations.
    6. Libraries.
    7. Laundromats.
    8. Independent booksellers.
    9. Nearby University, Colleges or Hospitals. Put on Community Boards but also give to HR departments who might be hiring new Professors/Doctors/Nurses/Staff, etc.
    10. Any additional place where you can obtain permission to post!
    11. Keep flyers with you at all times, ready to hand out!!  (flyers typically result in a 1% response so the more flyers you distribute the better your chances of reaching a prospective buyer!)

USE YOUR CONNECTIONS

    1. Post on the bulletin board at work or your gym, if possible.
    2. If your subdivision/neighborhood offers a bulletin board or some kind of announcement section, post your flyer there! By posting in the neighborhood, you’re targeting people who are already attracted to your location.
    3. Your town/city may have a similar bulletin board option at the town center or community rec center.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

    1. Talk about your home sale with your friends and family.
    2. Mention it at work, at stores, with new acquaintances.
    3. Be bold! If you’re standing in line at the coffee shop, bank, etc., and you hear someone talking about wanting to move into the area, excuse yourself for ‘eavesdropping’ but let them know you might have the home for them and hand them your flyer! Don’t walk away too quickly as they may have questions and engage immediately, especially if they are relocating or their home is already sold and time is of the essence!
    4. Bring it up at book club, community events, parties, showers, holiday gatherings.

LINK TO YOUR BUYOWNER.COM AD

    1. Create free online ads at places like Craigslist and Google that link to your BuyOwner.com page. You’ll be drawing even more people to look at your home’s photos, tours and text!
    2. Post on your Facebook page and ask that people viewing it share it on their pages as well.
    3. Instagram or twitter including a link to your BuyOwner.com webpage.
    4. E-mail everyone in your e-mail address book a link to your online ad and ask them to pass it on to anyone who’s in the market.
    5. Blog about your home sale. If you, or someone you know, blogs regularly, that can be a great way to spread the word about your property. Try to get a post written that links to your advertisement and mentions some of your home’s key features.

HOLD AN OPEN HOUSE

    1. Schedule an open house on a weekend afternoon when not a lot of community events are happening. Hint: don’t plan the open house on the day of a big football game or the weekend of a holiday.
    2. Promote your open house everywhere (see above for suggestions about flyers).
    3. On the day of the open house, have a niece or nephew run a lemonade stand out front. This will help draw in other passers-by, inviting them inside.
    4. Mark your open house online, through your ByOwner seller dashboard. Contact Customer Care to add it to your MLS & realtor.com listings.
    5. Make the most of other open houses in the area. Check local ads, and when an open house is scheduled in nearby, put out several signs and draw those visitors to your home.

**Be careful to abide by all local ordinances regarding private property and only post the flyer after obtaining permission.**

Don’t hesitate to call your BuyOwner.com Customer Care Rep or your Personal Marketing Consultant and ask for help! We are here to make  your experience positive while helping you achieve your home selling goals!!

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

PHOTOS vs DESCRIPTION in ONLINE MARKETING

Feb09
2017 Written by mary.w

Photos vs Description….Which is Most Important when Creating your Ad Campaign?

Though in the “old” days, sellers would tease potential buyers with flowery words and a couple of photos in order to get them to come walk through their home to “learn more”, those days are gone. We live in a fast food, fast paced, show me what you got society which means you only have moments to capture your audience and cause them to stay on your ad with the potential of then choosing to physically walk through. So, though, words are important, they take second stage to your photos.

PHOTOS: If someone is searching the web looking at multiple sites to find homes that fit their needs and desires, the first few photos they see of your home will determine if they look at the rest and then if they like what they see they will read your description.  Buyers are not interested in being “teased” anymore. If you won’t show them your home online with good, well taken photos, they will move on to another home that will. You could very well lose your buyer because of either a lack of photos or lack of quality photos. If you take only so so photos, you need to consider having your home professionally photographed. The minimal cost of doing so can not only get you your buyer, they can cause you to receive better offers as well.

DESCRIPTION: We’ve all read the buzz words  “cozy” “nestled” “charming”, etc. Though those can be strong adjectives when overused they become costly mush. Again, with the I want it now mentality that exists today, buyers are looking for the description to further detail what they’ve seen in your photos while offering them important information ie: A+ school district….close to highways, shopping and entertainment….walk to the beach…etc. Keep your sentences brief and to the point while still enhancing your photos…..they can see the wood floors but are they hardwood or wood laminate? are the countertops granite or quartz (a hot item these days)….new roof, furnace, a/c…etc.

Clearly both your photos and description add value to your marketing campaign. Take the time to do both well providing your buyers with a great online experience. Before you know it they will be knocking at your door, walking through your home and hopefully choosing to make it their own!

 

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

SHOULD I SELL/BUY DURING THE HOLIDAYS?

Nov18
2016 Written by mary.w

The holiday seasons are upon us and inevitably, whether selling or buying, you may be asking yourself; “Should I continue to market my home/search for my new home from pre-Thanksgiving until post-New Years. Review the pros and cons of both.

SELLING PROS:

  • Many other sellers remove their homes from the marketplace during this time which reduces your competition. Lower inventory means that you can stand out to those that are shopping and possibly be rewarded with a higher price.
  • The fact is that regardless of the season, there are always buyers in the market to purchase due to job transfers, divorces, end of leases, seasonal closing on their own home that they’ve sold and people who want to take advantage of the current low interest rate before it goes up.
  • As long as you don’t go overboard, the sights, sounds and aromas of the seasonholiday-dinner cause buyers to imagine what it will be like to enjoy their own holiday gatherings in front of your roaring fire and beautifully displayed Dining Room table.

 

 

SELLING CONS:

  • The number of buyers shopping during the holidays is smaller than in the more active spring season.
  • If you live in an area that experiences extremes of cold, snow and ice, you have the added task of making sure your exterior areas are clear and safe to travel. You also need to prepare yourself for the frustration of no shows and reschedules in the event of inclement weather.christmaslights
  • If you do a lot of entertaining, you might have to be more diligent with regard to keeping your home “show ready”.
  • In many areas affected by the time change, it gets dark a lot earlier making evening appointments more challenging thus you should prepare yourself to be doing more weekend showings.

BUYING PROS:

  • The reason someone may have their home on the market during the holidays is because they have a “need to be sold by” deadline ie: starting a new job, moving to help out with a family situation, downsizing due to a job loss or reduction in income, etc. This may provide a great opportunity to purchase your dream home at a reduced price.
  • Due to less homes being sold during the holiday season, title companies may have a more open schedule to ensure the closing date you prefer.
  • Like the “Greek restaurant dilemma” of a menu that is so large it’s hard to make a decision, by having fewer homes to choose from, your shopping process may be far less stressful and more effective.

BUYING CONS:

  • Since many people take their homes off the market at this time, you will have less inventory from with to choose.
  • Due to holiday entertaining, viewing appointments may be more difficult to schedule BUT keep in mind if someone is choosing to sell during this season, they will most likely work with you to find a convenient time.
  • If you live in an area with inclement weather, getting to and from appointments might be more challenging.
  • In many regions, with the time change, it gets dark a lot earlier making evening appointments more difficult (hard to see addresses, hard to see exterior negatives about the home) which means you will most likely want to schedule viewings for the weekend, which can be more difficult. That said, if the seller is motivated, they will understand the local weather impediments and most likely be willing to be accommodating.

Whether you’re selling or buying, you can take advantage of the holiday season to achieve your desired result and toast in your Happiest New Year!!gift

 

 

Posted in General Information, Uncategorized

REMAIN “SEASONABLY MARKET FRESH!”

Oct28
2016 Written by mary.w

Put your home up in the spring or summer and for whatever reason, your home has not yet found its perfect new owner? There are things you can do to keep your home up to date and market fresh at first view.

  1. If the trees and foliage have started to change colors or snow has started to fall, etc. take new exterior structure and yard photos to reflect the current season.How-Much-Is-A-View-Worth
  2. By now, your summer flowers may have lost their bloom. Instead of leaving your landscaping bare, pick up some fall mums and add several of them around your home and in your garden beds…..use varied colors to blend with the changing leaves and foliage.
  3. If you like to decorate for the holidays or seasons, shoot all your photos first so your decor does not date your listing.
  4. If you absolutely must decorate, do so with a sharp eye, keeping nik naks to a minimum. Just like when shooting photos, eye distractions may cause them to miss the very feature that would have enticed them to further investigate your home. Remember, they’re buying your home not your visual-intereststuff!
  5. If you do have holiday decor in either interior or exterior photos, make a point of changing them up if your listing rolls into a new season.SE

Staying current and fresh in the marketplace may take a little extra focus but the results in this fast paced, quick view online shopping environment, your effort will be worth it!

 

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

Maximize your Ad Results

Oct20
2016 Written by mary.w

Unlike in days of old when you could tease your buyers with a few photos and, if intrigued, they would come and view your home in person, modern day online shoppers want to walk entirely through your home visually before they take their time to do so physically. You have one chance at a first impression. Here are a few tips to help you maximize on your advertising to effectively intrigue the most potential buyers.

  • Your photos will either encourage your discourage prospective buyers. If you take mediocre photos, consider having them done professionally (offered with both BuyOwner Elite and Premium ads). The reality is, if someone doesn’t like your photos, they aren’t reading your description. They’re moving on to the next home.
  • If you have a 4 bedroom home, unless not possible due to clutter you can’t clear, show all 4 bedrooms. If you only show one, buyers are creating their own reasons why you’re choosing not to show the others ie: too small, bad closet, damaged walls or floors, etc…..none of that may be true…except in the buyer’s mind. Next!
  • Take your time when taking your photos. It’s not ok that the laundry is laying on the floor next to the bed or that dishes are in the sink or you can’t see the daylight through the dirt on your window.  Your friends might not care but if your home looks messy and unkempt in your photo, prospects are probably thinking how much worse it must be behind the refrigerator. Next!
  • Consider eye distractions.  Those pretty towels hanging on the door of your oven look attractive in person BUT in a photo, they’re an ‘eye distraction’. What that means is that when the photo opens, your buyer’s eyes are drawn to the towels instead of your Kitchen.  Unless you’re selling your home fully furnished, your goal is to showcase your spaces, not your stuff. An easy test to know if you need to remove something is to stand in the doorway, turn around and then quickly turn back to your room. If your eye sees something instead of the room, that’s what needs to come out before you take your photo.
  • Capitalize on natural light. Nothing is more enticing than sunlight wafting across a hardwood floor and nothing is harsher than a photo discolored or filtered by the glow from a lamp or overhead light. Abundant natural light is typically a very positive draw with buyers so capitalize on that feature if offered by your home.  Tip: Recessed lighting typically enhances a photo while illuminated lamps do not. Tip: Shoot photos on a partly sunny day so your photos are clear and not hazed over from too much sunshine coming in through the windows.
  • When writing your description, be direct and to the point. The days of cozy, charming cottages and fluff filled adjectives is for the most part, gone. In our fast paced world of short attention spans, people want facts instead of fiction. That doesn’t mean cold and industrial. You can be ‘warm’ without being wordy.
  • Put the buyer in the ad and take yourself out. Ex: “We’ve loved having our whole neighborhood and family over for Thanksgiving  dinners”  vs “You’ll enjoy hosting holiday dinners and parties in your spacious, formal Dining Room.”
  • Choose your words wisely:  Ex: Use the word ‘home’ instead of ‘house’. Though on the surface this might seem minimal, a house is a building,  a home is the place where you want to relax at the end of the day and raise your family.           Ex2: Instead of detailing every upgrade in your Master Bath try “Luxurious en-suite Bath”.  When you’re writing, say the words out loud and you’ll ‘feel’ the difference.  Fact is, unless a buyer is an investor, more homes are purchased emotionally than pragmatically.

When your prospective buyers are looking at your ad, they are asking themselves one main question, “Why should I pay this price, for this home in this location?” The job of your ad is to answer with “this is why, this is why, this is why.” If your home ‘makes sense’ to them they’re coming for a closer look!

For tips on showing your home, view blog post “The Effective Walk Through”.

 

 

 

 

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

MAKE THEM LOOK! MAKE THEM CALL! MAKE THEM COME!

Sep30
2016 Written by mary.w

Home shoppers move quickly through websites viewing lots of properties in the hopes of finding their dream home. So, how do you make them stop and shop your ad?

PHOTOS:  When it comes to online shopping, your photos are your first impression. If they don’t like your photos, they’re moving on. Inventory is vast in the cyber world so you only have a minute to grab them and keep them on your web page with photos that cause them to think, “This could be my home”! Gone are the days of teasing them with a couple of photos. They want to “walk through” your entire home online. If they like what they see, they will schedule a physical walk through. If they don’t, that’s ok too. Saves both of you from wasting your time.  Tip: If you don’t take great photos, have your home professionally photographed and make sure your first 4 photos are your WOW factor photos causing them to continue through the rest! (For more tips see Blog article: Maximize your Photography)

DESCRIPTION: Keep it concise and to the point. Avoid writing a flowery novel about your wonderful life in your home. Your life might not reflect their life at all and you’ll actually cause them to move on. (ie: We have loved our friendly neighbors and neighborhood gatherings blah blah blah). If they are loners and don’t like to be bothered, they are not coming to see your home. Share your strongest highlights and details and be done!

BE REACHABLE:  Nothing worse than  being interested in a home and never being able to reach the homeowner to ask questions or schedule a viewing.  Remember, your buyers are shopping electronically so they will most likely want to email you, call your cell phone or text you.  If you can provide all three forms of communication, your results will be faster and stronger.

BE AVAILABLE: The more flexible you are with showings, the higher your odds of finding your buyer. If they can never coordinate with you to view your home, well, then they will buy someone else’s.

These might seem like obvious tips but sometimes the most obvious gets lost in the overwhelming task of selling your home. So before you become overwhelmed, do four simple things. Prepare, relax, show and sell!!

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

STAGING DOESN’T HAVE TO BREAK YOUR BANK!

Sep08
2016 Written by mary.w

You’ve heard it on TV, from realtors, in magazines, etc. that in order to sell your home you need to stage it. It appears in many venues that in order to do this effectively, you need to (1) hire a staging company (2) re-decorate your entire home (3) remove everything that has any personal meaning to you at all (4) move out. None of these are essential and can be so costly that you never recoup what you’ve spent. If cost is not a factor for you and you want to go the professional route, go for it! BUT if you need to keep your expenses down so as to reap the most profit from your home’s equity, here are a few ideas to help you create a warm, inviting and saleable home!

TAP INTO YOUR NETWORK OF FRIENDS: Most of us have one of those friends whose home looks like it was professionally decorated when in fact they did it themselves. Everyone says, “Wow, their home looks like a magazine layout…she/he definitely has an eye for decorating.” Invite them over for coffee and ask if they can help you create a ‘staged’ look. Many people who have this gift, love to share it! Keep in mind, it’s important, if you do this, that you are not offended by any of their suggestions. It’s hard to be objective about your own home so listen with an open mind to their suggestions. (Once it’s finished, say thank you with a nice dinner or small gift!)

CHECK OUT MAGAZINES & CATALOGS: If you don’t have one of those friends, grab the most recent magazine that focuses on your style of home (Cottage, Traditional, Contemporary) along with Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel, etc. magazines and websites. Look at how they have created their spaces and using your own items create the same ideas. (ie: Set your dining table as if you’re hosting a dinner party. If you have a breakfast bar counter, Interior Designset that as well. Fill vases with fresh flowers right before a showing and for photos) Also, have fun walking through model homes. These are professionally staged. If you see an idea that you’d like to duplicate in your own home, use your phone to take a pic to refer to later. All these sources offer lots of ideas. Just make them your own!

DE-CLUTTER TO CREATE A STARTING POINT: The obvious starting point to all of this is to declutter and clean. Sometimes, that alone will change the entire ambiance of your home. Even if you don’t have a ‘decorator’ friend, you probably have one who will honestly walk through your home with you and let you know what jumps out to them as ‘issues’. Just like I said previously, it’s hard to be objective about your own home so keep your mind open to their suggestions. Go room to room with a note pad jotting down what needs to be removed, moved, cleaned or enhanced. This way you’ll have a list to work from once you get started. This will save you from roaming from one space to another without focus causing you frustration instead of satisfaction.

FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES: Try rearranging your furniture to create a more spacious layout. If your furniture looks worn, purchase a sofa or chair cover to freshen up their appearance & add a throw across the back. Dining table beat up? Add a nice tablecloth and then set as described above. Clear off your counters, shine your windows and mirrors, dust or wash your window treatments, minimize personal photos but retain High Ceilingsartwork, stage your coffee table with design magazines & a candle setting, organize closets & closet floors. Instead of putting down new carpeting or wood floors, clean what you have. If they need to be replaced, consider offering an allowance instead of putting the money out of pocket. There’s nothing worse than seeing all that new carpeting out at the curb because your buyer wanted hardwood floors. Make sure your listing notes the allowance being offered so the buyer can get excited about getting the floors they want instead of focusing on the ones that are there.

REMEMBER WHAT THEY’RE BUYING: Remember, they’re buying your home, not your stuff. When they arrive or view it online, it’s just another house. Your goal is to create the setting that causes them to walk through and believe that this could be ‘their home‘.

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

HANDLE SPONTANEOUS SHOWINGS WITH EASE!

Aug26
2016 Written by mary.w

Fact: If you live in the home you’re selling, then sometimes your home looks “lived in”.  So what do you do when the phone rings and a potential buyer wants to come through and all you can see are dishes in the sink, sports equipment and kids toys on the floors and laundry waiting to be done?  Assuming you don’t have a live in cleaning person (we can dream, right?) then do a few quick pick me ups that won’t take too long to complete and will provide your prospects with a positive experience.

 Important to Remember

If your home is too far gone, then try and give yourself some extra time to get it ready. Let the prospect know you can accommodate them in 2 hours (instead of in 45 minutes) and that you’re excited for them to view your home. You don’t want to miss out on a showing BUT the reality is even though; when you say, “please excuse the mess” and the buyer says, “oh that’s ok”…. IT’S NOT. Keep in mind, to a buyer, your obvious mess implies that there is probably an even bigger hidden mess under the stove, behind the refrigerator, etc. Purchase some stackable opaque storage bins that you keep empty so you can thrown in items that need to disappear at a moment’s notice. They can then be closed and neatly stacked in the basement, garage, or storage room during your showing while giving you easy access to those items once your ‘guests’ leave.

First Impressions Are Lasting!  Move any clutter or shoes from the entryway. Even if you have a coat tree, take the coats off and put them in the closet. Perhaps put a great looking hat & scarf on the tree for style but a pile of coats minimizes the viewable space. DON’T throw everything on the floor in the closet. This will cause the closet to appear smaller than it is and buyers definitely will open your closets. Dirty laundry? Throw it in the washer or dryer. Just get it out of view.

Focus on Main Living Areas: Your top priorities should be the Kitchen, Living/Family Room, Master Bedroom and Bathrooms.

Kitchen: Empty the dishwasher daily so it’s always ready to be filled quickly. Clear your counters stashing everything except maybe your coffee pot. Remove stuff from the top of your refrigerator to reveal the cabinets above and take EVERYTHING off your refrigerator door and sides (might be special stuff to you…to your prospect it’s just clutter). Wipe down your appliances and floors (good to keep a swiffer type product handy…dry and wet for a quick swipe).

Living/Family Room: Vacuum carpets (just the areas that can be seen is fine) or wipe down wood/tile floors. Especially important if you have pets. Floating pet hair is not a good look and might be a problem if your buyer has allergies. Swiff away! Stash photos, magazines, etc. in one of those handy storage bins or if you have sofas with skirts just slide it all under the sofa and loveseat.

Master Suite: This is a very important room. If they love the Master, the other bedrooms become far less important. Let them see how much they’ll enjoy this private retreat. Get in the habit of making your bed every day so all you need to do is refresh the floors, hide the clutter (good reason to have a bed skirt….under the bed is a great hiding place)and give your table and dresser tops a quick wipe. Make sure your Master Bath is fresh, luxurious and reveals all its special features. Clear vanity tops and shower shelves, shine shower doors and mirrors. Add a lightly scented candle.

Bedrooms: Same as Master. Let your kids know that they need to make their beds every day as well. Toys, videos, books and clutter can be either put under their bed or thrown in a bin.

Baths: Clear vanity tops and shower shelves. Make shower doors and mirrors shine…no fingerprints or grime. Neatly hang fresh towels. Light a scented candle or give the room a fresh spray of something light with a linen or ocean scent. Toilets need to be clean, fresh and make sure the toilet seat cover is DOWN!

 Make it Smell Fresh! Nothing feels more like home that the wafting aroma of baking bread.  No time for that BUT it only takes a moment to place a tbsp of vanilla, almond or pumpkin extract on a piece of aluminum foil and put it in your oven at 250. Within a very short time your home will smell like you’ve been baking all day! Don’t use a lot of candles as that might imply that you’re trying to hide pet or other odors.

 TIP: Enlist the whole family to help keep your home buyer ready and save yourself from feeling overwhelmed. Make a habit of swiffering your floors & dusting off tables daily as you walk through a room, loading and unloading the dishwasher, keeping the laundry up to date and put away, beds made and clutter in bins.  Keep the front and top of the refrigerator clear.  Put off season clothes in bins allowing for a more spacious view of your closets. Yes, you still live in your home but there are ways to make the spontaneous showing experience less stressful by keeping on top of things that can remain ordered.  

Posted in General Information, Tips and Ideas, Uncategorized

Organize your “Little” Clutter

Aug11
2011 1 Comment Written by mary.w

Sometimes one of the most difficult de-cluttering challenges is what to do with all those ‘little’ items that just seem to accumulate and create a mess.  Try some of these ideas and use them as a stepping off point of thinking up some of your own creative solutions.

* Pick a drawer or cabinet/closet shelf and use one or more of these options to hold thumbtacks, paper clips, rubberbands, buttons, spare birthday candles, salt & pepper and sugar/sweetner packets, etc.

(1) a 6 or 12 count cupcake/muffin tin…if you want to be able to remove the items in total for use in other areas put cupcake wrappers or silicone inserts into the tincups first. Then you can lift out the entire paper cup, carry it to where you are working and then return it to the cupcake tin when finished.  This will also work for holding rings, chains and bracelets. You can spray paint the tin in whatever color matches your decor and it now becomes more than just a storage bin but adds to your overall look.

(2) Use an egg carton in the same manner as the muffin tin BUT cut out the inserts on one side of the open carton so that you have individual spaces on one side and an open flat surface on the other which can now accommodate scissors, letter openers, straws, nail files, etc.

(3) Apothecary jars, pickle jars, and other clear jars allow you to use various sizes and see what you have in them.

(4) Pick up pretty glasses at yard sales for .05 or .10 cents each and create a lovely visual display for your counter or cabinet when opened.  Another great buy at yard sales (or in your own overstuffed basement) are vases and candle jars in all sizes, shapes and colors that will match your decor….if the candle jars still have pieces of a scented candle in them, take a blunt knife and chop them up. This will reactivate the scent and become pretty and add a lovely aroma to your area.

(5) For less than $1 you can purchase small terra cotta clay pots for starting plants from seeds.  These can hold any number of small items in a very decorative manner and can be used in their natural state or painted with different colors or designs.  Simple, easy and very personalized to your own decor and styles.  You can also use the small size to hold qtips in the bathroom and a medium size to hold cotton balls. Again, they can be painted or decoupaged to match your personal decor giving you a completely finished and synergistic look.

(6) Need stylish office materials but don’t like the high costs in your office supply stores? Find a bathroom set at your favorite dollar store or discount retailer (like Target, Walmart or Kmart) that matches your office colors or adds a decorating splash of design. Use the toothbrush holder as a pen holder and the soap dish to hold staples, paper clips, thumbtacks or rubber bands.  Finish off your look with the matching waste basket. You now have a cohesive look and more money left to be just as creative in another space.

The key to creating a personal and very stylized look for a minimal cost is to think outside the box and use items meant for one thing as something completely different.  It is fun, can be turned into a family project and will be a source of pleasure every time you look at what you have created and realize that you’ve been financially responsible….so important in these economic times!

Posted in General Information, Home Improvement, Tips and Ideas

Display with Simple Elegance!

Aug09
2011 Leave a Comment Written by mary.w

Do you have a small alcove in your kitchen that is not deep enough for extra cabinets or large enough to accommodate even a small table? Always wanted a china cabinet to display your loveliest dishes?  Try a bakers rack (like this one from the Container Store).  Showcase your dishes, platters, pitchers, cookie jars….all the pieces of your set and then, if you choose, use the hooks to add the shimmer of your stainless or copper pans as a highlight.

You can sometimes find items like this that will fit perfectly within the area you’re trying to fill and create a beautiful display to be both admired and functional while keeping your cost to a minimum.

Posted in Decorating on a Budget, General Information, Home Improvement, Tips and Ideas
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