10 Ways to Make a Small Room Look Larger

RISMEDIA, –Most people have one: that room in the house that they wish was just a little larger. What many don’t realize is that with a little work and some TLC, they could have exactly what they’re looking for.

Here, Lowe’s offers 10 designer tricks to help you make any room look larger:

1. For the illusion of a larger room, use a color scheme that is light rather than bright or dark. Pastels, neutrals and white are all color possibilities.

2. Use a monochromatic color scheme on the furniture, rugs and walls. Select different shades and textures of your single color.

3. Lighting is a key element in opening up a space. Recessed spot lighting is visually appealing and is perfect for a small space. A torchiere light is great for bouncing light off of the ceiling and back down on the room.Skylights and solar tubes are natural alternatives for adding light to a room.

4. Limit the number of accessories to avoid the cluttered feeling.

5. The floor and the ceiling are the fifth and sixth walls of every room. A light-colored flooring such as light oak or a light-colored carpet will make the room appear brighter and more open. The same applies to the ceiling”use a light color or white to “open up” the space above.

6. Increase the appearance of the size of the room by adding wall mirrors. They not only reflect images, they reflect light and color. Be a little daring! Use mirror tiles to mirror an entire wall. Your room will appear to double in size.

7. Don’t place too many pieces of furniture in a small space. A love seat may work better than a full-size sofa depending on the size and shape of the room. Add two medium-sized chairs or two small wood chairs. Place the chairs closer to the wall and then pull them into the area when additional seating is needed.

8. Add paintings or prints to the walls. One large painting works better than a group of small paintings.

9. The visual balance of a room is also important. A large, brightly colored element can overwhelm a room and decrease the appearance of space.

10. A glass table, whether it is a dining, coffee or end table, will keep the appearance of an open and free space.

For more how-to project ideas, visit Lowe’s How-To Library at http://www.lowes.com/cd_How+To+Library_615580068_.

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The Highland Group

Chris & Karen Highland *        301-831-9947
Turning Point Real Estate “ 301-831-8232
email us: isell4u2@msn.com
Text Us: 301-401-5119

Filed under: Staging [Edit Tags]

Gardening and landscaping are an important aspect of curb appeal. Let’s face it though, most people don’t have a lot of time for it. Many people don’t think they have room for it.   But even if you live in a condominium and only have a small balcony, there are many things you can do to “bring the outdoors in”.

I’ve discovered a good resourse I wanted to pass on:

Gardening in No Time: 50 Step-by-step Projects and Inspirational Ideas by Tessa Evelegh (Author), Debbie Patterson (Photographer) is a very nice guide to 50 projects that anyone can accomplish, all specially designed for people who are short on time. The step-by-step projects range from small container gardens to landscaping projects, all great for increasing the curb appeal of your home and bringing more natural elements to the inside.

Most buyers find plants and flowers appealing. When you’re considering how to get your home ready for the market, don’t forget your landscaping and indoor plantings.   Green plants are known to improve indoor air quality; you may have heard of the study by NASA which many have written about.   Wikipedia has a list of the top 25 air-filtering plants.

Enjoy your spring gardening.

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The Highland Group “ Real Estate Teams
50 Citizens Way, Ste. 400
Frederick, Md   21701
301-831-9947 Direct
301-695-3020 Broker
email: isell4u2@msn.com

TEXT Us:   301-401-5119

When a Frederick home seller is getting their home ready for the market, the look of the home is not the only thing to be considered; all five of the senses need to be given thought.   The most overlooked… the odors in the house.   Overwhelming odors can be offputting to buyers at best, and leave a negative impression at worst.

Here are 6 places to pay attention to:

1.   Closets – odors tend to build up in closets because they stay closed.
2.   Bathrooms – besides the obvious odors, mildew on surfaces and towels can be either subtle or overt.
3.   Bedrooms – dirty clothes, bed linens, and musty drapes can cause odors.
4.   Kitchens – Onions, garlic and ethnic spices can linger in the air from last night’s dinner.
5.   Basements – Basement rooms often don’t benefit from the airflow that the main floor rooms have, and musty odors can build up.
6.   Pet smells – homeowners can get used to pet smells and forget that buyers will immediately notice the lingering smell of pets.

Solutions:

• Natural solutions like baking soda are the best for possible sensitivities that others may have to cleaning solutions.   Baking soda absorbs the odors from the air, not just masking them like commercial air fresheners.

• Before leaving before a showing, put towels and dirty clothes in the washing machine.   You’ll want to set out the “good towels” anyway.

• Use absorbant air fresheners in the closets.   They will absorb the stale odors in the air.   Put air fresheners inside gym shoes or any others that build up odors.

• Use a dehumidifier in the basement to keep the musty smell away.   Place fans to circulate the air periodically.

• If you’re going to clean with strong odors like bleach, clean the night before so the odors are not so strong to “hit someone in the face” when they enter a bathroom.

• Place pet beds and items outside or in a garage before a showing.   They should be out of sight anyway, for buyers who may have allergies or sensitivities.

• Above all, keep the house clean.   Don’t let it build up and you won’t have a huge amount of work to do right before a showing.   It can seem tedious when you have your home on the market, but it will pay off with a speedy offer.

For more seller tips, visit the seller page on our website, Selling Real Estate in Frederick Md.

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The Highland Group – Real Estate Teams
50 Citizens Way, Ste. 400
Frederick, Md   21701
301-831-9947 Direct
301-695-3020 Broker
email: isell4u2@msn.com

TEXT Us:   301-401-5119

First impressions make a significant impact on a buyer’s decision-making process!Once your home goes on the market, it becomes a product. Home Styling or Staging simply allows you to highlight the best of your home and de-emphasize  its flaws. It’s not about decorating, but actually turning your home into a model, to appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. The goal is to make people feel like they could live there, and the best way to do this is to “neutralize” the surroundings.

Try out these helpful styling tips taken from Setting the Stage – REALTOR ® Magazine Online. They’ve compiled the best tips from stagers and real estate pros”things you can do for little or no expense”to put a home in prime showing shape.

• Clear out closets and clutter”sellers can give away or pack up toys, linens, and small kitchen appliances to store offsite. Buyers are also forgiving of storage boxes neatly tucked away in a garage or basement.
• Focus most on the most visible areas”the foyer, kitchen, living room, master bedroom, and family room.
• De-personalize the home by removing photos, mementos, and dated items.
• Use plants in colorful pots or inexpensive wicker baskets to fill in empty spaces.
• Look to home catalogs for little details on beautifying the home. For instance, group books, pictures, and objets d™art appealingly on bookcases.
• Try angling one or two pieces of furniture slightly and move furniture 4 inches to 6 inches from the wall to create more interesting room spaces.
• Put away large collections” porcelains, plates, and so on.
• Remove valuables, prescription medicine, collectibles, and breakables.
• Trim trees, prune shrubs, and make sure the lawn is mowed and watered regularly.
• In summer, turn on the sprinklers for five minutes, 30 minutes before the open house. It makes the lawn and driveway sparkle.
• Refrain from cooking anything that leaves a distinctive odor, such as fish, garlic, or cabbage.
• Hire a professional service to clean the home, including the carpets and the windows.
• Set the dining room table with attractive linens, dishes, and stemware.
• Arrange fresh or silk flowers throughout the home.
• Light a fire in the fireplace in fall and winter.
• A mirror in a pretty frame can make a small room feel more open.
• Use as much natural light as possible. Add extra lamps in dark rooms or corners.
• Make functional repairs”fix dripping faucets, sticking doors, and broken fences.
• Bring in another pair of eyes”even if it™s not a professional stylist. The person may see problems you and have missed.

Search the MLS:

The Highland Group – Real Estate Teams

301-401-5119
chris@highlandrealestategroup.com

50 Citizens Way, Ste. 400
Frederick Md   21701

I’ve seen over the years the effect of curb appeal on buyers.   Great curb appeal is a first impression that can set the tone for how the buyer views the rest of the home.   If they feel a strong  ”Welcome Home” message from the time they approach the home, they are much more favorable to the rest of the home.   I’ve put together some basic tips for acheiving great curb appeal for your Frederick home.

1.   The front door has to give the ‘Welcome Home’ message loud and clear.   A fresh coat of paint is a must, new door knobs and hardware, if the old ones are worn, and a new kickplate if appropriate.   Studies show that red is a favorite color, if it fits in with the style and colors of the home.  

2.   Wooden trim must be repaired of wood rot and freshly painted.   Buyers spot wood rot right away and suspect that the home might have other deferred maintenance issues.  

3.   Overgrown plantings also scream of lack of maintenance.   Trim bushes and trees and put a layer of new mulch on beds.   If you can’t plant some colorful flowers, put some potted flowers near the doorway.   Colorful flowers are friendly and welcoming.

4.   Renting a power washer for a day can take care of a lot of problems.   Powerwashing algae off of outdoor surfaces is important, algae shouts deferred maintenance to most buyers.   Powerwash driveways, walkways, stoops, porches, siding and decks, making a great, sparkling impression.

5.   Paint faded shutters to make a clean fresh look.   Re-think windows that are without shutters, keeping symmetry in mind.  Staining or painting siding may be neccessary if the house is faded and dingy.   Address repairs in siding and roof shingles.   If you have repairs that will need to be done, doing them before you list the house will eliminate negatives and may even net you more in an offer.

6.    Putting new blacktop on the driveway can  sharpen up the approach to the house.    If you can afford it, take care of cracks in cement and walkways.  

7.   It may sound like a small thing, but a ratty-looking mailbox will really stand out once you’ve done all the other sprucing up.  

8.   Start using a product like Scott’s Weed and Feed right away, so your lawn will be in great shape.   And it may go without saying, but keep the lawn mowed when you have your home on the market.

9.    Make sure your house is easy to show.   Put the lockbox in a prominant place and make sure walkways are clear.  

10.   Keep the entrance well-lit for night-time showings.   After you’ve spent all this effort on your curb appeal, you don’t want buyers to miss it in the dark.   You also don’t want any accidents.

All of this effort will pay off when you grab a buyer’s interest before they even walk through the front door.

Related Posts:

Staging Your Frederick Home for Sale

How to Stop that Squeaky Floor

4 Reasons Your Frederick Home is NOT Selling

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               Chris & Karen Highland *  Frederick County MD Real Estate Agents
                                                               Specializing in Frederick County Real Estate  
                                                                                                301-831-9947
                                                                                      Real Estate Teams, LLC
                                                                                            isell4u2@msn.com                                
                                                                 
                                                                              Pictures of Frederick

Chris and I spent a wonderful, yet intensive weekend with  some relocation clients.   After criss-cossing Frederick County for 3 days, seeing 20 homes in all sorts of conditions, and seeing first-hand our buyer’s responses, I came up with some tips for Frederick home sellers trying to stage their home.  

I’d like to talk more about the psychology behind the tips, actually.   You can find great staging tips all over the internet, but the real value is in getting an understanding of the mind of a buyer.   Seeing through their eyes will be very helpful to you when you are staging your Frederick home for sale.  

A.   The most important thing that sellers need to keep in mind is that the inventory is on the high side, although coming down.   That means there is more competition.   Sellers need to realize that the best-looking and best-priced homes are the ones that will sell.   It’s really that simple.   Your home must look the best it can.   You have to be vigilant about Dirt and Clutter.  

1. When buyers see dirt, the natural assumption is, “If they can’t clean their house for a showing, I wonder what other deferred maintenance  issues I might have to deal with?”   In their mind, a dirty house is not a house that has been cared for.   A note to pet owners:  some folks are allergic, so you have to do everything you can to minimize pet dander.
2. Clutter is also something that absolutely must be tackled.   Buyers have a hard time seeing themselves and their stuff in your house, if they can’t see past the clutter.   Clutter also makes the space look smaller than it is.   Here’s my thought:   You’re moving anyway, so why not pack up most of your stuff and live lightly for a few weeks?

B.   As a seller, you are trying to throw as wide a net as possible, and appeal to as many buyers as you can.   That is the psychology behind neutralizing and de-personalizing your decor.   Not to the point of boring, but to the point of tasteful and neutral.   You have to change your thinking from “this house  is my  home and hearth”, to “this house  is a commodity that  I am  trying to sell.”  

1. Assume that buyers have no imagination.   They can’t see past the gold velvet drapes in the dining room.   Sure they looked great with your Queen Anne dining set, but most buyers probably don’t have your exact set.   The average buyer is 30 years old.   They probably like Pottery Barn or even Ikea, who knows.   The point is, they have to see themselves in your home.
2. If you have some great features, don’t be shy about highlighting them, especially if they were the features that sold you on the house.   Do you have a great view?   Then open the window coverings, and orient the furniture to emphasize the view.   Do you have a hot tub?   By all means, turn it on, uncover it and put out the margarita glasses.   Suggest to buyers how they will enjoy your home.   Do you have a georgeous master bath?   Put out the candles and champaign glasses and suggest romance to your buyers.   Remember, you’re assuming  that they have no imagination, so you need to give them every reason to love your home.

C.   For so many years, we’ve watched buyers in the decision-making process.   No matter how analytical they are when they start the process, eventually, they make a decision based largely on emotion.  They connect emotionally with a house and they start to see themselves making it their home.   Find ways to stage your home so that you Accentuate the Positive and Minimize the Negative.   Help buyers fall in love with your home.

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                                               The Highland Real Estate Group                                            
                                          Chris & Karen Highland *  Frederick County MD Real Estate Agents
                                                                   Specializing in Frederick County Real Estate  
                                                                                                    301-831-9947
                                                                                        Real Estate Teams, LLC
                                                                                            isell4u2@msn.com