Light, Bright and Airy Home Staging Tips

Happy Tuesday, and Happy Fall! I hear from the government that the recession is over, whether you believe this or not, I have some staging and remodeling words of caution. My words of caution come with an upturn in the economy- in case we all get back to feeling rich and ready to remodel every square inch of our homes. Too often I get called to do a staging for a house that has been "remodeled" and I am continually shocked by the expensive things that remodelers get talked into, that don't add nearly as much value as they cost. If you are thinking about a remodel anytime soon please follow a few simple rules of thumb:

• Always get more than 1 bid before work begins
• Look for pictures for ideas and share them with your contractors- BEFORE work begins
• Ask your contractor, if there are some similar ideas that can be done, but that cost less?
• Estimate your entire budget, and then add at least 10% for miscellaneous things that WILL turn up, before work begins.
• Shop for light fixtures, faucets and appliances with your budget in mind, not with what the salesperson tells you, "you deserve the BEST" - there are lots of great things out there for mid-price, that work awesome, and at the end of the project no one will care if you spent $1000 or $150 on your faucet, just that it looks nice.
• On expensive items, like counter tops- choose more neutral, timeless tones - so that you can change cheaper things, like paint, in 5 years, but not feel the need to change counter tops again for a long while.
• Don't upgrade your house beyond your neighborhood's fanciest home, otherwise you will be very challenged to get a good return on your remodeling dollar when you sell.

Happy Remodeling! - Shannon D'Acquisto

For more remodeling insight or to contact me directly, please email me at: shannon@LightBrightandAiry.com or visit my website at: www.LightBrightandAiry.com