Post-Holiday Clean Up - Getting It Done Quickly and Efficiently

The holidays have come and gone and you have turned the page on an old chapter and started a brand new one for 2013. You look around the house and all you see is the aftermath that is left from all the holiday entertaining and partying you have done over the past few weeks. You don't even know where to start. Here's an action plan that will help you be quick and efficient. Start by throwing out whatever need to be thrown out, then put away the big stuff, follow up with the small stuff and finish off with the vacuum and mop.

After the holidays, you probably have a lot of trash, recycling and even composting to do if it is available in your municipality. In the rush of the holidays, we often forget to take things out on the right day, or the service may not be available depending on the day Christmas and New Year happen to be. It's important to go through a good cleaning once the holidays are over. The easierst way to go about getting rid of your "trash" is to get yourself two or three plastic bins: one for garbage, one for recycling and one for composting if available. Go through each room of your house one by one placing items in the appropriate bin. Once you are done, empty the bins accordingly and move on to the next room.

Next you will need to pick up the stuff that has been lying around and that you simply have not found the energy to put away yet. Start with bigger items and finish off with smaller ones. I like to have my trusty plastic bins to put things in. One is for items that need to go to the second floor and the other for items that need to go to the basement. I always start with the main floor because that is where there is the most cleaning to be done. Put each item where it was originally and find a new place for all the gifts that Santa brought.

Once the clutter is all cleaned up, you may feel that you have done a great job and that you can take a break from all the cleaning. However, it is important to make sure you take the time to vacuum the house and mop wherever necessary. During the holidays, things may get spilled or dropped and you don't want crubs lurking in your carpets or sticky drops of juice on your floors. If you were entertaining, there's a good chance that germs may have been spread over the surfaces of your home. Getting it all cleaned up and disinfected where there is no clutter will be quick and easy.

Holidays are always lots of fun, especially because we get to spend time with friends and family. There is nothing quite as nice as being with the ones you love. Cleaning up after the party is all together a different story. Being structured in the cleaning process will help get things done faster. Get rid of the trash first then put things away starting with bigger items. Finish off with the vacuum and mop and take the time to disinfect surfaces. Once you are done you will be glad you did it and will enjoy that clean home feeling.

How To Stage Your Pet-Friendly House

Pets bring so much joy to our homes. About half of today's Canadian households have at least one pet. Dogs and cats are the most common animal friends and companions, while other popular choices include birds, fish, and critters like hamsters and ferrets. Let's not forget those with a more adventurous side who prefer more exotic pets such as snakes, spiders and lizards (as long as they follow local laws, of course).

Our pets are a source of companionship, and also a form of protection against intruders, so are definitely considered genuine members of most families today. But let's be honest: not all homeowners are pet lovers, and not all potential home buyers would warm up to the idea of pets in the property. When it comes to staging the home for the buyer's market, several procedures and strategies have to be taken to make sure that the home is as welcoming and marketable as possible to broad market base, whether they like pets or not.

Below are a few pet-friendly suggestions to get your home prepped for potential buyers, while also ensuring that your animal friends are not neglected or forgotten while your house is up for sale:

Arrange alternative lodging for your pets in the meantime. This is not an easy or popular thing to do, especially if you are very attached to your pets. But the easiest way to keep your home in the best staged status is to keep them somewhere else for the meantime, especially if you are using rented furniture. Check with neighbors or extended family who may be able to accommodate them for a while; they may not even have to be that far from you, such as within the neighborhood or down the street. If you alternative lodging arrangements for your pets is not a possibility, just make sure pets are not in the property during showings or open house.

Get pet stuff out of the way. Those cat litter boxes, dog potty pads, bird cages, food or water bowls, pet toys, and other accessories should be out of view. Even if your pets are elsewhere during a showing, seeing pet accessories would turn off a client who is allergic to pets or not a fan of pets. By the way,remember to also remove photos of you and your animals tacked on to refrigerator doors or displayed on shelves and work desks. Also, avoid posting pictures of your pets posing in different areas of the house in online listings.

Clean, clean, clean. Stains should be removed from carpets and area rugs; stubborn stains and dirt may require the expert solutions of professional cleaners. Pet hair must not be found on beds, couches, and other furniture. Always remember that if you choose to still have the pets around while the house is up for sale, cleaning must be done regularly, perhaps even daily because pet hair and/or furs can easily accumulate.

Absolutely no pet odors. This is a major turn-off for potential home buyers, and signals neglect or poor maintenance of the house. The quickest way to start removing pet smells within the house is to open windows and allow fresh air in to circulate. If you are having your home cleaned professionally, ask about enzyme cleaners or other odor-removing solutions that can be used. Some people have allergic reactions to air fresheners, so it may be best to stay away from those; instead, air sanitizers or fresh-smelling scented candles may be better. To be sure your home is pet odor-free, have a neighbor or friend come in and do a whiff test.

Home Staging Is An Advantage for Home Sellers

Home owners that are struggling to sell their property are becoming more and more frustrated with the real estate market every day. Most home owners are so dependent upon the normal selling process that is provided to them by their Realtor, that they leave themselves with a small chance of a successful sale. Home owners leave all of the selling duties to their agent or broker, but fail to realize the important role that they play in the sale of their own home. Most sellers today live in their property that is being sold, and because of that, anything and everything that is wrong with that property needs to be handled by the home owner. Most agents will not push home owners towards doing what best to sell their home, even with the facts to prove that in most cases there are better ways to get your home sold besides waiting around.

Home staging, turns into a problem for many real estate agents and is a hassle to mention this highly important process to home owners. Home staging is an advantage in a competitive market and should be the beginning process when a home is listed, because it attracts more buyers through the design of the property and allows buyers to gain an attachment to the home. Potential buyers are looking for a home that fits their needs, offers the greatest quality for the amount of money that they are willing to spend, and has the cheapest price that they can get it for. A common trend that happens far too often in the real estate market is a price cut. This is used to show buyers that they are getting a killer deal, instead it only shows buyers that the original price of the property obviously was realistic, and in that case let's see how much lower we can get it for.

The process of home staging is to re-create your home into a marketable product that attracts a larger amount of potential buyers. This is an advantage to the seller in many ways; first, buyers love to see the potential of a home that they are considering buying. Second, a staged home separates itself from the rest of the homes because it is more appealing to buyers. Furthermore, if your asking price is really the price you are looking to pay for, then realistically you need to make buyers believe your home is worth more. Buyers want a bargain right? So instead of lowering your price, make the buyer believe that they are getting more that they are paying for.

Home Staging Is A Luxury

The art of staging a home is usually looked at as a service that only wealthy home owners choose for an option by real estate agents and sellers. And in most cases a Realtors and brokers won't even offer the idea of the service unless your home is worth over $300,000. The process of preparing a home to stage in itself is something that every seller needs to do, no matter what their home is worth. Cleaning, repairing, and upgrading are only some of the basic phases for home staging, but they are highly effective if you not looking to shell out a bunch of money. Home staging was brought to the market for one reason to get your home sold quickly and still till this day, the goal is exactly the same. Home staging can become costly, in which sense I believe most Realtors think that there clients can't afford to pay for it. Not staging your own home in today's market is like trying to pop a balloon with another balloon, it just does not make sense.

Why does staging a home cost so much? Well the answer to this question depends on the current condition of your home. If your home needs to be updated and needs costly repairs, the price would be much higher for that home owner. Staging a home is a step by step based system that resets each individual room in your home and creates a unified space that attracts buyers, but if you throw a fresh coat of paint on the walls and buy new bedding, it won't convince buyers it is a great place to live if you have a huge hole in the floor.

The big misconception that home staging isn't needed can be disproved over and over again just by taking a look at the homes listed in your area. Look at the quality of the rooms that you see for the properties listed online. When a staged home is compared to a non-staged home you can immediately tell the difference. And at a glance, which are all buyers will give you when they are searching for a new property; a home that doesn't appeal to buyers will struggle to get attention from enough buyers to sell quick enough. Staging your home is a necessity not a luxury if you're trying to sell your home as quickly as possible

Home Staging Hints For Your Window Treatments And Fixtures

Your window treatments currently in your house would probably need some amount of updating or makeover when the rest of the home is prepped for professional home staging. Window treatments are used for different purposes in addition to beautification; they also provide privacy and control lighting into the home. For purposes of home staging, however, window decor and fixtures are generally kept as simple and lightweight as possible, so as to allow natural light into the house and to add the illusion of space to the interiors.

The good thing about updating or investing in new window fixtures during the home staging process is you can take these curtains, drapes or other fixtures with you to your new home if they complement the décor or theme there. Or, you can include the cost of the updates during negotiations. However, many home staging professionals would recommend that homeowners keep the cost of window treatments as affordable as possible to minimize the risk of not getting any returns.

Here are some home staging suggestions for your window treatments:

Choose light, airy treatments. Go for fabrics that are translucent, especially for shades or sheers. They maintain a level of privacy, without completely blocking out the natural light and the view from outside. If you have an excellent view of the backyard, or other natural scenery outside, you want to highlight that to potential buyers, so steer clear of opaque or dark curtains or blinds if you can.

Neutral and contemporary fixtures are a sure bet. In order to appeal to as many varied tastes and preferences of potential home buyers, you want to use window treatments that are modern and least distracting. Large thick curtain rods, or heavy cornices and valances look bulky and from a previous decade; clean lines, minimalist designs are fresher and more contemporary. Loud designs and prints, like animal type designs, zebra lines, polka dots, or floral prints are not recommended for home staging because they are only attractive to a few people but distracting to everyone else.

Pre-packaged window treatments are great options. Sewing or starting your own DIY projects for curtains and panels can be loads of fun, but you may not have enough time in between your daily responsibilities and other home staging and selling concerns. It is a more convenient option to visit your local home décor and improvement stores. such as Pier 1, Target, Home Depot or Bed Bath & Beyond. These retailers usually have packaged window treatments and décor in stock that you can purchase and install yourself quickly and conveniently.

Go with the general theme of the home décor. The right window treatments will blend into the overall theme or décor of the rest of your house, instead of hogging attention. If you are choosing subdued pastel hues for your living room, for instance, window treatments should be light and quiet also, because anything bright would be visually jarring and distract the viewer. Strike a balance between the colors and hues, and focus on it.