Quirky Yet Irresistable :)

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As you know, I love old homes...the quirkier the better!

However, in real estate circles, quirky homes are NOT known to be easy to sell . As a matter of fact, a funky old home can be seen as a liability. Vintage abodes with unusual spaces and yesteryear charm can sit on the market for months waiting for a person with an imagination to come along. And during those long, frustrating months, the seller may be dropping their price hoping someone will bite. 

How awful. 

SO, I was thrilled earlier this summer when my good friend Michael Eagle, a go-getter of a realtor, contacted me to help his clients as they prepared to put their historic twin on the market. 

I was told from the start, both by Mike and his clients, that this house was quirky--and all involved knew that I do quirky! (I LIVE in quirky! I hail from quirky!) So, employing all of my quirks (yes, there are many), it was my job to help the homeowners highlight all of the beautiful features of this house so that it would no longer present simply as "quirky," but rather as a unique, one-of-a-kind opportunity to live in a piece of history. 

YES! 

The house had a lot going for it, such as newly renovated bathrooms and kitchen, so it was really about editing down the rooms for a clean, simple presentation, highlighting existing square footage, and brightening the spaces so that all it had to offer would be impossible to overlook. 

All that hard work paid off. The house sold in less than two weeks for the price they had been hoping for. 

So, are you considering putting your house on the market in the near future? If you are thinking of listing your home, what are the mistakes to avoid (whether your house is quirky or not) that could potentially cost you thousands of dollars when you go to sell? 

Hmmmmm….let's expose these stinkers, and make you some money:

Mistake #1. Relying on your buyer to have an imagination. Buyers typically reach for their checkbook when they see what they have been looking for clearly in front of them.  The spaces have to be clearly and nicely laid out so that is super simple to see exactly how the rooms can be used. For example, your house has an in-law suite, but currently that space houses your workout equipment.  Even if your listing states it has an in-law suite (something your buyer wants), if it isn't set up so they can SEE that it does, they will walk right on through disappointed…and NOT make an offer. I'm not even kidding. You can see an example of this here. 

Mistake #2. Living as you always have in the house. Once you have decided to sell your house, the best mindset to have is that it is no longer yours. Personal touches and taste-specific decor are not your friends at this time, because as we have already established, your buyer is not exceptionally imaginative. They won't be able to picture themselves and their belongings in the house if all of your leopard print fabric and velvet Elvis paintings are screaming at them, drawing their attention away from how they would live in the house, and from what you want--for them to BUY. 

Mistake #3. Living as you always have in the house. YES I KNOW I SAID THAT BEFORE, but, this is pertaining to the STUFF of daily life…like dings and clutter and dust. Very few of us live in houses that are "q-tip clean" with paint in perfect condition, and rooms perfectly picked up day-in and day-out. Did I mention that your buyer doesn't have an imagination? I think I did. And seeing past chipped paint, dirt in corners, and crap on counters is therefore not their strong suit. 

So, make it clean, clutter-free, and obvious to all who enter that your house is the best house on the block…and watch it fly off the "shelves" at an awesome, profitable price. 

Editing. It's Important.

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I couldn't believe it when I saw this at HomeGoods yesterday. Definitely a sign that this little post I had been thinking of writing indeed wanted to be written... :)

When I write, I ofen....I mean often spend as much time rewriting --making sure things are correct (ahem), removing the unnecessary bits, clarifying the voice behind the words--as I have spent writing the draft in the first place. 

When I am working on a room, either in my house or yours, the same process is needed. 

Move the couch. 

Step back and look. 

Move the couch another 3 inches.

Step back and look. 

Remove the pillows. Try the other pillows.

Step back again...

Powerful writing is concise and to the point. It employs the most descriptive, delectable words to bring thoughts and images to life. A dining room, kitchen or master bedroom can have the same powerful impact when the elements in it are carefully curated and lovingly placed in just the right way to say just what you hoped it always would. This effect only happens with purposeful, insightful editing. 

A room that has brought joy to you in the past but now falls a little flat just might need a little bit of editing to make it sing once again. So, get in there. Roll up your sleeves. Edit, move, rethink, rework and don't worry about making mistakes. Those missteps just help you to better realize what you don't want so you can turn around and get back on track. Clear out extraneous stuff that has a way of collecting,  bring in something new that is beautiful, or rearrange what is there in a new more pleasing way.  

And you will know when it is right--your heart will swell just a little.

You will want to sit down and spend time in that space that feels like home, that cares for you in the way you always hoped it would.

Every Now & Zen

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We all have good habits that we need to take out and dust off from time to time, right? It may be a practice we have forgotten to employ for a while, and it is important to remind ourselves to get back to it every once in a while.

This is one of those things for me...

Having a ZEN SPACE...

Do you know what that is? 

Here's what I wrote about it a few years ago:

A while back,  during a conversation about the frustrations of house upkeep, a friend shared a practice she employs to help keep herself sane during the craziest of crazy times...

As she described it, there is one place in her home (I believe it was the top of her nightstand) which, through thick and thin, come hell or high water, is always a lesson in simplicity, is clear of dust and clutter, and has just a few of her very favorite things artfully arranged on it.  This is her Zen Space.  

While the rest of the household may be falling into disarray with the family's comings and goings, she knows she can sit on her bed, take a few breaths, look at her Zen Space, and find a little peace amid the cacophony of clutter and chaos. What a fantastic idea...

 SO, do you have a Zen Space of your own? I want to encourage you to create one if you don't.

In my house, our Zen Space is our dining room table--the first thing we see when we return home. Lately it has been a MESS...so it is time to reinstitute this habit, and lay down the law of ZEN. :)

Where in your house can YOU create a Zen Space?

First, pick a small surface that is easy to keep cleared & dusted.

Second, make sure that only a few special things are on it--maybe a special picture and some fresh flowers--nothing else allowed. 

This uncomplicated, peaceful spot will be a gift to you when things are feeling out of whack and out of control around you house. At those difficult times, focus on this one clean, clear spot that is well within your control, and take a couple of deep breaths. So important and so helpful. 

 

My Summertime Snapshots

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Hello Friends!! And Happy Summer!

It has been a busy and exciting time for me, with just getting back in town after two weeks up in Maine--a mix of work, as well as time vacationing with my family (it was heaven!), as well as touring some neat potential project houses, including a gorgeous but dilapidated historic home that just captured my heart...

So, as you can probably imagine, I have been taking a lot of photos and I would love to share some of my favorites with you this week:

 

While I was in Maine, the peonies were in full bloom. So beautiful! Here I gathered them in a deep blue antique vase we purchased the day before--the perfect compliment to finish the cottage's sitting room. Can't wait to show you the rest of the space in the coming weeks.

I'm always glad when someone takes an interest in my work. Hathaway the Cat thought that I was bored and needed company as I was photographing the porch of the Maine cottage. :)

Here's a quieter corner of the porch that Hathaway hadn't brought his lively fun to...yet. 

In another historic house closer to home--one that hasn't been as well loved in the recent past--I snapped these photos.

This old beauty is a potential project house, and I am hoping we get to show her some love soon...

An old nursery, complete with vintage wallpaper and mothballed fireplace. One of many sad but beautiful rooms in this lovely old house. 

And, of course, we had our family vacation! So wonderful and always so restorative to be together in our cozy rental cottage up in Maine...

Hope your summer is off to a great start, too! 

Blessings, dear friends!