Exterior Paint Colors Choosing an exterior paint color can affect your entire neighborhood. There is usually a house in your neighborhood that everyone knows because of its garish exterior color. Perhaps pink, purple, or neon colors. You know the one. You know it doesn't blend in with its surroundings. Which means it was the [...]
Home stagers know how to place furniture that addresses the focal point of the room. However, when the focal point is the view outside, the interior focal point becomes secondary. You need to address both. A lot of time, the curb appeal is lacking with a lake or river house. Notice no windows on [...]
The Executor A person's relative passed away and she was designated the executor of the estate. What does that mean? An executor distributes the deceased person's property and arranges for payment of estate debts and expenses. Specific duties include: choosing the type of probate, filing the will for probate, setting up an account for [...]
The question comes up every time a homeowner wishes to sell their house. What should I do to get my house ready to sell? There are very few times a homeowner should sell their house in "as is" condition. You will leave significant money on the table. However, sometimes it is very necessary to [...]
The 70% Rule The 70 percent rule states that an investor should pay 70 percent of the After Repair Value (ARV)of a property minus the repairs needed. If a home’s ARV is $150,000 and it needs $25,000 in repairs, then the 70 percent rule states an investor should pay $80,000 for the home. $150,000 x [...]
Premiere Stagers & Realty received a phone call from a condo owner asking about my staging services for her property that had been on the market for 52 days. I viewed the condo with her realtor later that day. The realtor told me he had never used a home stager nor recommended a home [...]
What is an Ice Dam? An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of a roof and prevents melting snow (water) from draining off the roof. The water that backs up behind the dam can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas. While frozen, the snow and ice [...]
Sometimes it takes time away from the usual to see the unusual. On a recent cruise (Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas), I was struck by the beauty of the ship. American architect Louis Sullivan (1856-1924) coined the phrase form follows function. This means that the purpose of a building (or object) should be the [...]
Something Missing I thought I brought the right wall art for this recent vacant staging. But when viewing the room from the front entryway, I noticed it needed something more. I did bring another piece of art to hang, but felt it competed with the larger art over the sofa. The room didn't feel [...]
Spring Staging Season Here in Madison, WI, a fair amount of snow remains over a layer of ice. It has been bitterly cold, in fact today we broke a record low temperature. This makes buying or selling a house especially difficult. Very few people will venture out looking at homes when the sidewalks aren't [...]
