There are many tips The Lawhead Team has shared about what to do when staging your home to sell…but what about what NOT to do?

It is important not to get overwhelmed by the details when staging your home to sell. The following are some helpful tips from Home & Garden Television on what not to do when staging your home to sell:

• Less is usually more in home staging. Keep decor simple, and definitely dismantle theme rooms.
• Don’t over personalize your decor. If you know your house is going on the market in the next few years, be mindful of design choices when you remodel, or you could decrease your pool of buyers. Don’t choose a counter top with grape details, for example.
• If your house is going on the market, seriously consider every surface in your home, especially walls and floors. Think neutral. When potential buyers view your home, you don’t want them considering how much time and money it will take to paint over a blindingly yellow room or to replace red shag carpet.
• Need inexpensive ways to prepare your home for the market? Clean, clean, clean. Scrub everything. Rent a carpet shampooer if necessary. The small investment and resulting sweet smell is worth every penny! While you’re at it, declutter! Get started packing and fill boxes with knickknacks and more.
• If you do nothing else to prepare your house for the market, tend to your yard. Rake the leaves. Clean up flower gardens. Trim shrubs. Sweep your sidewalks and porches. You don’t want to lose any showings because drive-by shoppers can’t get past the mess at the curb. Read our article about adding curb appeal to your home.
• Even if you have overlooked needed home repairs for years, potential buyers will see every one of them. Fix that cracked window pane. Replace the broken doorknob. Paint the fence and re-stain a dull looking door. A little sweat equity goes a long way in real estate.
• Don’t misuse spaces: Bedrooms should be bedrooms, not closets or catchall rooms. Patios should be staged as relaxing outdoor spaces, not left empty or as toy storage.

When moving into your home you have the opportunity to add new colors to your existing décor or start fresh.  A new home is a canvas for creativity and color but sometimes the choices can be overwhelming.  We’d like to share some decorating tips on adding color to your new home.

When decorating your new home, choose a favorite piece that will be the focal point for each room.  If you have a piece of artwork or rug, use that as your color pallet.  From there, you can buy accessories and accent pillows from the most prominent color in your piece of artwork.  You can also paint a wall the same color you have chosen for your prominent color which will coordinate beautifully with the focal point in that room.

Pick colors that complement each other for decorating your home.  For example yellow and violet are complementary colors that work well with gray neutrals.

Select neutral colors for the walls, as these are the backdrop to your house.  If your accent colors are warm like orange, yellow or red, using colors in the tan family will look best.  If your accent colors are cool, such as blue, violet and green, staying with colors in the gray pallet will look best.

Furniture such as a couch, coffee table and dinner table, are likely to stay in your house for several years.  With this in mind, choose furniture with a neutral color.  Plenty of color can be added with accent pillows and blankets.  If you are wishing to add a colorful piece of furniture, select a one of a kind side table or bookcase which will stand out and make a statement but won’t have to be the main focal point of your room.

Lampshades and framed fabric can help add color and interest to a normally dull room.  If you have a fabric pattern you love, you can find a simple frame to frame the fabric.  This is a great way to add color to a craft room or a kid’s loft.  If you have any decorating suggestions we’d love to hear them as well!