Is there a realtor in the house? (semantics: finished vs. unfinished space)

[Trek420]

If I was trying to sell I'd get rid of the wall paper. Even if you find a buyer who likes tiny floral patterns (and in most cases you need an entire family who agrees they like the pattern ) it's dark, busy and makes the space look smaller.

Speaking of paint: light colors "bounce light" and make spaces look bigger. The door at the bottom left, paint that too.

The swatch of dark vertical paneling in the bottom left photo? Gotta go. All these lines, like the bottom left room is fairly neutral but has the trim that's a different color? Gotta go.

So pick one nice, neutral, bright white or off white and paint paint paint paint.

Window treatments: Those dark curtains have got to go. The ones on the bottom left side which appear to be hung off a rack style of thingybopper. You see how the edges of the structure touch the walls? It just emphasises the small space. If only in that room you've got to find a different way to hang curtains or it's curtains for your sale

Hint: shiny things bounce light and make rooms seem bigger. I'd look for new curtain rods like brushed chrome. Makes buyers say "ooooh, shiny shiny."

Look for window treatments that are light, bright, simple, clean lines. Consider replacing the lace ones too.

To paint you're going to need to clear the space. I'd declutter ruthlessly. If you don't actually touch it every single day, gotta go.

Imagine the space spare, bare, practically Spartan, with clean lines, lots of light and light colors it will look much bigger. Often that's all it takes to make buyers say "yes".

So my plan would be to de'clutter, clean and prep and paint (Hold off on the carpet decision till that's done. At minimum it's a tarp ), then accessorize with spare, simple lines.

Trek ~ CCA class of '83 ~ 420

[zoom-zoom]

If I was trying to sell I'd get rid of the wall paper. Even if you find a buyer who likes tiny floral patterns (and in most cases you need an entire family who agrees they like the pattern ) it's dark, busy and makes the space look smaller.

Speaking of paint: light colors "bounce light" and make spaces look bigger. The door at the bottom left, paint that too.

The swatch of dark vertical paneling in the bottom left photo? Gotta go. All these lines, like the bottom left room is fairly neutral but has the trim that's a different color? Gotta go.

So pick one nice, neutral, bright white or off white and paint paint paint paint.

Window treatments: Those dark curtains have got to go. The ones on the bottom left side which appear to be hung off a rack style of thingybopper. You see how the edges of the structure touch the walls? It just emphasises the small space. If only in that room you've got to find a different way to hang curtains or it's curtains for your sale

Hint: shiny things bounce light and make rooms seem bigger. I'd look for new curtain rods like brushed chrome. Makes buyers say "ooooh, shiny shiny."

Look for window treatments that are light, bright, simple, clean lines. Consider replacing the lace ones too.

To paint you're going to need to clear the space. I'd declutter ruthlessly. If you don't actually touch it every single day, gotta go.

Imagine the space spare, bare, practically Spartan, with clean lines, lots of light and light colors it will look much bigger. Often that's all it takes to make buyers say "yes".

So my plan would be to de'clutter, clean and prep and paint (Hold off on the carpet decision till that's done. At minimum it's a tarp ), then accessorize with spare, simple lines.

Trek ~ CCA class of '83 ~ 420

The tiny room is actually not wallpapered, that's paneling. We'll probably just paint it white. We have a LOT of painted paneling in this house...I actually like the look of it. What appears to be brown paneling is a box or something. and the curtain is hanging off a rod...that's a free-standing clothes hanger thingy that we need to toss.

The room with the hideous layers of pink floral wallpaper will be totally gutted, as that will be DS's room until we sell. Hopefully the paper only runs 2 layers deep. We plan to paint that room a very light green. The white curtains would not work for sleeping, anyhow. And the dark ones in the other room will be tossed. I'm thinking we'll put bamboo shades in there...something to let in light, but still be a window covering.

Definitely going to look at storage units at some point.

[ny biker]

Set your DVR to HGTV on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for 3 episodes of The Unsellables and Get it Sold. They're on from 10:00 - 11:30 am eastern time, so I guess an hour earlier for you.

You won't need to watch many episodes to see what you need to do.

For starters, you need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

[zoom-zoom]

Set your DVR to HGTV on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for 3 episodes of The Unsellables and Get it Sold. They're on from 10:00 - 11:30 am eastern time, so I guess an hour earlier for you.

You won't need to watch many episodes to see what you need to do.

For starters, you need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

Yep, a lot of the "stuff" in the photos is already gone. So many college textbooks and notebooks (DH's), random junk, Natl. Geos (why did we keep these?!), stupid wedding gifts like silver picture frames and cut glass bowls...fugly, toys, baby stuff, etc.

Setting my DVR...you say that like I actually own a DVR. I may have to try to watch those when they air (MI is eastern, so the times would be right). Or see if they're available on iTunes...

[Trek420]

For starters, you need to get rid of a lot of stuff.

Between making room for my remodel and now getting ready to move I've donated lots of stuff. I really could not be bothered to list on Craigs, do the yard sale thing ... Just kept the receipts of the donation and keep track in:

http://www.itsdeductible.com/

Really helped my refund this and last year.

[zoom-zoom]

Between making room for my remodel and now getting ready to move I've donated lots of stuff. I really could not be bothered to list on Craigs, do the yard sale thing ... Just kept the receipts of the donation and keep track in:

http://www.itsdeductible.com/

Really helped my refund this and last year.

Ha, yeah...years ago we did a yard sale and I said NEVER again! Ugh, what a lot of work that was. I'd much rather itemize a list of things donated and then take the receipt. Or, heck, just even give it away to be done with it. We are finally getting around to selling our Denby stoneware, though. It got to where each broken piece was too $$ to replace and I like the much cheaper Fiestaware stuff better, anyhow.

[Koronin]

When I sold my house close to 2 years ago I had to put a ton of stuff into storage, and that house actually had decent storage. (It was built in 2001.)

[GLC1968]

If you don't want similiar issues, you need a house MUCH younger than you are!

Ours is only a year older than me (1967), but we too are fixing it up to list and wow, the things you find... We do have a ton of storage thanks to a basement and some renovations done by the previous owners, but there are a lot of hidden problems due to those renovations where they cut every single corner they could find. Luckily, the original house is solid and well-constructed...otherwise, we'd probably be living in rubble right now! We are currently without a fully working bathroom (we have two and both are partially down for the count...again) and we will be paying to replace the roof before we list. Ouch.

I don't have a ton of advice except that watching those HGTV shows are a big help. So is even watching 'House Hunters' and listening to the things the buyers are saying about the houses they view. You can learn a lot about how things are perceived!

[Trek420]

We plan to paint that room a very light green. ... I'm thinking we'll put bamboo shades in there ...

A very light green could work and with the bamboo shades and could be a sweet retreat for DS. I'd still use neutral bright whites on the rest and maybe use matching subtle hints of the light green in accessories when you stage the place to show and sell.

That way buyers come into the home, see a vase, a matching picture frame ... walk into the room and "ah, makes sense".