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As a Home Stager in Orlando, Central Florida and surrounding areas, I am constantly meeting with sellers to advise them on how to prepare their home to sell in what has become a buyers market. I critically look at each area, both inside and out, to determine what needs to be done to transform their home into a marketable 'product' to be sold.
Although each property is unique, there are fundamental staging guidelines that need to be followed when preparing any home for sale, starting with the "D" list . . . Deep Clean, Depersonalize, and Declutter, Declutter, and Declutter some more! That includes kitchen and bathroom cabinets, closets, drawers, the spare room that's been used as a guest room / office / JUNK ROOM . . . the basement, garage . . . shall I go on? By the time I get to this part my clients are usually revisiting their decision to move!
One of the biggest problems when faced with the daunting task of decluttering is deciding what to do with all of the "stuff"! You know . . . the piano from Grandma that nobody plays, the chartreuse chair that noone sits on, the matching his and her bicycles that noone rides anymore . . . and my personal favorite - how about the treadmill that doubles as a clothes rack in the forgotten corner of the master bedroom! I understand, we all have "stuff" that's really hard to part with because . . . "it's just too good to throw away", right . . .?
I am very excited to share with you the solution . . . go to freecycle.org to find the Freecycle Network Group in your area. They are a grassroots, and entirely non-profit movement of people who are giving,(and getting), "stuff" for free in their own cities. Freecycle Network is made up of individual groups across the globe who have come together to "recycle" unwanted items. They give things away rather than throw them away, and do their part in taking care of Mother Earth at the same time! Freecycle Network began in 2003 when Deron Beal had a vision and e-mailed 30 to 40 friends and a handful of non profits in Tucson, Arizona. It now is in 75 countries and 4,041 communities worldwide, and has 3,540,995 members . . . and still growing. As a result of their efforts, they have been able to keep over 300 tons of waste per day out of our landfills. They have only three main rules in order to participate: everything must be FREE, everything must be LEGAL, and everything must be APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. By giving freely with no strings attached, members of the Freecycle Network have instilled a sense of generosity of spirit into their local communities.
As a Home Stager I have been in a position to pass this information on to countless clients who are decluttering in an effort to make their home a more 'marketable product'. But I challenge all of us to join with the members of the Freecycle Network, people from all walks of life, who have turned trash into treasure to better our environment.
Remember when decluttering . . . think GREEN, think globally, and "recycle" locally. Happy Staging!
Jeannene Edwards, owner of Interiors Defined, Inc. is a professional home stager and licensed interior designer in Orlando, Florida. In addition to her interior design and home staging services, Jeannene has merged with David Edwards Construction, a division of Interiors Defined, Inc., enabling them to now offer complete architectural design and building services to further meet the needs of their clientel. Jeannene is a notable speaker known for her exciting and informative seminars. Her award winning designs and 'how-to' articles have been widely published in newspapers, magazines and trade manuals nationally. For additional information regarding her Step by Step E-Staging Guide, or the many other services offered by Interiors Defined, Inc. please contact Jeannene Edwards or David Edwards at: http://interiorsdefined.com , http://idihomestaging.com and http://davidedwardsgc.com/ |
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