How to Spark Joy in Your Life with DIY Decluttering

Guest post by Virginia Cooper

There are many jobs around your home that require an expert, but if you’re thinking of tidying and decluttering your home, you really do not need an expert to get the job done. All you really need for a cleaner, more organized home are some tips to make the tasks involved easier - and maybe even more fun!

Start by Taking Out and Sorting through Your Things

When you’re ready to begin tidying up your home, it’s helpful to pull everything out. Having everything laid out this way will help you see how much you really have in your home, and will make it easier to decide what needs to go. Take note of items you may have duplicates of or things you no longer need, and put them into their own box. You can toss unneeded items, but it might give you a greater sense of satisfaction if you donate them instead.

Think About Renting a Storage Unit to Make Life Easier 

For those items you’re not ready to let go of, consider putting them into a local storage unit. To save time, think about contacting a service to handle this part of the decluttering process. The company sends you a secure storage container to put your things in, and collects it to take to the storage storage unit once you’ve filled it. Plus you will create more space for storage inside your home. You can also use one of these fun garage projects to make better use of that square footage. 

Burn Some Calories While You Tidy and Clean Your Home 

We’ve talked about ways to make decluttering easier, but if you want to stick to all of your cleaning and organizing tasks, you need to make them fun. As you move around your rooms picking things up and wiping surfaces down, consider dancing while cleaning to make housework double as a fitness routine. If you’re not the dancing type, use these active cleaning tips to get the most out of your tidying and decluttering project.

Redo Your Walls to Open Up Your Space

Get the most out of your decluttering efforts by dressing up your home and making it feel less cramped. When painting, avoid dramatic color changes and look for patterns that complement your space. Another idea is to use custom-designed wallpaper for an elegant touch. Repositionable and removable wallpaper allows for simplified application, and it’s available in an assortment of textures and colors.  

Give Yourself a Reward for All of that Effort and Hard Work

Getting your home organized will reduce your stress, but you may need more motivation to actually get the job done. To make yourself want to work on cleaning up, make a commitment to treat yourself to something special once all the work is done. Maybe you can go out for a nice dinner at your favorite restaurant, or you can think bigger and treat yourself to a relaxing staycation. You definitely deserve it! 

You may not feel a lot of joy while you tidy up your home, but you’ll feel more relaxed afterward. It takes some work to get a home organized, but it definitely does not take an expensive expert. Save that money for something that truly sparks joy for you, and take care of the tidying up all on your own. 

When you’ve finished decluttering, reach out to Haymount Homes to help decorate and design your home. Schedule a consultation today!

Photo Credit: Pexels

Haymount Homes REDFIN FEATURE!! “choosing the right art for staging”

Don’t miss the recent Redfin article we were featured in!

Choosing art for staging sounds simple

..but anyone who has sifted through countless options of art and decor, realizes that it can become overwhelming and difficult to select the right art that will help sell your house!

Redfin has taken the guesswork out of it and put together an article to help you understand what you're looking for and how to select the best pieces to stage your home.

We were delighted to be featured in this article and hope you enjoy the tips below!

-Casey and crew

Experts Reveal Their Best Tips on Choosing the Right Art for Home Staging

A well-staged home can make all the difference in enticing a buyer to tour a listing, and something as simple as the artwork you choose can make or break a sale. Your home is where your design personality shines through, but when staging your home for sale, it’s important to keep personal mementos and photos tucked away to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Everyone will inevitably have differing design opinions, but with a few simple tips and tricks, choosing the right artwork for your home when staging can help buyers envision themselves living there. To help put your home on a buyer’s “must-have” list, we reached out to design experts from Irvine, CA, all the way to Calgary, AB, for their best advice on choosing the right art for home staging.

Select artwork that enhances your home

Let the artwork serve two purposes - choose artwork that adds appeal to the home and markets the geographical region. This makes the home even more appealing to potential buyers. For example, if you are staging a home near a big city, choose artwork that shows images of the city. -Elegant Transitions

Be intentional when selecting artwork to showcase a property. Placement and scale are critical when enhancing the space around the art or using it as a tool to draw the eye to an architectural feature nearby, such as a fireplace. Also, the subject matter of the artwork you choose should be deliberate, such as using a landscape piece to create interest in a dark or windowless room. -Diversa Design

Think of art as an accent piece. Artwork can be used to provide a focal point, highlight a feature in your home, and add color to a space. I have found modern art or landscapes to be the most effective when staging a house - framed family photos and religious art tend to make prospective buyers uncomfortable. Also, be selective about placement. When staging, only a few walls need to be adorned - less is truly more. -Gin Treadwell Home Interiors

Art placement and procurement create a statement within the room by adding focal points, becoming a key role in enhancing the room. Artwork can bring the room to life and serve as an attractive feature to help build up the environment within the room. When you're looking to add character to your room, a few key art pieces may be all you need to bring that “wow” factor that your wall needed. -Eden Home Staging

Be mindful of your artwork choices

Consider the three C's: Color, Contemplation, and Coalescence. First, a pop of color can enliven an otherwise neutral space. Second, art helps buyers envision living in your space by hinting at how a room may be used and evoking certain emotions. Think about the feeling conveyed by a black-and-white cityscape in an office or a blue abstract in a bedroom. Third, art can help unify a space, as may be seen if two or more related pieces are hung on the walls in one or more rooms. For example, use a geometric abstract on a wall in a living room and a similar piece on the wall in the adjacent dining room to create a cohesive look. -Greenhouse

When selecting the artwork, keep your target audience in mind and avoid using art that portrays sinister or risqué scenes, which may not appeal to a broader audience. Instead, choose pieces that can provide a space with a focal point where there isn't one, add color, or emphasize the home's custom features. -CT Exclusive Homes

Envision the finished space when choosing artwork. Know the art story, context, color, size, and location of the wall art when choosing artwork for staging your home. Each piece should have a designated spot in mind (ambiance) to avoid misplaced wall art or proportion (size). -Designs By Dannette

Artwork is the supporting role; the main actor, the central character, is the home. Your artwork choices should mirror a home's style and design - its role is to enhance the vibrant elements and unique features. The masterpiece is always the property; thus, the buyer's eyes should be drawn toward the kitchen, bath, or living space, not a trendy art piece. -Alison Is Real Estate

Freshen up your home with unique pieces

Think outside the canvas. Art doesn’t always involve paint on a canvas. In place of a painting, woven baskets on the wall can add texture above a sofa that features a bright, patterned set of pillows. Mirrors, which provide intriguing reflective surfaces, can also be used in place of art. -Dezign Zoo

Using artworks made from different mediums throughout the home creates an elevated, gallery-like experience. For example, a canvas in one space, a print in another, combined with a sculpture and wall pieces in another room will make the pieces feel less “matchy-matchy” and more like an art collection that a prospective buyer would have. You can also highlight the home's best features and help potential buyers see the home's potential with size and scale. In a room with double-height ceilings, a massive oversized canvas will draw the eye upward and emphasize the height of the walls. -IMG

Be creative and think beyond a typical canvas or framed print. Don’t be afraid to play with textures, shapes, and forms which can add additional interest to the visual appeal a home buyer will relate to. For example, a home with a young family could benefit from brighter colors and whimsical artwork, while a home for a younger couple or single person might be best presented with a more boho vibe, such as a guitar on the wall, a vintage map, or a textural crocheted wall hanging. Mirrors can also be an effective artwork option if the reflection is highlighting an important interior or exterior feature or selling point. -Bloom that Room

Choose complementary artwork pieces

Art is like a topping on the cake, it should go with the design palette to complete the space. Keep your artwork choices neutral, calm, and something that speaks to the room and to the potential buyer. -Jennifer Michele Interiors

Keep it simple. We find that it's best to keep artwork simple - it should be subtle yet attractive to the eye. To present the home in the most appealing light possible, use artwork that doesn’t feature images of people. Instead, consider using pieces that portray interesting but neutral visuals. The best art for home staging will compliment the space it's placed in while not distracting from the home itself. -Beycome

Choose pieces that match your home’s architectural style. A current trend is chalkboard art with inspirational sayings such as “love makes a house a home.” Most important, be certain that artwork won’t be offensive to potential buyers. -Harb & Co

Use artwork that fits the space and doesn't overpower the room. When you start to use big, bold, and personal pieces, you are decorating the space. When determining what kind of art and wall décor to use when staging, you want to be sure to keep things simple and neutral. The whole point of staging is to draw buyer's attention to the features, size, and functions of the rooms and for them to envision themselves living in the space. -Designing Impressions

Use artwork to highlight specific features in your home

Hang art in bathrooms. The use of framed photos of plants, trees, or flowers in bathrooms gives these spaces a spa-like feel and enhances how each room photographs. When coupled with a few white towels and spa counter accessories, art can transform even the most outdated bathroom spaces. -Knoxville Staging Services

Art is the bow on the 'package' in room décor. It should be the first thing to catch your eye and draw you in to see what's inside. Abstract pieces that feature strokes of color on light canvases are always a good choice, especially if the frame is in a metallic finish that complements the light fixtures in a room. They catch the eye and draw people in, but they don't outshine the room itself, which is, after all, what good staging is all about. -Staging That Sells

Keep scale in mind when choosing artwork for staging

Choose large canvas wall art in the colors and style of the house. Wall art on each wall can make your home appear cluttered. Instead, large canvas pieces are easy to hang and will draw the eye to the home's focal points. If you have a large gorgeous fireplace, a large bright piece of canvas art will highlight this feature. Only hang wall art in spaces that are focal points for the listing photos to direct a buyer's eye. If you have one or two smaller plaques or pieces of wall art in a large area, it will look out of proportion, so make sure it's all in scale to the size of the room, the ceiling height, and the size of the furniture. -Dramatix Decor

Choose artwork that is “show-worthy” and offers the drama necessary to create a cohesive space. Keep in mind that the larger the scale, the fewer pieces are needed (and fewer holes in your walls when staging). Your artwork choices are also the foundation for selecting the accent colors to use in a home. Colors should flow gracefully from one space to the next. -Impact Home Staging

If you have a large empty wall, search for large artwork to anchor the space. You can then tie in the colors of the décor in the room to the artwork's colors, exhibiting a very uniform look. -2 West Photography

Along with selecting neutral art, be sure it's scaled and hung appropriately. We often come across artwork placed on walls in the wrong orientation, size, and or dimension. The center of the artwork should be 57 inches from the floor, 6-8 inches above a piece of furniture, and 3-6 inches apart when in a grouping. -Simplicity

Make sure your artwork choices are balanced

Think about how multiple art pieces are going to look when showing various rooms in a single photo. For example, consider how strategically placing a painting on the wall of one room, like a bedroom down a hall, might give depth to the living room in the foreground. Instead of showing a blank wall, that extra splash of color on the far wall could help to extend the perceived size of a space and make it more attractive to potential buyers. -The Best Local Real Estate Photographers

Choose art that is large and balancing for your space so that it’s eye-catching and attention-grabbing in photos. More often than not, a large statement piece of art will look more dramatic and enticing than multiple smaller pieces. Buyers love interesting photos with clean lines, and large statement art will help draw them in. -Haymount Homes

Artwork should be appropriately sized for the location. Wall art should take up 65% of the available wall space and be about 2/3 to 3/4 the width of the furniture. Your artwork choices should also have an impersonal, but coordinated, theme throughout the space. For example, sticking with abstracts in contemporary spaces, nature scenes in traditional spaces, and water or beach scenes in bathrooms. -Her Home Design

Originally published by Redfin

Now available!!

Happy weekend y'all! Are you in the market for a home? Don't blink because this one's going to move. We just finished a project for a client in a centrally located townhome in the gorgeous Waters edge community…. 5 minutes from Target? Yes please.

This home is absolutely beautiful. Everything has been completely renovated and is TurnKey ready for its new owner. The home includes two large bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms (and extra half bath!) including Master ensuite with office area. Granite counters in the kitchen and glass tile subway backsplash, bar seating with custom molding, stainless appliances, and walk out back deck. Enjoy your beautiful newly tiled gas fireplace and then escape to your whirlpool tub. Closets include custom built-ins for storage and more. This home literally has everything ready to go and had great attention to detail in the design process. All this for an asking price of $160,000.

This home is hitting the market today and is already accepting showings. There will be an open house tomorrow on Saturday May 8th, form 11 am until 2pm. 342 Bahama Loop, Fayetteville.

Send me a message if you need more details and I will get them to you! Hope you enjoy the home tour!

Casey and crew

Moving to Fayetteville? Resources to help you unpack - Guest Post

Happy Sunday, Y’all!

Are you moving to Fayetteville or know someone that is? Our friend Kristen Louis @parentingwithkris has done us a favor and compiled a great resource list with links to help smooth the moving transition.

The challenge of moving is hard enough, but when you add re-organizing your life into the mix, it only gets harder. Not only are you trying to minimize the stress of moving and the impact it has you and your family, but you also need to quickly figure out what services you need….or even where the darn grocery store is. It can be overwhelming and time consuming.

Fortunately, Kris Louis, from Parentingwithkris.com, has a wonderful game plan for busy people who are trying to minimize the drama of relocation. Following her tips (even just some of them!), can really help ease the work and the stress of moving to Fayetteville. Read on for her ideas and strategies that are sure to decrease the stress and hopefully increase your sleep during your move! If you want more tips from Kris, please be sure to visit her website! While the list is not fully comprehensive, it is certainly a good start and time saver for you.

WELCOME TO FAYETTEVILLE - WE’RE GLAD YOU’RE HERE!!

-Casey

8 Types of Resources That Can Make Your Move to Fayetteville, NC Go Smoothly 

Buying a new home and moving to a new city can leave anyone feeling exhausted. If you’ve been dealing with offers, paperwork, closings, and moving prep, you may not have any energy left for anything else once you are moved into your new home. If you want to get settled in faster, however, you may need to take care of a few more tasks before you begin relaxing. For folks that are moving to Fayetteville, this list of local resources can make completing those moving checklists less of a hassle, so your new city feels like a home much faster. 

Keeping Your Lawn & Garden Green

A bright and tidy lawn can brighten up your spirits, so here are a few top garden resources for you to consider: 

Local plants near Fayetteville, NC

North Carolina Planting Zones

Lawn Maintenance & Mowing Services in Fayetteville, NC

Organizing & Decorating Your New Home 

Keeping your home tidy can also help you feel less stressed, and these cleaning and organizing resources can certainly help you out:

11 Ideas for a Clutter-Free Home

10 Best Places to Buy Organizers (Besides the Container Store)

Professional Decorating Help near Fayetteville

Self-Storage Units in Fayetteville, North Carolina

Finding Care for Children & Pets 

Whether you need a date night or your dog walked, these directories will help you find the help you need for your human and furry children alike: 

Daycare or Preschool — What's Best for Your Family

Find a Babysitter in Fayetteville, NC

Directory of Pet Businesses in Fayetteville, NC

Find a Local Pet Sitter in Fayetteville, NC Online

Looking for Deals at Local Stores 

Moving can be expensive, but shopping the discounts at local retailers can help you save some stress, cash, and time: 

Moving soon? Save Hundreds with These 21 Housewarming Discounts

The 7 Best Supermarkets in Fayetteville

Add Coupons to Your Grocery Card

Searching for Self-Care Services 

You’re going to need to unwind after moving into your perfect new home. So treat yourself to a local yoga class or spa session: 

Best Spas in Fayetteville

How to Get Started with Yoga

The 7 Best Gyms in Fayetteville, NC

Enrolling Children in Local Schools

When the new school year starts, these resources will help you find a welcoming place for your child to learn and grow: 

Find schools in Fayetteville

Cumberland County Schools Enrollment

Moving Your Business

If you are a maker, a consultant, or a small business owner and plan to bring your business with you, here are some tips on how to ensure a smooth transition:

Relocate Your Business in NC

North Carolina LLC Instructions

Marketing Tips for Business Relocation

How to Update Your Online Presence

Hooking Up Essential Services & Utilities

Your new house isn’t a home until you can take a hot shower and surf the internet in peace. So use these links to connect your basic utilities:  

Fayetteville Public Works Commission

Cumberland County Public Utilities

Internet Providers

Feeling at home in Fayetteville can take some time, but it doesn’t have to require a lot of stress. Use the links, resources, and tools above to ease this transition, and you will feel like a local in no time. Congratulations on your new home, and welcome to Fayetteville! 

Photo Credit: Rawpixel

Haymount Homes REDFIN FEATURE!! “Selling Your Home in the Winter? Here’s How to Stage it While Embracing the Holidays” (Copy)

Don’t miss the recent Redfin article we were featured in: “Selling Your Home in the Winter? Here’s How to Stage it While Embracing the Holidays”

While many believe the ideal time to list your home for sale is in the summer, the truth is that selling your

home in the winter can be just as great. But like any other time of the year, it is in your best interest to

present your home in its best light. This is where beautiful staging and professional real estate

photography plays an important role.

To help you highlight your home’s best features this holiday season, Redfin reached out to staging experts and professional real estate photographers for our advice. To make sure your home stands out in the housing market while still embracing the holidays, check out what we had to say in the article:

https://www.redfin.com/blog/selling-your-home-in-the-winter-staging-advice/

Selling your home? How to keep it clean for showings - Guest Post

Happy Sunday, Y’all!

We have a hot real estate market for a change, which is welcome news for all of us. However, that can lead to additional stress with last minute showings and narrow time windows. How is a busy family supposed to keep pace? The last thing you want is your potential buyer scared away by greasy dishes, dirty bathrooms, and that lingering “what smell is that?” feeling!

The challenge of keeping your home clean is hard enough, but when you add kids into the mix, it adds another layer of complexity. Not only are you trying to minimize the stress of moving and the impact it has on them, but also they have stuff…like lots of stuff…and it seems to reproduce on its own. I am pretty sure every room of our home has at least 3 nerf gun darts, 3 crayons, and who knows how many legos stashed around. What’s a busy parent to do?

Fortunately, Kris Louis, from Parentingwithkris.com, has a wonderful game plan for busy parents who are trying to sell their home. Following her tips (even just some of them!), can really help ease the work and the stress of selling your home. Read on for her ideas and strategies that are sure to decrease the stress and hopefully increase your offers! If you want more tips from Kris, please be sure to visit her website!

-Casey

How Busy Parents Can Keep Their Homes Looking Clean and Clutter-Free for Real Estate Showings

Image via Unsplash

You may be wondering how you’re supposed to keep your home looking clean and organized for realtor showings while you’re still living there—especially when a typical day consists of food messes, sticky doorknobs and walls, and dirty paw prints on your hardwood floors and carpeting. But with a few smart strategies, even busy families can be ready when house hunters call. Here’s what you need to know. 

Upgrade Your Household Products

Cleaning is obviously going to take a starring role in your daily life for a while, and when you’re busy parenting, working, and attempting to sell your home, there are a few household products that will help keep things simple when you’re short on time or preparing for a last-minute showing. For instance, a robot vacuum can keep your floors clean and free of crumbs, pet hair, dirt, and dust—even on days where you don’t have time to run a traditional vacuum cleaner.

If your realtor contacts you about a last-minute showing, however, you’ll need a tool that’s on deck for quick tidy-ups. As such, a stick vacuum may be an excellent investment—especially if you’re looking for something lightweight, cordless, and easy to operate. Some will even convert to hand vacs, which is a serious boon in any busy family household.

Lastly, purchase an apron with large pockets in the front and store your essential cleaning supplies in them. This way, you can grab the apron in a hurry and get to cleaning your home in no time. 

Focus on the Areas That Matter Most

After working with Haymount Homes to stage your home beautifully, your next step is keeping it that way. But with kids and pets in the mix, you’ll need to take a few minutes out of each day to clean, organize, and keep up on household tasks—such as cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, and entryway to your home. 

By moving much of your personal belongings into storage, however, you’ll make life a whole lot easier before showings—especially if you only keep the items that you and your family use on a daily basis. SmartBox Moving and Storage recommends pulling extra furniture, personal things like mementos and photos, and taste-specific decor. With these things out of the way, buyers can focus on your house, and you’ll have more elbow room for breezing through those speed cleaning sessions. 

If you receive a call about a last-minute showing and don’t have time to clean the entire home, Redefy Real Estate recommends taking a few minutes to focus on the kitchen, bathrooms, and main living areas. Deodorize the home, wipe down the counters, fixtures, and mirrors, move dirty dishes into the dishwasher, and re-arrange throw pillows and blankets in all living areas. Then, turn on the lights, open the blinds or drapes, take out the trash, and head out the door before your potential buyers arrive.  

Set a Few New Household Rules

As you show your home to potential buyers, you’ll keep your living areas clean, organized, and clutter-free if you establish a few ground rules for your family to follow. On showing days, for instance, avoid cooking odorous foods like broccoli, cabbage, eggs, or fish, and skip messy breakfasts like pancakes with syrup. You might even want to prepare make-ahead breakfasts that aren’t messy and are easy to grab and heat. 

Moreover, you’ll keep your home cleaner if you banish food from all areas except for the kitchen table. Then, have everyone load their dishes into the dishwasher immediately after they finish with a meal or snack. To minimize kitchen messes, however, you may even opt for disposable plates, cups, and silverware when showings are scheduled. 

Lastly, you’ll reduce clutter throughout the home if you set a new rule that requires your kids to put their personal belongings away after each use. For storing these stray items, purchase empty baskets and bins that can easily be hidden away during showings. 

As you can see, living in a home that you’re trying to sell can get complicated—but there are a few things you can do to make it more endurable. Select a few smart tools, enact strategies with simplicity in mind, and get everyone involved. With these tips in mind, your home will stay clean and show-ready—and you’ll manage to keep your sanity while you sell your home. 

HOME STAGING SELLS - BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS

We hear plenty about staging a home for sale these days - experts recommend it, realtors beg their clients to do it, and homeowners stew about whether or not it is worth the investment. We get it completely. Staging a home takes important resources: time, energy and money. However, these efforts certainly pay off in the long run.

Staging a home often brings more interest in your home, a higher selling price, more viewings, faster offers (sometimes multiple offers), and quicker sales. In our experience, you will receive every penny you spend in staging your home back in selling your home for more money in less time. Additionally, sometimes staging will just get your home sold when it otherwise has been sitting. Avoiding more time on the market also saves money.

Below you will find before and after photos of a project we recently completed. We also did some light renovations with the staging, but they were mostly cosmetic- painting, flooring refinishing, and recoloring grout. There are a few types of tile that were added and swapped out. Overall, there are big changes with the staging and light renovations, and these changes at a big impact.

Prior to the staging, this home had been in the market for a year. Once staging and light renovation were complete, 12 days later it had a full price offer for over $30,000 more than the asking price when it was removed from the market for renovations.

Enjoy the photo tour before - we all love a good before and after don’t we? We did not have before pictures of the upstairs, so we just included the first floor of this beautiful home. Staging and updating allow a home to shine in its full glory, and give the best impression to prospective buyers. If you need assistance staging your home, don’t hesitate to ask for our help! If you don’t know where to start, we can help you figure that out too!

Enjoy!

The Benander Crew