Welcome Cara Wilkerson of Live the Home Life!

Posted on 20 January 2010

We’re excited to welcome Cara Wilkerson of the blog Live the Home Life, which we recently discovered and can’t stop reading. Not only does it offer lots of design advice, it also brims with practical tips like the one in this guest post on redesigning a space to sell. Here, Cara shares her insight on using color to warm up a house for potential buyers. Check it out, then head over to her blog for more!

Thanks, Cara!

Redesigned to Sell

Few will argue that this living room is lacking potential. However, when shopping for their next dream home, buyers may have a tough time envisioning themselves living in a space in need of a little warmth and character.

With a few simple tweaks, this room will have buyers bursting down the door.

On to the game plan…

First and foremost, let’s send the lonely ottoman and rocking chair to storage. We have a few other tricks up our sleeve.

1. Paint & polish:

When prepping a home to sell, most turn to the almighty “neutrals” to lend a helping hand. While it is true that neutral colors tend to be more widely appealing to buyers, don’t be afraid to add a few strategically placed pops of color. For this room, warming up the space with a light, neutral wall color and bringing in an area rug, coffee table and wall art above the sofa will work wonders.

2. Frame it up:

Framing the windows with light curtain panels allow natural light to flow while giving the space a finished feel.

3. Accentuate focal points:

By painting the niche above the fireplace a shade slightly darker than the new wall color and adding a decorative vase, a buyer’s eye cannot help but be drawn to this living room’s centerpiece.

4. Show off your space:

The purpose of staging is to highlight a property’s best features and help buyers envision themselves living in a home. The area to the right of the fireplace is begging to be transformed into an inviting reading nook. Bringing in a cozy chair, side table, throw pillow and lamp will help a buyer visualize themselves relaxing with a good read.