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Anyone who has ever gone out on a job interview or a date knows how important a good first impression is. First impressions can color the entire way we approach a person and environment. When it comes to your home, you want to create a positive setting that draws people in on first sighting.

But did you know that there are several common home staging mistakes that sellers do that actually have an opposite, polarizing effect; turning away potential buyers?  The following is a look at those common faux pas to ensure you avoid them and instead sell your home fast:

3 Common Home Staging Mistakes to Avoid

Not professionally cleaning before the stage. Regular house cleaning, even if it's the best house cleaning efforts you've ever done, may not be enough to really appeal during home staging. This is one of those situations in which you want a deep clean done by the professionals. Professional house cleaning services will ensure everything is pristine from floorboard to ceiling corner, helping both get out stains and lingering odors. This is important both because a deep clean best shows off a property and it sends a subliminal message that the house has been well-cared for and maintained.

Forgetting about storage areas (including the garage). Storage areas can be make or break spaces for your future buyers. So it's important to not neglect these areas when prepping for photographs or open houses. If necessary, consider renting a storage facility to store all of your excess clothes, blankets, Tupperware, etc. Thus, whether it's a closet or garage, make sure it's included in your list of places to prep!

Not putting away personal items. This can be a very, very hard thing for home sellers to avoid but it is important. Remember, the goal of a home staging, both in pictures and when setting up an open house, is to get potential home buyers to imagine what the home could be like if it were theirs. You want to create a neutral canvas that allows your audience to paint in the details. As such, having too many personal items and personalized decor touches can turn off potential home buyers. So pack them up and send them off to the storage unit before the cameras come out and the buyers start a'knocking. 

Let's face it – selling a home in a buyer's market is far from ideal. In this scenario, a home seller likely will compete with many property sellers to promote his or her residence. And despite a home seller's best efforts, there are no guarantees that he or she will be able to maximize the value of a residence.

A buyer's market often is a dream come true for property buyers and a worst nightmare for property sellers. Lucky for you, we're here to help you navigate a buyer's market and ensure you can get the best price for your home.

Now, let's take a look at three tips that every home seller who is operating in a buyer's market needs to know.

1. Complete a Home Appraisal

A home appraisal offers a valuable opportunity for a home seller because it enables this individual to identify a property's strengths and weaknesses. That way, a home seller can find the best ways to enhance a residence and help it stand out from other available properties.

Typically, a home appraiser will inspect a residence both inside and out. After the evaluation is completed, the home appraiser will provide a home seller with a report that describes problem areas that were identified during the assessment.

A home appraisal report can make a world of difference for a home seller, particularly in a buyer's market. With this report in hand, a home seller can work toward enhancing a house's interior and exterior.

2. Establish a Competitive Price for Your Residence

What you paid for your home a few years is unlikely to match the value of your house today. Meanwhile, a home seller should set a competitive price for a residence to ensure that his or her house stirs up plenty of interest from homebuyers.

To determine a competitive price, examine the prices of comparable homes that are currently available in your area. This will help you establish a price range for houses similar to your own.

Furthermore, check out the prices of recently sold homes in your city or town. This housing market data can help you make an informed decision about how to price your residence.

3. Work with an Experienced Real Estate Agent

An experienced real estate agent is unafraid to list a home in a buyer's market. In fact, this housing market professional knows exactly what it takes to sell a residence in any real estate market, at any time.

Thanks to an experienced real estate agent, you can streamline the home selling process. This real estate professional will showcase your house to the right groups of property buyers consistently. He or she also will set up home showings and open houses, negotiate with property buyers on your behalf and do everything possible to help you optimize the value of your residence.

Take the guesswork out of selling a home in a buyer's market. Use these tips, and you can keep things simple as you sell your residence.

Image by congerdesign from Pixabay

Have you always dreamed of having a beautiful stately headboard at the head of your bed? Do you have an old door and wonder just what you can do with it? If you answered yes to both of those questions, boy, do we have the perfect project for you. Using your old door and a few more supplies, you can make your dreams a reality, creating a gorgeous headboard in seven easy steps. Here’s how.

1. Grab All Your Supplies

Before you get started, gather your materials and tools to breeze through this project with ease. The materials you will need include:

As for tools, you will need:

With those items in hand, you can get started on creating the headboard of your dreams out of an old door.

2. Remove the Old Hardware

Use your screwdriver to remove all the old hardware on the door, including the hinges and doorknob. Either toss out the old hardware or put it to the side for another project.

3. Give It Legs & a Frame

Cut the 2x4s down to size with the cut-off saw, making them small enough to frame around three sides of the back edge. You will screw these pieces along the sides and top edge of the back of the door to extend it out enough to accommodate the mantle edge. Then, measure your bed to determine how long the legs need to be. Cut the rest of the 2x4s to that length and screw them to the bottom of the door.

4. Dress It Up with Trim

Take the oak board and cut it to the length of the door. Secure to the top edge of the door with your nail gun. Cut two pieces of the crown molding to the length of the door and secure them just under the oak board to create a cohesive mantle edge. Then, do the same for the sides, cutting a small piece of crown molding and securing it with the nail gun.  

5. Sand & Paint

While being careful to retain the edges of the molding and door details, sand everything down lightly to prep the area for paint. Then, use your brushes to paint the surface using your selected color. Allow the first coat to dry for at least four hours, then add a second. Allow the second coat to dry overnight before continuing with this project.

6. Install on the Frame

With the door painted, it is time to install it on the frame of your bed. You can do so by finding the height of the mounting point on your bedframe and measuring up the legs to mark that point. Then, use your drill to create holes large enough for your mounting hardware. Slide your hardware through the hole in the legs and the mounting plate, then tighten down with your ratchet and socket set.  

7. Step Back & Admire

Once you reach this step, all that is left to do is step back and admire your hard work. Your efforts have not only saved an old door from the landfill, but also allowed you to create the headboard of your dreams. And that is definitely something to be proud of.