One of the secrets to successfully staging your home is knowing how to add color in an updated way.

One of the easiest ways to achieve an updated look in your living and bedroom (two of the most important rooms to buyers) is to swap out your pillows for something new and trendy. It’s like buying one trendy accessory to update your outfit. You don’t need to spend a lot or redo your whole look but a little pillow power goes a long way.

I’m going to share with you some of my favorite sources for pillows. Depending on where you live you can use these as a starting point but explore your own neighborhood and metro area to find your own sources. And of course there’s online where you can find an endless variety of pillows.

Are you handy on the sewing machine? Pillow covers – for your existiing pillows – can be whipped up fairly quickly if you just want an envelope shape to fit over the existing pillow. For an example take a look at how pillow shams for bedding are constructed. If you want a more elaborate look with trim, fringe or zipper closure, that will take a little more sewing skill.

Here are my favorite pillow resources:

Target – has a nice variety of trendy colors and patterns at very reasonable prices

TJ Maxx and Marshalls – these two retailers are hit and miss but you can’t beat the prices. Occasionally you will find Ralph Lauren pillows or other name brands at greatly reduced prices. Also try their Homegoods brand with even more selection.

Tuesday Morning – again can be hit and miss but it’s worth the trip to see what you can find. Bedding pillows are usually of high quality and you may find high end brands like Peacock Alley.

Pier 1 Imports – if you’re looking for a one of a kind trendy pillow for an accent try this store. Colors are usually bright and work well in a teen’s room or sunroom

West Elm – this Williams Sonoma brand trends towards more contemporary and is a good resource for pillow covers and trend conscious styles

OneKingsLane.com – sign up for their emails and you’ll get the first pick of this online treasure hunt for top brands and vintage finds. If you are looking for the truly unique you’ll probably find it here.

Department stores – Macy’s, Dillards and JC Penney are worth checking out and if you are looking for that one unique pillow you may find it here.

Okay now for color. When you are trying to freshen up your space, think of keeping a color palette that’s consistent throughout your home. Pillows are a great way to pull in an accent color to one room that you’ve used in another room. If your sofa and chairs in your living room are neutral add a spalsh of color with pillows. Don’t be afraid to mix patterns. If you have three pillows on your sofa, two of them should have a common color or accent color, The third can be a contrasting color.

Here’s a good example of how three different pillows can work together. I would try these red, cream and tan pillows on a dark grey, navy or brown sofa. The light colors would add a nice contrast and brighten up any room. All of these are viewable on Target’s website by the way.

Don’t worry about making a mistake. Buy your pillows together so you’ll have a better chance at color coordinating and then take them home. If they don’t wow you, you can always returnthem and try again.  Pretty soon your pillow prowess will have you staging your home for sale like a pro!

Yes.

The secret to de-cluttering your home before selling is to declutter your emotions first. Feel the feelings and then let get of any guilt you feel for not needing that item in your life anymore. Whether it’s an old blanket your favorite aunt knitted for you or a holey T-shirt you wore in high school, it’s just not who you are now. And it’s okay to let go.

Remind yourself you are not rejecting the person who gave you the book or Chia pet. You probably never needed a book on crocheting an afghan or the responsibility of taking care of a pet who needed constant watering. But you took them on out of respect or affection for the giver. Recognizing and appreciating  the intention in the gift doesn’t mean you have to keep it.

Things bring up all sorts of emotions. But the things themselves aren’t going to help us with those emotions.That’s something we have to process on our own.

The more we hang on to the past and the things that were in it, the harder it is to live in the present.

Pick and choose the memories you want to be surrounded by. Happy ones? Absolutely keep it if it really makes you smile and feel good. Everything else is up for grabs.

If you are selling your home or getting ready to stage your home for sale, organizing and decluttering is your very first step.

Buyers are looking for their future in your home. Not your past.

The best way to throw away money is to sell your house “as is”.

“As is” used to be code for a home that had maintenance or repair issues the seller had no intention of repairing or addressing. Seeing “as is” in the home remarks was also a carrot to any investor or buyer looking for a great deal. In exchange for making repairs, the buyer had the opportunity to make money and in turn equity.

Putting a home on the market today without preparing it by making repairs, updating, cleaning, and staging it for sale is like throwing money away.

When buyers walk into your home and they see clutter, dated furniture and smell pet odors they mentally deduct the value off your asking price. Buyers are not only comparing your home to resale properties in their price range but also to new homes. New homes that are shiny and lack the flaws of older homes. New homes that may be staged as model homes without the clutter of owners.

The best way to market your home is to present it as new not as is. Most existing homes have great features that new homes may not. More square footage, better floorplan, more mature landscaping. You get the idea.

A stinky dated home does not get top dollar!  Don’t throw your equity (or next down payment) away. Show your home as new, not as is.