SPRING IS REAL ESTATE  SELLING TIME

  Did you know that preparing your home for sale will yield more traffic,a potential to sell faster and for more money?

Preparing your home for sale includes staging.  Staging can be as complex as renting all new furniture or renovating your home to simply de-cluttering and adding a few new accessories. 

IDEAS FOR STAGING

# 1 CURB APPEAL

Make potential clients want to come into your home. Add flowers, clear the cob webs,cut the grass, paint the front door.
If they feel your home is neglected from the outside it probably needs work on the inside too . 

#4 FIRST ROOM SETS THE TONE

The first room they enter is where you want to make an impression. Make it set the stage for the rest of the home. Make them want to see more.


#6 FLOOR PLAN 

Furniture placement really helps to make a room feel open, spacious and comfortable. If you cant afford to update anything else, spend the time to re arrange your furniture to maximize focal point and create a great flow. 
GEARING UP FOR SPRING



Before you list your home, walk thru and make a list of all the things as a " new buyer" you would want updated in your current home. Then figure out your budget and prioritize. If you feel you can't see your home with fresh eyes, we can provide you with a Real Estate Staging Report. This report includes our  "Ten No cost or Low Cost Improvements to Prepare your Home for Sale" article as well as a Full Home evaluation of what will help sell your home. 

$250 Flat Fee

visit our website www.YourInteriorDesignCoach.com

 
Save $100 off

Real Estate Staging Report
Provide this to your Realtor and get One hundred dollars off this service. Just provide your Realtor with this coupon or your Realtor's name / Company and we will take One hundred dollars off. CALL TODAY to make your appointment,
Offer Expires  05/01/15                                                                                                       Original price $250.

S. Sexton Design Associates
P.O. Box 811 Oakhurst NJ 07755

Welcome to the S. Sexton Design Associates Newsletter

Here we are three weeks into 2015. As we start each New Year with resolutions and goals,we tend to fizzle out on the ones that we are scared to do or just don't know where to begin. We've created a summary of Home Design Projects and related cost. We're here to help you achieve your goals in 2015.
 






GET YOUR HOME IN SHAPE!
Our To-Do List can grow quickly and before you know it, the list is a mile long. Priority is key, sometimes we have to take care of issues that we don't see everyday. So lets hope your home has a roof that isn't leaking, a basement that isn't wet. The air conditioning and heating are working and your windows are holding out the draft. If your main operating systems are working well, lets tackle getting the rest of your home in shape. Here are some top Interior Design Projects and their related cost. 

What project would really make a big difference in your life ?


Kitchen remodel  $22,000 - $50,000 or more
Kitchen face lift  $5,000-  $10,000
Kitchen redesign refresher $550- $1,800

Bathroom remodel $15,000- $20,000
Master bathroom remodel  $ 18,000- $35,000
Bathroom face lift $2,000 - $5,000
Bathroom redesign refresher  $550- $1,800

Master bedroom remodel $7,000-  $10,000
Master bedroom face lift  $2,000- $5,000
Master bedroom redesign refresher  $550- $1,800

Living room/ family room or Dining room remodel $10,000- $20,000
Living room/ family room or Dining room face lift  $5,000
Living room/ family room or Dining room redesign refresher $ 550- $3,000

Whole home Staging Report- for preparing your home for Sale $250



FIFTEEN DO IT YOURSELF PROJECTS


Want to tackle a few DIY projects to stretch your budget.


1. De-clutter-  remove broken, unwanted, worn or multiplies. remove old magazine, newspapers and shred old documents.  Donate  gently used clothes, accessories, and furniture  to a friend or charity. 


2. Remove heavy drapery and valances- leaving up just side panels.


3. Swap out one piece of furniture from one room for another. Use it in a way that you've never used it before.


4. Change the position of your sofa.


5.Change out the bathroom faucet 


6. Change out the countertop in the bathroom with a ready made granite top and sink from a home improvement store. 


7. Change the glass on your bathroom light fixtures


8.  Install luxury vinyl plank floors- Allure from Home Depot easy to install, can even go over existing tile. Waterproof, look like hardwood floors.

9. Tile your kitchen back splash with mosaic tile- easy to install and cut.


10. Change out a light fixture or pendant


11. Add a free standing Island- order from Ballard Designs


12. Install new closet organizing systems - closets, pantries, linen closets, toy room.


13. change out the hardware on your interior doors


14..Add color, texture and warmth by starching fabric to one focal wall or wallpaper the backside of your bookcases.


15.  Paint a room and add crown molding- new easy crown molding with pre-cut corner blocks. No mitering required.



 
No matter if your budget is big or small, little changes can make a big impact in your home. If you could do just one thing, my suggestion would be to remove clutter. If your ready to get your projects started and completed, call us or email us  stacey@ssextondesigns.com . We can help.
 
Sincerely,
 
Stacey Sexton
S. Sexton Design Associates


FREE 
Receive one free accessory with the purchase of a Room Re-Design with a retail value up to $50. No cash value.
Offer Expires: March 27,2015
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With so much in the news about Contractors ripping Homeowners off, I thought this would be a good way to help my clients out. Please feel free to
pass this and any of our newsletters onto friends and family. We all work too
hard to be taken for granted and deceived.  You can also visit our website www.ssextondesigns.com for worksheets, Project Management tips and more.


 "Ten Must Haves before you Sign a Contract for Home Improvements."

  1. BUDGET-  You must have a dollar amount that you are comfortable
  spending. This amount should be about 10 % less than what you have to spend for
  unexpected issues or splurges.  This budget needs to be realistic. Ask
  friends and family who have done recent projects what the cost of their project
  was. You can also research prices on line.

2. NOTEBOOK- a simple
notebook will make your life much easier. This is where you will put in all the
information about the contractors whom you may want to hire, notes during the
project with dates, problems, products you want, questions you have for the
contractor and what their solution was. You can place the contract, invoices,
purchase orders, estimates in a pocket within the notebook. It will all be in
one easy to reach area.

3. LICENSE & INSURANCE-  It is so
important to make sure the contractor is licensed in the state of New  Jersey.  You
can go on line and check their standing www.njconsumeraffairs.gov
  Currently the mold and water restoration companies are not
required to be licensed. I would check the better business bureau. www.bbb.org  Even if they are out of state.

I  would also ask for them to provide you with proof of insurance.
Confirm that the policy is current. You could also ask them to list you as
additionally insured. They would then get you a copy of the declaration page,
showing you as additionally insured.

4. REFERRAL- You must ask for and
call References. You want to ask questions like:
Did they complete the
project on time?
Were they neat and clean?
Did they complete the project
on budget?
Did they do quality work?
Would you use them again in your
home?

5. RESEARCH-  Research information about  what you want
to accomplish on the web. Look for articles or expert advise, so you have an
understanding of what is involved in the project. What time frames, budgets,
equipment, skills, tools, know- how  and how-to's. The more you are
educated on the project, the less likely you will be fooled by someone who is not
qualified to handle the project.

6.  CONTRACT-  You must have
a contract in the state of New
Jersey for anything over $500. But I would  Always
require a contract. This spells out, what you are getting and what they are
getting/ giving. Then there are no grey areas on what one person thought it
included versus the other. It will all be in black and white. You can even write
your own, in simple language and have the contractor sign it and you sign it.
Each of you should get a copy.

7. CAMERA-   Along with your
notebook, you should document before, during and after pictures. You can use
your camera in your phone or a separate camera. I would take pictures of
questionable items as well. It is also great when the project is complete, you
can look back at what you started with, how far you have come and what a
beautiful end result. All that dust, noise and disorganization will all be worth
it in the end.

8. DATES- In the contract you should have a tentative
start date and a time frame for completion. Now this will change based on many
factors. Some which the contractor can control and some they can not. Delays due
to inspections, back ordered products, acts of nature and illness are things
that can happen and are out of everyone's control. Homeowners also need to make
sure they are not the cause for delay. Such as non payment, delay in purchasing
long lead time items, no access into the home,  restricted hours that the
contractor can work. If there is an important Event that is occurring, please
state this at the beginning. If there is not enough adequate time for the
project to be completed before the event, the project may need to be done after
the event. As a homeowner you can not tell the contractor a week before the
event when there is still three weeks left of work.

9. DETAILS- Your
invoice, purchase order, estimates and/or contract should spell out specifics of
the products being  purchased.  It should have as much detail as
possible. Manufacturer, model #, door style, color, wood species, fabric, style,
size, etc. Especially when you are at the beginning stages of getting bids from
contractors. How could you compare apples to apples without knowing what each
contractor based their cost on? One may be giving you builders grade products
when another may be giving you high -end products.  This information will
also be helpful after the project is complete. If you have a warranty issue or
need a repair. It is best to know what your money is paying for. You may have a
specific Brand in mind and unless you have stated it to the contractor and it is
written on the purchase order, you may not get what you expect.

10. DEPOSITS-  Your contract will have a final amount and then a break down of
payments. It would be best for Phase or multi-rooms to be broken down by each
room or Phase. NEVER pay in full, unless its a small amount of money and the
lead time is short.  The initial deposit should be one third to one half of
the job. This depends on the scope of the project. If you are talking about a
multi-room project or Phases, I would pay only an initial deposit on the room or
phase  they are beginning with.  Payments should be based on work
COMPLETED. A date is not a good way to make payments. You want it to be based on
work completed.  For instance the next payment of 1/3 is due after drywall
is up, taped/ spackled and sanded. No final payments should be made until the
inspections, walk thru and punch list is completed. This walk thru would
generate a punch list on what needed to be completed. Once all three things are
complete then final payment can be made. Remember if this dollar amount is not
substantial, the contractor may not come back to finish up. Most towns recommend
10 % of the job. So on a ten thousand dollar job -  the payments for a half
deposit would be a $5,000 deposit, $4000 next payment and $1,000 final. It could also be broken down by thirds- a  $3,334 deposit,  $3,334 next payment and final $3332.  Again remember to base the payments on work completed not by dates.