The New House Archives - Page 7 of 7

The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!

Posted on October 3, 2018March 24, 2020 by admin

f1945c5b-c38d-4f5a-973e-ddeb20391225 — Lights, TV Jazz, showing time!!!!

This is not a staging checklist. It’s a showing checklist. So if your house isn’t staged yet, this article isn’t for you. There are a bazillion staging tutorials out there, but once you’re staged you’re ready for your first showing, and that’s where I come in.

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So you get the call from your realtor. Hooray! Showing in the morning! So what now? Panic? No. Pop a bottle of wine? Maybe. Later. But, first…

So, how would I know how to do a fantastic showing anyway? When we sold our house two years ago we got top dollar and had multiple offers. Both times we were under contract in less than a week from the time the house was listed (our original buyers backed out when their co-signer changed their mind). I think that makes me an expert. Or a rockstar. Or possibly just experienced.

The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!

I did a bunch of research and compiled a checklist to use so I wouldn’t stress out on showing days. The second time around we had multiple showings per day. Was I under pressure? Yes. But, cool as a cucumber. I had my list. And I really, actually used it.

Our feedback from the showing agents was overwhelmingly positive. It got a little ridiculous to be perfectly honest. Realtors started showing up with buyers that couldn’t afford it but just wanted to see it. Cause it was really cool inside. So, we became a temporary tourist attraction. Sigh. It’s hard to be so popular sometimes.

The point is, my list worked. And lucky for you, I’m willing to share with you so you can be a calm, popular seller, too. Sit back and wait for the offers to start pouring in.

Printable: The Ultimate Home Showing Checklist.

So here’s the bottom line: You’re selling a lifestyle, not just a house. The buyers are looking at a house, but they’re really taking a peek at your lives. If they want your life, they’ll want your house. Your job is to seduce them into picturing themselves living there, and living your groovy life. You can do it.

Decide what the coolest parts of your house are and tell a story about them. Control the flow of the house by luring buyers from space to space. If you have great entertaining spaces, set up a party scene. If you have an art studio, make it immaculate and inviting with a blank canvas set up. If you have an awesome movie/media room cue up a Nat Geo HD film that show off the awesomeness of the room and equipment. Here are the basics:

So some of the items on my list are not original. They’re common sense. I’m assuming things are basically clean (I hired maids to come weekly while we were on the market, and I whole-heartedly recommend it). Clean:

Make beds. I took the opportunity to get new sets during staging. Overstock usually has some nice, reasonable ones. It’s a lot of bang for the buck. If you really want to outdo yourself, shop (or just look at) the Pottery Barn bedding to get ideas for a well staged bed. Especially in the master bedroom, the retreat feel is important. (I am astounded by the number of beds I see in real estate photos with straightened-ish blankets and not so much as a bed skirt to cover the metal legs. Apparently these people are in no rush to sell the place.) The cool thing is… you can take new bedding with you, so go for it.

Pick up. Nothing screams stress to most people more than an untidy house that looks like there isn’t enough organization/storage space. And remember, you’re selling a relaxing, organized, and clean house.

Do the dishes. It’s okay if they’re sitting in the dishwasher.

Sweep & vacuum. Seriously, leave the lines in the carpet. It screams, “we keep this place clean and well cared for.”

Wipe and clear the kitchen counters. Make them shine.

Check bathrooms. The smell of cleaner is okay.

Mow lawn. Pull weeds. (Never leave anything that says, “I’m work waiting for you to do when you move in here.”)

Specialty items:

Hang fresh towels in the bathrooms. Get bright white, new towels. White towels make your baths feel like a Spa. I got new towels for staging/showings and threatened everyone in the family about not using them until after the house was sold. They don’t have to be soft, just new and white. I bought some reasonable ones here.

Temperature: 70. Crank that AC in the summer. Make it toasty in the winter. It should feel refreshing. It gives buyers a sense that the heat/cooling systems are in good working order. This is a great time to check your air filters to make sure it doesn’t sound like the system is struggling when it cycles. I use 3m filtrete filters that last three months. Yes, you can buy them on Amazon, but they’re cheaper from Lowe’s.

Fireplace. Turn it on low. Even in the summer. It creates a nice ambiance and it shows the buyers the fireplace works.

Set the table (Pinterest some cool table scapes and copy them). Even if the dining room isn’t great, people remember it being “inviting” because the table is set. It looks like the house is ready to do some entertaining. Once again, you can take this stuff with you. World Market always carries some reasonable, stylish sets.

Open the drapes. All the way. Open the blinds flat and pull them halfway up the window. Make sure they’re straight and not lopsided.

Lights. Blazing. Turn them all on and open all of the interior doors. Don’t let potential buyers fumble for light switches or door handles. They should be able to walk through and simply enjoy. (I left a note for the realtors telling them we’d turn the lights off when we got home). This is not the time to be stingy about the light bill.

Case in point, there are three different lights in this room and no windows. It is a cave with no lights on- pitch black. There is a lightswitch for the built in bed over by the bed. There is a lamp on the dresser. With the door open and all the lights on this is a showcase. Every kid in the world wants this room. Fumbling for the lights and trying to see it in the dark would leave the proper “showing” of this room to chance. Turning the lights on in advance let’s you control the showing.

Pictures (okay, this is a staging item, but I feel strongly about it. I also apparently disagree with every HGTV host, ever). Only take your family pictures down if they’re in lousy frames and/or you have ugly kids. Be honest with yourself here. People realize that someone lives in the house… isn’t that why companies use models to sell clothing? Think of your family photos as “happy family home” models. I had a cool wall with black and white canvasses full of family pictures. We left those pictures up. They just screamed “we’re one big happy family in our happy family home.” It’s also a wall-staging item. Without those our staircase would be empty.

Music. Low volume smooth jazz. If you have cable there are usually music channels included in your package so we had several TVs on with smooth jazz going. That is professional level ambiance.

Garbage disposal. Run a lemon or orange through it right before the showing. The citrus hides any lingering smells you might have missed. If you don’t keep citrus on-hand, you can get a bag of forty garbage disposal bombs from Bed, Bath & Beyond for about ten bucks.

Cinnamon apple glade. A can per showing in a 2000sf house. No kidding. I did a ton of research and apple pie or cinnamon apple apparently puts people in a “this is the one” mindset. I don’t question it. It worked. Buy it here.

Pool, gardens, and specialty areas should be freshly staged. Wet your decks, exterior pavers, and mulch with a garden hose. They look nicer darker and like you’ve given them fresh attention. If you ever watch hgtv outdoor transformations shows, pay attention next time. Everything is soaked when they do “the reveal”. Get new pool towels and roll them up on your deck chairs/chaise lounges. Open your pool umbrella if you have one and put out the cushions. It needs to feel inviting.

Take your animals with you. Hide evidence of them existing. Seriously. Cat litter boxes, beds… etc. Put them in your car when you leave. Nothing deters a buyer with cat allergies more than telltale signs of pets. I was bitten by a jack Russell once during a showing. You have no idea what your pets will do when you’re not there. Nothing like getting sued by someone you were hoping would buy your house because Snooki bit them trying to get into the master bedroom (and no, I didnt’ sue. I just gave them a heads up they might want to take the dog with them next time). Potential buyers may also let your indoor cats outside or your circus dog out.

Make sure evidence of animals is gone. Hit areas with telltale hair with tape or a lint roller.

Kitchen. Clear counters except your nice knife block. A bottle of wine with a few glasses for later is a nice touch. (Who’s in the mood to celebrate buying a house???)

Remember, you ultimately only need ONE buyer. It’s going to be the one that falls in love with your life. Prepare accordingly.

Do you have any niche showing tips that you recommend? I would love to see your tips and questions in the comments section! Thanks for reading and you can find more great DIY articles here.

Cheers and happy selling!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon offers a small commission on products sold through their affiliate links. Each of your purchases via our Amazon affiliation links supports our cause at no additional cost to you.

If a blogger links to an Amazon product (with a special code for affiliates embedded in the link), and a reader places an item in their “shopping cart” through that link within 24 hours of clicking the link, the blogger gets a small percentage of the sale. Amazon links are not “pay per click.” If you click on the product link and stay around Amazon and purchase something else, however, I will get a commission on that sale.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Mastering the Scene: Demijohn And Classic Black, Round Mirror

Posted on September 25, 2018March 19, 2019 by admin

What the heck is a demijohn anyway? Well, it’s a big bottle. It’s the old version of our current jug- used to transport oils, wine, etc. In its “natural” form it often has a wicker encasing. It’s thought to possibly be a corruption of the French word dame-jeanne… but whatever they are AWESOME. They are a perfect foundation piece to style around for lots of different holidays.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

I’ve been dying to get one of these for a while but didn’t want to get a knock off with a seam down the side (that’s how you can tell the real deal from the reproductions). I ended up ordering one from pottery barn (here’s a link) when they had a good sale and free shipping (you can find good ones on Etsy, but the shipping almost doubles the price). It’s hard to give up the control, but you don’t get to choose your color, just the relative size.

I recently found another similar Demijohn from Amazon, recycled, with no seams. It’s pretty awesome, too, and about $50 less.

This beauty was clear (I was sort of hoping for a colored one but it’s really gorgeous) with some bubbles seeded in the glass. Very nice. Absolutely authentic. I think it is cool they tell you where it comes from. Mine was from 1950s Hungary.

Large Demijohn from Pottery Barn, 1950s Hungary

I currently have a Spring/Summer scene styled with cherry blossoms and a burlap runner.

The cherry blossoms are silk (the curse of having cats, everything real is poisonous to them), but the pricier ones are quite passable. You can get them here from Amazon. I have a set of these pink ones, also.

You can see the nice detail on the silk blossoms here.

The burlap runner, which had to be hemmed, I purchased here. It came with three (which I have on my piano and other entry table).

The mirror I got from Hobby Lobby on sale (just google a coupon). You can buy it here. I really wanted to check it out in person because I didn’t want one that felt cheap or like rubber/plastic. These run REALLY pricey from RH or Pottery Barn and I don’t have an extra grand to drop on a mirror. Just be patient, they often have 40 or 50% off at Hobby Lobby.

The lantern is from Pottery Barn and can be purchased here. They are nice and solid (I’ve had that lantern for years). The Stress Relief candle is my FAVORITE from Bath & Bodyworks, available here from Amazon.

Thanks for checking out one of our awesome decor scenes. Read more about our home project wins and fails here.

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

How to Install Driveway Lights You Can Run Over

Posted on September 2, 2018February 2, 2021 by admin

We live in an awesome neighborhood, way at the back on a very private cul-de-sac. We love having people over and they often stay until the sun has gone down. One thing that comes with seclusion is DARKNESS. It turns out, backing out of the driveway in the dark gets pretty sporty in our neck of the woods. It amazes me how many people are lousy at backing out of a driveway even in the daylight, but without streetlights or yard floods, our driveway was ink black at night. After a friend almost backed into a giant tree in the garden, I decided it was time for action.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

We came up with the idea to do solar LED road pucks. They are rated up to 20 tons, so it doesn’t matter if you back over them on a daily basis. They were $25 each at Lowe’s but we found them for about half online. The road pucks are available on Amazon (which gets me 5% back on my card!!).

Close Up of the Lights. Pretty cool, huh?

So, here’s the easiest installation you’ll ever do:

We let them charge for a day and laid them out at night to make sure:

they were all working
we liked the direction the light was shining
and we were happy with the spacing.

We bought two tubes of Liquid Nails Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive (for use with a caulk gun), precleaned the spots where we wanted them on the drive, applied liberally, set in place, and let them dry. I recommend wearing rubber gloves because it’s easiest to smear the liquid nails around with your finger (unless you just like picking glue out of your nail beds).

It was a super easy and fast project, and our new runway lights really help people stay on the driveway when they’re backing out in the early morning or late at night. There’s nothing I love more than a project you can knock out in under two hours and for under a hundred bucks. Instant gratification.

Now I’m just worried about aircraft mistaking it for a runway.

Thanks for hanging with us and good luck with the lights!

Check out some of our other simple projects here. Cheers!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Classic Stacked Stone Garden, Phase Two

Posted on August 28, 2018March 12, 2019 by admin

Dry stacked stone gardens are so beautiful. We’ve done this style several times and this is phase two of this particular project. If you missed it, you can read the directions for the how-to for phase one here. This is a HUGE project labor wise, so if you’re doing it yourself, pace yourself. Where we left off from the last post, this is what the garden looked like after Rainman helped me level it.

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The next step now that the wall was all beautifully level was to block off under the front porch so the topsoil doesn’t go underneath. This is fairly simple, but requires some strength. First, I had to remove the white vinyl lattice that enclosed the crawl space under the porch. It was a matter of grabbing and pulling. With a little wiggling and yanking it came right out. I’m sure my aggression (I sort of despise the white vinyl lattice) helped the process go more smoothly.

By the time I got to installing the boards, I was huffing and puffing trying to get the anchors in. You’ll need treated lumber and masonry screws. I like the beefy two inch boards. Measure the depth on your boards and get your screws 3/4 inch longer than that. It’s not terribly important for the boards to be the same length or exactly the same as you’ll only see the top line. It’s really only important that they be level or match the board above them, because they’ll look awful if they’re crooked. Here it was most important visually for them to match the white trim board above them, so that’s where I leveled off of.

Most of these masonry packets come with a drill bit, which you’ll need. I had my helper hold the boards up once they were cut (I allowed about four inches per side to anchor the brick bases). Then I lined up the drill bit on the wood where it will go through to the GROUT line. Don’t drill into the brick, just into the grout. After drilling each hole, I managed to get two screws per side into the bases and that held them. Once the dirt is in place these things won’t move anyway, but I like everything being really solid.

Once the boards were up, we piled the medium gravel (from phase one) under each opening to prevent the dirt from making it’s way under the porch.

Close up of boards under porch with drainage rocks.

So, we moved the base caps off to the side and began the process of bringing in topsoil. I had 8 yards of topsoil delivered and had to wheelbarrow it in because the truck dumping it would have collapsed the walls. I think on top of the dump truck we probably had another ten scoops we added to top it off.

Meanwhile, I had ordered the palm tree that was going in, but wasn’t quite ready to receive it. You know, like we weren’t done putting in the dirt. It arrived two weeks early so I had to scramble to get the dirt at least in that part of the garden. By the way, these are my garden gloves and really helped save my hands moving rocks, dirt, and using shovels, etc.

The installers showed up a day late and I ended up having to leave a soccer cone in place (PUT IT HERE, PLEASE) and leave for a soccer game. That’s a lot of trust to make sure it’s level and plumb without being there. Trusting other people to do something correctly is not really my strong suit. But, they did a good job and it’s mostly straight.

So, we continued lugging dirt and I started putting landscaping fabric on the “finished” areas.

The hydrangea I ordered also arrived ahead of schedule so I needed a place to put them so they would be happy. I was unable to find the Annabelle hydrangea I wanted at our local nursery or lowes but I found them at Brighterblooms.com. They came super fast so, I cut out little homes for them around the palm. I generally use Miracle Grow Garden Soil in the holes when I plant them so they get a little head start.

Once the topsoil was in (FINALLY) the rest of the project went really fast. I completed the landscaping fabric install and went back to my big capstones. They were super easy to put in because the walls were already level and there is an upslope in the garden up to the porch. Once the capstones were in we got about three loads of mulch from the local mulch place and put in a row of Dwarf Radicans Gardenia, also from Brighter Blooms. I’ve had great luck with them over the years, long before I started blogging.

Did you happen to notice that we ripped out the porch railings? Yeah, that wasn’t planned. I was sitting back and looking at the garden and thought, “wow, those have got to go.” A half hour and a swinging hammer later the railings were down (read all about our fabulous front porch update here).

The install has been complete for three months and I’ve only pulled out three weeds, superficially clinging to the surface of the mulch. The plants are doing well and the palm is opening.

This is what it looks like at the end of the summer.

Cost for this phase:

8 Yards topsoil, delivered $347
Sabal Palm, installed $365
Base garden plants $299
Wood and masonry screws $211

So, the cost of the entire project from beginning to end totalled $2822. Certainly not cheap, but REALLY beautiful and absolutely worth every hour of labor.

A note on plants… In my last several gardens I chose plants that quickly got completely out of hand and required a lot of pruning and maintenance. I do NOT have time for all of that nor do I want to create full gardens where snakes can hide. By installing the garden correctly (i.e. using landscaping fabric) the only maintenance this garden should need is occasional dry season watering, fall hydrangea pruning, and annual mulching refresh. I intentionally chose dwarf species for both the hydrangea and gardenia to minimize the chances of creating an overgrown, high maintenance garden.

Thanks for sharing our adventure! Check out more of our projects Here.

*Update: it’s now October and we’ve been through a major hurricane and a tropical storm. My garden wall survived without so much as a shift. Some of the plants took a beating, but my palms are still standing. I’ll update with pictures in the spring!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

Easy DIY Shelves from Plumbing Supplies

Posted on August 3, 2018March 12, 2019 by admin

Every idea starts somewhere. I like to pin ideas obsessively until I

1) have the money and time to actually do the project or

2) grow out of it and decide I don’t like it anymore.

But, inevitably, every project starts with an inspiration/planning board.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

This project was part of a bigger project to customize and teenagerize a 16 year old boy’s room. One of the things I really wanted for his room were some cool shelves. This particular kid used to be my “LEGO man” (also possibly Rainman in training). Aside from the three bins of legos under his bed, there were a bunch of assembled, very detailed, prized LEGO creations that desperately needed homes. But, cool, big kid homes to match the six foot teenager to whom they belonged. I offered several options and he agreed that these shelves fit the bill. It sounded a lot like, “yeah, they’re fine.” Very exciting.

I’ve seen many versions of the shelf style I was going for, but my favorite came from Seventh House on the Left. Inspiration pin : Restoration Hardware inspired shelves. They were well done and well photographed. Here’s our slightly different version, for a different application:

What you’ll need:

Spray paint. Rustoleum has some cool faux metal products, so go with the one you like. I used one I thought looked like wrought iron. For purchasing online Buy it here.

Stain and poly combo for the shelves. For purchasing online Buy it here.

Assorted plumbing fittings (go into the hardware store, plumbing aisle, and look for a base, shaft, and cap. Make sure they are all the same width and fit together). If you prefer to buy online Buy the bases here. Amazon has them cheaper than the hardware store, and already matched and stacked:

Length of shelves you want in raw lumber. We used 2X8s.

So, yes, before we get started I feel it necessary to mention that I have the maturity level of a 12 year old boy. I giggled every time I passed these while they were in work due to their phallic form. EVERY TIME. My immaturity is part of my charm, I’m sure.

Also worth mentioning: depending on how many of these you do, they’re not actually cheap. I was thinking I was going to get a bargain on the shelves, but the metal penises ended up costing about $144. For those of you that are math-challenged, that’s $12 per bracket (the Amazon ones are $7.50 per bracket). Not exactly cheap for plumbing parts. You can certainly pick up pairs of brackets way cheaper, but not fun, awesome, phallic brackets as cool as these.

Step one: assemble the brackets. Display them proudly on the kitchen counter. Procrastinate a month. Giggle when you walk by them.

Have a dinner party. Berate your friends for pointing out the obvious. Tell them they’re all children.

Step two: spray paint them. They may need several coats. Allow them to dry completely. I’d do this outdoors in a well ventilated area, unless you like spray paint in your house. In which case, feel free.

Step three: mount the brackets to the wall. Aim for studs whenever possible. You really only need two screws per bracket, but I liked four so it looks cooler. We did use Sheetrock mounts in a few places, but I’m confident they’re solid. (If you’re planning to use these for bowling ball storage you’re on the wrong tutorial).

Step three: cut your shelf lumber to size.

Somewhere during this step, Rainman very helpfully and without supervision went in and cut beautiful shelves. He dry fitted them and TA DA, showed them to me in the room on the beautifully mounted metal penises. And here I was torn. Because he had used standard one inch boards instead of the two inch boards I had purchased for these particular shelves. He was so proud. His happy, smiling, “look how good I did, Ma” face just Rainmanning from here to Never Never Land. And these were so ready, and cut, and fit. Ready to stain. Never again will I assume that he noticed the big, beefy board used in the picture I showed him (or anything in any picture I showed him ever).

A few hours later, he finally got it out of me that my palpable and poorly disguised misery was due to the width of the board and that in my desperation to NOT be an ungrateful turd I was willing to sacrifice the perfection of my design plan.

He re-cut the correct boards and I went happily to staining them.

Step four: dry fit your boards. (The ones you bought for the project, not the ones you cut out of the wrong sized boards).

Step five: sand and stain your shelves.

Tip: For the love of all that is holy, please, please stain these in an outdoor covered area or the garage. The stain was beautiful, but we could smell it for WEEKS. Did I say smell? I meant TASTE. It really needs time to cure before it is ready to be moved into a living space.

Step six: hang your shelves. Ours are not fastened to the brackets. Depending on your application you may want sleeves that screw onto the wood, but we love ours as is. They are just sitting on the brackets.

Step seven: dress your shelves and enjoy.

Total cost for the supplies was right around $200 for super awesome, one of a kind shelves.

Thanks for tuning in and feel free to ask questions in the comments section!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

A Classic Stacked Stone Garden Wall, Phase One

Posted on August 1, 2018March 12, 2019 by admin

This is a multi-phase project… and turned out being one of the many I decided to “surprise” Rainman with when he got back from a trip.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

Here’s the deal, I love this house. However, one of the reasons we chose this place is because it has beautiful bones and is ripe for updating. The front yard was no exception. The exterior of the house has the potential to be spectacular, the landscaping on the other hand is at best generic. Someone planted a whole bunch of stuff when this place was built. The next person let it go. Like the amazon, it took over. There may be undiscovered species living by the pool.

We ripped it out. And are still in the process of ripping out more. Baby steps. Here’s what this project started with (after a lot of wild bush removal had already happened). This was my blank pallet:

From overgrown to a big, stark, boring looking thing. Now that I’m looking at it, it almost looks like new construction. We just can’t have that, now can we?

Here’s my vision: I love stacked stone walls. I love the look of them in my native New England, like they’ve been there forever, meandering along the hillside, fallen autumn leaves contrasting their mossy patina. Sigh.

I’ve built them at two previous homes and helped friends with them, so I’m getting pretty damn good at them. I STILL love them and haven’t outgrown them, so they must be CLASSIC. The first time I did this, I did it without google. I did it without GASP Pinterest. I did it without the internet. I was trying to dig rocks out of my new construction home in the PA Poconos to create space for a lawn. My idea was to bring in soil and grow grass myself. A great place for my two little boys to play. I KEPT HITTING ROCKS. As the pile grew, my new plan began to take shape. I had more than enough for a garden and by maybe cutting into the empty lot next door just a smidge I uncovered enough for a gorgeous garden that ran the length of the whole house. I had no idea at the time how many thousands of dollars I had saved, but I had uncovered the beginnings of my lust for constant improvement.

This newest project, I didn’t realize initially, was going to be varsity level and my estimate on materials (as usual) was waaaay low.

Tip: Whatever your guesstimate is on materials, double it.

What you’ll need:

Long hose or stiff rope for laying out the garden line
Light colored spray paint
Shovel
Gloves
Wheel barrel
Medium drainage rock
Pea gravel
Topsoil
Flatstones

I really wanted to get started before the SNAKES woke up (shudder), so I think we started in February. We started by laying out a long hose and moving it around to try to visualize where I wanted the wall. Now, this takes some imagination and time. It’s very difficult to try to imagine the wall at its full height.

Tip: Get the line where you think you love it. Walk away. Come back. Adjust it. Leave it overnight. Have coffee with your pretend wall in the morning. Adjust it again. Have wine with it in the evening. Adjust it again. Ask a friend for her opinion of the line. Ignore her opinion. Adjust it again. You get the idea.

Once I was in love with my curvy line I used white spray paint along the line to mark my garden edge. I also spray painted the black hose. Whoops. If Rainman noticed, he didn’t fuss about it.

My son helped me dig out a trench from the line toward the house a few inches deep and about a foot and a half wide. We essentially removed a layer of sod and replanted it in a bare spot the idiot dog dug up. This is a process. If you want to rent a sod cutter (for larger sized walls) they are available from rental companies and home depot pretty reasonably. For me, I have free teenager labor, so I skipped it.

I noticed in previous projects that a solid base for the wall, especially a heavy one, is pretty important for its stability. I’ve seen walls sink, slide, and tip when done improperly. Depending on your soil, you may want to do a true paver base (4-6 inches of tamped sand over a layer of medium rocks). Our soil is very stable. We put a layer of drainage rock down to put the first layer of stones on, supplemented by pea gravel to balance the rocks.

Design tip: Go bigger. Extend the line of your garden past where the traditional “base plantings” go. Use curves. Curves are sexy. We like sexy.

Once that good layer of drainage rock is down, it’s much easier to settle and balance the first layer of flat stones. It’s really difficult to explain the balancing and the building… but a lot of it is common sense. The other part is pure finesse and artistic ability. You’ve either got it, or you don’t. Rainman doesn’t participate in this process until we get to final leveling. He would lose his mind.

Tip: If you have a Rainman helping, employ him by having him unload pallets and separate the stones into similarly sized piles. Set aside unusually large and straight edged stones to be used later as capstones. It’s helpful to you, and prevents any freak-outs because of the un-squareness of the building materials.

Keep the seams away from each other, use drainage rocks or splintered stones from your pallet to shim, backfill with topsoil and smaller drainage rocks or gravel.

Here’s the deal, these are dry stacked, but they’re not going anywhere. There are two different stone sizes used to balance and I kept them packed from behind with topsoil. Plus the very subtle lean toward the garden itself keeps it naturally balanced.

And thus began the game of Tetris.

You’ll notice that in some areas there is a double layer of skinny rocks and some areas of the trench are covered by larger rocks. It doesn’t matter as long as you keep them balanced. Start wide at the base and keep irregular stones to build up/balance the back. You won’t see this part as it will be buried, so the balance is the only part that matters on the back of the wall. The front on the other hand is important. I tried really hard to keep the front edge relatively flush so nobody slices a leg open walking by. Obviously, the front is the side that will be visible and the aesthetic matters.

Once that first layer is down, fill the middle with medium rocks. Use the gravel to help balance the next level of rocks.

It helps to work from one side and work around the garden to the other side. Some people work one layer at a time but that doesn’t work for me. I end up laying out half a pallet of stones and looking for specific shapes as I go. Think: giant jigsaw puzzle.

You can see in the next picture, the wall is much higher by the steps then tapers off because I was working in that direction.

Notice the two piles of rock, one medium rock, one pea gravel. I worked from these piles during the whole, very long process. Also notice the large rocks back by the lattice work. As I found large, flat stones in the pallets, I set them aside for the end to be used as capstones. It gives the finished product a very polished look.

Tip: If you have a truck, it is MUCH, MUCH cheaper to get scoops of topsoil and different fill rock from the local mulch store than getting bags from Lowe’s or Home Depot. It’s also MUCH, MUCH easier to back the truck up and unload it with a shovel than to drag individual bags out of your car.

Once the wall started getting high enough to be concerned about it slipping, I began adding topsoil. My son was not happy about the daily order of dirt from the mulch place on his way home from school, but I have to abuse him as much as possible before he leaves to go to college, right?

Each load was two scoops of topsoil in his little truck. Pack the soil in on the backside of the wall by shoveling it in from inside the garden. Using care not to shift the wall, use the back of the shovel to pat down and settle the dirt in. If you use the gravel and rocks appropriately, it shouldn’t be shifting at all.

At the end of this part of the project, the capstones were set aside and the wall was “close” to level. When Rainman got home from his trip he helped me get the wall much closer to level and ready for dirt. This was accomplished by putting stakes in at the ends and the tips of each curve then attaching a white string. Then enter the level. The Rainman. The corrections. The tempers. Then, a really nice product.

That was phase one of the stone bed. Phase two involves more stone, lots of dirt, and power tools. The lattice work needs to be ripped out and the openings closed in to support the garden dirt so we can keep going with the building-the-garden process.

Rainman, don’t read this part:

Supplies so far:

4 pallets of flat stone, delivered $1400
Medium stone, pea gravel, and topsoil $200

Don’t be fooled or disheartened by the brevity of this post. This was weeks of work. Every afternoon. It was winter when we began and as you can see the grass is turning green. It’s going to take a long time and it’s a labor of love. It’s worth it though.

Phase two of the project is here. Stay with us!

*Legal stuff:

I am honest about my experiences with different products and write because I enjoy it. I do however, have the opportunity to earn money for my writing, also.

Slavetodiy.com is also a VigLink affiliate advertiser which works similarly.

The New House

Every idea starts somewhere. I like to pin ideas obsessively until I

1) have the money and time to actually do the project or

2) grow out of it and decide I don’t like it anymore.

But, inevitably, every project starts with an inspiration/planning board.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

I’ve seen many versions of the shelf style I was going for, but my favorite came from Seventh House on the Left. Inspiration pin : Restoration Hardware inspired shelves. They were well done and well photographed. Here’s our slightly different version, for a different application:

What you’ll need:

Spray paint. Rustoleum has some cool faux metal products, so go with the one you like. I used one I thought looked like wrought iron. For purchasing online Buy it here.

Stain and poly combo for the shelves. For purchasing online Buy it here.

Assorted plumbing fittings (go into the hardware store, plumbing aisle, and look for a base, shaft, and cap. Make sure they are all the same width and fit together). If you prefer to buy online Buy the bases here. Amazon has them cheaper than the hardware store, and already matched and stacked:

Length of shelves you want in raw lumber. We used 2X8s.

So, yes, before we get started I feel it necessary to mention that I have the maturity level of a 12 year old boy. I giggled every time I passed these while they were in work due to their phallic form. EVERY TIME. My immaturity is part of my charm, I’m sure.

Step one: assemble the brackets. Display them proudly on the kitchen counter. Procrastinate a month. Giggle when you walk by them.

Have a dinner party. Berate your friends for pointing out the obvious. Tell them they’re all children.

Step two: spray paint them. They may need several coats. Allow them to dry completely. I’d do this outdoors in a well ventilated area, unless you like spray paint in your house. In which case, feel free.

Step three: cut your shelf lumber to size.

A few hours later, he finally got it out of me that my palpable and poorly disguised misery was due to the width of the board and that in my desperation to NOT be an ungrateful turd I was willing to sacrifice the perfection of my design plan.

He re-cut the correct boards and I went happily to staining them.

Step four: dry fit your boards. (The ones you bought for the project, not the ones you cut out of the wrong sized boards).

Step five: sand and stain your shelves.

Tip: For the love of all that is holy, please, please stain these in an outdoor covered area or the garage. The stain was beautiful, but we could smell it for WEEKS. Did I say smell? I meant TASTE. It really needs time to cure before it is ready to be moved into a living space.

Step six: hang your shelves. Ours are not fastened to the brackets. Depending on your application you may want sleeves that screw onto the wood, but we love ours as is. They are just sitting on the brackets.

Step seven: dress your shelves and enjoy.

Total cost for the supplies was right around $200 for super awesome, one of a kind shelves.

Thanks for tuning in and feel free to ask questions in the comments section!

This is a multi-phase project… and turned out being one of the many I decided to “surprise” Rainman with when he got back from a trip.

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure at the end of the post.

We ripped it out. And are still in the process of ripping out more. Baby steps. Here’s what this project started with (after a lot of wild bush removal had already happened). This was my blank pallet:

From overgrown to a big, stark, boring looking thing. Now that I’m looking at it, it almost looks like new construction. We just can’t have that, now can we?

Here’s my vision: I love stacked stone walls. I love the look of them in my native New England, like they’ve been there forever, meandering along the hillside, fallen autumn leaves contrasting their mossy patina. Sigh.

This newest project, I didn’t realize initially, was going to be varsity level and my estimate on materials (as usual) was waaaay low.

Tip: Whatever your guesstimate is on materials, double it.

What you’ll need:

Long hose or stiff rope for laying out the garden line

Light colored spray paint

Shovel

Wheel barrel

Medium drainage rock

Pea gravel

Topsoil

Flatstones

Once I was in love with my curvy line I used white spray paint along the line to mark my garden edge. I also spray painted the black hose. Whoops. If Rainman noticed, he didn’t fuss about it.

Design tip: Go bigger. Extend the line of your garden past where the traditional “base plantings” go. Use curves. Curves are sexy. We like sexy.

Keep the seams away from each other, use drainage rocks or splintered stones from your pallet to shim, backfill with topsoil and smaller drainage rocks or gravel.

Here’s the deal, these are dry stacked, but they’re not going anywhere. There are two different stone sizes used to balance and I kept them packed from behind with topsoil. Plus the very subtle lean toward the garden itself keeps it naturally balanced.

And thus began the game of Tetris.

Once that first layer is down, fill the middle with medium rocks. Use the gravel to help balance the next level of rocks.

It helps to work from one side and work around the garden to the other side. Some people work one layer at a time but that doesn’t work for me. I end up laying out half a pallet of stones and looking for specific shapes as I go. Think: giant jigsaw puzzle.

You can see in the next picture, the wall is much higher by the steps then tapers off because I was working in that direction.

Tip: If you have a truck, it is MUCH, MUCH cheaper to get scoops of topsoil and different fill rock from the local mulch store than getting bags from Lowe’s or Home Depot. It’s also MUCH, MUCH easier to back the truck up and unload it with a shovel than to drag individual bags out of your car.

Once the wall started getting high enough to be concerned about it slipping, I began adding topsoil. My son was not happy about the daily order of dirt from the mulch place on his way home from school, but I have to abuse him as much as possible before he leaves to go to college, right?

That was phase one of the stone bed. Phase two involves more stone, lots of dirt, and power tools. The lattice work needs to be ripped out and the openings closed in to support the garden dirt so we can keep going with the building-the-garden process.

Rainman, don’t read this part:

Supplies so far:

4 pallets of flat stone, delivered $1400

Medium stone, pea gravel, and topsoil $200

Don’t be fooled or disheartened by the brevity of this post. This was weeks of work. Every afternoon. It was winter when we began and as you can see the grass is turning green. It’s going to take a long time and it’s a labor of love. It’s worth it though.

Phase two of the project is here. Stay with us!