Two years ago, when we moved into our new place in Eastern North Carolina, we found one area of our yard that wasn’t hiding the neighbors quite well enough. Friends of ours are landscapers, so I asked them to come take a look and give us their honest opinion. The two most popular for our zone were the Arborvitae and Leyland Cyprus, so we had to choose between the two.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see full disclosure at the end of the post.
I’m sure you’ve seen the Thuja Green Giant (Arborvitae) or Emerald Green (Arborvitae) in the nursery magazines you receive in the mail, as well as the Leyland Cypress. They’re all listed as “fast growing” trees and they’re fantastic as mature privacy hedges. They’re both relatively disease and drought tolerant and grow well in a variety of soils.
There were several mature Leyland Cypresses already, and they’re wider than the mature arborvitae, but I didn’t love the way they grow if they have neighboring trees encroaching. There were Leyland Cypresses EVERYWHERE in our neighborhood (sometimes, you can just look around and figure the neighbors might know what they’re doing, or at least the local landscapers). The Arborvitaes seemed to be more of what I had in mind. Tall, slender, fast growing, and I liked the lighter green. But, the Cypresses seemed to be the PROVEN winner in the neighborhood.
So, which do you choose?
Arborvitae Hedge, Emerald Green
We chose the Arborvitae, and I’m about to show you why you should, too.
I have one word for you: HURRICANES.
Not long ago, a strong Category One hurricane came through our area and wreaked havoc on everything including the trees. We went from being able to see one neighbor vaguely in the winter, to being able to see at least five. EVERY LELAND CYPRESS HEDGE in the neighborhood was destroyed by the hurricane. We took down the hedge between us and the neighbors (the trees were essentially laying on our driveway). This is what the trees look like that we haven’t taken down yet in the backyard:
Leyland Cyprus after the hurricane
Now, you might argue that the Leyland Cypresses were bigger and creating more drag (they are ABSOLUTELY wider and create more drag) but, neighbors with a mature Arborvitae hedge have the only hedge that survived the storm. I don’t know the mechanics, I just know that our young trees made it and so did the neighbors mature trees that were Arborvitaes.
Arborvitae Hedge
I know that I haven’t yet seen an undamaged Leyland Cypress in our entire area.
Damaged Leyland Cyprus after hurricane
Basically, if you live in a hurricane prone area, our experience has been that the Arborvitaes are more likely to survive than the Leyland Cypresses. We purchased some of them from the local landscaper and some from Brighter Blooms. The ones ordered in the mail always surprise me, because I’m initially disappointed, and then once they are planted they catch right back up.
Happy planting and thanks for joining us! Check out more of our adventures on our Blog!
*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.
I’m so excited. I got BEAUTIFUL roses for my birthday. I know we’ve all lied to our significant others at some point, and told them we didn’t like flowers, but if they were smart, they knew it was a lie and bought flowers anyway. Because there are significantly fewer tears that way.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.
We won’t talk about that time that I cried like a little girl because, even though I had dropped copious hints, I didn’t get flowers for my birthday. We’re complicated creatures, women. Poor Rainman.
Yeah, I’m that girl. (If you are in the dog house, and need to buy flowers, this is a great service).
How To Preserve Roses, Roses on the Sewing Machine Table
Ugh, they’re just gorgeous from every angle. But, I have a secret. These are in the process of “preserving”. Did you know that you can prevent those gorgeous roses from keeling over on you?
There are two really good methods for doing this and I’ll go through both!
Method One (best for roses that you want to use in arrangements later… more finicky than method two):
How To Preserve Roses, Beautiful Roses for My Birthday
This is pre-preservation. I always love the arrangement from our local florist, although I don’t love their choice of cheapo vases. Even the “budget” line shouldn’t be a throw away. Anyhoo, when I get to the preserving phase, I’m really only interested in the roses. I love them at Christmas for their deep red and am looking forward to bringing them back out.
How to Preserve Roses: Red rose bouquet with preserving supplies: scissors, vegetable glycerin, and a hammer.
You really only need a couple of things to do this:
Your preserving vase (mine is an antique but I have these also, which are super cute and very reasonable)
Florist shears/ scissors (as you can see, I was using the poultry shears instead of going to get my nice florist shears which drives Rainman totally NUTS)
Fill your vase with about 1.5 – 2 inches of glycerin.
I start with the longer roses in the arrangement. Holding the vase next to the edge of the counter and the rose stem next to it, I eyeball where I want the cut. Snip! Take your little hammer and flatten the end of the stem. Roll it and flatten again. Mash it up so it opens up (this helps the glycerin get into the stem).
I do the center (long pieces) first, then fill in around the edge with the shorter stems. For mine, I remove all of the leaves and toss everything other than the roses.
Move them to a location out of the sun to start the preserving process.
Preserving Roses: Red rose bouquet, beginning preservation.
I have to be honest: I adore how these are turning out. They will be gorgeous for my Christmas scenes. These can possibly last years if handled carefully and are such a better option than silk!
Tip: Make sure to add glycerin over several weeks until the stems stop absorbing, then dump out any excess (the glycerin will start gelling on the petals and getting goopy if you leave it).
Preserving Roses: Preserved red rose bouquet ready to WOW.
Method 2 (My Favorite):
How To Preserve Roses
This is the PERFECT preserved roses in a hatbox method!
Gallon/2 gallon ziploc (depending on your number of flowers)
Roses
How To Preserve RosesHow To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Step One: Snip off the leaves
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Step Two: measure how long to cut your roses! Then cut them at that height at an angle (check your height by putting it in the box).
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Step three: Remove the three outermost petals on your roses.
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Step four: Put your roses into the bag and pour the silica beads over it. Gently shake it to completely cover and get it inside the petals. Once they are covered, put them into a cool dark place for about a week. (Don’t worry about using all of your silica, you can re-use it!)
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Step Five: Once all of the petals are preserved, shake the silica off carefully, and place them gently into your hatbox. These can last more than a year if you preserve them correctly!
How To Preserve Roses
How To Preserve Roses
Thanks for checking out our little tutorial! Feel free to comment and ask questions below and check out more of our great projects here! Cheers!
*Affiliate Disclosure:
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.
The beautiful thing about this particular renovation, is that our house flooded. Yes, I said the GOOD thing. Bear with me. Hang on. I’ll explain.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.
Before
I’m so embarrassed. This is the living room before the flood:
The poor living room in need of help (and at the bottom of the honey-do-list) before the flood.
We had lived in our old house for several years and, aside from the fact that we were packed in there like sardines, we didn’t have the time or energy to get to some of the upgrades on our ever-growing-wish-list. We have a STUFF problem. As in, we have too much of it. Without builtins, there was stuff everywhere, with no rhyme or reason, just looking cluttered and awful. For me, this creates stress, and no matter how clean the house was, I never felt settled.
So, then the clouds parted, and the rain came. Well, not actual rain. The hot water supply line under the master bedroom sink broke in the middle of the night (directly above the living room) and completely destroyed the living room and most of the contents.
The Flood
Imagine waking up in the middle of the night to a hot, steamy room. “Is the shower on?” Nope. No shower. But, I stepped down into ankle deep water to investigate, UPSTAIRS. Not good.
Wet living room ceiling from bathroom flood upstairs.
Wet living room ceiling from bathroom flood upstairs.
This offered up an opportunity for a few things, since we have fantastic homeowners insurance. I’d like to take a moment to give a shout out to my homies at USAA who made the insurance claims process painless. The contractors were so relieved when we said we had USAA. That was enough to solidify my belief in their awesomeness.
Demolition
The first thing that happened was the ripping out of the all of the sheetrock and flooring in the living room. Which made it look really weird. But, also awesome. Why? Two words: Popcorn ceilings. Even one room without those would be amazing and it was on my list of stuff to make happen.
Ceiling Sheetrock removed from living room ceiling.
A week and a half of industrial blowers and dehumidifiers later, the living room was dry and ready for REconstruction.
Wet Sheetrock removed.
Reconstruction
So, honestly, the hardest part of a renovation is getting started. My favorite way to kickstart the process is to walk into a room with a crowbar or a sledgehammer and start swinging. Then Rainman sighs, and says, “so, that’s the next project, then?” But, in this case, we HAD to do the renovation, because it flooded. YAY!
So, demolition complete, the living room was ready to start rebuilding. Keep in mind, I knew this was not our forever home, so I took some design chances I probably wouldn’t duplicate now.
Sheetrock
The crew came in and put in sheetrock (we paid an additional $250 to have the ceiling flat finished instead of popcorn which felt a lot like extortion, but it was worth it).
Roughed in Sheetrock, ready to be finished.
Tips: When we were “interviewing” contractors we asked if we could make changes to the insurance-approved punchlist after the fact to make sure they were on board. Many contractors will work with you, using the existing insurance payout, plus your add ons, to do upgrades. They will also give you credit for things you do yourself to help pay for some of the upgrades. Why not do upgrades when you have free labor? For instance, in order to put up the sheetrock the fan had to come down first. After the sheetrock was installed, the fan had to go back up. There was a $150 charge approved by the insurance company for an electrician to take it down, and another $150 to put it back up. Rainman installed the damn fan in the first place. We arranged to do that (and several other things) and applied the credit to the upgrades we were having done elsewhere.
This inspiration post is JUST for the wainscoting and molding, although we did install builtins, completely redo the fireplace and surround, and install beautiful flooring. I’ll cover the others separately.
Customizing
I painted my accent color first after Rainman drew me straight lines based upon where I pointed. That way I was sure I liked the height. I also wanted to make sure my awesome industrial airplane canvas fit where I wanted it mounted (I am notorious for prematurely hanging things on walls still under construction and dressing un-finished builtins).
Roughing in paint before wainscoting and hanging the airplane art.
Designing the Board and Batten Layout
The artwork fit perfectly, so I was able to give him the go-ahead to draw out the grid for the boards. Now, here’s the customization part: depending on the scale of your space (we were dealing with standard eight foot ceiling height) you may want a tighter grid, or something more spaced out. You may want wider or thinner boards. We drew out our boards and I liked the look. We used 1″x6″ pine boards for a majority of the grid.
Crown molding going up on one wall to make sure we like the width of the crown “stripe.” If you look closely, you can see the grid for the board and batten penciled in.
We tried really hard to avoid going over light switches or outlets, but we did hit a few. Because the outlet was in an area that would be covered, we just did a cut out for it. Ditto for the dual light switch.
Board and batten grid going in. Before paint and finish work.
The grids were installed using finish nails, via a finish nailer and compressor. My husband got these Bostich nailers and compressor as a gift from his father like 15 years ago and they all still work great. We ran the vertical boards against the door frames and in the corners first, then the top and bottom horizontal boards (we used a wider baseboard), then the verticals (between the top and bottom), then the boards in between the verticals.
First round of caulk and paint.
We did quarter round to cap the wainscoting and a white quarterround to finish it out against the flooring, also.
Board and batten grid on the long wall.
I apologize for the grainy photos (these are pre-blogging days and were on my phone). You can see the grid before we started the finish work. Above, the first layer of crown molding has gone up.
Finishing Touches, Crown Molding, and Engineered Brazilian Hardwood Flooring
The additional white quarter round against the flooring really set off the deep color in the gorgeous engineered Brazilian Cherry Hardwood. I absolutely love the contrast of white against wood.
This shot shows the second detail layer below the crown and how the wainscoting looked. This is not a crown molding installation how-to. There’s a fantastic tutorial available from the Familyhandyman.com if you’re new at this. Rainman’s tool of choice on this (that we’ve used over and over) is The Dewalt Compound Sliding Miter Saw. We’ve used it to do an entire house of molding (at the old house) and it still does EVERYTHING we need at the new house.
So, this is an awful, grainy photo again. But, it shows how we continued the trim against the builtins. The top of the builtins was open. We capped the builtins with crown (so it continued around the room) and the detail piece tied it in beautifully.
Two pieces of molding really add depth to the ceiling.
Here’s the final crown stack up, with only two pieces.
Crown molding stack-up.
And them labelled, for guidance.
The finish work was time intensive once all of the crown and wainscoting was up. All of the molding took two layers of caulk (around every edge of the grid and to fill nail holes) to really be finished and THREE layers of gloss white paint. But, it turned out beautifully.
The Finished Product
Beautiful new ceiling, builtins, fireplace, tile surround, new brazilian cherry engineered wood, wainscoting, and crown molding.
This was one of the listing photos of the living room. The white wainscoting and molding REALLY punch up the color contrast and finish the room beautifully. See the finished Old House Tour for more great makeovers.
Check out more of our DIY projects here. Thanks for stopping by!
*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.
Okay. I briefly considered titling this blog post, “the death of all that is good and Holy,” or “things that make you want to start drinking before 5 PM.” But, I thought it might isolate some readers. This isn’t something I would normally do, but I feel the need to take a stand AGAINST a trend. I started seeing things pop up on my Pinterest feed with books in bookcases BACKWARD. “What in the world?” I thought to myself. So, I looked it up.
Books turned around backward for preferable “style” in Atlanta Homes Magazine
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.
It turns out, if people’s books don’t match their decor, or the book jackets are too colorful, PEOPLE ARE TURNING THEM AROUND TO MAKE THEM LOOK NICER. And people are like, “yeah, that’s so AWESOME, what a great idea.” I’m going to stop right now. I’m taking a deep breath. I’m going to my happy place.
From Domino.com
I’m finding tutorials on how to turn YOUR books around and tales of designers conquering their client’s ugly book collections by doing so.
This one from houseofpictures.com is especially stark.
Let me take a step back. I understand the need to have a nicely styled bookcase. I GET IT. My bookshelves in common areas are grouped in muted color families and they look fantastic (if I do say so myself). I have some really NEAT books. I have collected them over the years. I have a true vintage/antique book collection. I love it when people ask me about them or where I picked them up. I’m proud of my collection. We might be the only freaks left in the country with bookcases that hold real, actual books.
Please excuse the unfinished bookshelves.
But, I have to be honest: it actually makes me ANGRY to see books reduced to shelf decor. I see ads everywhere all of the sudden for FAKE BOOK SETS. Yes, I said FAKE BOOK SETS. Restoration Hardware (which I normally love) has entire collections of blank-paged books which you can get for the bargain price of hundreds of dollars. Are you freaking kidding me? Books filled with blank pages. That people buy. To look like they have real books. This feels really, really fraudulent. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? ARE THEY WALKING AMONG US?
Hello, pretty, muted blue collection.
Can you imagine going to a friend’s house and seeing your favorite book on a shelf only to find it’s empty? As you pick it up and open it, you exclaim, “I had no idea you were a Jane Austen fan! I just love her, don’t you?… What the…” The pensive, confused, awkward silence that followed would be embarrassing for everyone involved.
Look, in the event you absolutely have to have some “book decor,” I have an idea: Go to a damn used bookstore and pick out some books! You don’t even have to read them, just pick out titles that seem interesting to you. That way, in case of apocalypse, or GOD FORBID the wi-fi goes down, you can leaf through something interesting. Used books are WAY cheaper than buying these ridiculous blank page book sets and they inspire far less anger in people like me. I know I’m responsible for my own emotional stability, but for the love of all that is holy, have a heart.
Carefully selected titles, in a warm rhinoceros sandwich.
How in the world are people supposed to judge you by your books if they’re backward in your bookcase? How are they supposed to know what kind of person you are if they can’t see your carefully selected and displayed titles?
What if they opened one of your books and found the pages blank?
Don’t let your visitors find out that you’re 1) Intellectually void or 2) As empty and soul-less as the blank books masquerading on your shelves.
Real, actual books.
I’m being a little cheeky here, but, seriously… It makes me sad. I was a bookworm as a kid and I’ll admit I’d probably be bingewatching netflix on my smartphone like every other teenager if I were young today. But, it makes me sad. It makes me scared for our future as a society if books are just something we dress builtins with and dust once a week.
Please, please don’t do it.
Isn’t this the coolest? Also, real, actual books.
If I may, and you’re feeling REALLY uncreative, here are some options that won’t make your Academic-Snob friends cringe quite so much:
Book sets for built ins that look like antique books but actually have hidden storage inside. There are a gazillion options on Amazon and Hobby Lobby to name a few.
Actual vintage book sets, such as Harvard Classics in monochrome sets.
But seriously, you really should take an afternoon, find a book shop and pick out some neat books. Smell the dust. Take your kids’ smartphones away and drag them with you! Experience the thrill of the hunt! The satisfaction of the kill! Get out. Discover. Explore. Read. I highly recommend it.
Aaaaaaaand, I’m off my soapbox.
Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave comments below and check out more of our fun blog posts 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 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.
So, here’s the deal. Sometimes it’s super expensive to create a breathtaking transformation to your house, and sometimes it’s FREE. Sometimes all you need is a little elbow grease (and maybe some basic supplies you already had on hand) to make a huge impact.
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.
This is the second time I have taken down the railings at a home that we own. The first time the porch was basically at ground level and it was a no-brainer. The impact was immediate- INSTANT curb appeal. I loved it. See the complete “after” transformation on the old house we sold in 2016 here.
Okay, it’s a little hard to see the LACK of railing there because of the out of control hydrangea. Trust me. The railings were removed. Details on that crazy garden you can see here.
When we moved in to our current home it had those same railings, but they were serving an entirely different purpose- safety. The porch is a few feet off the ground. In the middle of our epic and back-breaking front garden project (which you can check out here) I decided to rip them out. I knew that the dirt would end about a foot below the front porch/deck so it would be safe to take them down. I feel the need to say, “I’m not telling you to take your front railings down. I haven’t seen your house. It could pose a safety hazard.” Please consider safety: toddlers, old people, clumsy people, etc. as you make the decision to keep your railings or not. We may eventually put in black, wrought iron railings, but for now I like it just like it is.
Here’s a picture before my project A.D.D. took hold:
So, I seriously stopped mid project, stole one of Rainman’s hammers, and started swinging away. As I suspected, the sellers had covered up rot with white paint (pretty typical) and the railings came down in about 30 minutes. Of course, this made me realize the bicycles and miscellaneous crap all over the front porch would need to find a new home (not exactly HGTV ready).
Tip: Painting and caulking front porch columns and railings is an ANNUAL MAINTENANCE ITEM. It should be on your list. Otherwise they rot. Case in point.
And here’s the front porch immediately after taking the railings down: Sigh. I’m in love.
Above you can see the pile of railings (dry/rotted wood is excellent for starting bonfires) to the left there and the bare wood on the columns where the railings used to be.
While I was having A.D.D. and happened to have a nephew visiting (can I get an AMEN for cheap, available labor???) I decided to get some painting and staining done.
I had him sand the front deck and get any loose deck screws back in. If you don’t have a good sander, I have several of these. I have one I keep for just drywall finishing, then others for miscellaneous sanding projects. They’re cheap enough it doesn’t break my heart to burn them up or buy a new one, but they’re surprisingly hardy.
I also had him sand around where the railings had been on the posts so we could get a fresh FLAT coat of white and the seam would be invisible.
I splurged on some good deck stain and sealant and we did two coats. For stain, I recommend throw away brushes, which you can get pretty cheap at Lowe’s. True story: in seventh grade my son did a science project on which of three deck stains offered the best moisture protection (based upon water absorption and weight). I used that brand. I love the color and it’s amazing the difference it makes. It ended up being a smaller splurge than I expected because that huge front deck took less than a gallon for two coats.
So here we were, working along and I noticed those damn builder grade lights. Project A.D.D. strikes again. Yeah, those definitely had to go. I hadn’t even noticed them delaminating until I fixed all the other stuff.
So, we took the opportunity to change out the porch lights and found a great deal on really nice looking lights.
While we were out there I handed Rainman black spray paint to put a fresh coat on our 10 year old rocking chairs and little black table. He hit the rough spots with sand paper, cleaned and dried them, tightened the hardware, then spray painted. TADA! Good as new.
We will be doing another update soon (cough* cough*) on working shutters for the windows. We are currently doing price comparisons on shutters and hardware. After the hurricane we realized we can’t spend two days putting up plywood every time we evacuate. Also coming soon, the tutorial on how to put up plywood over your windows before you evacuate for a hurricane.
Anyway, drum roll please…
Doesn’t it look AWESOME??? Bear with me. The right side over by the staircase is still in need of rework. Here’s another view from the rocker:
Everything’s all nice and painted, stained, and ready to move on to the next thing! I just love how our mini-flip on the front porch turned out. Big impact for minimal cost!
Check out our other projects and wins and fails here. Thanks for stopping by!
*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.
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.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see the full disclosure at the bottom of the post.
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.
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!
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.”)
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast! Pool is clean, ready for beach towels rolled on the chairs.
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast! Rolled towels on shelves add to that luxury feel (see up to the left there?) and fresh, clean (unused!) white towels make it feel like a spa-retreat.
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast! Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast! Turn All Of The Lights On Before The Showing.
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!
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.
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!
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???)
The Ultimate Pre-showing Checklist for Selling Your Home Fast!
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.
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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.
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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 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.
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
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.
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.
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?
