I Can’t Remember

The Christmas house starts on October 1st now.
You know the “Christmas house”: the one in your neighborhood that you can see from a mile away. The one you give directions from: “you know the Christmas house? well we live…”

Halloween decorations are big business. Retailers can make a killing selling you plastic, disposable junk that you need to buy every year to keep up with the Jones. Durn those Jones!! Don’t give in!! If you’re feeling weak, don’t go to the drugstore… or grocery store…or even the hardware store!?!!

Decorations are fine. There’s nothing wrong with being festive. But decorate in an eco-friendly manner.

Outdoors, use permanent, non-disposable decorations. Buy only ones you love and keep them forever. Make sure they’re sturdy. (bonus: this will end up costing less and looking more classy!)
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Technorati Tags: decorat, eco, enviro, Family, Halloween, holiday, ideas

I try to buy products that are: non-toxic, eco-friendly, organic, local, union-made (or at least fair-trade.)

But sometimes all I can find are major brands.

I just found this cool site: Climate Counts.
The site measures the impact on global warming that major brands have.
I was surprised to see that Unilever scored fairly well.
So when I can’t find organic or locally-made mayo, I’ll buy Hellman’s instead of Kraft (Kraft scored pretty bad.)

Combined with my favorite shopping review site, Responsible Shopper (which grades companies on environmental impact, fair-trade practices, ethics, etc.), I know that I’m not supporting companies whose practices are against my beliefs.

Remember, the US is a consumer culture, and what we do and do not buy influences the decision makers more than what we say.
Talking the talk is fine, but walking the walk is more important.

I’m crossing my fingers that all my large appliances make the move in one piece. Some are old and worse for wear. Especially the washer and dryer. I can’t quite see through the rust yet, but it’s a close thing.

I truly wonder if it’s better for the environment to buy something new and energy efficient. Yes, it’ll use less resources, but what about those used in it’s manufacture? It goes without saying that I’ll make sure that the old unit is taken by someone who will mine it for parts and recycle the rest.

An energy efficient model will also save me money. Another article on this same website also advises that small local businesses have better deals on smaller home appliances. Alays an advocate of buying local, I’m glad it’s been proven by others.

Experts tell me to get a new washer for the benefit of the environment. But I always resist “new” since I’d rather reuse than recycle. (And actually, of the three “R”s, reduce is my favorite!)

(I promised a post on this last week, so here it is.)

Please see the rest of my series on Home Staging.

Have you ever been in a “kid’s room” in a model home. It has a theme. It’s color-coordinated. It’s clean and uncluttered.

Now look at your kids’ rooms. Wow, what a reality check!

Selling your home is not about reality. It’s about selling a dream, not a building. I got to see some of the comments from realtors showing my house. One comment struck me: “the home looked dated.” My house was built less than 10 years ago! But the furniture inside the house is mostly older than that. The house isn’t dated, but potential buyers aren’t actually looking at your house, they’re mostly looking at your stuff. It seems crazy. Like if you went to a store to buy a box—just the box—and then bought the box that had the best stuff in it. And then went home with the empty box. But that’s what people do!

So now look at your child’s room. Is it a room that someone with kids would want their kid to move right into? Is it a “Oooh, so cute!” room? Probably not. Primarily because a real live child actually lives in it! But your house isn’t supposed to be lived in…it’s supposed to sell.

The trick with children’s rooms is to make them look good, but still usable. Because, let’s face it, unless Junior’s going into the storage unit (or Grandma’s) until you sell your home, it has to be liveable!
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So, my home has been on the market for 8 days, has had 5 showings, and one offer.
Not bad, considering the usual time right now in the area is 30-50 days on market.
Thus, the benefit of Home Staging is illustrated.

Guess what impressed our Seller’s Agent most about our house?
The uncluttered closets and kids’ rooms!

(Next week, I promise to write a post on how I decluttered the kids’ rooms!)

The only negative comment we got from a Buyer’s Agent so far has been: “pet odor.” Aaaak!
This is totally my fault. After the carpets were professionally cleaned, guess what I did? I put the smelly 10 year old doggie bed back in my bedroom! I don’t smell it anymore!

Dog has a new bed, and regular baths scheduled. I’ve added a couple home scents in strategic places just in case (which I hate, but makes some people think the house is clean.)

Speaking of cleaning, I have a schedule:
Bathrooms 3x a week
Kithchen 3x a week (deep clean)
Dust 2x a week
and either Mop or Vacuum every day (alternating: half my house is tiled.)

Everything gets picked up before anyone leaves the room. Because, really, you never know when a Buyer might schedule a showing!

And of course, no meal prep can last more than 30 minutes, just in case. (Oh, darn!)

My husband (who has never in his whole life been neat) just told me that he could “become addicted to all this decluttering.”
Apparently, he is now irritated by the disorganization inside his desk drawers and has started to organize them—in such a way that it hasn’t made a mess anywhere else.
I have found that it is easier to live in a decluttered home. It’s easier to find things, and to put things away. Even the kids are putting everything up.

If you are selling your home like we are, don’t worry about having to live in a neat/clean/decluttered home while your house is on the market: trust me, it’s great! Think of how pleasant staying in a hotel is. It’s very soothing to have only a few things to keep track of. And you still have your “stuff”: what do you think your furniture and your good china and the kids’ favorite toys are? And it still feels like “home”: your family and everything you really need is there.

So go ahead, declutter and stage all your rooms and put all that stuff into storage.
But beware, you may never want it all back!

Actually, don’t. Replace it, that is.

Demolition and reinstallation cost waay too much $$$$. Not to mention the cost to the environment!

First–try cleaning it. Ecover’s Ecological Limescale Remover is amazing! It takes off soap scum, hardwater stains, and rust stains. You spray, you wipe, they’re gone. (Actually it’s a bit scary!) It doesn’t work so well om mildew stains, but a vinegar or oxygen bleach cleaner should do a good job.

Hate the color? Get a professional service to paint over the tiles. (You could do it yourself, but since the tiles will get wet, a professional job might be required.)

If it’s still structurally sound, and you still think it’s hideous, you can reline it with a new acryllic shell. Luxury Bath Systems makes liners that fit any tub/shower combo you can have. The installation cost less, and there isn’t anything to go in the landfill–nothing is demolished!

So don’t demolish when you update. It’ll save money and the environment!