Category Archives: Before and After Photos

Finishing Your Lower Level To Sell Your Home – Part 1

This subject is close to my heart because I just went through the process. I also have many clients that wonder about finishing off a lower level or doing a major renovation when pondering an upcoming sale of their home.

Let me first state that it all depends on WHEN you are selling your home. You do not want to complete a lower level or do a major renovation and turn around and sell your home within a year. The chances of you getting your money back are low. There are exceptions to finishing small areas, updating kitchens and such but I am talking a full big renovation or finishing.

Personally we are looking at perhaps selling our home in about five years so we started wondering if it made sense to finish our lower level. This would add a 5th bedroom, a 4th bathroom and three distinct living areas. I did a lot of research and got a lot of bids.

We were starting with only cement floors and the exterior walls insulated. We needed to frame up the rooms, add HVAC, Electrical etc. And purge

Here is what I did….I took on the task of being our own general contractor. I am not a licensed contractor, I became the ‘manager’ of all the trades involved. By doing this I saved more than 50% of the contractor bid prices. THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE AND I AM NOT SAYING CONTRACTORS AREN’T WORTH THEIR WEIGHT IN GOLD. I just found myself with a lot of time on my hands during Covid and made use of it.

I got bids from all trades and made bargain purchases at outlet centers and big box stores.

So….let’s cut to the chase and show you some ‘after’ photos. I am going to start with the bedroom and bath. You have to wait for the next post to see the really cool stuff. 🙂

I made decisions based on the fact I was selling in five years and that it was a lower level. I did not tile the shower, I purchased a prefab vanity and top, the blinds are not special order and so on. I was strict on my finishing budget so that I love it now for my enjoyment, but also kept in mind the return on investment for sale purposes.

Check in for Part 2 to see the finished living areas and we will determine if I can get my money back in five years.

Should I Paint My Kitchen Cabinets To Help Sell My Home?

Such a good question and one that I get at least once a week during a Home Staging Consultation. It really is something to take a hard look at. Questions to consider:

How old are the cabinets?
What is the price of my home?
What is the current market?
Is there a lot of competition in my area?
What will be the cost to paint the cabinets?

I did a consultation for a starter level home in a suburb of Minneapolis. The cabinets were original and in pretty good shape but in a medium oak stain which is not what the buyers are looking for. Since this home was a starter level home we know that the buyer may not be coming in and gutting a complete kitchen right away. They want a kitchen they can live with for a while until improvements can be made down the road.

It is a hot market right now and homes in that price range are going fast but you also want to get top dollar.

I had the homeowner get a bid to have the cabinets painted which came in very reasonable. I recommended the painting be done.

Painted Kitchen Cabinets 2

Painted Kitchen Cabinets

Isn’t the difference amazing!! Because the cabinets were being painted they could also take down the decorative bar across the top of the sink that is very dated and add an updated pendant light. The home got a couple other small updates, was staged and the outcome??? The homeowner received an offer the first day with multiply offers coming in and selling for over the list price! Painting the cabinets paid off with a quick sale, did not leave any money on the table and in fact put a little extra in the homeowner’s pocket.

If you are selling your home be sure to get professional advice from a Certified Home Stager.

A Great Project to Start Off the New Year – Chalk Painted Furniture!

It’s been very popular for a few years….have you tried it? Chalk Paint? You see so many vintage shops selling old furniture that has been redone in chalk paint; and pop-up weekend shops carry many chalk painted pieces. I have bought a few and love them. Purchasing the finished product always seemed the easiest to me.

BUT……I have a vintage round coffee table with caster feet that I love and when I purchased it almost 20 years ago it was the very popular sage color.

I have been so tired of that color (besides it being a bit dated) but I never wanted to get rid of my favorite coffee table. It is complete with raw wood nicks and dings and I love the imperfection of it.

So I FINALLY decided to do something about it when I saw a dining room table done in chalk paint at a client’s home. It was stunning!

There are many brands of chalk paint and I am not pushing one over the other and will tell you only what I used. I visited a local store that carries vintage finds already re-done but that is also is a leader in teaching people the technique of chalk painting. This store carries the Annie Sloan brand of chalk paints and accessories which is one of the most well known and original chalk paints.

The first decision I had was what my base color would be….that was easy enough. Old World White. Not a bright white but rather a soft white but not cream.

The next decision was a bit tougher, deciding the wax color. All chalk paint needs to be wax protected and sealed and a clear wax will keep your paint color true to the original. I however wanted a worn rustic timber look but in gray rather than brown.

So I selected black wax. SCARY!

The nice thing about chalk paint is that you don’t have to do anything to the surface you are painting. NO SANDING NEEDED! I never paint anything I have to sand down first, that is why I have always been a Spray Paint Queen, just point and press the button.

I must say Chalk Paint is just as easy. Just paint it right on.

The wax was a bit trickier but all in all WAY easier than I expected. The wax goes on a little tougher in that it really is a wax…..like shoe wax. Not like polyurethane which is what I was expecting. The wax needs to be worked into the wood a bit.

HUGE TIP: Don’t over apply the wax. When they say less is more they really mean it. The wax should feel dry almost immediately and I didn’t get that part. Mine was tacky to the touch even an hour after applying it so I had to go back and wipe some off. No big deal but still, you can save yourself some work.

Next was the most challenging part which was applying the black wax over the white to just give it a very soft appearance of a gray wood grain. It went so much better than I expected! It took me a few tries with the brush to get it exactly how I wanted it to look but then it clicked right along.

Tip #2: Buy the brushes, at least the wax brush. I felt like I needed to take out a home equity loan to buy them but they really are worth it.

The nice thing is if you get too much wax on your piece you can wipe it right off and try again. I did end up getting too much on one area and not getting it off as quickly as I should have but it’s where my tray goes anyway so who cares. 🙂

To keep it short and sweet……I LOVE MY TABLE! It turned out better than I imagined and on my first try! I thought I would be repainting it 3 times for sure.

So try Chalk Painting….I think you will like it!