Creating Merry Memories

Merry Christmas! We now begin to focus on starting fresh for the year. Our home, our personal space is the only area we have complete control of the energy we create. Creating a pleasant environment is a healthy foundation for you and your loved ones. Read more

Shop local for the holidays

Are you making a list and checking it twice? As we get closer to Christmas, the pressure rises and so does the crowds. Shopping small local businesses can make the experience less stressful. Here is my list of suggestions of local spots to hit to make the season merry and bright.

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Selling your home during the holidays

Homes sell all year round and the holidays are no exception. If buyers are looking during one of the most hectic times of the year, they are serious. The benefit of selling at this time is there is less competition.

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Feng Shui: Change your space, change your life

Feng Shui literally means Wind Water. Wind represents the energy we cannot see but can feel. Water represents the energy in our physical spaces we can see.

Feng Shui is based on principles based on the cycles of nature that have transcended various cultures for over four thousand years empowering people to facilitate changes in their lives. It creates balance in our lives as we connect to our environment, supporting us to shift, evolve and grow.

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Proper fit applies to homes and clothes

Did you ever meet someone and know right away that you need to work with them? That is what happened when I met Scarlett De Bease of Scarlett Image, a professional woman’s stylist, who was a speaker at a recent Association of Design Education conference in Connecticut. Read more

Moving in together

Dear Claudia,

I need tips on how to blend two households. I am moving into my boyfriend’s house. We are both in our 50’s. His taste is very “Ikea”, Swedish style modern simplicity, and I am eclectic/eccentric with antiques and funky mix. His house is fully furnished, as is my funky eclectic apartment, which is FULL of stuff. Quite honestly even my glassware would clash with his, not to mention my furniture, art pieces, and smalls. Any ideas on how we can do this so that it looks great, fits us both, I feel like I’m at home, and he doesn’t feel like he lost his?

~Anonymous

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Fabulous Flip of a Home

The definition of a “Real Estate Flip” is as follows: Profits from flipping real estate come from either buying low and selling high, often in a rapidly rising market, or buying a house that needs repair and fixing it up before reselling it for a profit as in “fix and flip.”

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The steps of an ‘occupied staging’

The desire to sell your house is not enough. Being proactive by preparing your home for sale can translate into a quick sale for your asking price. Keep in mind, no amount of staging will help an over priced home.

My ‘staging tips for sellers’ class is offered throughout the area. Attendees may have a long timeline or are moving quickly. It is never too early to start the process.

 

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Get a new start — it’s September

Summer flew by. The older kids are back to college, and the younger ones are about to start. It is time to get back on track and back to a routine. Even if your kids have been out of the house for years, there is that feeling that September is the beginning of a new year. At least it is for me. Read more

Prepping your home for sale? This expert ‘Nailed It!’

During a staging consultation, I walk with the homeowners to offer suggestions on how to prepare their house for sale before putting it on the market. When questions come up, the best way to find the solution is to ask an expert. If I can’t answer it, I’ll find someone who can.

This column provides the answers for questions from recent consultations. The expert to answer them is Corinne Courtney, owner of Nailed It! Hardware Corp. on South Street in Washingtonville (496-3755). Read more