ABC’s of Fine Design

I have been thinking more and more about starting my own interior design business, but I will be waiting until after the Christmas season as I don’t believe that anyone will have cash to do much. I may offer some decorating services, but even then I think it will be hard. Because I know it’s going to be hard to get going I have been looking into internet marketing to use for a design business. If your into interior design and want to start a business, but are not big on all the internet stuff I would recommend you check out networksolutions.com. They offer many great services to get your new design business and your name out there so that you can not only do well, but become a known expert in the design field. They do this by offering help with pay per click and email advertising.

I think anyone who is going into the interior design field, or any field for that matter should really think about getting a website and getting their name out there, even if the website is just a portfolio that showcases your work, you would really be amazed what that may do for you. I will be setting one up soon and will of course post about it here so that you can check out my school projects.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I have been thinking of starting a decorating and house staging business. I think it may be the best way for me to get the experience I need to get into a good company. I know that sounds strange but because many states require that I take and pass the NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Design Education) I need to have 2 years of work experience under someone who also has passed the test, so now you see where my thinking comes in.

Anyway I think if I can prove that I can handle clients and work with people it may help me land that job after I graduate. Home stageing is something I have always been interested in so it works well for me. I have spent some time thinking of ways I can get the word out once I can get things going. I thought sending Business Christmas Cards or general holiday cards to people from a mailing list might help me get some interested clients. I want to do something different and unique that will get their attention. I may even include a discount coupon or something. The good thing is that I wouldn’t have to charge a ton of money for it either. I could do a free walk though and then offer the price for my services.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Right now the housing market stinks in most places it is a buyers market and while that is great for the new home buyer, it’s not so great for the seller who is having to keep dropping the price on a home that they hoped would get them though retirement or there selling to avoid Foreclosure. I have a few tips for you home buyers to get the best price you can for you home.

Staging your home to sell is not hard, the first thing you want to do is clean, you would not believe how many people don’t do this. They figure the home will sell no matter what, but guess what a dirty home will not sell. I have looked at many homes and if it’s dirty I think cheep and look at all the work I have to do before I can even move in. If you have a clean home people like it as they feel they can move right in without having to do any work.

If you paint the rooms of your home a neutral color more buyers will be interested, that is just the way the market works, you can still use some color, but keep it to an accent wall or in accessories. Yes you will have accessories, homes tend to sell better when it’s staged in a way that makes you feel like you already live there. If you have already moved all of your things out, rent or borrow some nice Furniture for the day or days of your open house. You can sometimes rent decent Furniture for $500-$1000 for a month. This could really help add to your sales.

The last tip I have for you is a simple, but hard working tip. You want to make sure you have curb appeal. If you don’t most people will just walk by it and run fast in the other direction. You need to invite people into your home by having a well landscaped lawn and well kept garden. Now I understand if it’s winter or your in an area where there is water conservation going on, and so will your buyers, but if your not in those areas you need to keep the lawn mowed and the grass and other plants green.

These tips should help you to sell your home for the best price you can get for it today. Unfortuanitly that may not be the price you want, but with some work you won’t lose too much and hopefully you can feel better about that next offer.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

As I watch the news I find myself still wondering how many of these homeowners or renters in the areas flooded had insurance.  I know for a fact that renters insurance is cheep and home insurance is not too bad either. I’m sure many did have insurance and the ones that did were probably forces to get flood insurance, but what about those that don’t have it. Really they are out of luck and may lose everything they have with no way to get any of it back and no money to replace it.

This is why I right now I’m looking at home owners insurance, before I buy a house. I want good coverage and a good price. I recommend you do the same. Protecting your home is just as important as making it look good.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Right now as many of you know the economy stinks and it’s very hard to sell a home. Most people who are looking for a home are looking for something cheep and nice. Personally I’m looking for cheep and sturdy. I want something to fix up a little.

The following are a few tips I have to help you sell your home.

• Clean things up. Dirty homes do not sell. You want the buyer to believe that there is more space in a home then there is or at least not to think there is less because of all the clutter.

• Use promotional products to advertise your home. People love free stuff and even if they don’t buy your home, they may tell someone who does about the cool item they got from you.

• Use business cards. This does fall into the above category, but I wanted this one separate. You can leave business cards anywhere and they are very inexpensive to make. All you need to put on it is home for sale, price asked address and phone number of your Realtor.

• Throw a open house with food and entertainment. Invite your neighbors and have them meet your potential buyers. Some people may just decide to put in an offer if they like the people who live nearby.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Something you want to remember to do if your starting a design business is to thank your customers for their orders, or jobs. You want to make them feel like they are the only customer you have and that you actually care about them, personaly. You can do this by sending personalized Thank you cards. I know it seems like a duh type thing but many people are not doing this anymore and if your a home based design busness that is just starting out then you want the good reputation a simple thank you card can give you.

I personaly like this card from cardsdirect.com. It has a great simple design and would work well for an interior design firm or small business. Of course there are others to choose from, this one is just my favorate and one I would use. What I like most about cardsdirect is that you can personalize them so you cover that part where you make the customer feel special. If your client referred a customer to you you can get a thank you for the referral card and send them a discount on their next job or order. Remember you want to keep a thank you card simple, but personal enough that the person reading it belives you really took the time to think about the card you sent out.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

I was reading an interesting artical on yahoo this morning about how a couple decided to hire a fung shui expert to make some minor changes to their home. It cost them about $250 for the expert, but a few weeks later they found a buyer after 2 years of trying to sell.

Do I think fung shui had something to do with it, yes I do. It’s not some mystical reason fung shui makes a home more inviting. It makes the person coming into it want to stay forever. The reasons are simple many of the fung shui practices are things that would make most people calm and happy. Adding plants and letting in sunlight are just two ways to help. De cluttering is another, but these are pretty well known ways to help sell a home. The following are other ways you can use fung shui to sell a home.

Rearrange your furniture so that it is easy to move in your home, get rid of anything that could block the walking path or the flow of chi. Make sure when seated no one is facing with their back to the door. This can cause people to be uncomfortable. Yes when looking at a house many people will sit on your furniture if it’s there.

Most people like fountains, if you have one keep it there to create a peaceful environment. Make sure it is removable since a few people are not fond of them. Place them in the north area of the home to enhance your wealth luck.

Clean and repaint your front door. This not only is one of the first things a buyer will see, but the front door is associated with wealth. Keeping it clean will give you more wealth luck. If you can paint it read as this is the color of abundance in fung shui

Make sure all pictures and artwork are happy in nature. Having sad pictures or hurtful looking artwork can send the wrong message to a buyer. These types of things make people feel unwelcome and usually cause them to move on to another home.

I hope if you are trying to sell your home, you will check these things out. I know fung shui worked at least once for me. It could help you too.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!