Ready for a new look to maximize the appeal of your house?  Whether you are staying or thinking of selling, take some time in the next few weeks to prioritize changes and you'll be surprised what a difference they can make!

 Have you ever walked through a house where explosions of colors made the floor plan seem chopped up?  Avoiding this is easy if there is a subtle change in color from room to room.

Wondering how to make sense out of color choices?  Start with the room that is the focal point, such as the living room, and collect easily transportable examples of colors in the furnishings, art and accessories.

Take these to a paint store (not a home improvement mega-store) that has experts to help you establish a palette, as the on the right, using colors in light shades and one or two darker shades that represent your color scheme.  Here's where the experts come in handy making sure you don't end up with colors that actually appear brighter on the wall than on the sample!  Take the samples home and decide how to make them flow through hallways, and into adjacent rooms such as the dining room, kitchen and baths.  Rooms will seem more spacious and peaceful!

If you're planning a move, adding an area rug makes a lot more sense than installing new carpeting.  Take your color samples with you when shopping for a rug (or rugs) to add to the living room and/or dining room, therefore incorporating the colors in the palette. 

Surprise...you can put an area rug over carpeting, so hardwood floors are not a must.  For the living room, there are various opinions on whether the rug should extend under the seating area furniture or not, but in the formal dining room, be sure the rug extends well beyond the backs of the chairs, allowing space for backing away from the table without leaving the rug.

An area rug can be an asset in a room that seems too big for your furniture, creating a conversation area as a focal point with the rug extending beyond the seating area, and moving it away from the walls.

 Water that isn’t properly drained away from your home and yard can result in high repair costs and potential mold remediation.

What can you do to avoid drainage problems? 

Check gutters. Rain gutters are designed to route rain into drain spouts that carry water away from your foundation and home. A gutter blocked with leaves and dirt will keep water from draining properly. Preventive maintenance like adding gutter guards, and keeping gutters clear of debris can help prevent damage to the siding, landscaping and structure of your home.  Divert gutters from draining too close to the foundation by adding above ground or buried extensions.

Look for yard erosion. Puddles, gullies and pools caused by rain are exacerbated by yards with poor sloping, eroding topsoil, missing downspouts and breaks in underground drains. 

Look for basement puddles. A yard that slopes toward the house, clogged gutters, cracks in the foundation, and inadequate landscape drainage can lead to leaks. If there are stains and mildew near the ceiling, then it’s a drainage issue, but if near the floor, there could be broken drainage pipes under or near the house.