Before replacing refrigerator (mentioned by someone else) look into whether or not your door can be mounted on the other side (many have this feature). With all the different finishes of wood in the area, your kitchen doesn't have a cohesive feel, it's choppy looking. Pick a color stain and refinish all the doors and cabinets to that color. The mismatched wall mount microwave sticks out like a sore thumb, definitely look at the painting option mentioned above as replacing is expensive. I also agree painting or staining the wood trim around the kitchen table and your chairs would give it a fresher look and make it look more cohesive. I'm also leaning to painting the beadborads and chair rail white. I would leave the countertops alone picking a color you think a potential buyer may like is tough as everyone has their own style and personal likes and dislikes. You can repurpose your mini blind to make a great fabric roman shade, there are many diy websites to show you step by step how to do it or replace it., you can find new for $12-$15 dollars if you shop around. And the most important thing is declutter and clean to perfection. Accent with bowls of fresh fruit (more economical than flowers as you can eat the fruit after the showing). Burning candles is great in theory, but I lie on the side of safety, you don't leave burning candles unattended, look into a led option candle and carefully tuck away a plug in to give that apple cinnamon scent or bake an apple pie to leave cooling during the showing which evokes a homey feel and again can be consumed after the showing. There are several great articles here on staging a house for showing, check them out and good luck.

People that know EXACTLY what they are looking for These customers typically have either a picture in their head of what the room or house will look like when it is completed. They often come with a file of research from the internet, clippings from magazines, and can carry countertop, other flooring, and cabinet samples with them. How do we help them? 1. Give them the "lay of the land" of the showroom and then get out of their way and wait for them to ask you questions. 2. Check in and be prepared to answer very specific questions. 3. Let customer know of any existing sales, carry displays to natural light and lay horizontally for customer, offer samples. 4. Be prepared to answer specific spec questions, check stock, schedule measurement, and write up estimate/orders. People that know what they like but aren't certain it is what they should be purchasing These customers typically have an idea of what they would like the finished floor or look of the home to be. They often have strong feelings about certain colors or textures. The hesitation usually comes from being uncertain if the look they are hoping for will be too trendy and not stand the test of time, be a turn-off to potential buyers when they sell their home, or not be as durable as they need the flooring to be. How do we help them? 1. Listen to what they say they are looking for, and the look they are trying to achieve. 2. Give them the "lay of the land" of the showroom, pointing out particular styles, collections, and colors that fit the parameter they have described. 3. Answer questions, show other options based on any new information you receive. 4. Ask questions about their home, lifestyle, traffic, and the look they are hoping for. Be prepared to gently give them pros and cons of their favorite style floor and possibly something that will be more practical for the lifestyle of the actual home. 5. Let customer know of any existing sales, carry displays to natural light and lay horizontally for customer, offer samples. 6. Show photos of the flooring they are most interested in that has been installed in real customer homes, check stock, schedule measurement, and possibly write up estimate/orders. People that believe they have no idea what they want This can be the most fun as I believe people really do know what they like and want, they just need someone to guide them through the process by asking the right questions. After asking a few questions we can narrow down our great selection of a few hundred floors to a handful for the customer "who is overwhelmed" and leave them feeling confident in the selection process in a short amount of time. Questions 1. Are you interested in Hardwood, bamboo, cork or laminate? 2. What type of subfloor do you have? 3. Handscraped or smooth? 4. Variation or more consistent color? 5. Dark, light, or medium? 6. Do you have kids, pets, or is this in a high traffic area? After answering these questions you have quickly

In one of my childhood homes we opened a locked cupboard and hundreds of packets of contraceptive pills where tucked in there. Ok it used to be a doctor's home. No biggie there. My friend's home was an over 100 year old home built on bluestone blocks with barely any crawl space. We pulled up some floorboards which had become rotted and loose and discovered ONE long leg bone! What the heck??? His family had lived there the whole entire life of the house. How the heck did ONE LONG LEG BONE get under there? More worrisome; where's the rest of the body?....gulp.......>eyes shifting left and right covertly

I call them little treasure hunts. When I was first with my current husband, he couldn't fathom why someone would go shopping when they didn't need anything. One day I commented that I'd like a pair of white sandals. Next weekend I went out and came back with a pair of white Birkenstocks for $10. He never commented again.