Definitely take new pictures with the changes you made and this time open all the curtains. I'd get rid of the dark curtains all together. Do you have an IKEA near you? They had really cheap curtains that looked nice. Otherwise scour the sales bin at K-Mart, Target, Walmart. They don't have to be your style since they will be left behind. They just need to be less heavy and dark. The bonus is that you then get to take your curtains to the new house.
I'd paint the cupboards white or French Vanilla. It will take only a weekend (usually) and it's easier than striping them down to the wood. White kitchen cupboards are still in style. I'd paint the wall behind the cupboards a nice neutral contrasting color. Clear as much off the counters as you can to make it look more spacious.
Get some plants to warm up the place, and I really recommend removing one of the couches. Store it at a friends house, or rent a storage unit. I also have the couch love seat combo, and love it, but the goal is to make the room look as spacious as possible and it looks a little crowded in the picture. Plus everything is so beige in that room. Maybe bring in a few pops of color or scour St. Vinnies for a coffee table.
When you take the pictures, do it the same way you would to take pictures for Saucydwellings. Honeywest had that whole tutorial. I think that's in the memories. Put away any toiletries, magazines, newspapers, soda cans, dishes. Anything that would be seen as clutter. When showing the place keep all the lights on. It will make Al Gore cry, but it will help sell the house. All the staging sites recommend this. Also, I always put out a bowl of bright citrus fruit on the table in a bowl on the kitchen table. Light the fire in the fireplace when showing the house.
One more thing. The brick/surround on the fireplace looked a bit dark and ashy. Maybe wash it down to remove some of the soot. You can find directions online for that. I think I used ammonia water on my last fireplace, but I'm not sure.
Remember that this doesn't have to be a reflection of your style anymore. Your style is great, but not everyone will get that. People want a blank, normal canvas. It'll be hard, but treat it as a movie set.
I forgot to ask if you replaced the Godzilla pictures, or if you just removed them. Stuff needs to be on the wall, but it has to be more neutral.
Replaced the pictures with a single painting, the walls are no longer white. Removing one of the couches sounds like a good idea. Might see if hubs will help me fight it out the door (it took an hour to get it in when we moved in). We have lived here 3 years and not once has the fireplace been lit. The ashy color of the stones is actually the color, they are lovely Missouri limestone.
Definitely take new pictures with the changes you made and this time open all the curtains. I'd get rid of the dark curtains all together. Do you have an IKEA near you? They had really cheap curtains that looked nice. Otherwise scour the sales bin at K-Mart, Target, Walmart. They don't have to be your style since they will be left behind. They just need to be less heavy and dark. The bonus is that you then get to take your curtains to the new house.
I'd paint the cupboards white or French Vanilla. It will take only a weekend (usually) and it's easier than striping them down to the wood. White kitchen cupboards are still in style. I'd paint the wall behind the cupboards a nice neutral contrasting color. Clear as much off the counters as you can to make it look more spacious.
Get some plants to warm up the place, and I really recommend removing one of the couches. Store it at a friends house, or rent a storage unit. I also have the couch love seat combo, and love it, but the goal is to make the room look as spacious as possible and it looks a little crowded in the picture. Plus everything is so beige in that room. Maybe bring in a few pops of color or scour St. Vinnies for a coffee table.
When you take the pictures, do it the same way you would to take pictures for Saucydwellings. Honeywest had that whole tutorial. I think that's in the memories. Put away any toiletries, magazines, newspapers, soda cans, dishes. Anything that would be seen as clutter. When showing the place keep all the lights on. It will make Al Gore cry, but it will help sell the house. All the staging sites recommend this. Also, I always put out a bowl of bright citrus fruit on the table in a bowl on the kitchen table. Light the fire in the fireplace when showing the house.
One more thing. The brick/surround on the fireplace looked a bit dark and ashy. Maybe wash it down to remove some of the soot. You can find directions online for that. I think I used ammonia water on my last fireplace, but I'm not sure.
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I forgot to ask if you replaced the Godzilla pictures, or if you just removed them. Stuff needs to be on the wall, but it has to be more neutral.
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