Heather Lucier Stanley

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NOTE: We started leasing back our house on our buyer’s close date, August 9th, and have paid the new owner rent through September 9th. After we close on September 1st, we will have 9 days to move our things to our new home and clean our old home for the new owner. We’ll also use those 9 days at our new house to hire a locksmith, call AT&T to drop a new phone line in Alan’s office, order plantation shutters and a sofabed and ottoman, have the grout sealed, have installed a counter depth refrigerator, a stackable washer and dryer, and a security system.

September 1st – September 9th will be 9 days well spent and these days will be packed – but not with unpacking (ha, ha). I am proud of downsizing and proper planning. One of my personal mottos is: Be Proactive, not Reactive.

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Selling what we own – and don’t really need – is freeing.

How much do we really need? Why do we hang onto things that we no longer need? Is it out of fear? Is it out of thrift? Is it out of comfort? Is it out of laziness? Are we keeping all these material possessions for a rainy day? Or do we generally like everything that we are keeping?

Listed below are 6 places to sell items in Austin, Texas:

Craig’s List: We have sold several items on Austin Craig’s List: an Alexander Julian armoire, an Alexander Julian nightstand, a King Bedroom Set from Copenhagen, a breakfast table and chairs from El Paso Imports, 2 Felt road bikes, the Turkey Fryer, a toolbox, a queen canopy bed frame from Storehouse, 2 Pottery Barn bookcases, 1 Crate and Barrel bookcase, a Pottery Barn TV console, etc.

NOTE: Whenever I list items on Craig’s List, I will list the brand because it is a selling point. I also let the potential buyer know what I paid for the item because the buyer will know that he/she is getting a real bargain.

Baubles and Beads: I consign women’s clothing, shoes, jewelry, and handbags at this Austin brick and mortar store in the Brodie Oaks shopping center. Two and a half years ago when I quit my job in Corporate America, I started selling all my business attire because I felt that by the time I decided to return to work, I’d want new things. So True! I plan on returning to work in March/April 2012 and I’ll be buying new work clothing. Exciting!

NOTE: Baubles and Beads likes clothing to be on hangers, pressed and/or dry cleaned.

Second Looks: I consign Alan’s clothing and shoes at this Austin brick and mortar store in the Brodie Oaks shopping center. From Alan’s recent closet clean out, Second Looks accepted 75 items of his to be consigned.

NOTE: Second Looks likes clothing to be on hangers, pressed and/or dry cleaned.

Play It Again Sports: I consign sporting and fitness items at this Austin brick and mortar store in the Brodie Oaks shopping center. For example, I have consigned my golf clubs, caving helmets, Alan’s waders, backpacks, a balance ball, a medicine ball, free weights, etc.

Next-To-New: I consign household items at this Austin brick and mortar store on Burnet road. This is the gem of consignment shops! I have sold pots and pans, art, knick knacks, lamps, a Toaster oven, a blender, etc.

NOTE: The buyers at this store love to shop, find good deals, and buy unique items!

Half Price Books: I sell CDs, DVDs, and books at this Austin brick and mortar store on S. Lamar. This is not a store unique to Austin: check for a location near you.

If you cannot sell it, donate it or give it to a friend. Here are some places to donate in Austin:

Goodwill
Savers
The St. Vincent de Paul Stores of Austin
SafePlace
Capital Area Food Bank of Texas

Good Luck Selling!

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Our buyer wanted to buy 13 items that we had for sale and were going to list on Craig’s List. Here are the 13 items:

01. 2 dark brown leather arm chairs
02. Square Dark Mirror
03. 3 mesquite bar stools
04. Dark Brown sectional sofa and ottoman
05. Light wood TV console
06. 3 Nesting tables
07. 3 Film Reels
08. Ballet Barre
09. 21 piece weight set: stand and (2) x 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 pounder
10. 7 piece patio set and umbrella
11. Wheel barrel
12. Shop Vac
13. Yard/Garden Tools on Garage Wall

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The videographer came over a week before our realtor listed our house. He spent approximately an hour shooting a video and snapping several digital photos. I did not keep a copy of the video, but I did save the digital photos. All the photos associated with this blog were taken by the videographer.

On July 4, 2011, our realtor listed our home. By July 6, 2011, we had multiple offers on it. I feel that we had an excellent team of people to help sell our house quickly: a sharp realtor, a creative home stager, and an artistic videographer. In addition, all the professionals who have worked on our house – e.g. our painter – have played a part in making it sell fast. I am also proud of Alan and myself because we have worked hard to keep our home uncluttered. I know when I look at photos of homes that are being sold – I did today, in fact – and I see a lot of clutter, I do not get as good an impression as when I see a home that is uncluttered.

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01. Add a pillow to the chair back of each patio chair on the front porch
02. Add a plant on the front patio table (soft suggestion)
03. Add a plant on the red entry hall table
04. Add a plant on the front dining room table
05. Change the orientation of the red ottomans in front of the leather arm chairs
06. Move the bamboo plant from on top of the refrigerator to the main bar
07. Add a red throw to the sectional sofa to draw the eye through the room
08. Change the orientation of the main bar stools to add interest
09. Add a pop of color in kitchen cabinet that is on the same wall as the kitchen sink
10. Add a pop of color to the side bar, such as bananas
11. Buy fresh flowers and put them on the breakfast nook table
12. Add a plant in the laundry room
13. Remove everything on the shelf above the washer and dryer
14. Add a cream pillow to the guest bedroom
15. Add a basket of towels in the downstairs bathroom
16. Add a large plant in Alan’s office to hide the wiring
17. Add a basket of towels in the upstairs guest bathroom
18. Add something of interest in the corner of the master tub
19. Add a candle in between the 2 master vanities
20. Replace all the wire hangers with white plastic hangers in the master closet or at least group all similar types of hangers (soft suggestion)
21. Hide all the toilet brushes in the garage
22. Hide the laundry basket in the garage
23. Hide all bathroom toiletries in wood baskets
24. Put away any towels that are being used – for example, hand towels in the bathrooms

I spent approximately $150 to buy almost all of the items that our home stager suggested. I did everything that she said, except buy more wood baskets for our toiletries; instead I used some clear bins that I already had because I do not know what size wood baskets I will need at the new house and I did not want the wood baskets to be bought and discarded so quickly. Several of the items I purchased for house staging, I plan on bringing to the new house to make it more inviting from the beginning.

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In early March 2011, several months before we were ready to put our house on the market, our realtor walked through it and made recommendations on what to sell, paint or fix to set our house apart in the neighborhood and sell it quickly. These were her recommendations:

01. Sell the queen canopy bed frame in the guest room to make the room appear larger
02. Paint the front door black
03. Paint the stair railings black
04. Paint the back door the trim color
05. Paint the light oak kitchen cabinets white
06. Paint all 3 light oak bathroom vanities white
07. Fill and Paint any nail holes that are not being used any longer
08. Re-caulk the master bathroom shower
09. Hide all charging devices: camera battery chargers, etc.
10. Move the grill so that it is not viewable from the back door

Shortly after our realtor made her recommendations, we sold the queen canopy bed frame, and in mid-May, we hired a painter and handy man to complete Items 2 thru 8. Our realtor had suggested at least 2 other cosmetic improvements, but we decided that we would do these suggestions only if our house did not sell quickly. We viewed these 2 items as nice to have, but not necessary and they would have required hiring another type of professional. Fortunately, our house sold in 2 to 3 days!

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Today is the closing day for our buyer and our current home will no longer be our current home shortly. Exciting!

Alan and I have enjoyed improving our current home over the past 11.5 years. When we purchased our home, it was a newly finished spec home owned by Newmark Homes, the builder. Below is the list of home improvements as best as I can recall:

Exterior

01. Extended the back patio from a small concrete pad to a larger area
02. Added flagstone to the front walkway, front entryway, front porch, and back patio
03. Added 1 additional flower bed in the center front of the property where one sidewalk is adjacent to the other and extended the flower bed closest to the front porch to wrap around the street side of the house
04. Created stone and mortar borders around all 3 flower beds and 3 trees in the front yard
05. Planted at least 11 trees and shrubs for shade covering
06. Added front yard lighting to light up the flower beds and trees at night
07. Added a sprinkler system in the front and back yard
08. Repainted the Hardiplank siding, outdoor trim and outdoor patio railings and columns
09. Replaced the garage door with an insulated garage door (This improvement was necessary when the garage door permanently broke one day)
10. Added a storm door
11. On the street side, moved up the backyard fence several feet to extend the backyard and provide a discrete place in the backyard for an outdoor shed
12. On the neighbor’s side, added another gate for additional access to the backyard
13. Added a back shed and a slate pad on which the shed and the outdoor garbage container rest
14. Added a fountain in the front yard
15. Revised most of the original landscaping

Interior

01. Replaced all the carpet downstairs, upstairs, and on the stairs with Quik-Step wood laminate flooring
02. Added custom wood plantation shutters to all the common rooms downstairs
03. Added real wood blinds in all 4 bedrooms, in the master bathroom, and in the stairway landing window
04. Repainted most of the rooms a neutral color
05. Added Crate and Barrel curtain rods and curtains to the 4 bedrooms
06. Created under the stairs storage room and finished out the floor and walls
07. Replaced all the bathroom faucets
08. Replaced all the gold tone ceiling fans with modern brushed nickel ceiling fans
09. Replaced all the gold tone door knobs with brushed nickel knobs
10. Replaced all the white plastic downstairs face plates with brushed nickel face plates
11. Replaced the sliding glass door with an all glass door and 2 full sidelight panels
12. Replaced the white stove and white dishwasher with a stainless steel stove and dishwasher
13. Removed the built in desk in the kitchen and increased the height of the side bar to accommodate a beverage cooler
14. Bought a beverage cooler that is staying with the current house
15. Routed out the doors and added glass to all the upper kitchen cabinet doors
16. Remodeled the kitchen: 3 x 5 white subway tile backsplash, undermount accent lighting, black honed granite counter top, brushed nickel hardware, deep stainless steel sink, new faucet and built in soap dispenser, new brushed nickel pulls and handles, and painted the kitchen cabinets white
17. Painted the front door, back door and stair railings
18. Removed the original hanging light fixtures in the kitchen, breakfast nook, back living room downstairs and all the hallways and replaced them with recessed lighting
19. Replaced the gold tone front hall lighting fixture with a wrought iron finish hall lighting fixture
20. Added surround sound wiring to the Front Living/Dining room
21. Added built in ceiling speakers to the Back Living room
22. Added a full floor to ceiling wall mirror in the workout room
23. Added built in cabinets to the garage
24. Added additional built in cabinetry in the laundry room
25. Painted all the bathroom vanities white

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I love the current colors of our home the best. Being approximately 2200 square feet, our current home can support many different, yet complimentary, interior wall colors.

Our current home has 8 interior wall colors: 4 downstairs and 4 upstairs. I selected all the colors, except for Alan’s office color. Each color is by Ralph Lauren Paint, purchased at The Home Depot when the store still carried the Ralph Lauren Paint brand.

The common areas downstairs and upstairs are painted NA20 Victoriana. Our current house floor plan is open and having only one common area color allows proper flow from room to room.

The Front Entertainment Center wall is VM52 Burning Umber. It is a blue red. Red is a stimulating color and perfect for a TV room. Red has been my accent color for the past 11.5 years and I still love it. In the new home, however, I am going to use a different accent color because I am comfortable changing it up.

The Downstairs Bathroom is VM138 Calypso. Both Alan and I love this blue color.

The Guest Bedroom is UL13 Pale Grey. Grey is my favorite color. I love the grey guest bedroom and am so happy we sold the master bedroom furniture recently so that we can stay in the grey guestroom until we move into our new home.

Alan’s office is NA37 Kew Place. The Upstairs Guest Bathroom, or Alan’s Bathroom, is NA01 Barn Owl White. My workout room is VM55 Keswick Brown, another favorite color. The master bedroom is UL43 Broome.

Color is an inexpensive way to give a home its own unique look. I value the importance of color so much that I hired an interior decorator to suggest colors for our new home. I have learned from experience that it is much more efficient to get the color right the first time around. I do not plan on repainting our new home for at least 10 years when I’ll need a change of color. Almost two weeks ago, I selected the colors for our new home, with the help of our interior decorator and I love every one.

Alan's Office

In 2 days, our current house will be officially sold and, shortly thereafter, I’ll start writing about our new one: I am thrilled to move on.

Last Sunday, Alan and I spring cleaned his office. He cleaned out his file cabinet and the closet; I organized items to be (1) shredded, (2) put on consignment, (3) sold on Craig’s List, (4) given to Goodwill, and (5) retained. Wow! I am so proud of us for working so hard together.

The process of cleaning out, selling, discarding, and organizing our remaining possessions has been a lot of effort. Packing should be easy. As Alan said, “It will only take us a day to pack everything.” True. The hard part has been done already.

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I am happy that we can fit two cars in our garage because it is an accomplishment for anybody.

At our new house, we will not have a garage and we both accept this because being closer to downtown is a higher priority for us than having a garage; and we are not willing to spend more on a house that has a garage. Many houses downtown, south of Lady Bird Lake, do not have garages so it is the norm.

For most homeowners in Texas, because basements are rare or nonexistent, their garages collect a lot of items that they do not have the time to organize, and instead of throwing away the items, they put them in the garage.

The garage is Alan’s space and he keeps a clean and organized garage overall; however, because we do not have a garage at our new house, we must sell most of the items in the garage. The items we will be keeping are: two mountain bikes, a small soft-sided cooler, the big fan, the Power Washer, a toolbox or two and a ladder. The mountain bikes will stay on the back porch near the master bedroom, locked up. The small soft-sided cooler will go in the pull-out pantry. The big fan, Power Washer and a toolbox or two will fit in Alan’s office closet. I have not figured out where the ladder is going yet, but we do have an attic, and it is a rarely used item.

Storing garden tools will be a challenge at the new house and Alan has suggested putting a storage unit under the deck. This may work out, but before we do anything permanent – like cut a door into the siding under the deck – we are going to ponder all of our options first.