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After over one year of spending more time at home than ever before, people are now looking ahead to life post-pandemic. During the course of this past year, you may have decided that one or more rooms in your home could use a refresh. Imperfections, incomplete projects, and outdated decor likely became even more obvious while staying at home for extended periods of time.

If you are now getting serious about refreshing your home’s design, the team at Watson aInternational has expert tips for creating a revived space you’ll adore.

Create a vision board

Before ordering new rugs, decorative items, paint, and the like, take a step back to decide how you would like your home to look. Design changes and renovations take a substantial amount of time and money, so you certainly don’t want to have to redo anything due to making hasty decisions.

Start your home redesign project by creating a vision board for each room. You can do this either on a physical board (using magazine clippings, fabrics, and paint swatches) or on Pinterest. Build an aesthetic for each room that captures your unique style and preferences. Having vision boards will also allow you to compare each room to ensure that there is a proper flow throughout your home.

Change the walls in your home

One of the most effective ways to dramatically alter a room is to change the paint or wallpaper. Sprucing up the colors and textures used can help you rapidly create any look and feel you desire.

While most people decide to use paint, there are numerous benefits to opting for wallpaper instead. As one example, wallpaper features stunning and elegant designs that cannot be created with paint. The easiest method for installing wallpaper is using one that you can just stick on. This kind of wallpaper is not only simple to put into place, but it can also be readjusted and removed effortlessly. If your design plans require an extra degree of customization, wallpaper can be designed to fit your specific elements.

Swap pieces of furniture

Another excellent way to reshape the look and feel of a room is to swap out the furniture being used. A new sofa set, an accent chair, a coffee table, or a new entertainment center can totally change the appearance of a room. There are also endless options for finding the right furniture for your space. Not only can you order exceptional new pieces that can be customized, but you can also find breathtaking items at antique stores and consignment stores in your area.

Make small, yet powerful decor changes

When most people think about redesigning rooms in their homes, they often think about making significant changes — including major renovations. While these larger changes can completely reshape your home, small changes can be just as powerful.

Making minor, yet calculated decor changes can do wonders for transforming any space in your house. Adding items such as a big mirror, an intricate clock or even a dining room table centerpiece can deliver maximum results with minimal effort.

Hire an interior designer

If you don’t consider yourself to be a design expert, do not worry. Hiring an experienced interior designer can help you achieve the look and feel that you want without any effort on your part. Watson International offers interior design services that bring life to your home. We can coordinate any kind of service you need to create a design that you love.

From refreshing just one room to your entire house, making design changes is an excellent way to create a space you genuinely love. When you feel more comfortable at home, it is easier to relax and enjoy life to the fullest.

Watson International is a multi-division organization, specializing in real estate brokerage, interior design, property management, general contracting, and consulting. Find the services

you need for your home today.

Author: Derek Goodman, Inbizability

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Author: Kelli Brewer

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When it is time to prepare your home to present to buyers, there are a few key factors to consider. As a conscientious seller, you want to ensure that you present your home in the best light possible. With proper decluttering and depersonalizing, you give potential buyers the space to explore your property, imagining what it would be like living there.

As you navigate this process, it is helpful to consult with an experienced real estate agent, like those on the team of Watson International. An agent is a valuable asset because they provide an objective view of the home. A real estate agent sees your home through the eyes of an outsider, just as potential buyers will during their visits, and those insights will be invaluable in shaping your decisions. In the meantime, these simple tips will help you get started.

Cut Out Clutter

Before you get into the heavy lifting of moving large pieces of furniture, decorations, and other major items in your property, it is important to eliminate clutter. Work your way throughout the entire home, hitting every closet, hallway, and open area. Your kitchen counters should be clear and spacious. The bedrooms, dining room, and living room should be reduced to the bare minimum.

Anything that you can move out of the home should be, whether you sell or donate these belongings or move them to an offsite storage facility. Anything you’ll be keeping in the home should be put into storage bins. You can buy inexpensive decorative bins on discount sites like Overstock (and save even more with digital Overstock coupons and promotions) that add decorative, yet neutral, flair to your living space.

When you rid your property of clutter, you allow buyers to see the property as it truly is. This way, they can imagine how it will look once they move in, and it helps them focus on the house, rather than your belongings. As an added benefit, less clutter makes your moving process that much easier, and you can take the opportunity to get a head start on packing.

Clean as a Whistle

Once you’ve taken care of your clutter, you should do a thorough cleaning and sanitization of the property, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. There is no shortage of affordable cleaning services available to you in today’s market, or you can DIY the job yourself. Make sure you tend to every nook and cranny, working top to bottom throughout every room of the property.

Giving walls, floors, and other surfaces the attention they need is critical. Also be aware of any particular areas that need specialized attention. For example, carpets often harbor unwanted odors, and even if you DIY the rest of your cleaning, you might want to hire a pro to get them clean and fresh when it is time to show your home.

Get Less Personal

When potential buyers walk through your home, they want to see the home itself, not your decorations, personal items, and keepsakes, however charming they may be.

There are a couple different approaches you can take to depersonalizing your home. First, you can simply eliminate strongly personal items. For those things which still have plenty of life left in them, consider donating them to a local charity, thrift store, or organization. In fact, MyMove notes some organizations will even pick items up for you.

Another option is to box your personal belongings up and stow them elsewhere. Storage facilities offer affordable options for homeowners on the move.

Picture This

High-quality real estate photos give you enormous advantages when you are selling your home. With buyers typically beginning their search online, many sellers opt to hire the services of a professional photographer who specializes in real estate photography. A pro knows how to ensure your home looks appealing, dynamic, and attractive in your listing. Some real estate brokers, such as Watson International, actually cover the cost of Professional Photography when you list properties with them to sell, and oversee the Photo Shoot for you, so hiring a real estate broker as a first step is ideal from the Photography perspective.

When it’s time to list your home for sale, take the opportunity to prepare it properly. With the right approach to decluttering, depersonalizing, and staging, you give yourself a much better chance of catching house hunters’ attention. Your efforts will be rewarded, and you’ll be moving into your next abode in no time.

For all of your real estate needs, including brokerage, property management, and general contracting, contact the experts at Watson International.

Image via Pixabay

Author : Jackie Waters of Hyper-Tidy

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None of us understood what this year would look like when it began. The changes that have been brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic have left some home sellers feeling particularly overwhelmed. Other sellers abandoned the concept of selling altogether once the pandemic erupted, which led to the largest inventory shortage in history in cities like New York where housing supply dropped by an unprecedented 90%. This of course caused a rise in property values — which is a fantastic opportunity for sellers who chose to continue or begin sale efforts during this time — but we can leave this topic for another piece. Read on as we explore all you need to know about ensuring a successful and safe experience if you happen to be one of the sellers aiming to capitalize on the inventory shortage.

Begin with the Basics

There are a few things all property owners need to do when they are selling during a pandemic or not, and those things remain the same: clean, declutter, and depersonalize. Since those things are familiar ground, and they lay the foundation for everything else, they are the perfect place to start.

A thorough cleaning is always a must since it implies to buyers that your home is well-maintained. Give your home a deep cleaning, scrubbing everything from top to bottom, inside and out. To ease this part of the process, put together a convenient arsenal of cleaning supplies. Unfortunately, given current shopping situations, this can prove challenging.

While cleansers might be hard to come by at the grocery store, Cleaning Products Reviews explains how to mix some solutions yourself that they claim to be safe and effective against COVID-19. You’ll want to have them handy in the event anyone wants to view your home via a virtual tour, and for others who might come to your property, such as any repairmen, your home inspector or a real estate agent (in jurisdictions where city and state governing bodies permit such professionals to physically enter properties, of course). Keep in mind that in the case of the latter, cleaning afterward is as critical as cleaning prior. Also keep in mind that the CDC offers a list of approved cleansers to mitigate the contagion in properties; be sure to obtain these CDC approved options if at all possible.

Decluttering is next. Reducing the amount of furniture and other belongings in your home allows buyers to focus on the house itself and envision what their own things will look like in the space, which is especially important for an online video presentation. This will make it easier to keep the property clean and it gives you a headstart on packing as well. This also leads naturally to depersonalizing the space.

Depersonalization takes your personal influence away, removing house hunters’ inclination to wonder about who lives in the space and encouraging them to consider it as their own. As Allstate explains, removing strong color schemes, collections, personal photos, sports trophies, and so forth, helps buyers think about living there with their own belongings.

Projects with Punch

In the course of covering your basic preparations, you might decide it’s time to take on a few DIY projects. Now is a perfect time to tackle certain types of projects, keeping in mind safety and health. For instance, arranging a master bedroom so it appears more spacious or replacing kitchen hardware are simple DIYs that efficient, economical, and do not jeopardize your health to complete. On top of all that, these kinds of nuanced changes can make a lasting impression on house hunters.

If you’re unsure about what is working well in your area, take a look at your local housing market. You can learn a lot by studying trends. Contact a broker in your immediate area that can consult with you who what styles and aesthetics appeal most to the target market in your specific location.

Tech Tips

When it comes to the tech side of your presentation, keep in mind that quality counts. This is vital, especially if house hunters intend to skip an in-person tour — or in some locations like NYC, where they aren’t permitted yet by the mayor or governor to even necessarily enter a space physically. Work with your broker to help them create a virtual tour that includes things like still images of highlights and unique features, and schematics that provide the dimensions of various spaces. Your real estate agent will be able to help you with more details regarding what your local buyers are most interested in, but remember that quality is the key.

2020 got off to an unforeseen start, but it has also presented unforeseen opportunity to property sellers. Properties are still selling — for an average of about 8% higher than this time last year due to historically low inventory — and with the right strategies, yours can be one of them. Tackle the standard must-haves, incorporate new strategies, and find ways to stand out. Soon, this phase will just be a memory, and the sellers who capitalized on it will be a very happy group.

Author: Suzie Wilson, Happier Home

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If there’s one perfect moment to update your home, it’s at the start of a new decade.  Whether it’s as simple as adding new art to your wall or as involved as gutting your entire kitchen – we’ve got you covered!  From bold hues and hand-crafted accents to throwback details and classic motifs, here are some fun and inspiring trends to spice up your home for 2020!

Vintage Accents

What goes around comes around, especially in relation to home décor trends.  According to Bria Hammel, CEO of Bria Hammel Interiors, “One thing we’re starting to see is more of a nod to vintage and traditional detailing.”  Bringing this design theme to fruition can be as simple as incorporating some furniture with spooled legs, spindles, and other early 1900’s staples.  Adding vintage accents in moderation is a fun way to add charm to any home.

Non-White Kitchens

If there was one staple design trend in the 2010’s, it was the all-white kitchen.  But in 2020, we’re seeing a shift from the classic all-white to softer tones.  This includes natural wood cabinets, islands, and shelves.  Greyscale themes and sandy neutral tones are trending now.  In addition to this, there has been an uptick into contrast, for instance adding a black countertop to a kitchen with light cabinets.  Adding contract is a unique way that homeowners can achieve a bright and airy atmosphere while still maintaining some anchorage.

Fun Bathroom Design

If you have an urge to use a splash of color or funky design on the walls in your home, try it in one of your bathrooms!  Bathrooms are a great place to experiment and have fun with, since the rooms can themselves be an accent or encompass their own theme.  Redesigning a bathroom or powder room can be a fabulous way to exercise your creative energies without overwhelming yourself or the rest of your property.

Bold Black and White

Combining black and white creates an immediate emotional response while remaining timeless.  Combine with gold to create depth.  If a design element such as a dramatic herringbone black and white foyer or dining room floor would too intimidating for you, you can start small by tiling the bathroom floors or shower tiles for instance.

Real Plants

Go green with some fun plants throughout the house.  As most of us know, it may be hard to create liveliness in a home, especially living in New York City where there may not be a whole lot of surrounding nature.  Live plants help give personality and add another layer to a space.

Furniture with European-Inspired Details

German and Italian influences can be found in the arms of couches, knife-edge welts, metal legs, and more.  These small furnishing features will be both attention-grabbing and interesting.  These details are timeless!

Author: Ava Howard

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Tidying and organizing your home can feel like a major undertaking, especially if things have gotten a bit out of control. If you have accumulated more “stuff” than you know what to do with, take heart. There are some simple strategies for conquering clutter, and once you get a handle on it, chances are you’ll never look back.

Amateur-Friendly Ideas

When your household is really disorganized, you might be tempted to call in reinforcements, such as a professional organizer. However, by finding a decluttering method that works well, you can avoid letting things get out of control all over again. For instance, some people choose the “one” method, where they get rid of one thing daily, whether it’s a full box, a bag, or a single item while others prefer to go room by room. Another idea is to sort things into specific categories, such as items to discard, items to put away, and items to re-home. Keep in mind that you will most likely need several decluttering sessions for your project, but making steady progress can help build momentum.

Capitalize with Cleaning

As you sort piles and sift through items, you’re bound to unearth some dirt and debris. This is the perfect time to give your home a thorough cleaning, wiping away the dust and cobwebs so your cleared spaces shine. You can assemble a handy cleaning caddy and keep it close to where you’re working, giving things a once over when you finish for the day, or taking breaks to scrub as needed. Some people prefer to hire a cleaning company to come by periodically; that way, you can focus all your energy on decluttering.

Do You Love, Love, Love It?

When you have a lot of “stuff” to sift through, it can be challenging deciding what to keep and what to throw. The experts at MarthaStewart.com point out that our belongings can reflect an emotional attachment that actually weighs us down. We often hang onto possessions out of a desire to cling to the past or to prepare for an unknown future event. Letting go of things that don’t bring joy can be freeing, and some studies indicate we lower our stress and anxiety levels when we part ways with clutter. If you hit a stumbling block, one idea is to ask yourself if you love, love, love it. Items that don’t warrant three loves? Those have to go!

Pump Up the Volume

De-cluttering can be a big undertaking, and it’ll feel satisfying to watch your own progress. However, sometimes things can bog us down. On days you don’t feel like dealing with the clutter, consider putting on some music to help keep your work light. Psych Central points out that playing music can be a mood booster. Aim for something upbeat, as our minds and bodies respond naturally to the sounds and rhythms. Whether you opt to slip your phone into your pocket to blast your tunes or use another device, you can select an online playlist that’s perfect for household chores, or you can customize your own.

What to Do with the Castoffs

Once you have piles of things you’re ready to part with, re-homing them can feel like another hurdle. There are actually plenty of good options to consider. For things that are still useful, consider selling them or donating them to charities. Items that are too worn or are broken can often be given away for others to up cycle, or you can recycle them. There is an abundance of opportunities, and you can feel even better knowing your old items are being put to good use.

Are you ready to pare down? When you have more “stuff” than you know what to do with, figuring out a good decluttering method can get you on the right track. Make sure you have fun with it, and in no time, your home will be tidy and organized.

Written by Suzie Wilson

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Parents are often stretched pretty thin these days. When you add selling a property to work, school, and routine obligations, it can feel downright overwhelming. Putting a few well-thought-out strategies in place can save you a lot of stress when you’re planning to put a house on the market, and it can help you score a successful sale.

De-clutter and Deep Clean

When potential buyers come to see your home, having it tidy and shiny from top to bottom will make the best possible impression. Start by de-cluttering, including the kids’ rooms, and putting extraneous items in storage. Psych Central recommends having the conversation with your children about moving early on, and suggests giving youngsters small tasks to help them feel part as if they are a part of the process. Let them make some decisions on what stays and what gets packed. When paring down toys, encourage kids to keep toys that can be picked up quickly, as opposed to things like building block sets and glittery crafts.

Staged for Success

Once your cleaning is complete, the challenge becomes staying ahead of clutter and dirt. With the proper foundation established, Angie’s List points out you canstage your houseeffectively in just 15 minutes. The last thing you want is to turn away a showing, so be ready for showings ahead of schedule. Keep a basket handy for picking up toys, throw open the window coverings to allow in natural light, and have a trash bag for catching loose ends. Leaving a spot in your trunk means the basket and bag can go with you if necessary. Also, keep anair freshenerconvenient and address any odors from food, pets, trash, diapers, and the like. Also, be sure to ask your real estate professional if they feel Professional Staging would benefit your particular property. Watson International, for example, has a sister Staging Company that can help best prepare your space.

Hide in Plain Sight

When people come to view your home, they will look in virtually all nooks and crannies. They will open closets, kitchen cabinets, and even your oven. However, you do have a couple of reasonably safe hidey-holes in the event you are caught completely off-guard. Somelast-minutestorage solutionsinclude your washer and dryer, under beds, and if your sofa is against the wall, you might slip some things back there as well. It’s not a desirable solution, of course, but in a pinch, sometimes it can save the day.

Dealing with Decor

If you let your kids pick their decor, you likely have some redecorating to do before putting your home on the market. Generally speaking, potential buyers prefer depersonalized homes, decorated with age- and gender-neutral decor. One of the least expensive and most effective ways to achieve that look is with paint. According to some studies, certain colors are more appealing to buyers than others. Shades of blue are popular in bedrooms right now, or you can go with traditional logic and aim for neutrals, such as tans or grays. It’s fine for buyers to see that children live in the house, but make things as spacious as possible, and steer clear of themes, family photos, and collections. Painting is usually best in a clean and uncluttered environment, and once completed, you’ll be ready for house photos and listing for sale. Be sure to ask your broker for any color schemes or decor features that he or she recommends. Watson International for example has a General Contracting Company that can handle jobs as large as gut renovations and as small as a simple paint job to prepare homes to go on the market.

Preparing a home to sell can be stressful no matter what, but especially when you have kids. Declutter, deep clean, and depersonalize, then be ready for those last minute showings. Even busy families can not only survive the process, but find themselves to be moving into their new dream home in no time!

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New York City: the concrete jungle where dreams are made, stars are born and numerous Marvel movies and shows take place. Whether you’re a lifelong resident of the city looking to add a layer of physical fitness to your routine or a newcomer who stepped off the bus three months ago and haven’t left your desk yet, we’ve got the fun outdoor and active living activities that you need to get out and stay active in 2019.

Running through the city

Running through NYC, dodging people and tasting the scents of differing neighborhood culinary scenes as you move from block to block—there’s nothing like it. If you’re new to NYC, you might not know that the city has numerous active running groups that meet all across the City’s five boroughs. From Central Park to the gritty streets, you’ll be able to have everything from good long jogs to green space for sprinting. Some of the best places to run in NYC include:

• The Brooklyn Bridge
• Hudson River Greenway
• High Line Park
• Central Park
• Prospect Park
• Morningside Park
• Coney Island’s Boardwalk
• Carl Schurz Park
• Queensboro Bridge
• Roosevelt Island
• Van Cortlandt Park
• The East River Greenway

If you’re running in a high-traffic area or at night, remember to wear reflective gear. And, as with all of these activities, stay hydrated. After you try it out, if you think running’s an activity you’ll spend time on, you should consider signing up to join a local running/jogging group or registering for any one of the city’s marathons, half-marathons, 10Ks or 5Ks.

Bicycling through NYC streets

Another great way to stay active outdoors on a daily basis is cycling. The average person burns between 450 and 750 calories per hour of moderate cycling, making it a great way to lose weight. Over the past few years, NYC’s government has spent time and money investing in a bicycle-friendly infrastructure, and its paid off. Every day, hundreds of New Yorkers cycle to work instead of driving or relying on public transportation.

If you’re going to be biking in the city, be sure to study the bike paths, bike lanes, and greenways available to you as a cyclist. Being aware in advance of any of your cycling travel will cut down on mistakes and help you focus on the road. You should also invest in a high-quality bicycle lock and a reliable helmet.

Recreational Sports

If running and cycling aren’t for you, and you prefer team sports, NYC Social’s perfect for you. With sports spanning from basketball and skeeball, they make it easy to sign up for a team and get started. You can even search for teams according to your neighborhood and the day of the week that you’re able to meet. Social sports teams are a great way to learn a new sport, make some new friends, and maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.

Unlike solitary activities like running and cycling, recreational sports demand you collaboratively interact with others, making them great places to practice your communication skills, learn about leadership, and network with team members after practice.

Kayaking in NYC’s waterways

Surprised to find out you can go kayaking (or canoeing) in the Big Apple? One of the most underrated activities NYC offers is the ability to travel and see the city from its waterways. Some boathouses even offer free kayaking lessons during the summer. If you’re interested in kayaking, check out a place like Manhattan Community Boathouse in Hell’s Kitchen, which offers first-come, first-serve lessons for beginners or the North Brooklyn Boat Club in Greenpoint, where you can volunteer to become a deckhand after you’ve gotten a good amount of training and lessons. There’s also the Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse, the Downtown Boathouse, and the scenic and less urban Kayak Staten Island.

Getting fit through fitness classes

Worried that being in a fitness class will remind you of your years in the back of the class during gym class? Don’t. Everyone has that fear, and fitness classes are a great way of realizing that there are more people just like you than you think. Best of all, New York has plenty of local fitness classes that are tailored to what you’d like to do, including martial arts, boxing, cardio, yoga, dancing, swimming, pilates, and general fitness. This range ensures that you’ll find at least one take to do that you enjoy, but you should also take the opportunity to learn something new and outside of your comfort zone.

Start today

Whichever way you decide to get fit, make sure you’re following through with all the hard work you’re putting your body through by eating healthy and consuming nutritious meals. By transforming your New York lifestyle to be healthier and more active, you’re more likely to enjoy your life in the city and continue your activities for a long time to come.

Written by Jeremy Alderman

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Photo by Roberto Nickson (@g) on Unsplash

An open house is your chance to show real estate agents and potential buyers your property’s best side. Staging your space is a huge part of that. A properly staged area should be clean, decluttered, and depersonalized. The depersonalization part tends to be one aspect homeowners have the most trouble with, but everyone has their own personal blind spots.

That’s why the help of a professional stager can come in handy. Stagers know what people want to see when they walk through the door of an open house, and they know how to execute that vision. Hiring a home stager can help sell your abode quicker and for more money—all for the small fee they charge.

Cleaning for an Open House

When a residence is clean, it doesn’t just look its best; it also smells its best. Scent plays a huge part in our emotions because we connect fragrances to memories. When your home smells good, open house visitors will make positive emotional associations with the property.

Hiring a housecleaner before your open house is a great idea. Professional cleaners have seen it all and know how to clean better than anyone, including yourself. Having someone else do a nice base clean makes it easier for you to see all those little details that need some extra love. Pay particular attention to the kitchen—the crown jewel of any dwelling. Clean refrigerator shelves, on top of cabinets, and appliance surfaces. Make sure there are no food stains or smudges on cabinets and drawers. Even go so far to take the trash can out to clean and deodorize. It’s the details that can make a huge difference!

Decluttering for an Open House

Believe it or not, there is also a psychological motivation behind decluttering for your open house. Clutter instigates feelings of stress and anxiety. When a person walks into a showing, the only feelings you want them to experience are joy and interest.

Decluttering should happen both inside and out. Improve your curb appeal (more on that later) by picking up any toys, decorations, and yard tools, and putting them where they belong. If you have a coat rack or hooks at the front door, put away any clothes or accessories hanging there. You also want to remove visual clutter—go ahead and pack up your hanging hooks, photographs, and other artwork on the walls. Recycle the old mail and paper that clutter up countertops. Go through your kitchen and get rid of cookware, dishes, and storage containers you won’t be needing. It’s even important to declutter storage areas like closets. These are selling points that you want to highlight, so you can’t just shove everything out of sight and out of mind.

Depersonalizing for an Open House

You want people attending your open house to walk in and picture their own family living there. If you don’t take measures to depersonalize, you’re making it that much more difficult for them to realize that vision. While putting away all those things that make the house your home can be bittersweet, just think of it as pre-packing that will cut down on the work you have to do before you actually move.

Remove your personal photos, including any family portraits or professional shots you have framed. You should also pack away any trophies, plaques, awards, and framed certificates such as diplomas. If you have personal collections out for display, go ahead and tuck them somewhere safe and out of sight. The same goes for toys, sports equipment, and exercise equipment—these all qualify as personal items. Don’t forget to remove valuables and any indications of smoking, pets, or politics. Only keep the basic things you need and decorations that highlight your home’s features.

Don’t Forget the Outdoors

As much as the interior matters, it’s the exterior that draws people in. Spend a little time sprucing up the front door, cleaning the windows, and repairing small issues that might be noticed by a keen-eyed buyer. HomeAdvisor has more ideas on how to enhance curb appeal, even if your outdoor space in minimal.

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An open house is the perfect occasion to draw up interest in your property. Make sure it looks its best with a thorough and professional cleaning. Clutter is proven to cause stress and anxiety, so ensure good vibes by clearing out all the junk. Finally, make sure others can see themselves living there depersonalizing and packing away items.

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New York City is an exciting place with more than enough to keep anyone occupied, tourist or resident. But while the sights like the Statue of Liberty, Ground Zero, or the Empire State Building are always present, some things take a bit of timing. There’s plenty to do year-round in New York, although fall tends to be the best time for the biggest and most exciting events in the city. Whether you like culture, pop or not, are looking for a party, or want to be entertained from the stage, fall in NYC is going to be where it’s at. So check out these five events happening in the city this fall, and pick out the ones you just know you can’t miss.

Coffee
While the Big Apple is a diverse and varied place, there’s one thing that really binds it together: a love of coffee. It saturates the city, where there’s coffee shops on nearly every corner and nearly all of them are a unique, loving take on the beverage. Well, it goes a step farther than that: the New York Coffee Festival is a celebration of all things black, bean, and brewed. Taking place from October 12th to the 14th this year, the New York Coffee Festival is an adventure through nearly every style and taste of coffee that the city has to offer. The festival includes contests and demonstrations of things like latte art and barista skills, but also street food, live music, and coffee cocktail bars. It’s a perfect storm of things a coffee lover will love, but also plenty for everyone else to do—regardless of how you take it, cream, sugar, milk, or black.

Comedy
Starting in November, New York City will turn overnight into the comedy capital of the world. From the fifth to the eleventh, the New York Comedy Festival begins with shows from some of the biggest names in comedy through twenty different venues in the city. Some of these big names include Conan O’Brien, Tracy Morgan, and Gabriel Iglesias, so you know it’s going to be an all-star cast of laughs. Even still, the shows aren’t just limited to the most famous, the festival is slated for 200 or more comics across a hundred different shows, providing more than enough for the discerning comedy fan. Naturally, with a festival of that size, you won’t be able to do it all, but don’t let that stop you from enjoying it as much as you can. It’s a week of nothing but laughs and a good time.

Halloween
If you’re planning on being in the city for Halloween, don’t miss the 45th annual Village Halloween Parade. It’s a night of costumes and fun dedicated to a happy, celebratory spirit around the creativity and liveliness of everyone participating. Participation is limited to those in costume, so now’s the best time to get creative and come up with your most extravagant and interesting costume and bring it to life. There’s a costume contest for the parade, only requirement is to show up, put your best foot forward with your costume. For those not into costuming, there’s also opportunities to volunteer as a puppeteer for one of the many parade puppets and performers.

Comic Con
One of the biggest events in New York that just about anyone can get behind is the New York Comic Con, famed as the biggest pop culture event in America. At the Javits Center, thousands will show up in costume and comic t-shirts to meet their favorite superhero, Sci-Fi, fantasy, and other stars. Plenty of artists, fan and professional, arrive to show and sell their talents of capturing all the world’s favorite shows and books in ink. Comic Con is also famously where sneak peaks and announcements are made on upcoming TV shows and projects, so attending could get you on the cutting edge of the year’s most anticipated entertainment. Kids as young as 6 are allowed at NYCC so be sure to scope out local discounted group tickets online if you are planning on bringing the kids and their friends. Panels are announced in advance, so it’s easy enough to plan around hitting all the talks and events you want to keep up with.

Film Festival
While we’re on the subject of pop culture, maybe you’re a connoisseur of the silver screen. Naturally, this fall in New York has the perfect event for you: the New York Film Festival. Premiering some of the newest and best films, the New York Film Festival isn’t just limited to the United States. Several international films, including those from South Korea, China, France, and Poland, are also on the main slate for their US or worldwide premieres. Fiction isn’t the only thing being screened, too, as a good portion of the festival is dedicated specifically to documentaries, should those be your particular interest. And for those not looking for the new, the festival also has a dedicated set of revivals, screening classic films dating back to the 1950s that have been digitally remastered for modern viewing.

Written by Jeremy Alderman

Filed under: Blog by AgentImage
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