Front Door Updates Just Hardware and Paint

Remove the lock set and surface door hardware. Leave the door hanging and protect the ground beneath with drop cloths. Otherwise, if the hinges are corroded or covered with paint, remove the door and either replace the hinges or soak them in paint stripper then polish.

If you have purchased a new lock set and the holes do not match the new lock set purchased, the old hole may show. You have to 'build back' wood into the off-center holes. One method is to use toothpicks and carpenter glue.

Check for cracks, other indentations or holes that will not match up to new hardware, and fill with vinyl spackling compound. Refinish the door by sanding or stripping any peeling paint and sand the entire surface. Apply a couple coats of primer, making sure it is compatible with both latex and oil-base topcoats. (This can be tinted to match the topcoat, for ease of coverage).

Remember when painting to brush in the direction of the door's wood grain. When working with a flat door, apply paint with a fine enamel roller, and then use a brush to stroke paint into the surface.

Make sure to use long, vertical strokes and brush toward the middle of the door. If you have a panel door, apply paint in this order: first to the panel moldings, then to the panels, the horizontal rails, and finally to the vertical stiles.
When paint is dry, dress up your front door with "jewelry"; new hardware, knocker and kick plate can update the look of an old door.

The Home Staging Checklist is the result of wanting to help homeowners prepare their home by adding value now or when they decide to sell later.

The Home Staging Checklist, is an easy, step-by-step, bulleted list of preparing your home from curbside and throughout your entire home.

Johanna is a Home Staging professional that is dedicated to sharing her ideas and opinions to help home owners create a stylish, comfortable and welcoming home that people will love when they visit.

The challenge most homeowners face:

Home sellers have a difficult time staging their own home. Why? Homes are like our children, we don't always see all of its flaws. Home owners become accustomed to the way their home looks and in fact it is difficult emotionally to change it. If you can't look objectively at your home, then you are unable to market and package it effectively. Not to mention most home owners don't "stage" homes everyday for a living. That's what professionals are for and that is where the greatest returns on investment come in.

This book is packed with tons of ideas and advice that are changing the way people design their homes and how home owners can either embrace the new ideas or be punished by them later when it comes time sell.