Ready for Blastoff!

Elsa Wadzinski has to sell the family home quickly because her husband has already started a new job. They have lived in the 1,000+ square-foot house for six years. It isn't in great selling condition, so the Designed to Sell team has a mountain of work ahead of them.

The master bedroom has too much furniture and clutter. The bed is simply too large for the room, and the same drab paint that covers the other walls is the house has been used in here as well.

Real estate expert Shannon Freeman is the first to assess the house. Overall, it's a "charming house with good bones," but there's plenty of work that needs to be done to get it ready for an open house. The main problem is clutter, clutter and more clutter. Every room is packed with the stuff! Compounding the problem is that each of the bedrooms has no real definition. Potential buyers need to picture themselves and their things in the house in order to push them to buy, and clearly designating the rooms helps, Freeman says.

The next assessment comes from resident designer Lisa LaPorta. As usual, she lists a three-step plan to make this house sell worthy:

Step 1: Empty it out--remove the clutter.

Step 2: Fix it up--get it in move-in condition.

Step 3: Make it sing. Great selling points need to be highlighted with decorative touches.

She divvies out the tasks to Wadzinski and her two brothers, contractor Jim Collins and carpenters Brad Haviland and Nick Ralbovsky. They have to make it look like there's more than enough room for a family to move into this house.Though the hardwood floor idea didn't work out--it was too badly damaged to simply be refinished--new carpet, paint and accessories gave a fresh new look to the house.

In addition to the cluttered, cramped space in the living room, the carpet is in bad shape. LaPorta wants to strip it and reveal the hardwood floors.

The dining room serves as a combo office/playroom/storage area. It needs to actually look like a dining room before open-house time.

Though the hardwood floor idea didn't work out--it was too badly damaged to simply be refinished--new carpet, paint and accessories gave a fresh new look to the house.

Not only does the living room now look larger, there's a cozy feeling that wasn't there before, thanks to the splash of fresh paint, new window coverings and carpet.

The new dining table and chairs were purchased at a wholesale furniture store. New paint, window treatments and chandelier complete the look.

Before

The largest bedroom was the kids' room. LaPorta wanted to make it the master bedroom instead, in part to make room for that large bed.

After

The richly colored linens, draperies and new paint in the master bedroom make it more welcoming and are sure to add value.

Before

The nursery has the same problems as the other rooms--too much clutter and furniture. Plus, it's dull.

After

The soft blue paint color on the walls as well as the new crib and window coverings tie the new nursery together beautifully.

Cost breakdown:

1/3 budget for carpeting
1/3 furniture and decorative accessories
1/3 paint and supplies and new front door the rest

Total: $1,987

Products from The Home Depot:

exterior stoop paint, Behr (colormatched to existing stucco)
front door stain, Miniwax Provincial and polyurethane
living-room and dining-room paint, Behr's Sensible Hue
dining-room chandelier, five-piece Brushed Bronze ceiling pendant
master-bedroom paint, Behr-Disney's Whistling Wind
nursery paint, Behr's Contemplation

Products from Contractor's Warehouse:

oak front door, 1-3/4" Builder's Entry

Product from ProSource:

carpet, Shaw Tuftex Bocelli Honey 00727

Products from Target:

Living Room & Dining Room Window Treatments, Blue & Cream Toile window drapery panels
Nursery Window Treatments, Red Denim drapery panels & rods

Products from Coaster Company of America:

36" x 60" Maple dining table 5597
six side chairs, Maple with wicker woven back and cushions 5598

Products from Anna's Linens:

master-bedroom bedding, Bed in a Bag Ensemble Green and Violet Queen Muslim
nursery bedding, two juvenile comforters in Whisper Soft
nursery pillows, two Chintz Red corded pillows

Products from Mervyn's:

master-bedroom window-treatment panels, Red Violet