Staging: Refresh Your Welcome Mat

Over and over again, we are reminded that we never get a second chance to make a first impression when buyers see our homes. This is the gospel of home staging and real estate because it is the absolute truth. However, all of the little things that your stager or agent suggests for sprucing up your curb appeal can add up. $20 for a new wreath here, $30 for a new Welcome mat there, and pretty soon you've spent hundreds just on your front porch. What's a seller to do? Well, if you have a faded and worn old Welcome mat like I had, refreshing it with a coat of latex paint is a cheap solution. I just used some interior latex that I had left over from painting a room, but you could easily use craft paint or anything you have laying around. I haven't tried it, but I bet a person could even spray paint it. You could choose a color to compliment your exterior color scheme or a seasonal color. (Craft paint will cost you $2 instead of $30!) I like to use these cabinet & door sponge rollers because they hit the top layer of the design without getting too much paint in the grooves so that the pattern stays true. 

Really, this is a great money saving tip for any Welcome mat that isn't looking it's best anymore, and since it's just paint, you can change it up for very little money whenever you feel like it--and you're keeping it out of the landfill!