Customer Reviews

Designed to Sell: Make any home the hottest property on the block with expert advice from the popular HGTV series

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I've been a fan of this show for awhile even though I like some of the homes better than others. Still, for quick results and homes that look great on a rock bottom budget, this one can't be beat. It takes a certain skill to see your home with fresh eyes, know what to toss or store and what to keep, what paint to use to update your tired or dingy walls and how to style your home for the greatest effect. This book shows you how.

I couldn't believe how some of the "ugly duckling" rooms could actually look stylish. Clive Pearse, LIsa LaPorta, Donna Freeman and Shannon Freeman (who all worked on this book) have talent!


Features include:

1. Plenty of full-color photos, including close-ups of key elements. Nice graphics, easy to read, very user friendly.

2. An eye on the budget. There are cost breakdowns for any improvements or materials such as paint, window treatments and accessories.


3. An awareness of what sellers want. They KNOW you don't want to sink any more money into your home than you have to before you sell it and move on to your next home. They know you DO want to sell it for the best price possible. And if you can spend between $500 and $2000 and end up with $50,000 or more profit than comparable homes on the market....why not go for it?

4. Ideas for showcasing shelves, bookcases and architectural features.

5. Tips on lighting, creating drama, directing the eye to prime features (fireplaces, built-ins, chandeliers).

Great bang for your buck!

The ideas put forth in this book are simple and common sense, yet many were things I hadn't thought of. After living in my house for 5 years there were so many things I just didn't see any more and this book really helped me take a look through someone else's eyes. It is good for overall ideas, and reasonably good at specifics, though I often found myself wondering, "Just how did they do that?" They are very good at pointing out that though the investment in paint and furniture seems expensive, you should put it into perspective against how much more the house is worth with the changes.

I did not give this book 5 stars because of the budget feature, which is completely unrealistic. I don't know where I could buy all new living and dining room furniture for $663, especially not of the quality shown. In one feature on a bedroom they added a bed and a dresser, yet the budget did not include furniture. I really hate things like this in books because it diminishes my respect for the authors' and their other ideas.

So, get it, read it, but use your common sense. Be inspired, but you'll have to be creative on your own to stay within the budget!

If you're a fan of the show, you'll probably love this book. It has lots of large colorful pictures and nice bios of the stars. (Did you know Shannon Freeman is Donna Freeman's daughter? I didn't.)
The Pros:
* Lots of pretty pictures.
* A quick read.
* Bios of the Designed to Sell Team
* Lots of pretty pictures.
The Cons:
* Not much in the way of ideas of techniques.
* Too many pretty pictures.
The bulk of this book is a recap of various shows they've done. Unless your house is similar to one of their shows, you won't find much.

Personally, I found "Buying for Profit" from the folks at Property Ladder to be chock full of useful ideas for updating your home and preparing a property for sale.

I watch "Designed to Sell" every night - sometimes even the reruns! I looked forward to getting the book but was a bit disappointed about the book's layout. For one thing, on some of the pages they use very small print with a font color that almost matches the background of the photo on the page. I actually had to go back through the book at one point because I had missed some of the write-ups once I realized what they did.

Moreover, many of the pictures were too small. Rather than show a picture of Clive with Donna or Shannon, why not a larger "before" picture so the reader could get a better idea of what they were critiquing? It would have allowed for more of the room to be shown. In one living room, they discussed how bad a rail looked, yet there wasn't a picture to show what they were talking about.

The book also repeats (and repeats) some of what is discussed on the show - remove clutter and clean thoroughly. This got a bit tedious as the book progressed, but could be helpful for someone who's never seen the show.

All in all, I'd say that I enjoyed the book. I bought the book because it was recommended by Clive's assistant, Katie Spelling, when I inquired about a specific vanity top (I wanted to know where they got such a nice one for only $280). The book lists their sources - including stock numbers and descriptions - in the back. If you are a regular viewer of the show, I don't know that it's worth buying as you probably already know most of their tips: declutter, clean, paint, update fixtures, etc. If you've never or rarely watched it, you will learn a lot about staging your house.

I'm a big fan of the Designed to Sell TV series hosted by the ever witty Clive Pearse and the enthusiastic Lisa La Porta, a duo who managed to make home improvement a fun and entertaining TV watch.

The book of the show makes a great companion to the series. It's layout is clear and concise with great photography. Based around some of the best projects from the series it is full of useful tips and hints, not only on home design but also on everything from choosing a real estate agent to conquering clutter.

It also contains more detail than the series of how much extra money the homeowners made as a result of their outlay. Spending $2000 to update and improve your home and getting offers of $26,000 above the asking price as a result certainly shows the power of 'speculate to accumulate' ! The book got me motivated to really take a good hard look at my home and to make the effort invest some time and money before putting it on the market.

This book takes rooms right from the TV show. I enjoy the show and used their "tips" to sell a townhouse about 3 months ago. It was terrific. The reason for getting the book? Because I wanted some decorating tips and this book supplied that as well. Easy reading and handy reference guide.

Even if you're not planning to sell your house, this is a great book for basic design principles and clever, cost-effective design ideas. If you like the show, you'll love the book!

This inspirational collection of success stories who spent 2K in home improvements to realize 50K in profits from their investments promotes home redos which transform rooms, encouraging high and quick sales prices by introducing contemporary, clean new appearances to drab old homes. These aren't huge makeovers, but are often inexpensive and easy projects to dress up floors, windows, and walls. From cosmetic changes which pay off to inexpensive extras buyers fall for, the dos and don'ts come from both homeowners and real estate pros and reflect the best investments you can make. And if its title sounds familiar, that's because DESIGNED TO SELL: SMART IDEAS THAT PAY OFF! Comes from a hit TV show of the same name and approach.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

The book, like the show, is invaluable whether you will actually sell your house or not. More than one "seller" has changed from seller to keeper or rental owner because of how well the renovation turned out, and that is okay, too. The principal idea is to take a long, hard look at your dear little abode and see it more as others may see it. Clutter abounds, dirt has made itself at home in hard to reach places, repairs have been put off, etcetera! This book, like the program, will help you to sort out these problems, but many of the costs are not realistic: they hide some subterfuge.
Just for starters, I have never seen a cost entered for labor. Where the program is concerned, we know, or should know, that all labor is provided by the crew, who are on contract to the show. Furthermore, the work for the show is always completed on time and professionally well done. In real life, however, we have the problem of finding qualified, honest and trustworthy contractors/workmen who will charge us fairly for a job done well. None of this is dealt with in the program or in the book. Perhaps that part is "another story?"
If anyone goes into a remodeling/renovation project with only $2000 to spend, they had better have some talented and willing family or friends as well as being able to do some/most of the work themselves. As for the "new" furniture, it would be more helpful if the sources were mentioned. It is quite acceptable to purchase furniture from outlets and "used" stores at serious savings. However, these sources are not always available everywhere, and that, in all fairness, should be pointed out. This is my only criticism of the show and the book. The ideas are there and the needed jobs layed out, but the money is not realistic. Still, the book is worth the time to read it and the money to buy it - used.

I liked this book a lot. It is easy to read and moves well. They have a lot of ideas, concepts, tips, hints and other useful and current information for home sellers. They don't go into a lot of facts and figures on specific values of each improvement or change - but since that is market specific, I'm not sure how they could. The only negative I have is that the Before and After pictures are rather small and often show the room from different views so it's hard to see the entire before/after effect. They have step by step instructions for several of the most common and most valuable projects that are very useful for the novice. The ideas range from complex and dramatic changes to very simple low/no budget fixes. It is very much like the show, but they address all issues and situations and rooms in the book which they cannot do in each episode.