Cell Shades

Giving a vacant home a sense of warmth if easy with appropriate window shades. Window shades are often seen as the perfect solution for home sellers looking to show potential buyers the possibilities. Conservative window shades give the vacant home a general ambience of life. They give the buyer the chance to see the house’s potential as a home.

Appropriate window shades installed in a vacant home always make a difference. It’s always a good idea. But in a rough housing market it’s vital. A good agent is aware of this and will guide homeowners with homes for sale through the process with appropriate advice.

When looking to purchase window shades in preparation for the sale of your home stick to conservative choices. Instead of trying to purchase and install something that will make your house “stand out” aim for a very classic, conservative style. Aiming to please a potential buyer with a very specific style, color or design for the window shades does not lend itself to success.

Some good, solid choices for window shades that will give a house a homey feel regardless of personal taste and style are: classic wood blinds (or faux wood blinds) or roman shades with conservative color choices. Color choices that will be pleasing to almost any eye are: white, off white, medium dark wood stain, or tan.

You can also take into consideration the other permanent color choices in the room: walls and woodworking. But don’t feel as if matching the stain on the woodworking is a requirement. Sometimes darker stains can be overwhelming and adding more dark stain would be the wrong choice.

Don’t forget that potential buyers don’t always have a lot of imagination. Home sellers need to sell their home. This means that sellers need to point out the possibilities. One way this can be accomplished is through a savvy window shade installation.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has more than 25 years of experience in the window coverings industry and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window blinds before they buy. Focusing on high quality, company tested and approved window treatments at affordable prices, Blinds Chalet is a resource for all things window blinds related.

April 30th, 2010 | Category: Cell Shades | Leave a comment

Many consumers don’t know the difference between faux wood and real wood blinds nor do they know the benefits of faux wood blinds. Just like any purchase, there are benefits to both that make one or the other the obvious choice as soon as consumers make themselves aware of the options.

The first difference that most consumers will notice and take note of is the price. Faux wood blinds offer a significantly lower price tag than real wood blinds. Today’s sluggish economy has left a large majority of shoppers with their priorities set firmly in the category of “price.” So the lower cost of faux wood blinds is definitely an advantage.

Faux Wood Blinds look just like real wood. They are made using advanced technology using PVC and a composite of man-made materials combined with wood particles. Most consumers aren’t able to tell the difference between the faux and real wood blinds without intense study.

Faux Wood Blinds have the additional benefit of having easy maintenance. They are easier to clean than real wood blinds. They are fully washable. They are unaffected by humidity. With real wood blinds consumers have to be careful of the amount of moisture they apply in cleaning and maintaining their product, but with faux products they do not have to take this into consideration.

The faux wood blinds products are manufactured in many colors and textures. They can be as easily incorporated into any design style or color scheme as their real wood blinds counterparts. They also incorporate up to date child safety features.

Specific faux wood blinds can vary by manufacturer. Each manufacturer has different strengths and weaknesses. The easiest way to use this to advantage is to access compare/contrast graphs that are typically offered on reputable online blinds distribution outlets.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has over 25 years of experience in the window coverings sector and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window blinds before they buy.

April 30th, 2010 | Category: Cell Shades | Leave a comment

Window blinds are a major home purchase. Some see them as an expense that they would like to avoid at all costs. They see them as one more design expense that shouldn’t be necessary, but seems to be required to make the house look right. These people are missing the entire point of window blinds! They’re not just a design expense. They’re more like a drastic home improvement.

Real estate agents with experience in their industry are very aware of the positive effect that window blinds have on the overall curb appeal of a home on the market. These savvy agents are the ones urging their home sellers to purchase and install quality window blinds prior to listing their home on the market. Home buyers may not even be aware of the change window blinds make in a vacant home. But experienced professionals are very aware of the advantages; the installation of window blinds make a quick, profitable sale more likely.

Most consumers recognize the basic need for window blinds. They fulfill certain functions. They ensure privacy. They allow for light blocking and light filtering. Window blinds provide privacy regardless of the size of the window, the placement of the window or the function of the room. And there are a wide variety of products to provide for every desired or necessary level of light blocking/filtering. The need for light blocking/filtering varies depending upon the region as well as the specific lifestyle of the resident. For instance extreme light blocking is especially helpful for people who work at night and sleep during the day or people with small children that require daytime naps.

But the basic function of the window blind isn’t in question. We know that these functions can be fulfilled. Window blinds are now expected to do so much more. They are recognized for their many advantages offered to homeowners.

One of the biggest advantages offered to homeowners is added curb appeal. Agents that are aware of the vital aspect of curb appeal are also aware of the fact that window blinds are at the top of the list of “positives” for many potential home buyers. It’s a positive that should be taken into consideration when any homeowner is considering a window blinds purchase; it’s not just a home expense to add to the general design of the home. It’s a home improvement that adds much more value to the home than the cost of purchase/installation. They can also offer advantageous energy saving capabilities.

The energy saving features incorporated into many window blinds can consistently save homeowners hundreds of dollars on their utility bill. The availability of an online calculator that estimates the potential energy savings possible through installation of proper energy saving window blinds will lend credibility to any online source for window blinds. And the estimate will clearly show the second reason that window blinds are clearly a home improvement worth the cost. Not only do they add curb appeal, but they can actually result in financial gain through the energy saving features available in many product lines. In the current real estate market there’s some tough competition. The sheer number of available homes for sale can seem staggering. So setting your home apart from the crowd with window blinds is not just smart; it’s necessary.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has over 25 years of experience in the window coverings sector and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window blinds before they buy.

April 30th, 2010 | Category: Cell Shades | Leave a comment

Recalls due to safety concerns have been underway for years when it comes to corded window products. The cording poses a definite safety issue to small children. Homeowners and/or landlords that are aware of the frequent presence of small children should make safety considerations a high priority when purchasing window coverings.

1. Walk through and actually look at the window coverings currently installed (cell shades, horizontal blinds, vertical blinds, roman shades, honeycomb shades, etc.) It doesn’t matter what type of product is in use; take a small chunk of time and consider the negative possibilities presented by its design. ANY exposed cording poses a danger to small children. Check the back of the product in addition to the front.

2. Exposed cording should lead you to consider your options. Manufacturers of almost every type of window treatment from vertical blinds to cell shades now have retro fit kits available free of charge to alleviate any safety concerns on older products. These retro fit kits are available by contacting most manufacturers.

3. If it is a viable possibility financially owners and landlords are strongly urged to completely replace older, corded products. Cordless options are available in nearly every style of window covering from vertical blinds to horizontal blinds to roman shades. The cordless products offer the same aesthetic design and the same features and functions of their corded counterparts.

4. To ensure safety temporarily while searching for a more permanent solution start by tying down any looping cords with hold downs. They can also be cut and tied with a tassel. There should never be large pieces of furniture near window treatments. This increases the probability that a small child could gain access to cording.

Immediately taking temporary steps to alleviate any safety issues posed by cords is vital and highly recommended. But more permanent solutions are just as highly encouraged as quickly as possible. For further info on safety regulations and features in products currently on the market as well as older products that may need retro-fitting consumers can contact the Window Covering Safety Council. This organization offers free retro-fit kits for many types of window coverings. If possible homeowners with small children in residence should replace corded product with cordless products as soon as possible. IT is the most effective and permanent solution to the safety issue.

Chris Stanley is a window treatments expert at Blinds Chalet. Blinds Chalet has over 25 years of experience in the window coverings industry and strives to educate consumers about purchasing and installing window blinds before they buy. Focusing on high quality, company tested and approved window treatments at affordable prices, Blinds Chalet is a resource for all things window blinds related.

April 30th, 2010 | Category: Cell Shades | Leave a comment