This week we discuss when it makes sense to undo a personal change you made to your house that might turn off potential buyers—and when you should leave it be. We also dig into how store return policies are evolving. The ability to return decor that doesn’t meet expectations is a big comfort for online shoppers, but some retailers are tightening enforcement. We’ll share what we learned about behind-the-scenes monitoring of returns and tips for DIYers who want to avoid getting flagged. Plus, we recap our recent blogging conference trip to Austin, I share an a-ha moment about something you sleep on, and Sherry gets a surprise celebrity shout-out that absolutely made her day.
You can download this episode from Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn Radio, and Spotify — or listen below. Use this page to view links, notes, and photos we referenced. Note: If you’re reading in a feed reader, you may need to click through to the post to see the player.
What’s New
- Above is a photo we took of our home quickly getting covered in snow while we drove to the airport for a conference in Austin a couple of weeks ago.
- We were absorbed in sessions at the conference, so we didn’t take many photos. Here’s one group shot taken as we headed out. Left to right: Jeremy & Katie from Bower Power, us, Amanda & Corey from Love & Renovations, and Julia & Chris from Chris Loves Julia.
- We also caught a distant shot of Randi Zuckerberg speaking (with the back of Michael from Inspired By Charm in the foreground). Her talk was thoughtful; we especially liked her kids’ book Dot, which deals with children and technology with a meaningful message.
- And here’s a photo of the birthday girl with the Tesla that became our Uber that night. We snapped this while unloading on the street corner in front of the restaurant; folks nearby seemed to expect someone more glamorous to step out.
- Here you can see the doors in action—and hear our surprised shouting when we realized that Tesla was our Uber.
- The video is a bit grainy (we were seated in the third row), but you can see the giant navigation screen on the dashboard. Jeremy Bower is chatting with the driver about the car’s 300-mile range per charge.
Can We Just Talk About?
- We came across a Wall Street Journal article explaining how some retailers track customer behavior to crack down on returns. This trend matters if you rely on generous return policies when buying decor online.
- If you want to hear more about why return policies make us comfortable buying online, check out Episode #83 of the podcast for a detailed conversation.
Listener Question
- The house with the garage-turned-theater was one of the properties we considered before buying our current home. You’ll find it in the roundup labeled “The Garage Theater House.”
- Sherry is preparing a post with staging advice and many photo examples from homes she’s worked on. As a preview, here’s a dining-room-turned-office-turned-homework-room photographed originally (left) and then simplified for sale (right). The staged changes were minor—art and storage baskets were removed from a few walls and a few items were simplified to create a cleaner, more neutral look.
- Sherry also mentioned a kitchen staging moment where moving the island back to the center made the space read better in photos and in person. Small placement changes like that can make a big difference during a sale.
- If you forgot what our last home’s carport looked like after we added a pergola, here’s the “cargola” update. We opted not to enclose it as a garage because that would have made the space feel cramped and blocked light to our office and laundry room. The current owners left it as a covered, open space as well.
We’re Digging
- The photo above shows the first mail-order boxspring we bought a couple of years ago for our guest room when we switched from a platform bed to a metal frame. That wooden model is no longer available. Last fall, when we needed another foundation for the beach house, we chose a metal boxspring that’s cheaper, easier to assemble, and now supports our daily sleep setup very well.
- Assembly is simple: the frame components go together quickly and the fabric cover zips around the structure. It’s a straightforward way to convert a pile of parts into a finished foundation.
- The other highlight this week was Sherry’s personalized birthday message from Real Housewives of New York City’s Countess Luann, ordered through a celebrity message service. Sherry still squeals every time she watches it—seven seconds of pure delight.
If you’re trying to remember something we covered in a past episode, here’s a master list of everything we’ve been digging from all previous shows for easy reference.
Finally, a big thank you to West Elm LOCAL Experiences for sponsoring this episode. You can enter to win a getaway to Charleston, SC through May 15th at westelm.com/YHL. That page also includes more information about other LOCAL Experiences happening around the country—an excellent initiative that supports local makers and DIY lovers.
Thanks for listening, everyone!
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