Introducing my Pay it Forward referral program!!!  I have had the honour of working with the best clients one can ask for and in this line of work my reputation and referrals is what has helped make my business grow.  The best gift I can receive is your referrals to friends, family, or even a neighbour!  I know that choosing me and putting your trust in me is a HUGE deal, so in return I want to say thank you for supporting me.  I am a true believer in what goes around comes around and giving back to my clients and my community is a must have. 

So how does it work? It’s really quite simple…If you know anyone who is looking to buy or sell and you refer them to me, upon the completion of their home, I will say thank you by gifting you $500 in return.  After all, without all of you, I wouldn’t be doing what I love to do!  So again…Thank you

So I believe DIY’s are not only awesome but they are essential, especially if you are on a budget!  They are great if you are wanting to spruce up the home you’re trying to sell, or cozy up the house you just bought and want to make into HOME!  Who doesn’t LOVE a blanket ladder!! If you’re anything like me cozy, wood, rustic and farmhouse is right up my alley! Even if you aren’t very handy, believe me, this is an easy one I promise…Listed below is everything you will need to make your beautiful Pottery Barn inspired 6-foot-tall and 22-inch-wide blanket ladder…. P.S that’s my ladder I built in my home 

Supplies:

• 3 boards from Home Depot that are 2 by 2’s and are 8 feet long each
• Any oil stain of your choice (a small can will do - I used Dark Walnut by Minwax)
• 10 screws at least 2.5 inches or longer
• Wood glue (optional but it helps hold the ladder rungs)
• Felt pads (optional, but they make sure the ladder doesn’t mark your wall)

Tools:

• A saw (hand saw, mitre saw, it doesn’t matter but a powered saw is easier)
• Some sandpaper
• A powered driver to put the screws in (it can be done by hand but is very hard and frankly powered is just plain ol’ easier!)
• Paint brush or cloth for the stain (I always use a cloth and rub on my stain but the choice is yours)
• A tape measure
• A pencil to mark where to cut and where the rungs go

Steps:

1. Cut 2 boards at 6 feet long for the sides of the ladder
2. Cut 5 pieces of board at 19 inches long for the ladder rungs (2 of the pieces will be the leftovers from the sides of the ladder, you need to be pretty exact with these pieces)
3. Lightly sand the ends of the wood so there aren’t any rough spot and so the corners are a little more rounded for the rustic look
4. Lay it out on the ground and make a ladder with the rungs 12 inches apart but the bottom rung 14 inches up and the top rung 10 inches down from the top (measure from the end of the side piece to the center of the rung)
5. Use one screw through the side of the ladder to secure the rung, use wood glue also to help keep the rungs solid and repeat on the opposite side
6. Use your stain and brush it on or wipe it on with a cloth (again I find wiping it way easier and less messy!)
7. Let it dry and voila you have a blanket ladder for under $20!

Now a little trick I did to hide the screws and add a little rustic look was I filled over the heads of the screws with wood filler, let dry and sanded to an even surface THEN I stained.  If you are a little nut’s about dust like me I suggest waxing the ladder when your all done with furniture wax that you can buy at Home Depot.  This just makes wiping it down easier but this step Is totally optional.

So come on back and check out my blog again.  I will be posting more great DIY projects as well as great tips to get your house in ready selling condition or amazing easy home renos that will be sure to wow your friends and family!

Doing a blog for me is important.  Not only do I love the process of buying and selling real estate but I also love the design aspect as well.  I have remodelled and designed my own homes and interior design is a huge part of making a home be HOME.  I will be sharing amazing DIY projects as well as giving advice on the best ways to make your home either ready to sell or how to cozy it up after you buy.  A little secret about me is …. I have also built and refinished furniture for over 20 years so a lot of the projects I will share with you are some of my own creations! I hope you enjoy!