WOW that is a very nice job.  I would have never thought it would look like that.

The door looks great, and removing whatever was in those bags helps too. Nice job.

Susan-

You make it sound so easy-- i guess it depends on the house behind the door-- but i personally believe the front door is too important for me to go out and follow the a-b-c plan of putting in my new door.  I have even found that painting it myself only achieves an 8.5 on the scale and frankly, that is not good enough when every single potential buyer will usually stop there and look around for some period of time.  Thanks for your creative ideas but in this case, i will stick with the pros and go first class.

Great before and after pics and I would have never thought of doing that to upgrade a door. Thanks

Nice upgrade! I also like the new lighting!

Susan ~ thanks for the "how to" on this creative idea which sounds like a fairly easy fix to make a much better first impression.  The new door hardware and light fixtures are a big improvement too.  Thanks for the photos!

Susan - Another great idea. And it seems doable. I am very interested in learning a little carpentry, so I can feel more confident in taking on some of these kinds of projects.

Now this just earned you a feature within the group Staging Before & After Pictures.

Congrats!

Kathy

Looks good.  It sounds easy but doesn't that add extra thickness to the door, thus changing the lock position?

That is an inexpensive fix- so clever! New lighting adds updated class also!

Kathy

Susan, Love the updates, your so creative, and the new fixtures are really great!

Nice and simple fix! Funny how those 70's doors can make or break the initial impression. Now, what about that shag carpet???

ha ha Jennifer, It would be nice to just mow it, but I guess you can just rip it up and hope for hardwoods!

Susan - that is a really great Botox job! What a pleasant surprise and a beautiful solution. Who doesn't need Botox? I used to love those raised panel doors. Remember the 'solid wood' trap? If it was solid wood, it was solid gold. Love it!

Susan...  What an idea!  Love your creativity...  BTW, the new light fixtures are great.

John: My partner Tim was surprised too. He just shook his head when I came up with this idea, but he had to admit that it turned out really good.

Rosario: My before pictures are always awful. One bag was covering a wood burning stove that was pulled out while the tile was laid and i don't know what was in the other. i just knew that if I didn't get the before picture then I probably wouldn't get it at all.

Mr./Ms. Anonymous: The skill level required for this project wasn't very high but I agree, if you don't have the ability to do a good job, don't do it. It saved our clients about $1,500 and the house sold with 2 offers in 11 days so I guess all's well that ends well. Oh, and the house behind the door is featured in my blog Just staged, just listed, just sold in Redmond.

Love the idea!  The transformation looks great and you saved the client a substantial amount of money in the process.  Great color choice and light fixtures too!

Lisa Sherman ~ Interior Aura

What a great new look!! Thanks for sharing. It does not look like the same door...or house, for that matter. GREAT TIP!! Blessings!

I LOVE this new door - it's not just Botox, it's a full face lift!  I think the rich brownish-red colour is what really makes this pop.  It looks warm and inviting yet sleek and chic at the same time.  Would you mind sharing the name of the colour you used?

You did a great job..love the color and thanks for the before and after photos...You go girl!!!

heh i agree, it's more like a face life! ;) it's an interesting trick! the molding is a great idea to hide that extra thickness. brilliant!

cheers,

cindy 

Krista, Kathy and Maureen: Thanks for the feedback. If you have a homeowner who is a little handy they can save a lot of money over replacing the entire door. It also saves a little space in our landfills.

Everything old is new again -  I just love your various uses and and reno's for doors. I have a garage full that are headed for Habitat for Humanity and their REStore.

Rhonda: Don't be afraid, just pick up a hammer and go for it!

Kathy: Thanks so much for the feature! It made my day.

Sean: The extra thickness is only in the center and doesn't interfer with the handle at all. Thanks for commenting.

Kathy and Julianna: I'm glad that the lighting seems to be a hit. I was really hoping to find something more contemporary but  they were out of stock and we were out of money and time so we had to make do.

Jennifer and Julianna: The sellers took out the so so carpeting and installed travertine and slate in the common rooms and we picked out a shag for the rest of the house. I know, it's called a frisse but it's still a shag. What goes around comes around if you wait long enough.

Wow~!  Love this...thanks for the tips.  Great transformation.  Curb appeal is everything and creates an expectance for what is inside.  Terrylynn:-)  San Francisco East Bay - Staging Realtor...like your Staging Specialist though, may I ?

Sheron: I'd like to try some Botox myself but I'm too chicken.

Lisa R: Necessity is the mother of invention.

Lisa S. and Cheryl: The paint color is Spanish Tile by Valspar available at Lowes.

Elizabeth: Thanks for stopping by. 

Mary Lou: I'm glad you like the color. It's my new favorite red.

Cindy: Thanks. Molding is one of my favorite things. there are so many uses for it. 

Very creative improvement, Susan. I too, love that red you used. Thanks for sharing the name of the paint color.

Wendy Casey - Vancouver, BC

Great transformation!  I love the red door

Wendy: I like the red accessories you used in the picture on your profile. It's funny, I don't use red in my own house but I love it for staging. Thanks for stopping by.

Terrlynn: It's great to meet another Staging Realtor and if you like Realtor/Staging Specialist please feel free.

Kristina: I actually like black doors but in some cultures they are considered bad luck so red is my next favorite color for doors.

Thanks Susan.  Don't mind if I do.  You are full of good advice and aggressive and well thought out comments.  I've enjoyed reading your blogs.  Terrylynn:-)   Realtor/Staging Specialist

Susan: You did a beautiful job! Kudos.

I would have thought that adding any thickness to the door would change where the latch hits the strikeplate and where the hinges would mount.  Adding to the front didn't affect any of those things? 

Theo

Theo: The raised panel doesn't cover the entire door it's actually about 4 or 5 inches smaller than the door and doesn't interfere with the latch or the door jam. 

Susan,

You are a gee-nee-us!  Not only does your technique do the job, it looks fabulous.

Theo 

Theo: Thanks, I should have included more close up pictures as you weren't the 1st to ask that question. 

Susan:

Love your choice of new outdoor lamps, too!

Theo 

Theo: I got them at Lowes and I think they were only about $35 a piece.

I have to say that as a 3 and1/2 decade builder/carpenter, I would take one look at this door and know it was amateurish.  If I was buying the house it would be the first thing to go.  Sorry to be so negative, but it looks like the stuff they do on the TV "reality" shows.  To me, the front door is the most important part of the house.  It is either welcoming or it says stay away.

Dave: Since this house sold with 2 offers in our somewhat sluggish market I guess the amateurish door didn't scream "stay away" too loudly. I do agree with you that the front door is very important and I would have loved it if the sellers had installed a sleek contemporary glass door, but when faced with a $2,000 + price tag, we opted for this version.

I can't please all of the people all of the time but I do my best to come up with solutions that fit my clients budget. It will be interesting to see if the new buyers spring for a new door right away. If they do, I'll post that as well.

Susan, I apologize for coming off so negatively.  The hour was very late, and I have seen soooo many poorly done excuses for cosmetic surgery on houses.  As a long time professional I am always leary of "I did it myself" people when it comes to home fixup.  As an inspector, I see lots of poorly done do it yourself things that would have been better (caused fewer problems) if left alone.  Again, I'm sorry for being so negative (It just hit a hot button for me) and I should not have taken it out on you.

Dave: No offense taken. Everyone has a right to their own honest opinion.

Susan, I love your savvy fix on that dated door!

I do want to let you know, although its a bit of a drive, there is a millwork outlet located close to me with reclaimed doors, mouldings, architectual embellishments, etc at fantastic prices. Let me know if you want more info!

Julianna: I absolutely would like to know about your millwork outlet. Thanks for the reminder for the Round table, I've got the date saved.

Susan, You will find it on Maple Valley HWY 169 after leave Maple Valley going towards Black Diamond/Enumclaw on the left.  You can't miss it - it looks  like a salvage yard. I have a client who found a gorgeous mantle there, give me a heads up if you wish, maybe I can go with.

I just suggested to a homeowner that had a faded green door to paint it red...can't wait to see how it turns out.

Cindy,

Red is one of my favorite colors for a front door. It's classic, elegant and welcoming. I think it's going to look great.