by the Artist
Last night I watched our tiny 5th wheel drive away. I felt sad. Even though we made the decision to sell it in order to buy a bit larger and bit newer rv… I still felt sad. Ever since I was a little girl I wanted my very own "playhouse".. well this was my playhouse. It certainly fit the criteria. It was 19' long with no slide! Cozy. We bought it back in 2006 quite used and not very loved. I gave it new life.
I covered the window valances with an updated fabric, sewed curtains and the loft privacy curtain, from striped canvas curtain panels from Target. (I asked the Carpenter if we could replace the countertops, flooring and carpet- they were all a lovely shade of mauve. I wanted to update the cabinet hardware too. This didn't happen.) I decided to embrace the mauve and pale pink countertops by introducing navy blues, reds, burgundy's and hints of gold.
Every time we camped I would bring decor items from our house, even towels to match my color palette. I loved to create our home away from home on a budget. It was challenging and it was fun!
We enjoyed our camping vacations for 10 summers and falls in that tiny house on wheels. We made do and then some. I burned scented candles (to get rid of the winter dryer sheet odor-which keeps mice out) and brought in little table lights. (I have overdone it with outside canopy lights… this past summer I had so many lights going it was a beacon for about 10 miles out for all bugs in the area… was a long night swatting the lovelies who decided to spend the night in our camper. Nothing like waking up with squashed bugs on the pillow!)
But this summer the Carpenter and I realized that we needed an easier set-up and a larger space. (our snack manager can not jump up on the bed or sofa anymore and we had no floorspace for her to sleep).
So a couple of weekends back I removed all our stuff, deep cleaned and staged for sale photos. We had that tiny used camper sold within 24 hours with a bid war to boot! We were simply amazed. The Carpenter said it was because of the size- easy to tow a boat and the price. I knew better.. it was the staging. I just know it. I've never seen a camper staged like a model home. And of all things.. stage an old tiny camper?? Crazy. Call me crazy. It worked.
Tomorrow we head to look at a potential camper to buy. I look forward to making it home. It's a bit bigger and a bit newer. The snack manager will have room to spread out, we will not have to use the table area for a bed… it will be a very good thing.
I look forward to the challenge ahead. It won't be quite the same challenge and I will sort of miss that… but it will be fun to make it ours.
Don't ever think staging doesn't help sell. Or that there is no value in that. It does.
PS We sold our fishing boat too. I told the Carpenter that if it hadn't sold I would have been happy to "stage" it for him. A pack of beer, some fishing poles placed just so. I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get a chance to do this!
