I have been hired over and over to faux paint the walls in million dollar homes to look like the ones they see in designer magazines. The number one requested faux finish is the "Old World " look or Parchment. If I say I have faux painted nearly 30 walls by now with the same color faux finish, I would not be exaggerating. So why not use a little faux painting yourself to help sell your home. Let's face it, if your house looks like one of those expensive model homes in lucrative developments, you will sell it in no time. However, if your potential buyers see your home like some mediocre apartment with plain white or beige walls, they will most likely keep looking or offer you less than what your house is worth. Remember that first impressions can literally make your sale sink or swim.

You can literally transform your home to look like a million dollars with a little decorative adjustments. Faux painting is the fastest growing form of decorative painting. Just take a peek at some high end decorative magazines and there are faux painting articles and tips all over the place. There are many types of faux finishes these days. Get ideas by viewing pictures of various faux painting techniques in magazines or websites. Some are more difficult to achieve than others, especially textured finishes. However, even applying a simple color wash on the walls can make a huge difference. Faux Painting bricks can really add dimension and interest to your home, too. You can even paint a "faux marble " look on your counter tops to look like real marble and your cabinets to look like real wood. Save tens of thousands of dollars with this beautiful form of art instead of installing expensive slabs of marble and putting in all new cabinets.

You can learn how to faux finish, too. Recently I received some pictures from first time DIYers in faux painting. What a difference! They did a great job and none of them had ever faux painted before. Why not give it a try? You never know, you might just be knocking on the door to a new career in faux finishing. That's how I got started. I began by practicing on my own walls in my home and in my family's, too. Then I began to get requests to do friend's homes and word got around. Most of my clients come from recommendations from others. So begin now to add value to your home by doing the same thing. Do a Google search for "faux painting kit" or "faux painting tools" to find a variety of sites that include a DVD that teaches various techniques along with their tools. It's the best for your money. In addition, you can learn at your own pace. Start off by using your days off from your regular job to practice. Then begin faux painting your bathrooms or smaller bedrooms to make your home look like those in the magazines.