Atlanta Georgia Home Staging : March 2008

I can't honestly think of a better combination - Home Staging & Good Photography.  And for the record, I'm on a mission.  While my number one objective with home staging is to set the home apart from the others when the buyers see the home first-hand, I also want to ensure I'm capturing the buyers off the Internet first. 

As any professional home stager will tell you, we spend an incredible amount of time creating a design plan and implementing that plan to ensure we're showcasing the features of the home. 

On the on-set of the year, I wanted to take that one step further.  In doing so, I felt certain that I had the greatest opportunity to further draw the buyer into the home.  First I knew I needed to make an investment in a camera.  With the help of my husband, we made the purchase of a camera and a wide angle lens (not cheap but well worth every penny).

Next, I needed to implement a similar strategy to that that I use in staging; to use the "buyers-eye."  My objective with my photographs is to ensure I'm capturing the features of the home. 

Here's an example:

In this "before" picture - I've used an angle that serves one primary purpose and that is to help remind me visually of the space.  I take multiple pictures to ensure I create an overall strategy that will work for the home.

Here's the "after" picture:  In this shot, I want to ensure that I share with the prospective buyers one of the features of the room; the ceiling.

Atlanta's Premier Home Staging Company,  Georgia Interior Solutions, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of the home.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

If your home is currently on the market, here's an easy fix that will surely help your prospective buyers.  As a professional home stager in Atlanta, I see this as one of the greatest opportunities to truly make a difference in how the home is viewed.  So what is it? 

Scale Down and Define!

Yup, it's that easy.  One of the objectives with home staging is to ensure that buyers are left with visuals that are not only appealing but one they can envision living in.  By scaling down the items in the room and setting definition to the purpose of the room, the amount of space will be better showcased.

Here's an example: 

Here's the "after" picture:

Atlanta's Premier Home Staging Company,  Georgia Interior Solutions, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of the home.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com. 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

Sure, there are great tools inside my toolbox that I couldn't live without.  Items such as:

• Paint Markers (walnut and dark cherry)
• Laser beam (ensures pictures are hung straight)
• Zots (little bits of glue dots that are used for a variety of things)

The list goes on and on....

And now for the list of items I couldn't live without:

• GPS - No longer do I fear the homeowner saying take Exit 251 and go North.  I use to cringe.  I'm so directionally challenged that I would give myself a good 30 minutes of extra time to ensure I wasn't late for an appointment.
• Smart Phone:  Ah, yup... it makes me feel smarter.  Why?  I'm kept in the know.  I receive my emails there, can access the internet, can even jot down notes for reference at a later time.  I'm in love.
• Picasa - This little on-line service hosts all of my pictures; allows for me to create a "web album" and allows for edits making that part of the process so much easier.  Here's the link:  Picasa (from Google)
• Picnik - Resizing photos is something I no longer dread.  This site makes the process super easy.  In addition, if you subscribe to their service (some things are free, others are not), you're able to create drop shadows on your pictures; place text on your photos and a bunch of awesome incredible features. Here's the link:  Picnik

If anyone has any questions on any of these, feel free to send me an email: Kathy@homestagingatlanta.com.

Kathy

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

Earlier in the week, I awoke to a note from one my home staging clients regarding the home I had staged.

Here's her note (received 3 weeks after staging):

Good news!  I think we are getting an offer on the home.  My husband caught the agent with her clients HAVING LUNCH in the house!!!  Yeah, I think that is a pretty good indication of an offer coming.   They have to move quickly so we should know shortly.  Those houses have been getting shown like crazy so I have a feeling we'll be moving furniture soon.  I'll keep you posted.  Feedback has been spectacular. 

Of course, this made my day.  As any stager will tell you, our objective is the same as the homeowners and the agent and that's to get the home sold quickly!  The fact that the home has been getting shown frequently - well, that's a "good thing" as Martha Stewart likes to say.  I too suspect it's just a matter of time! 

Here's a "before" and "after" picture of the bathroom in this home:

Here's the After Picture:

Kathy Nielsen, owner and founder of Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, and nominated for Professional Home Stager of the Year 2007, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of your home or listing.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com.  We offer free no-obligation appointments.  Contact us today at 678 522 8392 to schedule.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

The scenario:  The homeowner is transferring from Atlanta to San Francisco for a job transfer (lucky man). 

When I first saw the home, the owner had received a recommendation from their agent to remove the wallpaper in the kitchen. Given how wallpaper can be a very personal decision, it made sense to remove it.  Fortunately, the owner had a selection of paint colors from which to select.

Here's the picture of the home (with the wallpaper).

Here's a picture of how the kitchen looks with the wallpaper removed.  The homeowner has also made the move to San Francisco.  As you can see, we chose a nice neutral color (beyond white or cream).

Here's the kitchen "after" staging:

The homeowner decided to place the home on the market "after" staging to leverage the momentum gained with a new listing.  We're all hoping for a quick sale! 

Kathy Nielsen, owner and founder of Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, and nominated for Professional Home Stager of the Year 2007, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of your home or listing.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com.  We offer free no-obligation appointments.  Contact us today at 678 522 8392 to schedule.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

Ring... Ring....

Me:  Georgia Interior Solutions, this is Kathy.

Homeowner:  Hi, my name is Joe and I have a home currently on the market.  I'd like to gather some information on your services.

Me:  Sure.  Where is your home located?  Oh, Marietta?  That's great as it's an area that I serve.  Is the home vacant or occupied?

Homeowner:  It's vacant.  I see that you offer "key" room staging.  Could you explain your process?

Me:  Sure (one of my most favorite words).  With "key" room staging, we'll stage all the rooms in the home with the exception of the secondary bedrooms.  I also offer "whole" home staging, in which case all of the rooms would be staged.  If you're interested, Joe, we can come out to your home, at no charge to you, to view the home first-hand.  In doing so, I'll gain a sense of the size of the rooms, the scale of the items needed as well as the quantity.  Would you be interested in having me see the home?

Homeowner:  I'd love that.  I reside out of state and will be in Atlanta next week.

Me:  Perfect.  How does Wed. at 10:00 a.m. work for you?

Homeowner:  It works for me as well.

Me:  Great.  I'll need the address and your cell phone # and we'll plan on meeting you at your home on Wed.  Thanks, Joe.  I appreciate the opportunity and look forward to meeting you.

The story above is true.  Names have been changed (okay, not the "me" part but the "Joe" part).  Rooms below are real and have been enhanced to showcase their beauty.

Kitchen Eat-In Area "before" staging:

Here's the "after" picture:

Another angle of the kitchen

:

This one taken for the benefit of the agent for their marketing collateral.  It really highlights the features of the dining room with the sky lights.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kathy Nielsen, owner and founder of Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, and nominated for Professional Home Stager of the Year 2007, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of your home or listing.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com.  We offer free no-obligation appointments.  Contact us today at 678 522 8392 to schedule.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

With the stained concrete floors and the garage door as a window, I instantly recognized that if left vacant, the sellers would be narrowing their buyer-pool. (see picture below)  In fact, those were my exact words to the owner.  Yes, the condo is very trendy and hip.  But again, with those features, it had more of a masculine feel.

As a home stager, I'm going to use the buyers-eye each and every time I stage a home.  As we all know, men and women buy homes.  My objective with this condo is to stage it properly so that it appeals to both sexes. 

Here's the "before" picture:

Here's the same view "after" staging: 

Kathy Nielsen, owner and founder of Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, and nominated for Professional Home Stager of the Year 2007, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of your home or listing.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com.  We offer free no-obligation appointments.  Contact us today at 678 522 8392 to schedule.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

As I set out to mentor a good friend of mine who has just entered into the business, I'm constantly reminding her that it's not about the quantity of pieces you bring into the home.  With Staging - what matters most is that the right items are chosen and that you create balance in the space your staging.

Case in point.... Here's the "before" picture of a home I staged today.

Here's the same room after it was staged (and yes, I used a flash):

As you can see, there are a total of nine pieces brought into this kitchen.  Here's the list:  Bowl of green apples; lemon tree, 2 kitchen towels; a set of three canisters (they sit in a tray); cook book, two rosemary plants and a green plaque behind the burners.  That's not a significant amount by any means.  However, the difference in how the home appears to a buyer can be huge. 

As any professional home stager will tell you, it's all about warming up the space such that it creates an inviting home; one they can envision living in.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Kathy Nielsen, owner and founder of Georgia Interior Solutions, LLC, and nominated for Professional Home Stager of the Year 2007, is here to assist you with getting your home ready for the market.  Whether vacant or occupied, we have the experience and expertise to help showcase the features of your home or listing.  To see more examples of our work, visit our web site at HomeStagingAtlanta.com.  We offer free no-obligation appointments.  Contact us today at 678 522 8392 to schedule.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

If you've been on this site for any length of time, you've likely reached the same conclusion as I have.  Michelle is one incredible home stager! 

If you currently have a home on the market or getting ready to list and you're in the Los Angeles area, you'll definitely want to contact Michelle Minch with Moving Mountains Design & Home Staging.

Here's an example:  When I first viewed this blog, my jaw hit the floor.  I can only imagine what the sellers felt like when they came to view it.  And... check out the quantity of bins being loaded in preparation for the stage.  

And just when you've thought you've seen it all, check out her warehouse , which she calls "Wonderland"  is like walking into a store.  Imagine those accessories in your home!

By the way, today is Michelle's Birthday!

Kathy

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...

I do a lot of reading on Active Rain and in fact spend most mornings Sunday through Saturday reading through blogs in a variety of different groups.  One blog in particular was written by Bill Gassett from Massachusettes.

Bill wrote a blog regarding a web site, which is still in beta, called Qassia.  This blog in particular caught my attention as there seems to be a great deal of potential in getting our web sites to rank better.  Based on what I've read thus far, it uses backlinks and inbound links to your site which, again, has the potential to improve your ranking.  These links come from posts you've written which they refer to as "intels." 

It seems promising and appears to be an opportunity to get further exposure.

In order to join, you need be invited.  You can join by clicking this link: 

http://kathygis.qassia.com/

Off to learn more and to add my web site. 

Kathy 

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

                     

 

A Real Estate Staging Association Finalist for Professional Stager of the Year 2010, Kathy Nielsen understands  what it takes to help sell homes quickly. Considered an expert within the home staging industry, and having years of experience, Kathy makes the perfect choice for preparing your home for the market in the Atlanta area.

Website:  Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email:  Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com 

    

 

PR: wait...  I: wait...  L: wait...  LD: wait...  I: wait... wait...  Rank: wait...  Traffic: wait...  Price: wait...  C: wait...