Atlanta Georgia Home Staging : September 2008

Whether your home is on the market or getting ready to list, it's important to know that one of the key rooms that buyers will pay close attention to is the kitchen.  Why?  For most, the kitchen is the 'heart of the home'; a place that family and friends will gather.  As a result, you can expect buyers to linger longer in the kitchen than in almost any other room in the home.

Our objective when we stage a kitchen is to turn it into a show-case of a room.  We want them to envision using this room with their own family and friends.  Choosing the right accessories can play a critical role in how the home appears to the buyers.

Here's a before picture of a home we staged approximately a week and a half ago. See below for the after pictures.

Here's the room after we staged it:

The picture below shows the eat-in area as well.

And here's a close-up.

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Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  

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About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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I'll never forget the day.  It was Feb. 24th of '06 and we had arrived to de-stage a home that had sold in only weeks after having been on the market for over a year without a single offer.  It was an important day as it was the very first home we had staged.  Seeing the "under contract" sign warmed my heart. 

With many "under contract" signs behind me, I'm still thrilled when I pull up to the home we're de-staging and I see that rider added to the yard sign.  Today was no different.  

I was camera-ready and had my assistant, Kristi, take this picture.

No, I'm not proud or anything!  And yes, that's an apron!   

NOTE:  The builders, Jason & Gretchen Patsios build incredible homes.  This home was the 2nd home they had me stage (the first went under contract in 2 weeks).  Thanks Jason & Gretchen for the opportunity to help make a difference!

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Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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NOTE:  I've renamed this post as the title was too similar to my post the previous day.

The thrill of being a home stager is realized when you've taken a room and transformed it into a warm and welcoming part of the home. 

As a home stager in Atlanta, I've been fortunate to be given opportunities to help homeowners, Realtors, builders, investors, etc... Today was no different.  We were awarded the home staging contract last week and staged the home in one day (today)!

As usual, I was anxious to get the pictures loaded so that I could send them off to the agent for her use.  After loading them, and with my husband sitting idle (for a change), I decided to show him the set of photos.  When we got to these two pictures, he had me go back and forth a couple of times to ensure it was the same room.  I assured him it was.

Here's the room before it was home staged:

Now here's the "after" picture (see below):

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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As a professional home stager, I can't think of anything more important than a great portfolio; one that highlights your work, showcases your style, etc...  In fact, our before and after pictures of the homes we stage are perhaps the single greatest opportunity we give to our prospects in helping them to make a decision as to 'which' stager to use.

And while I'm proud of how the rooms came out and love the 'after' pictures of this home we staged, these won't be added to my web site.  

Why?

Let's review.  In this first before picture, you can see that there's an abundance of light, in fact, so much that it's rather distracting.  The picture is also a little blurry.

Before Staging:

Now here's what the room looks like 'after' we staged (see below).  I rather like this picture for a number of different reasons: 1) it's crisp and clear; it showcases our work.  However, because it's not the same angle as the before picture that we had taken.

Here's another example:

Here's the 'before' picture of the kitchen.  Again, blurry and as you'll see, it's a different angle.

Here's the same room after we staged.  This picture is also nice and crisp and looks good.  However, because it's a different angle and because the before picture is so blurry, it's not getting added to the site.

And while I'm thrilled with the 'after' pictures and truly love how the home turned out, I want my before and afters to truly represent what I did and not what the camera did (or didn't do)!

Thanks for reading.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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

As a home staging professional serving Atlanta Georgia, I've come to learn first-hand the importance of having a great portfolio as well as a great testimonial. As a result, I've made it a habit to ensure I update my web site HomeStagingAtlanta.com with recent pictures.  I also add the latest testimonial front and center on my home page for a couple of reasons: 1) I'm more confident that it will be read and 2) I'm proud of my work.

And while I'm often given the liberty of editing the testimonial, I never do.  Why?  I want it to be a true reflection of their thoughts and opinions.

Here's the latest testimonial which I just added:

I initially had my house for sale as a vacant house.  I had done extensive renovations that I was proud of and anxious to show them off, but instead of praise the buyer's comments were things like "the rooms are too small", "we need more space"..etc.  After Kathy staged the house the comments changed from "it's too small" to "it's so cute" and "oh, I love the kitchen".  The staging was a complete success, and after three weeks I received an offer that was almost full price.  I put my house on the market in one of the worse times in history.  The design and staging that Kathy did for my home definitely helped my house sell.  I would recommend her to anyone.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  For a free no-obligation appointment, contact them today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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Because the art of communicating is so critically important, I decided to retool a previous post I had made regarding communicating the need for changes to the home/listing.

Whether you're an Realtor/agent, a professional home stager or even a friend, there's a fine line we walk when it comes time to suggest the need for improvements to a home.

As the picture suggests, staying behind the line is fine.  Crossing over it can sometimes lead to treacherous water.

So why is it challenging? 

1. There's several reasons.  Here are two: 

1.  We don't want to offend the homeowner and

2.  We don't want to jeopardize the relationship with the homeowner. 

As I've uncovered, there are several Realtors/agents who are comfortable with telling the homeowner exactly what needs to be done.  And for those that I've partnered with, they're also extremely comfortable suggesting home staging as part of the solution. 

I've also met with agents who aren't as comfortable and therefore, utilize my services to educate the differences home staging can have on a home.

As you prepare to have the conversation, it's important to consider the following:

• It's a win-win situation for everyone. So, go in with confidence.
• Back up your suggestions with a purpose.  For example, suggesting that a home owner remove a "doll collection" or any collectible for that matter, makes sense.  Why?  You want the homeowner focused on the home.  Collectibles are often admired by buyers and can actually distract them. 
• Be honest yet delicate with your suggestions.  Telling a homeowner that the purple room, for example, is hideous will likely place you in hot water.  Instead, try saying something like "because we want to appeal to a broad base of prospective buyers, we may want to consider changing the color of the room.

In summary, while the tasks associated with communicating the need for change can be difficult, it's an important topic. 

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Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, they have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  For a free no-obligation appointment, contact them today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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In my post titled Are Your Prospective Buyers Walking? Or Lingering? I had the good pleasure of sharing photos of one of my more recent projects.

I received word today from the home owner that the home received an offer.  I'm thrilled as this is the 2nd home in this same neighborhood that prior to staging had just lingered on the market. 

The homeowners' note was just a reminder of just how effective home staging can have on a home.

And here's another recent project:

This is the before picture of the living room (this room is the first room you enter when you walk thru the front door).  As mentioned in my previous post, this becomes a "key" room to have staged.

And here's the after picture:

Before Picture of the Dining Room:

Here's the dining room after the home was staged:

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Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, we have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  For a free no-obligation appointment, contact them today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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

It's a fair question and one I'm asked frequently.  In fact, on the two appointments I had this morning both homeowners had asked that very question.

And because it's an important question, I thought it beneficial to add that many home stagers offer a variety of options from which to select.  A home staging professional will also provide specific recommendations on what rooms would benefit the most.  This typically occurs after they've had a chance to see the home first-hand.

Now to answer the question, it's important to consider the following:

1.  What room(s) will the prospective buyers be entering when they arrive to see the home?

2.  Is there an entrance (formal or otherwise)?

The answer to these two questions will most definitely play into the decision as to what rooms would benefit the most from being home staged. 

Let's assume, for the purposes of this post, that the home has an entrance; a dining room to the left and a formal living room to the right.  This seems to be a pretty common layout in most homes.  Because buyers form opinions immediately upon entering the home, these three areas/rooms would be considered "key" rooms to have staged.

Other "key" rooms from a buyer's perspective are:

• Kitchen/Kitchen Eat-in
• Living room/den/family room
• Master Bedroom & bathroom

Why are these rooms important?  Because the buyers, when they purchase the home, will be spending the majority of their time in these rooms.  When staged properly, they will appeal to the buyer's on an emotional level.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Serving home sellers, agents, builders and investors, we have the experience, skills and inventory to help make your home and/or listing stand-out from the others on the market.  Kathy Nielsen, Owner and Principle Design Specialist is considered an expert in the field of home staging.  Her expertise has landed her on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle, Atlanta Journal Constitution and will soon have one of her homes appear on HGTV's Sleep On It

With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the expertise and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers.  For a free no-obligation appointment, contact them today.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

 

About the Author: Kathy Nielsen, a RESA 2010 Home Stager of the Year Finalists is  a nationally recognized leader within the home staging industry, offers affordable home staging solutions to help sell your home more quickly.  Kathy can be reached via email at info@homestagingatlanta.com or by phone at 678 522 8392.  Their Atlanta Home Staging services offer a variety of options to accommodate all budgets. To view examples of their before and after pictures, visit their portfolio at Home Staging Atlanta Gallery.

 

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