Solutions for Selling Part II - Keep it Simple
Let's face it, if you've lived in your home for any number of years, it's likely that you've accumulated a lot of things. Some we inherit, some we purchase because it's an absolute "must-have" and others just seem to magically appear. Regardless of how these things came into existence, it's important to understand that when you place your home on the market, these things have a way of cluttering up our space.
The challenge most homeowners have when preparing their own home for the market is understanding what needs to go and what needs to stay. And for those items that should stay, the next challenge becomes how to display what's left. Homeowners also need to consider if there are pieces that need to be added that would further add warmth and help showcase the home.
Let's review this first "before" picture in detail. The obvious is that there seems to be a lot of "new" items sitting on the dining room table. And it's true. During my verbal consultation when I first previewed the home, it was apparent that there was a lack of art work. I also knew the homeowner could benefit by purchasing new bath towels. In this before picture, the homeowner had gathered these items and had them on display for me to see on the dining room table.
Now let's review the "after" picture and I'll further explain what we did. Yes, the items being removed from the table made a huge improvement. However, there's a big item that was removed. Can you spot it? It's the rug under the dining room table. If you find yourself wondering why - wonder no more. One of the features of this home is the hardwood flooring. Not only was the rug covering too much of this feature, it was also dating the room. The two topiaries used on the buffet came from her garage. As you can see, with the exception of one added piece of art work (on the opposite side of the mirror) we used what they homeowner already had and by design we kept it simple!
Photo taken by Kathy Nielsen
For ideas on how to bring purpose to a room, visit my blog titled Solutions for Selling Part I.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Georgia Interior Solutions (GIS), LLC is Atlanta Georgia's Premier Home Staging Provider. Owner and Real Estate Staging Expert, Kathy Nielsen has appeared on the pages of Atlanta Magazine, Atlanta Home Improvement; Atlanta Business Chronicle and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. You can also see one of her staged homes on HGTV's hit show Sleep On It. With their extensive home staging portfolio, you'll quickly learn that they have the experience and knowledge on what it takes to make your home and/or listing appeal to the prospective buyers. Contact them today for your free no-obligation appointment: 678 522 8392 
Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392
RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011
Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.
With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.
Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta
Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:
Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com
Blog: Atlanta Home Staging
- Kitchen Transformations
- Short on Space? Keep it Simple
- Tips on Selling Your Home From a Professional Stager
- Curtains. Should they stay or go?
- How to dress up your coffee table and end tables when selling
- Quick tips for table settings
- How will buyers remember your home?
- Atlanta Home Staging Consultations - Check out what the homeowner did
- Atlanta Loft Gets Home Staged
- How to ensure your home appeals to a broad base of prospective buyers
Kathy, you did a great job!
Part of staging, that interests me so much is the less is more concept. Of course, we live in our homes!
Kathy - I just have to say gorgeous photos! What's your secret?
You are so right about removing the rug. It not only features the beautiful wood floors but it updates the room and makes it look larger!
Thanks, Connie! I love the "less is more" concept as it really gives us the greatest opportunity to showcase the room.
Tessa - My secret for taking great photos is the camera. It was definitely an investment but so well worth it. Thanks for your kind words.
Kathy
Kathy - another great example of how home staging does not have to cost a lot in order to get results. What a difference after removing the clutter and the carpet!
The paint looks so much better without the rug! Great staging move!!!
It really does look better without the rug, and the topiaries are a distinct improvement over the very old-fashioned candlesticks. Excellent work!
Simple is usually better ... and in this case it was the BEST!
Hi Kathy, I was recently in a very nice neighborhood. The homes were exquisite w/ lots of intricate details on the outside as well inside.
It can be a bit hard at first but not impossible to have the client envision there home w/ a more pared down style. You accomplished that task beautifully.
Kathy: You know I am a big proponent of using rugs in staging, but you were correct to remove this particular rug. It was too dark and brought the room down. Paired with the dark wood table it became a black hole. The room looks much lighter and brighter. You did a wonderful job helping the homeowner. The house looks staged to perfection now. And the after photo is gorgeous.