My Latest Staging Project – A Cute Craftsman Style Home

Things have really picked up this month in real estate.  We worked on three projects last week alone including this cute craftsman home in Huntersville.  It is a well-maintained vacant home ready for its next owner.  I’ll walk you through our staging transformation:

Upon entering the home, the formal dining room is on the left and there is a formal living room or space for a study on the right.  We added furnishings and accessories to make this space more appealing upon entering the home.

Formal Dining Room Before

Formal Dining Room Staged

Here is the space on the right, note the tile flooring:

Formal Living Room or Study Before

 We installed an attractive 5×7′ wool area rug to break up the large area of tile and warm up this space a bit.  We also brought in several pieces of furniture to show how this space could be used as a home office or study.  The large silk palm tree and art were installed for added texture and color.  This room would also make a great children’s play area, but staging as a study is a safer bet given its close proximity to the front door.

Staged as Study

Next we staged the two-story great room with built-in shelving.  Color scheme makes a big difference when it comes to staging!

Great Room Before

Great Room Staged

This home has a great kitchen with granite countertops!  Note the pops of color from kitchen accessories that coordinate with furnishings in the adjacent great room i.e. gold canisters tie together with the gold Ethan Allen sofa found in the great room, and the red ceramic bowls and covered dish links colors found in the throw pillows and other accessories in the great room.

Breakfast Room – Before & After

Note the black pedastal table ties together with black saddle bar stools at breakfast bar as well as the black granite countertop.

Breakfast Room Before

Breakfast Area After Staging

Next I’ll show you the master suite.  Staging with a king size bed is important so potential buyers can get a feel for the size of this room.

Master Bedroom Before

Master Bedroom Staged

The master bath has too much white on white, so color makes a huge impact.

White on White Master Bath – Staged with Pops of Color

There are other places throughout the home where adding a few simple accessories or pieces of accent furniture make all the difference!

Such as this extra space at the end of a hall…

or this storage bench at the middle landing on the way upstairs!

Kitchen Cabinet Makeovers

If you’ve been longing to remodel your kitchen but don’t have the funds, paint is a great way to make an impressive transformation without breaking the bank.  All it takes is some patience and a little hard work.  When we moved into our current home many years ago, the house was fitted with oak cabinets, everywhere!  Although they were well-made, the 1980’s oak cabinets looked worn and dated compared to those being installed in new construction homes.  After doing some research, I came up with a plan for our kitchen.   I decided to mimic the look of Thomasville Cabinetry’s Maple Amaretto Crème Glaze being sold at local home improvement stores.

My kitchen after remodeling...the cabinets were painted to mimic the look of Thomasville Cabinetry’s Maple Amaretto Crème Glaze.

Here are some simple steps to follow before beginning your cabinet makeover:

Step 1:  Do your homework by researching online (such as Houzz.com) and going through magazines.  Visit kitchen show rooms to find what appeals to you.  Then consult with a professional paint store as to which products should be used for your project.  Most offer varying paint products for wood, laminate, or metal.  Yes, even laminate cabinets can be painted!

Step 2:  Label all cabinet doors and drawers with that blue painters tape so you know where to rehang them.  Then remove all hardware and hinges.  A fun part of your transformation will be the selection of new hardware (knobs and/or pulls), and it is up to you if you want to invest in new hinges or reuse the former.

Step 3:  I highly recommend taking the doors and drawers to a professional painter to be refinished and sprayed for an even finish with no brush strokes.  You want the finish to look flawless.  I often take my projects to “The Furniture Guy” located at 21348 E. Catawba Avenue in Cornelius.

Step 4: Cabinet bases and casings can be refinished by the homeowner.   First clean the casing using fine steel wool and Krud Kutter®.  When dry, lightly sand with the grain of the wood using 320 sand paper.  This is to rough up the finish a bit so the primer has something to adhere.  Before priming, use a tack cloth to remove any saw dust or debris.  Two coats of primer should then be applied, with a light sanding after each coat.  I recommend using a 4” foam roller for a smooth finish.  Then apply two coats of the final paint color, making sure you allow each coat to thoroughly dry before applying the next.  Two days is optimal.

Extras:  You can get creative with glazes and distressing techniques.  Other accents such as mullions or bead board can be added as shown above.

Oak Cabinets had a dated look before...

Cabinets after Rubbed Black Paint and new Hardware Applied

#bobvila

Recipe for a Sale

I met a new client at the CRRA Expo last week, and I was given the opportunity to perform a staging consultation on a home that they were in the process of re-listing.  Their question to me was “Can staging the interior of a home combat a poor location?”.

My response was that the pricing of the home must reflect its location, in this case a small home on a busy highway.  Staging cannot change the location of a property, but it can make the home appealing to buyers once they come inside.  Below is information from my school of training entitled “Recipe for a Sale”.  I thought readers would find this piece interesting.

There are 6 main ingredients that

make up the sale of your home:

1 * LOCATION We usually cannot move a home! To quote the favorite phrase of appraisers, “Location, location, location!” The pricing of your home must reflect its location.

2 * CONDITION The upkeep and good condition of your property is crucial to obtain the highest value for your home in any given market at any given time. The pricing of your property must reflect its condition.

3 * PRICE Price is the number one factor in the sale of a home. A property is really only worth what one person is willing to pay another to gain ownership of it. Price must be indirect relationship to the other five ingredients, and is the most important of all.

4 * TERMS The more terms available on your property the more potential buyers you reach. The pricing of your property must reflect the kinds of terms available to purchase it.

5 * THE MARKET i.e., Interest rates, competition, and the economy all make up and influence the state of the market when you sell your home. The pricing of your property must reflect the current status of the market.

6 *STAGING® Homes that are prepared for sale sell quicker and/or for more money! Staging will immediately give your property a marketing edge in any market.

When all of the above ingredients are in agreement…we have a sale! If just one of them is out of line, it will take a longer time to sell and…the more ingredients that are out of line, the longer it will take before the sale of your home takes place.

© 1988, 1994, 2005 Barb Schwarz/StagedHomes.com. Stage® is a Federally Registered Trademark. All rights reserved.

Up Your Curb Appeal

Here is my Best Nest column found in April’s issue of Cornelius Today!

Queen Charlotte the groundhog predicted six more weeks of winter this year – and she was right, well sort of.  Mother Nature has been teasing us with a few beautiful, really warm days only to be followed by extreme drops in temperature.  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for spring!

Spring is a time to start focusing on the exterior of our homes.  Pride in ownership begins with outside curb appeal and landscaping.  Going beyond the basics of pruning shrubs, there are many things that homeowners can do to make their house “pop”.

Here are some ideas on what you can do to spruce up and decorate the exterior of your home this spring:

1. Concrete Stains – Homeowners can address aging concrete porches, walkways, and driveways by applying a concrete stain after pressure washing the concrete surfaces.   H&C Terra Cotta by Sherwin Williams was applied to this front porch.  I think it is a huge improvement and works well with the brick exterior of this home.
2. Water Fountains and Bird Baths – You can add drama to your landscape through the use of a water feature such as a fountain or bird bath.  Cornelius’ own White House Gardens on W. Catawba Avenue has a large selection at various price points.
3. Lanterns – Lanterns are big this year and look great just sitting on a table or hung in a tree.  I found this lantern at Home Goods, and they have a wide selection in varying sizes, shapes, and colors.  This lantern is constructed with painted metal and glass while others are made from wood with glass.
4. Seasonal Live Flowers – Whether planted in the ground or in attractive planters, live flowers add beauty and richness to any landscape design.
5. New Outdoor Mat – Switch out your front door mat with the seasons.   I have different mats for the different holidays and often get two or three years use from each.  I found the mat featured here at Kohl’s.  It is manufactured by Mohawk GreenWorks and is made from recycled tires.
6. Melamine Dinnerware is an economical alternative to china and is fully functional for outdoor entertaining.  It’s durable, lasts long, and is difficult to break. You can choose from many different melamine sets with varying plate sizes, shapes, and designs.

I love Charleston!…a recent trip to the Charleston ASID/Symphony Designer Showhouse and more

My husband and I relocated to the Carolinas from Arizona more than ten years ago.  Not only are we now located just a couple hours from the Appalachian Mountains, but we also are just a few hours from many great beaches and coastal get-a-ways.  Charleston, South Carolina was one of the first weekend trips my husband and I took when we moved to Charlotte, and we continue to visit each year since.

Just last week we visited the historic coastal destination and had an opportunity to tour this year’s ASID/Symphony Designer Showhouse located at 73 Rutledge Avenue in Charleston.  Touring these designer homes is a great way for the public to gather inspiration or ideas for their own home.  Many of the home tours I typically attend are new construction homes, so having the opportunity to visit this historic home in Charleston was a treat.  Unfortunately, photography was not permitted, so you’ll have to go visit the home in person – the tour runs through April 15, 2012.  I did, however, get many shots of other cultural sites to visit while you are there…

The Charleston City Market was established in 1807 and is open 365 days a year!  Visitors will find many sweetgrass basket vendors throughout the open air market.  This handmade coiled basketry is famous in Charleston and has a long history.  It is one of the oldest African crafts in America.  I purchased my first basket on this trip, hand crafted by Nathaniel Wright.

Charleston’s Art Scene is very diverse with dozens of galleries.  Visitors can stroll down “Gallery Row” on historic Broad Street or pop into various galleries in the French Quarter district.  One of our favorite galleries on this trip was the Lowcountry Artists Gallery, which happens to be one of the oldest artist- owned and operated galleries in Charleston.   Art comes in many forms including these bracelets found at Lowcountry.  They are made from vintage and antique buttons from all over the world.

Charleston is well-known for its architecture, especially for its Rainbow Row on East Bay.  This famous row of brightly colored residences is a draw for tourists and is often found in the paintings of local artists.

Shopping, not original to Charleston, but there is plenty of it to be had!  I love this accent pillow that I found at Indigo located on Vendue Range:

Dining…shrimp and grits, peel-n-eat shrimp, oysters on the half shell, need I say more?

Lake Norman Vacant Home Staging: Sandyedge Drive

We recently completed staging 19905 Sandyedge Drive in Cornelius.  This is a custom 1.5 story home with basement on Lake Norman and comes with a deeded boat slip.  The entire exterior and interior has been freshly painted to appeal to buyers.  The exterior cedar shake siding has been painted in Nantucket shades of blue.  Given this paint color scheme and the inevitable coming of summer on Lake Norman, we decided to carry these colors into the interior of the home and incorporated them into our staging plan.

From the formal dining room to the great room to the master bedroom and baths, buyers will feel relaxed in the calming atmosphere we’ve created.  Staging will help buyers envision themselves living here, while setting the stage to show how their furnishings can work here.  Check out these before and after photos to see what we are talking about!

Formal Dining Room Before:

Formal Dining Room Staged:

Great Room Before:

Great Room Staged:

Love this Photo!

Master Bedroom Before:

Master Bedroom Staged:

Bonus Room Before:

Bonus Room Staged:

Kitchen Before:

Kitchen Staged:

Breakfast Area Before:

Breakfast Area Staged:

This home is listed by John Mikesh at Re/Max Executive at The Lake.

Hudson Place: Davidson Occupied Home Staging Project

We truly enjoyed working with the sellers of this home over the last couple months.  They should be a role model for sellers in that they took the time and initiative to get everything done before placing their home on the market.  Their home has been pre-inspected with repairs made before listing, and the home has been staged throughout so buyers can now envision themselves living here.

This rear photo of the home as well as photo of great room shows architectural details to impress!  Check out the great room with vast A-framed windows, stone fireplace, soaring ceilings, wrought iron balusters, and the views of the wooded back yard.

Inside the front door, buyers will be greeted to a magnificent entry with travertine flooring,hardwood floors, and beautiful molding detail.  The formal dining room is open to the foyer and great room with a gourmet kitchen right around the corner.

The master suite has been recently painted in a very calming color from Sherwin Williams, Sea Salt, one of our favorites. There is lots of natural light and crown molding.  The master bath has beautiful tile and frameless shower enclosure with dual hand held and stationary shower heads.  There also is a Jacuzzi tub, and the glass mosaic tile trim is wonderful.

There are dual staircases in this home leading up to the second floor where buyers will find three more bedrooms, two full baths, landing with expansive hallway, and a bonus room loft with built-in shelving and skylights for more natural light!

This home is listed by Katherine Hansen at Keller Williams Realty.

Vacant Staging in Waxhaw: Rosehill Drive

This week’s vacant staging job took us all the way down to Waxhaw in Union County, a desirable area because of its great school system and lower taxes.  This home is unique to many homes we have staged before.  The full brick single family home sits on well over three acres in a gated equestrian community.  There is a small private pond, circle drive, and in-ground pool on the property.

Inside the home buyers are greeted with hardwood floors and expansive two-story great room. There are dual staircases in this home with wrought iron balusters.   

Upon entering the home there is a study on the left with French doors for privacy and a formal dining room on the right.

The master suite is on the main level and is quite large.  There is a tray ceiling and seating area.  The master bath is very spacious and there are also separate his and her closets.

There is a large eat-in kitchen with custom cabinets and built-in desk with wine rack from Kraftmaid. Upgrades include but are not limited to granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances.

The property itself is beautiful with pond and large wooded lot in this quaint equestrian community.

This property is listed by GiGi Stover with Keller Williams.

Flip, Flop, and Swap: Quail Ridge Drive

Last week’s staging at 181 Quail Ridge Drive in Mooresville was a classic case of flip-flopping and swapping the owner’s current things throughout the home and adding a few new pieces here and there.  Let me walk you through the process.

Below you will see the family room, the main room of this home and the first room you see upon entering the house.  It just doesn’t have the pizazz buyers are looking for in a waterfront property.  The basement rec room had some really great pieces of leather furniture that we swapped for the family room.  We borrowed a side table from another room in the home and moved the drawer chest to the upper loft upstairs.  We purchased a new shag rug, lamps, pillows, and metal piece for the wall, and now we have a whole new room for relatively little dollar$ spent.

Great Room Before Staging

After Staging

Below is the dining room.  When we first met with the sellers back in early December, the upper walls were painted a shade of sky blue.  Again not very formal or appealing for a waterfront home at this price point so we had the sellers paint this space neutral on their own before we began the staging.  We wanted to give this room a whole new look while still using the owners furnishings to save them money.  We borrowed a large and colorful area rug from the basement rec room.  We rearranged the owner’s furniture in this room and removed a few things as well.  Adding place settings and a simple piece of canvas art was all it took to complete this space.

Formal Dining Room Before Staging

Formal Dining Room After Staging

Here is a secondary bedroom.  Before it felt a bit like grandma’s room.  We removed a few pieces of unnecessary furniture and small lamps and staged this room girlie!  It is super cute now with the new bedspread, lamps, canvas art, and stuffed animals.

Bedroom Before Staging

After Staging

Here’s another secondary bedroom.  The previous set up did not convey the room’s purpose.  Out came the futon sofa and in with a full size bed and dresser.  This room was accessorized and staged as a youth boy’s room with sports in mind.  This room will now appeal to the whole family.

Third Bedroom Before Staging

Third Bedroom After Staging

Here’s the fourth bedroom that we need to sell to buyers.  We removed the exercise equipment but left the mirrors to show dual purpose for potential buyers.  The bed and nightstands are part of our rental inventory as is the art on the walls; however, we did use some of the owner’s wicker chairs that we opted not to use in the sun room upstairs and a white drawer bench that was already in this space.  This room now has a clean, crisp feel that complements the large views of Lake Norman from this space.

Fourth Bedroom Before Staging

Fourth Bedroom After Staging

While we walked you through most rooms in this home, we don’t want to bore you to death!  We hope you enjoyed reading about the process of staging occupied and semi-occupied homes.

January Staging Project: Old Woods Road

This brick ranch home is located in the convenient, yet quiet, cul-de-sac Madison Park neighborhood of Charlotte.  We truly enjoyed working with the sellers on this project.  Over the course of four months or so they worked on preparing their mother’s home for sale after first meeting with us last fall.  While this house had many great features already including the wood burning fireplace, exposed beam ceiling, and spacious bedrooms with generous closets, there was lots of updating to be done as the home was built in 1976.

On the exterior, buyers will now find a fresh and new color scheme complemented with beautiful landscaping.  Inside there is warm and neutral paint throughout.  The most important rooms, the kitchen and bathrooms, have both been updated to meet the needs of today’s buyer:  new flooring, countertops, lighting and more!

We hope you enjoy previewing this home via our photo gallery.  If you have any questions or would like to schedule a showing, please contact the listing agents at The Mahool Nance Team.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.