I don’t think anything makes me happier than getting a phone call or an email from someone who says, “I found you online. I need your help.” That was the case with Tristyn. She and her husband were about to list their home and needed the assistance of an Atlanta home stager to help prepare it for the market. We scheduled an appointment.
When I got to Tristyn’s home I saw that it had great curb appeal. It was obvious that someone was taking good care of the exterior; but once I walked through the front door, I saw why she needed a little help. Tristyn has three little ones. The foyer was where they came in and out, taking off their shoes and coats and plopping down their book bags. Here is what I saw upon entering the front door:
While I’ve seen much more cluttered foyers in homes with small children, this was not the first impression we wanted to give buyers upon entering the house. The problem was that the children really needed a place to “drop” everything when they entered the front door. The solution? Tristyn and I simply moved this piece of furniture to the backside of the same foyer wall in the living room and added artwork in the now empty space. (Her mom had given her a number of home decor items from which to choose. We made good use of them.)
These are just a couple of paintings we found that looked nice, fit the space and worked well together. It would’ve been nice to have a small table underneath, but nothing was available. Apparently, the buyers didn’t seem to notice there was something missing, but more on that later.
Next was the dining room, which was to the left of the front door.
I don’t recall the room being that pink when I was there, so it must be the camera and lighting causing it to read that way here. Regardless, this room was in need of a fresh coat of paint and updated accessories. Take a look at the after:
Tristyn did a fabulous job with this room, don’t you think? When I left her the day I was there, all she had was a paint color in hand and instructions for what to remove from and add to the room to set it off. She had mentioned possibly getting a new table and chairs, but I wasn’t sure she would. What a difference! She exceeded my expectations. What a pretty room to take note of upon entering the front door.
One more room I want to show you is the master bedroom. Here is the before:
This was the room where Tristyn and I went “shopping” for accessories, which were placed on the floor on the backside of the bed. The main problem in this space is the placement of furniture. The bed 1) should not have been in front of the windows blocking the light and 2) should have been against the focal point wall opposite the door. Once again, I selected a new paint color, told her how to position the furniture and gave her instructions on how to tweak the room. Here is what she did:
I was really blown away by this photo. What a great job Tristyn did showcasing this room in a way that would cause potential buyers to see it as cozy, open, warm and inviting. Well done!
But I’ve saved the best part for last. Here is the note I received from Tristyn last week when she emailed the before and after photos:
Dear Patsy,
I just wanted to follow-up with you and thank you for your wonderful help and advice staging our home. The response has been INCREDIBLE. I put our house on the MLS on Wednesday and by the following evening we had four offers in hand and they just kept coming in. By the weekend we had ten and we just had to stop the madness and accepted the best offer which was well over our asking price with the buyer paying their own closing costs. I know the staging really helped create that WOW factor that brought in offers from nearly EVERY SHOWING (and two of them came from people who hadn’t even seen the house in person ). Pat yourself on the back. LOVE the paint colors by the way.
Thanks again!
Tristyn
I am sooooo happy for Tristyn and her husband to have such outstanding results! She’s giving me way too much credit, as she is the one who had to paint, move additional furniture around, purchase a few more accessories and tweak the staging after I left that day. I applaud her for knowing she needed home staging help (always the first, step, right? :), calling in someone who has been trained to know what needs to be done, and carrying out her assignments to perfection. Job well done, Tristyn!
If you want your home to glow, the colors to flow and the clutter to go, contact Patsy Overton Interiors. 770-843-2307 Accredited, Licensed, Insured.