About Bradley County, TN

Our most recent staging job was a bit of an experiment.

A Realtor had a new listing that needed a bit of help, but they couldn't afford a full-blown staging. The Realtor asked if we could do "Photo Staging"--bring in some accessories and stage JUST for the photos. She (The Realtor) also wanted to pay at closing. Having worked with her before and knowing that I could trust her, I thought that I would give it a try.

The week prior, I popped in to this little house for a quick 15 minute consultation to see what kind of accessories that I would need. These homesellers had made some great updates to their home and had fairly nice furnishings and accessories to work with.

The following week, after coming up with somewhat of a plan, I threw a few accessories into the READY 2 STAGE mobile and hit the road. We arrived at 11:00 a.m. and walked out at 1:00 p.m. They had completed MOST of the suggestions that I had left for them to have done before staging day, so it all went pretty smoothly. The results were beautiful and all of us were pleased. I wasn't entirely happy to remove the accessories that we had brought in, but we tried to leave it in the best showing shape possible.

The Realtor has now told me that within 3 days there were 6 showings and 1 offer on this place! And, by the way, the Realtor went ahead and penned me a check when the job was done. She was pretty confident that the closing would be soon.

What do you think of this idea?....I'm sure there will be some skeptics, but it was a fun and relatively easy job, and I truly believe that it will help educate home sellers and Realtors in this area and bring staging to the forefront a little bit more. Enjoy the pics!

Recently a friend/client asked Ready 2 Stage Home Staging & Redesign to transform an 80's bedroom.

The walls were papered with Calico Country Cats!

She had chosen a new quilt and wanted to build the room around it, saving a few of the "Cats" along the way. Keeping in mind that the client loves color and art glass, we chose a color that would not compete with the quilt or her beautiful pieces. The color is a soft green that we pulled from one of the squares in the quilt and gave the room a soft relaxing look.

Keeping the antique furniture that needed to be included in the room, we knew that modern accessories would not work. She had much to work with, so being in "Redesign" mode, we scoped out her entire house and pulled from each room. The larger antique dresser near the doorway was too big for the space. We chose a smaller side table and pared down the fluff at the entrance to the room, so that your eye would immediately go to the bed, and of course the beautiful stained glass "Cat" hanging in the window. We took out a "lovely"(sarcasm...) massage chair that totally took up what little floor space there was and replaced it with a simple stool to sit at the corner desk.

Trying not to over-clutter the room we kept our accessories simple and compact. Our friend/client likes the room and says that "I am constantly amazed at how you girls see things differently than me!" It just goes to show you that after you have lived in a house for a while, you get stuck in having everything look the same way. Even Stager/Redesigners have this problem in their own homes. We need "fresh eyes" to come in and freshen up and try things a new way.

Redesign is a an inexpensive way to bring your rooms back to life. Don't throw out the old, just have a Redesigner rearrange and freshen your look for a fraction of the cost of a complete re-do.

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After a recent staging consultation by Ready 2 Stage Home Staging & Redesign, I returned to the Open House and took some "After" photos of the changes that the home sellers had made. Our consultation was a suggestion and advice time only, they wanted to do it all themselves! And they pretty much followed our advice about everything! Don't you love it when that happens? There were a few things that I would have done differently if I were actually staging the house myself, but for inexperienced home sellers, I thought that they did pretty well. Check out the photos, and let me know what you think:

BEFORE

In the dining room, we first of all requested a warmer paint color. I would have gone a little darker neutral, but they chose to stay light. We suggested removing the credenza, hanging both round pictures (they ended up hanging them too close together), and painting the chandelier an oil-rubbed bronze color

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In the Study/Office, we suggested removing the desk in front of the window, removing the drapes, which would then look too short. Separating the book cases and putting them on either side of the window, and angling the desk

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The Master Suite lacked impact. The bed was a blow-up and wasn't "Grand" enough for a Master. It was also not the focal point of the room. We suggested moving it underneath the window and jacking it up to make it taller-- and moving the high boy to another wall. That way the bed was the first thing that was seen upon entering the room. Also, in the Master bath, we suggested removing the dated medicine cabinet and adding a mirror--that was a refusal. Then, we suggested, that the dated oak trim around the edge be painted cream color to match the vanity. That suggestion was taken. We also suggested changing or painting the brass light fixture above the vanity.

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In the mudroom, the sconces were outdated and needed replacing.

AFTER These were a great choice!

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The downstairs family room had beautiful built-in bookshelves, but no real purpose. We suggested moving a daybed that was in another room, adding a chair and making it a cozy reading/entertainment area.

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The outdoor living area was nice, but needed a real cleaning and decluttering. We suggested removing the 2 white chairs near the brick, cleaning and restaining the decking and adding an outdoor rug. Well done!

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The outdoor dining area was a great selling feature, but need to be played up. We suggested moving the grill to the far end of the walkway, and setting the table with some beautiful dinnerware. What a great transformation!

Overall, we feel the changes were positive. We would have loved to have been able to go back and help them with the positioning of the artwork and some other small touches, but they were total D-I-Yers. But they did listen!!

So many people still don't know what to do if they are getting close to a Foreclosures! Call an Agent today, there are Agents who have the know how to help direct you in locating the right people to get assistance. It should be free of charge to you! There are groups set up by the government to assist you. If you don't know a Realtor who has the knowledge, do check on-line for an Agent who is experienced with Loan Modifications, Short Sales or Foreclosues or at least knows where to direct you. Ask your local Realtor today for Assistance! Take charge of your situation, don't wait until it's too late! We don't want to see anyone loose their home if they could have saved it! Don't stop trying!

READY 2 STAGE HOME STAGING & REDESIGN specializes in creating an inviting atmosphere for your potential buyers. Most buyers make up their minds in the first 15 seconds of their visit. Don't give them a negative impression before they even step in the door. Create a vignette at your front entrance that makes them want to "Sit A Spell" and then go inside and see what great things are waiting in there! If you don't have the time or the proper accessories to make your place "POP", call HSR Certified Home Staging Professional Lori Donegan for all your needs and she can make it happen! Don't you really need a quick sale today? (423)506-3718