How to Transform a House into a Home

How to Transform a House into a Home

Back in January, I had an opportunity to partner with an investor. Little did I know at the time, I was one of 5 stagers being interviewed. This investor was looking for a partner; someone that he could seek additional insight into the changes he should make to each of his flips. Although he was a prospect, I willingly gave him advice as to what changes would provide the biggest return. In other words (and these are his words, not mine), I treated him as a customer before he even signed on the dotted line. The end result - I secured his business.

In March he called me in again on a new home he had just purchased in Kennesaw, Georgia. By the way, the first home we did together sold in 6 days. As for the home in Kennesaw - it was another investment property and the house needed some work. Here's what I had the pleasure of helping him with:

• Color of the hardwood flooring
• Color for the walls throughout the home
• Selection of the countertop for the kitchen
• Color of the exterior of the home (including shutters)

Here is the before & after picture of the kitchen.

Here is the living room (before & after):

Transforming a house into a home can be easily accomplished with a well thought out plan. Here are some suggestions:

• Flooring - Consider using hardwood flooring when possible as it can add instant warmth.
• Wall color - Don't go white as it can be too stark. Instead, choose a color that has a beige tint.
• Countertops - Based on the wall color, you've got a perfect opportunity to add more warmth by selecting a pattern with some earth tones. In this case, we made the decision to keep the existing cupboards, matched up the hardwood and chose a countertop that would compliment both.

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