Barbara Heil-Sonneck - Home Staging Atlanta

I had the pleasure to meet Linda and Millard Fuller in August of 2006 at a conference in Atlanta. After our conversation I felt the desire to get involved and started to serve for the Fuller Center for Housing of Greater Atlanta. I feel very honored that I had the pleasure to get to know Millard Fuller, an inspiring person with a Mission he lived by and the impact he made in the life of so many people...

"Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity and The Fuller Center for Housing, died early this morning after a brief illness. He was 74. Family and friends are mourning the tragic loss of a true servant leader and a genuine heart."

To learn more about Millard Fuller and The Fuller Center for Housing, please visit:

http://fullercenter.org

Even though the news on the housing market is down, you can sell your home by talking a more proactive and realistic approach to the market. Pricing your home at today's market value is key and your best take for success is to price it right the first time.

After that... #1 Showcase your Home:

HGTV is listing - "the Biggest Real-Estate Mistakes" and what tops the list is

"Failing to Showcase Your Home and Making Small Cosmetic Changes"

"When you are selling your house, you have to really look at it objectively and think about it from the viewpoint of the house hunter. Make minor enhancements to the house and maybe hire a professional stager to come and arrange your furniture. Staging is about decorating your house for the buyers' taste, not yours. A great place to start is with the front of the home and the main entryway. Home staging is designed to increase the potential selling price and reduce the amount of time the house stays on the market."

HGTV - 25-biggest-real-estate-mistakes

Home staging has been a secret weapon in the real estate wars, and it continues to win victories in the current market.

Potential buyers who are taking the time to look at homes during this time of the year are serious buyers otherwise they would be spending their time preparing for the holidays. Set the stage so potential buyers can imagine themselves celebrating future holiday seasons in this home, packing gifts in the living room, baking Christmas cookies in the kitchen, or decorating the tree. Create pockets of emotion that will tug a buyers heart and make your property memorized and very appealing.

ChristmastreeKeep in mind is that it is the holiday season, you cannot ignore it. A staged house with no festive touches may seem unreal for potential buyers who expect that a home will have some decorations for the holidays. If a home doesn't have any signs of the holiday season when it's being shown, it can be hard for people to imagine themselves living and celebrating future holidays in it.

This can be one of the most effective times to stage and sell a home, because festive staging techniques can create quite an impact on potential buyers so go ahead and deck the halls. Please keep in mind moderation, the goal is to sell the house, not the Christmas Decoration!

In addition, I suggest start marketing as soon as you know you are ready to sell. Tell your friends, neighbors & coworkers that your property is going on the market soon. When they come over for your holiday party, have your home neatly staged so they can further act as marketing agents.

Yes the holidays are about parties, decorations, food, presents, shopping, travelling, family & friends! But this holiday season lets focus on & give thanks for all that we have. Lets share our blessings with those who may not have as many. The Design2Sell team is actively involved in the local community. We hope you will also be inspired to take active part in your community this holiday season and in the year ahead!

For worldwide Staging Week held every October, Design2Sell served with other ASP Stagers at the Forster Care Support Foundation in Alpharetta.

Design2Sell - other Involvements:

• Board Member of the Atlanta Fuller Center for Housing. The Fuller Center for housing was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller, founders of Habitat for Humanity.
  
• Big Brother Big Sisters program - he oldest, largest and most effective youth mentoring organization in the United States
  
• Chair for Georgia Real Estate Investor Community Outreach program - running Toys, for Tots, builts for Habitat for Humanity...
  
• Southern Center for International Studies Young Professionals group. SCIS is a non-profit group based in Atlanta that promotes international thinking in the American public.
  
• SCORE - "Counselors to America's Small Business" is a nonprofit association dedicated to educating entrepreneurs and the formation, growth and success of small business nationwide.

Here are some quick, affordable ways to give your kitchen an update:

• Replace the flooring. Install laminate floor over old linoleum, vinyl, or chipped tile. It costs just $1 to $5 a square foot and looks like wood, stone, or tile.

• Replace the lighting. A new ceiling fixture costs less than $100 and will brighten up the place. Adding some under-the-cabinet lights will illuminate work surfaces.

• Give the cabinets a new life. A coat of paint and new knobs is the cheapest way to go.

• Refinish the appliances. For a few hundred dollars, an appliance refinisher will re-enamel your stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher door in the color of your choice, including a stainless steel look-alike.

• Update the backsplash. Replace the space between your cabinets and the countertop with fashionable tiles or use a prefab board that looks like tiles