Recently my family and I had the opportunity to spend some time together and decided to visit Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner. We rarely get the opportunity to do the touristy things, but because we do love nature, this seemed like a fun thing to do.
My oldest daughter has a soft spot for turtles, so she particularly enjoyed seeing all the turtles out sunning themselves....
If you go, definately take the canoe rides. It was wonderful and it was free. The tour guide we had was very knowledgable and quite humorous as well.... Here are some of the sites... the 3 legged alligator below
With all the fear of the disappearance of the bumble bees, it was great to see a living hive.... (the brown spots on the tree below)
There were also beautiful water lilies, and other flora which stood out beautifully on this black water swamp....
My youngest daughter enjoyed the butterfly exhibit the best....
uh... yeah.... that's not quite what I meant....
There were just hundreds of butterflies of different species flying around. I thought it was stunning myself....
Of course there were some scaley beasts in built in habits too....
If you get the chance to visit Cypress Gardens in Moncks Corner (near Charleston), SC... DO! Plan for a relaxing time filled with nature. No stress, just lots of sun, water and mother nature!
Because we are successful at marketing our services when we stage a home we find ourselves frequently doing multiple homes in a specific community. One of Mt. Pleasant's premier neighborhoods, I'on, has been a great source of business for us (as a company) and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to work on such beautiful homes. I thought I would share some of these beautiful homes with you....
(click on the street address to view a real estate show)
183 E. Shipyard, Pam Bishop (pbiship@carolinaone.com), Carolina One Real Estate
UNDER CONTRACT
94 N. Shelmore, Chuck Avera (cavera@KWCharleston.com), Keller Williams Real Estate
142 N. Shelmore, Frazier Neal (frazierneal@aol.com), Keller Williams Realty
28 Sowell, Chuck Avera (cavera@KWCharleston.com), Keller Williams Real Estate
SOLD
The lowcountry style of these homes is stunning, with significant attention to detail through beautiful moldings and hardwood floors. There are lots of parks and shopping is within walking distance. Many of the homeowners drive golf carts through the community because there is simply no need for your gas guzzling vehicle here....
I'on a true lowcountry style village. For more information, visit their website at www.ionvillage.com
Today I was fortunate to stage a stunning 1840s renovated carriage house. One of the big problems in this home was the appearance of lack of size. Buyers felt this simply wasn't a large enough property for full time living.
This room felt a little too small - even for a guest room. Before it seemed as if the bed would be inside the fireplace...
This living room seemed barely large enough for a comfortable living space let along a dining room... hopefully we've squashed that problem...
These spaces were actually able to break down into 3 distinctive living spaces, showing funcationality. Buyers want to know that they can have a party, entertain, etc. Now, they can do just that!
Staging, properly done, is more than just adding furniture & some art to a home. It should help to define a lifestyle and show off the best assets of the home while minimizing the detractions. Keeping buyer's issues to a minimum is why staging helps sell homes faster & for more money!
If you want to see more, click here....
What an honor to stage such a beautiful home. The attention to detail is amazing and you can feel the history in the original touches throughout....
Here are some photos if you don't want to watch the RES.....
I'm sure you can see why I enjoyed my workday so much today with such a beautiful subject to work with!! Best of all this home is within walking distance to some of the best restaurants in Charleston and the waterfront!
This is a beautiful home in one of our city's premier communities, I'on. It has actually been written up in multiple magazines (the neighbhorhood, not this particular home) for it's cottage style community layout and old fashioned neighborhood feel.
The owners of this home upsized inside the same neighborhood and knowing the benefits that staging provides turned to Charleston's Premier Staging Company - First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign.
Below are some before & after photos of this project:
It is amazing how much larger this room feels in person. The curtains add significant visual height & texture. While we don't typically add curtains, because there were already rods hanging, it was important that this be utilized to its best benefit.
The before photo focused on some of the great architectural features of the home including plantation shutters and tongue & groove beadboard. The after photo (different angle, sorry) focuses on how large the dining room really is. It also shows access into the butler's pantry and sunroom (which isn't really as blue in person - unfortunately the color appears distorted with the lighting).
Clearly this is a large room to begin with, but how large? Staging the room clearly defines the size, scale and overall feel of the room.
After seeing the before and after photos isn't it obvious why staging helps sell homes faster? If you were looking on MLS for your next home, which would move you to see the home in person? With so many homes to choose from in the current marketplace, why would you want bare empty walls and windows to show to potential buyers?
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First Impressions Home Staging & Interior ReDesign is dedicated to helping sellers get top dollar for their properties in the shortest amount of time. We also offer also top notch staging training.
Melissa Marro, a Home Staging and Interior Redesign Specialist from Charleston, SC has always had an obsession with decorating and redesign. "Even as a teenager I had a strange obsession with it. I would take my graph paper, measure all my furniture and my room and start making scale cutouts of everything trying to see which way it would fit best. When that didn't work, I would just move everything until I liked it!"
Marrying young and having three children while her husband was in the Navy she had to learn how to decorate on a budget. Moving 12 times in 14 years, quickly finding the correct placement for things and more importantly using what you already owned became very important to her. "There just wasn't money to spend on new things every time we moved. I wanted the house to look nice, but didn't really have a budget for much more than paint."
Moving also meant buying and selling homes, lots of them! Always on a budget and looking out for the bottom line, the homes the Marro family bought were usually the plain or neglected house that could be bought for below market value but had good bones and potential. The homes were then given great paint jobs, cleaned and staged to sell when the time came. Every home she put on the market sold quickly and at top dollar. She realized she had a knack for the job.
Moving to Charleston in 2004 and working for a real estate company her passion for redesign and staging took off and she decided to make it her life's work. Now owning her own company called First Impressions, Home Staging & Interior ReDesign, she does what she loves. "It's very gratifying at the end of the day. People's lives are changed. Home is more about comfort and security. When there is peace there, people can relax and unwind."
I specialize in Vacant property staging, however I do offer staging services for owner occupied residences as well. I also offer comprehensive certification courses for both agents and those wishing to become full time Interior Redesigners or Home Stagers. Please visit my website for further information.
Classes Offered:
Dewey Color Coordinator Class
Dewey Color Consultant Class
AWARDS -
2009 RESA Professional Stager of the Year Award
2007 RESA Professional Stager of the Year nominee
2007 RESA Staging Innovator of the Year nominee
Positions in the Industry -
SC Stage it forward Roundtable Moderator (2007, 2008)
RESA Regional Vice President Region 8 (Southeast) May 2007 - April 2008
List date 06/18/2006 $819,900 List date 04/11/2006 $234,900
Staged 09/06/2007 Staged 10/24/2007
Under contract 10/23/2007 Under contract 11/08/2007
List date 12/14/2006 $345,000 List date 07/02/2006 $374,733
Staged date 08/08/2007 Staged date 07/25/2007
Closed 09/20/2007 Under contract 09/26/2007
To view a sample of our currently staged properties, click here.
"I just want to take a moment and compliment your staging services. As a Realtor with nearly a decade of experience in the business and hundreds of satisfied past clients who refer business to me, I know something about providing exemplary service. Your service definitely lives up to that standard. Your staging flair, responsiveness, and attention to detail has turned a last minute pre-Tour of New Homes distress call into one of the best service experiences I have had in this business. I look forward to developing a long-term working relationship with you."
Dave Sansom, Agent, Prudential Carolina Real Estate
"Thank you for the staging of our model home in Brickhope Greens. It was a pleasure working with you from the initial appointment until the completion of the staging. The furniture that you picked out works perfectly and has allowed home buyers to visualize how nice their new home can look with the right touch. You can really tell a difference when selling new homes how buyers take note of the potential when comparing complete rooms to an empty one. Thanks again and I'll call you on our next project."
Chisolm Walker, Agent, The Cassina Group
This is a team of true professionals that are focused on customer satisfaction and exceeding your expectations with delivery of services. With little notice and under pressure to stage three listings, they worked 24/7 to meet the deadlines. Staging with First Impressions is a savvy investment tool for realtors and sellers in this market. Presentation in marketing of your product and in showings to potential buyers is EVERYTHING. "You only get one chance to make a good impression, so leave a mark and not a stain" Ann Coggiola, Agent, Prudential Carolina Real Estate
"Melissa was great. She came to our appointment prepared and having already researched the market. She had good suggestions and we were very pleased with the selections she made"
Michelle Scarafile, Broker Associate, Prudential Carolina Real; Estate.
"Melissa goes above and beyond! She can turn what may appear to be impossible clutter and chaos into organized reality and charm. Her rooms welcome you the instant you walk in with a clean, crisp, warm feel. Thank you, Melissa for your services."
Pamela Cox, Realtor, Agent Owned Premiere Group
"Melissa is amazing...she was not only professional and artistic, she was able to help my clients re-design their home for very little money and make it look like a show place! Both times I used her, the homes I had listed sold for the highest prices in their neighborhoods per square foot! I can't say enough about her and how much my clients enjoyed working with her!"
Lisa Roettger O'Keefe, Realtor Prudential Carolina Real Estate
"It was a true pleasure working with Melissa. She is very bright, energetic and creative. She was always a lot of fun and had toms of great ideas. She's a true "winner."
Laverna Smith, Broker Associate, Prudential Carolina Real Estate
"Melissa, I went by the unit yesterday and it looks smashing! You've created a "Pottery Barn" feel for the condominium that will help me sell these units. I honestly feel that your staging will help me sell these condominiums mush quicker and for a higher price. Truly magical work and the best thing is I didn't have to worry about a thing. Thanks Melissa."
Tommy Loeber , Agent, Kit Thrash Properties
"Melissa is truly an artist making my vacant new construction listing into a real show piece! The difference was amazing, even to my builder client who was so impressed with the magical transformation. She totally captured the vision the builder had for each space and made it come alive. Thanks for your hard work!"
Michele Reneau, Agent, Prudential Carolina Real Estate
"Using First Impression Home Staging and Interior Redesign was the best decision I made in regard to selling a newly constructed townhome in Charleston National. They took empty rooms and turned them into a showplace with a "welcome home" appeal. They did a wonderful and timely job. I will definitely use them again when the opportunity arises. I know this will help to sell this property quicker than if the townhome was left empty. Thanks again, First Impressions, for performing your image."
Marlene Beauston, Agent, Weichert Realtors
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