Athens, TN

It takes a smart home seller to realize that putting their home on the market is more than just popping a "For Sale" sign in the yard. It takes lots of work and preparation to put your property in it's best shape for showing.

It's a proven fact that once you have lived in a house for a few years--you can no longer see it objectively. There needs to be fresh "buyer's eyes" to show you how to present and emotionally connect with those coming to view your house. Most people think that surely anyone can see past my clutter and see how pretty my house really is! That is definitely NOT true. Clutter and too much furniture is very distracting to most people who enter, and statistics show that only 10% of home buyers can visualize and see past the clutter.

Here are some examples: This is a beautiful kitchen--anyone can see that, but there are things that distract you from seeing the real beauty. There are knives hanging on the backsplash, tons of spice jars on the hood, a breadbox, and other kitchen utensils, spices and too much distraction on display. There are also too many books in the island book nook. De-cluttering and turning on all the beautiful lights were a surefire way to get a great photo for this seller to advertise their most valuable asset--a spacious well appointed kitchen, with plenty of storage space.

#1 on your list of important things to do before putting your home on the market is: DE-CLUTTERING!!

Be smart and hire a professional to guide you in preparation to sell.

Call Ready 2 Stage Home Staging & Redesign--serving Southeast Tennessee--Athens, Cleveland, Sweetwater, Dayton, and all surrounding areas.

BEFORE AFTER

This past Saturday, I had the pleasure of setting up an information booth at our local "Pumpkintown Festival." The set-up fee for an information only booth was $25, so I thought--WHY NOT?? I have had a difficult time educating and getting the word out about staging in our little city, so I decided that this would be a great way to introduce Athens, Tennessee to READY 2 STAGE HOME STAGING & REDESIGN.

The early morning hours of set-up day were quite rainy. When we arrived at 9:00 a.m. to prepare, the streets were still a bit wet. October being a very unpredictable month weather-wise, I wasn't sure whether the day would require cold drinks or warm drinks--so I provided both. Bottles of water and cups of hot apple cider (both labeled with the R2S name--of course!) attracted many to help themselves to a drink, and watch the slide show of Before & After pics while they were there.

I also offered a FREE kid craft--bookmarks with a nice poem and a pumpkin to color were placed on a table at the side of our booth. This gave me a chance to talk to the parents while the kids were busy working! And I didn't forget the drawing for a FREE consultation--which provided me with names and e-mail addresses to add to my contact list!

Being at Pumpkintown was a lot of fun and I feel like I made some good contacts for my business. But, most of all I saw so many friends, family and acquaintances that I haven't visited with in a while. I encourage you to get out in your community and get yourself known, by participating in festivals and other community events.

Oh by the way, as we were loading up at the end, a lady walked by and offered me $20 for one of my pumpkin flower arrangements. So, there was nearly all of what I paid for my set-up fee! Go figure!!

JOYCE KILMER MEMORIAL FOREST

I am just amazed every time I visit Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest near Robbinsville, North Carolina. Having never visited the redwoods of California, I am in awe of the biggest trees that I have ever seen. On a recent visit, I noticed that some of the beautiful evergreen trees were dying all around. What a shame! My husband informed me that it was some sort of blight or disease that had hit them--and hit them hard. Soon there will be lots of large trees falling and making the beautiful walking trails impassable. (By the way, Joyce Kilmer is a man. Google it and read the story behind the poem.)

I encourage everyone that lives close enough to visit there soon and enjoy this beautiful forest. Fall is an especially beautiful time to make the trip up the Cherohala Skyway, and stop in the little town of Tellico Plains. It has several cute shops and eateries for you to enjoy.

I am so thankful for East Tennessee and it's mountains. I have some great memories there. Come visit!

Ready 2 Stage Home Staging & Redesign recently staged this home near Niota, Tennessee. We just love the difference that adding some color and beautiful furniture made in this space. It was total "Vanilla" and now it's "Spicy, but relaxing."

We used some beautiful pops of red mixed with browns and golds to achieve a warm look in the Living area and kitchen.

There was also a beautiful Dining Area that due to seller budget, we weren't able to stage. The living area is the very first room you enter and those all important first impressions were our top priority. The Master suite was also one of the biggest selling features because of it's size and placement in the home.

Focusing on spa-like relaxation in the Master Suite, we used soft teals and browns to achieve a relaxing atmosphere. The master bath was a bit of a challenge with such a wide open expanse of tiled floor. Ultimately, a beautiful chaise lounge would have been my pick for the space, but to keep within our budget, we chose a couple of glass-topped tables to help the space seem more intimate and cozy. The glass in keeping with the spa feel, and the dark brown metal legs to draw the eye and keep it from bouncing throughout the room. The large walk-in shower screamed for seating, and we gave it just that. A small teak bench completes the spa theme.

The Master Bedroom was kept clean and simple. The footboard on the sleigh bed was a little tall, but our only choice. We decided to keep the bedding monochromatic using only white and light teal green for our colors. A down alternative comforter was folded at the end of the bed to give you a posh hotel feeling. The glass top tables were used instead of the bed's matching night stands, to keep the room from feeling too woody and heavy. My only problem with those is the fact that you can see the cords from the lamps. But by using some framed fabric art over the headboard, hopefully your eye goes there and stays away from those cord eyesores! We finished off the bed with an emotional connection point. A tray with a coffee mug, faux cinnamon roll and great little devo book to read. What more could you want?

Vacant home staging can be a challenge. Finding a furniture store or warehouse with suitable furniture, that is willing to rent, has been a definite advantage so far. And the fabulous deals and quality furniture that Athens Woodcrafters has provided has been the ticket to my vacant staging success.

One last shot of the kitchen (which was only accessory staged) into the living area. I would love your opinions on my work--Good or Bad--I'm a big girl. I can take it!! Thanks Rainmakers!