Atlanta Georgia Home Staging Company

How We Sold This Marietta Georgia Home in 5 Days

2012-02-11T11:14:44Z

How We Sold This Marietta Georgia Home in 5 Days

In fact, not only did we get a contract in 5 days, we had a bidding war between two buyers with another two other agents preparing to write offers as well.

For the sellers, this wasn't just good news, it was great news as their home had been on the market for two years prior.

So, how did we sell this Marietta Home in 5 days?

They used an incredible Marietta REALTOR. Her name is Kirsten Conover with Prudential Georgia. I've had the great pleasure of working with Kirsten for over three years and she is perhaps one of the hardest working real estate agents I've met.
I provided the homeowners with a home staging consultation. More on that subject below.
Kirsten hired Iran Watson - perhaps Atlanta's best real estate photographer, to capture the beauty the home had to offer.

Here's what the home looked like prior to the home staging consultation:

The fireplace, which is a feature of the home is not even pictured, and resides to the far right.

Here's the same room after re-arranging their existing furniture.

Photo taken Atlanta Real Estate Photographer, Iran Watson.

As the home stager for this home, I knew it was important to create a more warm and inviting space, which was accomplished by re-arranging the furniture. I had also recommended that the fireplace, which was black, be painted white which elevated the look and feel.

As you can see, it took a team to help sell this Marietta home in 5 days. The combined efforts of the agent, the home stager (me) and having incredible photos truly does make a difference.

Originally posted in AtlantaHomeStaging.net

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

Whether your home is vacant or occupied, this Atlanta Georgia Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen, understands what it takes to sell a home quickly. Her homes have graced the pages of several publications, appeared in TV commercials as well as on HGTV's hit program Sleep On it.

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

The Three Most Common Errors Homeowners Make When Preparing Their Home for The Market

2012-01-26T09:55:53Z

What are the three most common errors homeowners make when preparing their home for the market?

Error #1: Too much stuff. In some homes, it could mean too much furniture. In others, it could mean something as simple as too many photos. The key when selling is to show off as much "real estate" the home has to offer. To solve this challenge, start by removing some of the larger items first. Next, remove all non-essential items. For example, let's say you have a stack of magazines that you've saved for a rainy day. Now's a great time to let 'em go.

Error #2: Hiding the features the home has to offer. I'll use this before and after picture to illustrate. One of the features of this home is the hardwood floors. However, as you'll see in this before picture, it's hardly visible. Solution - remove the rug. Yes. It can be that easy.

Here's the same room after being professionally home staged in Marietta, Georgia by Kathy Nielsen.

Error #3: Showcasing the room. After years of having helped homeowners sell their homes more quickly, I've come to realize that this is perhaps one of the greatest challenges of all. It's difficult for homeowners to understand exactly what changes to make that will have a significant impact. Solution - purchase a few accessories that help draw your eye to some of the features. Re-arrange your furniture to make it more appealing. It's exactly what we did in this home staging.

If in doubt, search for an experienced home stager. Many offer occupied home staging services and can assist in helping you stand out amongst the other homes on the market.

Originally posted in AtlantaHomeStaging.net

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

A Thank You to Shell Brodnax, CEO/President of RESA

2012-01-25T08:32:43Z

A Thank You to Shell Brodnax, CEO/President of RESA

If you're a professional home stager anywhere in North America, you've likely heard her name. If not, simply Google Real Estate Staging and you're sure to find lots of insight into who she is. And while her name is synomous with "real estate staging" it should also be tied to words like "passionate", "determined" and "motivated."

How do I know? I have the distinct pleasure of working with her on a daily basis. I know first-hand how hard she's working on behalf of this industry. A women, who claimed on the on-set of the year that she would scale back and only work 6 days, not 7, takes only a few hours this past Sunday to watch a play-off game and calls that a day off. Truth be told, she's addicted to working hard and as a result, we all benefit.

So thank you, Shell Brodnax, for being our leader. For caring enough about the home staging industry and home stagers to stand up and take action, when necessary. For having the passion, motivation and determination to help further elevate the home staging industry. And lastly, for all that you do for home stagers everywhere.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Google Closing Picnik! Ughhhhh

2012-01-21T07:39:20Z

Google Closing Picnik! Ughhhhh

What a way to start my day. I awoke this morning, headed over to Picnik (my favorite photo editing ever) to learn that they are closing down on April 19th. I get a refund. Big whoop. I don't want the refund and I DON'T WANT Picnik going away. Period, end of sentence.

After throwing a tantrum, I went back to my computer and did a search to learn more. Here's an article written by Harry McCraken titled Life is Not a Picnik: Google Close It's Cool Photo Editing Tool which goes into the details of this decision.

If you've used Picnik, whether it's to crop photos, watermark photos, sharpen, and the list goes on, you too have come to realize just how easy a tool it is to use. In fact, I've written many tutorials promoting Picnik as it was just that good.

Also in my search, I found a petition, which I quickly signed. Here's the link: Don't Close Picnik! As of this writing, they have 307 signatures and are aiming for 400. I'm hoping the list grows to 400,000.

My final comment - Google, Please do not close down Picnik. And if this falls on deaf ears, then please create a platform that duplicates the awesomeness that Picnik provides and make it available BEFORE April 19th!

Kathy

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

The Power of the Rain - Active Rain

2012-01-17T08:35:17Z

The Power of the Rain - Active Rain

Well now.... I just experienced something amazing. It's not the first time, and it certainly won't be the last. I just posted a blog post titled: Atlanta Home Stager - Staging Flipped Properties. Two minutes later, I heard the familiar ding alerting me to an email that just hit my inbox. So, as normal, I trot over to my email and what do I find? A Google alert message (see below).

And the odd part is the timing as I was recently asked if there's value in becoming a Rainmaker (in other words, joining Active Rain). And despite this incredible proof, my answer was and is YES! Now let me quickly add that I've always understood the value from a search engine perspective (more specifically, the Google juice) that Active Rain provides - so, my answer alone wasn't sign-up for the rain because of that. As most long timers have understood (me, having been a member since Feb. 2007), the Rain has provided a platform for a number of things - 1) camaraderie. In fact, two of my besties (yes, spell check, that is a word, as found in the Urban Dictionary) has been a direct result of having been a member. 2) I learn something almost every day (which is how I found AR years ago when doing a search) and 3) I enjoy reading.

So, whether you're an agent, a stager, a lender, and the list goes on, keep posting! The power of the rain is incredible, as stated above.

Kathy

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Atlanta Home Stager - Staging Flipped Properties

2012-01-17T08:01:20Z

Atlanta Home Stager - Staging Flipped Properties

Staging these homes is such an incredible experience. The combination of efforts to take a home and make it one of the most desireable, is thrilling. The transformations are always huge.

As with any vacant home, the furniture and accessories is what helps engage the buyer on an emotional level. It adds the warmth and makes the home inviting, starting on the Internet and carried through when the prospective buyer visits the home first-hand.

And a shout-out to the Atlanta investors who use our services - Thank you for making me part of your team. Thanks, too, for having the confidence in me to help set your home apart from the others on the market.

Here's a short video clip of some of the Atlanta investment properties we've staged:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Home Staging Starts with the MLS Listing

2012-01-13T08:33:32Z

Home Staging Starts with the MLS Listing

Years ago, I made an executive decision to elevate my home staging services by offering after pictures, at no additional charge, to the homeowner and/or agent for their use in the marketing of the home. Here's why:

I understood that buyers were (and still are) using the Internet to search for a home
That it was one thing to have the buyer emotionally connect with the home when they're physically in the house but, it was critically important to have it stand out on the MLS.
It would help separate me from my competitors.

So, with all of those reasons listed above, I did some research to a) find the best camera and b) really learn how to use it. Yes, it took time. But, it was one of the best investments I've ever made.

As I tell all of my clients - I am not a professional photographer. What I can, and do, say is that I'm a professional home stager in Atlanta who takes after pictures for your use in the marketing of the home.

Here are some after pictures of a home we recently staged for an Atlanta investor. If you'd like to see more examples of some of our Atlanta Home Staging projects, click on the link.

FYI - these photos were taken with a Nikon D90.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Who Says Houses Don't Sell In The Winter?

2012-01-10T16:40:53Z

Who Says Houses Don't Sell In The Winter?

I've heard it, and I'm sure you've heard it as well.

Well, it's time to kick that old adage to the curb.

All of these homes pictured below have received contracts in December and January. Yup, that's right. And.. they all had:

Great real estate agents - who were aggressive with their marketing
Were priced correctly - always important, regardless of what month your home goes on the market
Were staged by Atlanta Home Staging - to further showcase the features of the home and to add warmth!

And here's a close-up of one of the kitchens:

See, houses do sell in the winter!

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Home Staging an Atlanta Home - Before and After Pictures Included

2011-12-11T07:32:15Z

Home Staging an Atlanta Home - Before and After Pictures Included

I love what I do and this past week, I did it three times. I staged a condo in Atlanta, a house in Decatur, and an Atlanta investor property in Atlanta, all in three days. Yes, it was a lot of work but at the same time, exhilarating.

Here's one of the homes we staged.

This is the living room before picture

Living room after picture:

Master bedroom before:

Master bedroom after:

And while Iran Watson (a real estate photographer here in Atlanta) will be taking after pictures of this home, here are two close-ups that I had taken:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Sellers - You'd be lucky to have him

2011-12-09T09:33:13Z

Who?

Thom Abbott - A real estate agent in Atlanta

As a professional house stager in Atlanta, I have the good fortune of getting to know a lot of agents. Thom is one of my favorites and here's why:

He knows Atlanta like the back of his hand
He is perhaps one of the hardest working individuals I've ever met
He knows what he's doing

I met Thom approximately 2 years ago when I received an email from him via Active Rain. He didn't have a listing for me to stage, but, that wasn't important. He seemed so full of life and smart, two great traits that I admire in someone. We had a blast that day talking about real estate, SEO and all the incredible things he had on his plate at the time.

I admired him then and still admire him to this day.

Here's how to reach Thom (Tom with a h, which I love):

Office Phone (404) 876-4901

Cell Phone(770) 713-1505Alt. Phone(404) 247-6696

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Is Your Vacant Home Confusing the Buyer?

2011-12-09T08:26:41Z

Is Your Vacant Home Confusing the Buyer?

While no seller would intentionally confuse the buyer, most are so familiar with their own home and how they used a sepcific area within their home, that they don't consider that a buyer might not be on the same page.

Case in point:

Here's an area within the home that I recently staged in Atlanta. I walked by this area no less than three times and did NOT know what the intended area was suppose to be. It wasn't until the end of the appointment, when discussing the home with the agent, that it became clear.

Can you guess?

That was tough, wasn't it? Here's the "intended purpose" of this area.

Here's another angle:

And here's a photo of the living room:

One of the greatest benefits of having your home professionally staged is that buyers are not left to guess. Instead, it's clear as day when furniture and accessories are added.

Kathy

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

No. I Don't Stage My Photos

2011-11-07T08:10:04Z

Yes. I'm a Home Stager who stages homes all throughout metro Atlanta. But, no - I don't stage my photos.

There was a post recently by an agent who had asked if we, as stagers, ever stage our photos. More specifically, the question was whether or not we change up an area within the home specific for the MLS listing photos. My response was no. I'm more of a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kinda girl. In other words, the photos I capture are always how the room appears if you were to see the home in person.

Why? Personally, I feel it's important for a potential buyer, who has viewed the home on-line, sees exactly what they saw from the Internet. I never want to disappoint the buyer which is why I'm not a fan of virtual staging.

Now having said all that, I do take close-ups (which I call "detail shots"), like the one below. And while I always provide the agents and homeowners with all of my after pictures as part of my service, I have no expectation that they will use these in the listings.

Here's a detail shot of a home we staged and recently de-staged. If you were to visit this home when it was on the market, it's exactly what you would have seen on the dining room table.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Should You Set Your Table When Selling Your Home?

2011-10-14T19:57:19Z

Should You Set Your Table When Selling Your Home?

Here are my recommendations:

Set one table but not both - In other words, if there's a dining room table AND a kitchen table, set only one of them.
If there's only one table, take into consideration "how busy a table setting" will have from a visual standpoint. If it appears "clutter-like", then opt for a simple arrangement.

I also let the home speak to me in terms of what it needs. For example, in this home (with one table), I wanted the chandelier to take center stage. As a result, I used small, contemporary dishes, no napkins, or glasses and a centerpiece.

I added a twig to the centerpiece to help pick-up the browns from the window treatment and table:

Close-ups:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

I'm Stuck on a Title So... I'm Using This One

2011-10-13T09:38:29Z

I've just spent 45 minutes coming up with 18 different titles for this post. NOT KIDDING. And... I can't think of a single one that would work. This isn't the first time it's happened. I've been known to create a post, put it in draft and come back to it because I couldn't think of a title. Poor me, I know.

I've been around long enough to know the value of creating an SEO-friendly title. So, sure, I could have the title read "Atlanta Home Gets Home Staged." Or, "How This Atlanta Home Stager Helps Draw the Buyers In." I have similar titles on previous blogs so... I didn't want to go there.

So, here's the blog post with that absolutely silly title:

Kitchen before home staging: It's a photo that "may" draw the buyers off the Internet and into the home. But... why settle on "may." You're trying to sell the home, right?

Here's the home after being professional home staged by Atlanta's best home stager (done for SEO purposes, (smile).

And because I love giving homeowners photos that are outside of the norm, I shot this one:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

5 Reasons Why Choosing A Single Interior Color Works Best When Selling

2011-10-07T08:47:51Z

5 Reasons Why Choosing A Single Interior Color Works Best When Selling

As a professional home stager in Atlanta Georgia, one of the questions asked most often is what color should I paint the interior of my home. The second most frequently asked question is whether or not a single color is better or if multiple colors work best.

My advice to all sellers is to always use a single color. Here's why:

A single color will help to visually expand the space
The use of multiple colors can be distracting
Multiple colors increases the odds that the buyer will NOT like one, or more, of the colors
A single color is far more soothing
A single color improves the flow of the home

Here are a few before and after pictures of a home where each room was a different color. As you'll see in the after pictures, a single color was chosen and used throughout:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

How I wiggled my nose and got rid of these guys.

2011-09-29T08:26:05Z

Okay... it took more than a wiggle of my nose. But, it didn't take a great deal of work as I had used the "cloning" feature in Picnik. Now if I can do it, you can too. Directions below, so keep reading (smile).

For the record, I have nothing against either two of these guys. In fact, I like them a lot. However, they were ruining my before picture of a home in Atlanta that I was asked to create a decorator schedule for and eventually home staged.

Here they are, ruining my picture. What the heck?

Gone

Here's how I did it:

First - begin by signing into your Picnik account. NOTE: The "cloning" feature is part of their premium service which is a mere $24.95 a year.

Step 1 - Once signed in, click on the Edit tab.

Step 2 - Next, click on Advanced (as pictured below).

Step 3 - On the left hand side, click on Clone.

HowWhen you click on clone, the following box will appear directly under the clone.

Step 4 - Once you've selected the brush size, brush hardness (which I typically leave at 0%) and fade (which I leave at 0% as well), step 5 will be to place your cursor inside the area of the picture that you want to clone. In my example above, I first worked on the guy directly in front of the fireplace. Therefore, I placed my cursor on the fireplace bricks and clicked my mouse pad. This captures the area you want to duplicate or "clone."

Step 6 - Once you click, a new circle will appear. Run that circle over the area you want gone or erased.

Step 7 - Once you've cloned an area, press Apply. Continue this process until you've cloned all the areas of the photo.

Here's how the room turned out after the renovations.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Beat Out The Competition - An Atlanta Condo Gets Staged

2011-09-28T08:42:00Z

Condos can sometimes be difficult to sell. And when vacant, it sure makes it a little bit more of a challenge. Add to that that there are likely several units for sale and you've got some stiff competition.

One of the reasons why home staging is so effective is that it allows the buyer to further envision themselves living in the home. You're not leaving the buyer to use their imagination as to where they'll eat, where they will sit, etc.

Home Staging also provides solutions as to how they could layout their own furniture.

The following are before and after pictures of a recent condo we staged in Atlanta.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Atlanta Investment Property Gets a Makeover (Before and After Pictures Included)

2011-09-27T07:47:11Z

Atlanta Investment Property Gets a Facelift

What an amazing project to have been involved in. Our Atlanta Home Staging company, Georgia Interior Solutions, was asked to create the decorator schedule for their recently purchased investment property in Smyrna, Georgia.

A decorator schedule is a schedule of all the selections for the home. For example, light fixtures, wall color, flooring, granite, backsplash and the list goes on. It's a lot of decisions but... extremely rewarding. We were also asked to home stage the home.

Here's the kitchen before the renovations.

Here's how the kitchen looks after the renovations and after home staging.

Here are just a few of the decisions made for the kitchen:

Granite selection
Backsplash
Sink size
Faucet
Handles - I decided to have them cleaned versus being replaced
Flooring
Light fixtures

Here's an after picture of the living room:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Are You The BEST Home Stager?

2011-09-23T08:49:51Z

Are You The BEST Home Stager?

Yesterday, after returning from a home staging a home in Smyrna, Georgia, my phone rings. I answer promptly and listen to the seller as he tells me that he has an occupied home and knows that he needs advice and perhaps accessories to showcase it better.

After answering a series of questions, he asks: "Are you the best home stager?"

Me, tired, and not prepared for this question, reply with: "Absolutely!"

He then asks: "Why?"

Did I mention I was tired?

Me: "Because I am." Truly, is this not the worst answer ever?

Seller: "Why?"

Me: "Because I was voted RESA Professional Stager of the Year 2011, Southern Region."

Seller: "Oh."

Me: "And because I know what I'm doing. I've been successfully helping sellers sell their homes for the past 6 years." (Note to self: Think of a sentence with a few less "s" when tired).

Seller: "Oh"

Me: "Have you seen my home staging before and after pictures gallery? If not, go to: Atlanta Home Staging Gallery."

The call ended with the seller intending to check with his real estate agent and then asked me to call him tomorrow afternoon.

The moral of the story? Be prepared to answer the question: "Are you the best home stager?"

All funnies aside, I am a firm believer that you need to strive to be the best. It's why I spend countless hours perfecting my trade, improving my photos, studying the latest trend in colors, etc.

And because I can't possibly write a blog and not include a picture, here's our latest collage of Atlanta Home Staging After Pictures:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Home Staging in Marietta Georgia - My backyard

2011-09-23T07:41:32Z

Home Staging in Marietta Georgia - My backyard

We home stage all over metro Atlanta but in the case of this home, it was a mere 3.4 miles from my own home. What a treat!

Another treat (and yes, this day was full of them) is that I had Iran Watson, Atlanta's best real estate photographer scheduled to shoot this home. Turns out that Iran knows the Atlanta investor and didn't know that I staged all of his Atlanta investment properties. In fact, Iran, impressed with my work, tried to convince this Atlanta investor to switch stagers. The investor turned to Iran and said: "I love my home stager and I'm not switching." Finally, it was revealed that the home stager was me. Too funny.

The icing on the case is that I had the assistance of my twin sister, Kerry, with the staging. Her home is a mere 1.5 miles away and she happened to have had a vacation day.

This vacant home went through an incredible transformation. Here's how the living room/kitchen eat-in appeared.

Home Staging Atlanta Before Picture:

Home Staging Atlanta After Picture:

The following were also taken by Iran Watson, a Real Estate Agent in Marietta and an Atlanta Real Estate Photographer. I just had to include these two detail photos as they look to me like they belong in a magazine. Nice job, Iran.

Home Staging in Marietta was an absolute treat!

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Tips from Atlanta Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen

2011-09-09T07:38:49Z

Tips from Atlanta Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen

Last night, as I was going through some of my home staging before and after pictures, I came upon this set and remembered fondly the homeowners reactions when they saw the transformation. They were thrilled and didn't want to leave. Funny, that's exactly my goal, but... not with the sellers. My objective when staging is to keep the potential buyer engaged.

The changes made to this living room were simple, by design. And, these changes are ones that any seller can make. See below for a further explanation on each of these tips.

Keep décor simple, but engaging - Choosing the right accessories is always an important element in setting the stage for a quick sale. Over accessorizing adds clutter.

Expose the real estate the home offers - Notice the glass coffee table? This see-through element helps to visually expand the space.

Highlight the features of your home - The bank of windows is a beautiful feature within this home. The tall centerpiece on the coffee table helps draw the buyers eye upwards. In your home, find your features and draw the buyer in.

When showing, turn on all lights - Sounds simple and it is. In this case, we had a ceiling fan with a light. We also turned on the lamp which helps to add warmth.

Style to the demographics of the buyer - Knowing the demographics of your buyer is an important step in the process. For example, If they're likely to be young, go less traditional.

These tips were brought to you by Atlanta Home Stager, Kathy Nielsen.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

How to Choose the Correct Size Rug For My Living Room

2011-08-14T08:39:51Z

How to Choose the Correct Size Rug For My Living Room

While there are many factors to consider, i.e., size of the room, number of pieces of furniture, etc., the following is a guideline to help determine the size rug. I just used this diagram, provided by World of Rugs, to show a couple here in Atlanta whose home I had staged and sold and am now helping to decorate their newly purchased home. Using this diagram helped tremendously. I want to personally thank Paul Roorda, from World of Rugs, for giving me permission to use his diagram for this blog post.

Here are some other items to consider when choosing your rug size:

If you're selling your home and have beautiful hardwood flooring, it's best to expose them. That said, go with the smaller size (6 x 9 or even a 5 x 8).
The larger the room, the larger the rug. Large rooms can accommodate a large area rug (9 x 12 or 10 x 14). For small rooms, go with a smaller size (6 x 9 or 8 x 10).
Dark rugs can help ground a room while a lighter color won't. Keep that in mind when determining the size rug.

Choosing the correct size rug is important. I hope this diagram has helped you as much as it did me.

For your home staging needs in and around Atlanta Georgia, contact Kathy Nielsen at 678 522 8392.

To find the perfect rug, World of Rugs & Furniture is open to the public 7 days a week and 24/7 online.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Is The Furniture In Your Home Eating Up the Real Estate?

2011-08-07T10:03:02Z

Is The Furniture In Your Home Eating Up the Real Estate?

One of the biggest challenges for homeowners, when living in their home while selling, is understanding what goes and what stays. Another challenge is understanding whether it makes sense to repurpose a room. Let's review both challenges:

Deciding on what stays and what goes:

Always begin by standing in the doorway of the room (specifically, the doorway that buyers would be at when they enter the room).
Decide and remove those items that serve no purpose. It could be an inherited piece that you spent hours refurbishing and want to proudly display. If it doesn't serve a purpose, you're better off storing it.
Have a bedroom that leans on the small side? Try removing one of the night stands.
Remove all stacks. Whether it's a stack of bills, or a stack of magazines or newspapers - stacks of anything take up real estate.

Deciding on whether to repurpose a room:

Right, wrong or indifferent, buyers have preconceived notions on how they'll use a room. For example, over 10 years ago, I converted our dining room into a den. This dining room is positioned immediately off the kitchen and made a great dining room. The reason why I converted it to a den is that we had spent only a few days out of the year using the room as a dining room. Designed as a den, we use this room every single day. However, should I elect to sell my home, I would repurpose the room back to a dining room. It stands to reason that this room would be perceived by a buyer as a great dining room. And... they'd be right.

To further prove how valuable it is to repurpose a room, here's an example of a home we recently staged in Atlanta.

In this particular home, the homeowner had converted her living room into a dining room. As you can see below, this entertainment room was absolutely gorgeous. I'm quite certain that friends and family enjoyed many a great meal or two.

Here's the before picture. And while I'm standing pretty close to the dining room table, you can see that it's large and is capable of seating up to 10 guests.

Another before picture taken with the dining room table and chairs removed:

The end result: This is how the room appeared after we repurposed the room as a living room. By repurposing this room, we a) show more of the beautiful flooring, and b) you can see more clearly how much real estate the room has to offer.

Click on the following link to see how this Atlanta kitchen was transformed:

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

Atlanta Kitchen Gets A Transformation (Before and After Pictures Included)

2011-08-06T08:54:23Z

Atlanta Kitchen Gets A Transformation (Before and After Pictures Included)

This galley kitchen is beautiful. Those were my exact thoughts when I first entered. With the rich dark wood, the beautiful granite and the stainless steel - I knew exactly what I wanted to do. As a professional home stager in Atlanta, my job is to further enhance and showcase the beauty of the features the home has to offer.

So how does one take an "already beautiful kitchen" and make it stand out? It takes some thought, that's for sure. Home staging a kitchen is all about the accessories. What we use and where we place it, is important.

Here's the before picture. I loved it the minute I saw it.

Here's the after picture. As you'll see, I chose a deep burgundy/red color to further enhance the richness of the dark wood tones.

Close-up (kitchen countertop left). Limes were on my mind as my husband had just made ceviche the day before. It's funny how things that happen in the course of our days that help influence some of our decisions. I chose the container (with greenery) in the corner as it looks "old world" to me and seemed the perfect height. With its' rustic-look, set inside a contemporary kitchen, it seemed the perfect touch.

Close-up (kitchen countertop right). The small tray of olives was a carry-over, keeping with the rustic element I wanted to bring in. The red container - newly purchased (well, months ago) just matched perfectly to the burgundy vase and bowl. Envision it filled with lentils or a small pasta such as pastina.

Stay tuned for more pictures of this beautiful home.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging

The Top 4 Questions Every Home Seller Needs to Answer

2011-07-20T08:58:03Z

The Top 4 Questions Every Seller Needs to Answer

Let's get straight to the questions:

Is my home priced correctly?
Does my home stand out on the Internet?
How does my home look compared to others on the market?
Am I showing off the "real estate" my home has to offer?

How to get to the answers are equally as important as the questions. The following are some tips:

Is my home priced correctly?

Price is a critical component in selling - If you're a "motivated seller" then pricing it correctly becomes even more important. Your best tool in helping determine if you've priced it correctly is the use of a real estate agent. Why? They have access to the tools, etc... that can help you understand if it's priced correctly or not. Another option is to pull up "like" homes in your area. For example, if your home has 3 bedrooms, search for homes that have the same quantity. Carefully review what those homes have to offer versus your home. For example, your home may have upgrades, which could justify a higher price.

Does my home stand out on the Internet?

With 90% of the buyers using the Internet to search for their next home - you want to ensure your home stands out. The easiest way to find out is to try searching for homes in your area. Visually compare how your home appears to the others listed. Like what you see? The Internet is the same tool used by potential buyers. If you're not impressed, neither will the buyer.

How does my home look compared to others on the market?

One of the agents I work with, and have been for the past three years, makes a point of seeing, first-hand, every home listed within a 2-mile radius and then reports that back to the homeowner. She pays particular attention to a) how visually appealing it looks b) any and all upgrades the home has gone through and c) looks for comparison (i.e., finished basement, etc). One of the options you have available is to take a drive around your neighborhood and jot down the addresses of all the homes currently on the market. When you return home, type in the address in the search field. You'll then have visual insight into how those appears appear on the Internet.

Am I showing off the "real estate" my home has to offer?

By "real estate", I'm specifically talking about the amount of space within the home. While you can certainly add square footage through a massive renovation, which could/would be costly, there are other solutions within your reach. Stand in the doorway of each room. Next - determine what items, whether it's a piece of furniture, or a pile of magazines, that serve no function. You're going to be amazed at the amount of "visual" space you create when taking these steps.

Stay tuned for my next blog titled: Following the path of a buyer.

Home Staging Atlanta - Kathy Nielsen - 678 522 8392

RESA Professional Stager of the Year - Southern Region 2011

With years of experience and a massive inventory - Kathy makes the perfect choice.

Home Staging Website: Home Staging Atlanta

Before and After Pictures: Atlanta Home Staging Portfolio:

Email: Kathy@HomeStagingAtlanta.com

Blog: Atlanta Home Staging