I was called in by my Realtor, to help a condo which had been on the market for MONTHS!  The owner had moved out, but rented the condo, furniture and all.  I called the seller to see what she was willing to do. Her answer was "whatever it takes".  I LOVE these clients!  I previewed the property and came up with a plan.

First, the RIDDLE:

When is a cookbook NOT a cookbook?

The answer?

When it's wallpaper!

This wallpaper was used as the backsplash in the kitchen!  Convenient? Yes! Everyone's taste? Definitely not!

Next? The color RED!

I love a red accent wall as much as the next person. But, it doesn't work in every home. A small space like a condo will appear larger if you stick to one color for all the walls.  And when the home has a fabulous feature like a fireplace, sometimes the red can be distracting. 

Here is what I mean:

Now, the fireplace POPS!

I prefer to accent a staging with splashes of red, but not enough to be overwhelming!

The living space before:

Just a few changes:

The client agreed to have the whole condo painted, including the ceiling which was painted a dark tan and added to the cave-like feel of the space.  She offered to put in new carpet, but saved a bunch of money by having it cleaned instead.  Remember, there are still renters in the condo, so I advised against putting in new carpet for that reason.  After the cleaning (the cost was just over $100) the carpet looked fabulous!

Now, the REMODEL:

I thought her money was better spent by updating the two light fixtures in the vanity area of the bathroom:

 For a total of $100, we went from 1980.....

.....to 2009!

I agreed to add a few staging items, even though the condo was occupied.  Sometimes, it doesn't take much to make a huge difference:

I think you'll agree that paint, some inexpensive lighting, and a few strategically placed accessories can make a world of difference! Here are a few more "after" shots:

Stagers can be invaluable to out-of-town sellers.  My services included hiring the painter and carpet cleaners, shopping for the light fixtures, adding accessories, and providing new photos to the Realtor.

Thanks for letting me share this enjoyable project! Need a good recipe for chicken soup?