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Before & After Pics of "The Big House"

I recently blogged about my experiences staging a 7,800 sq. ft. home in Arcadia, CA, The Homeowner Raised the Listing Price $200,000 AFTER STAGING!!! . This was a beautiful house - I was very lucky to have such a great canvas to work with. Here are some Before and After photos:

LR before living room after staging by Moving Mountains Design

Living Room Before and After (above)

office before den after staging by Moving Mountains Design

Office Before and After (above)

loft before sitting area after staging by Moving Mountains Design

Loft Sitting Area Before and After (above) (A vertical picture would have been better, but this was all I had left at this point)

Dining Before dining room after staging by Moving Mountains Design

Dining Room Before and After

den before

den after staging by Moving Mountains Design

Den Before and After

Moving Mountains Design is a full service Home Staging and Interior Design Corporation located in Pasadena, CA. We specialize in staging vacant homes in Pasadena, Arcadia, San Marino, La Canada/Flintridge and San Gabriel.

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Moving Mountains Design Home Staging

Moving Mountains Design is one of the most successful home staging companies in Los Angeles, CA.

We measure our success by the speed in which our staged homes sell, often with multiple offers above listing price. We work with home sellers, listing agents and asset managers to prepare homes for sale.

Some of our services include vacant home staging, occupied home staging, color consultations, corporate and executive relocations, move organization, redesign, and interior design. We also stage model homes, REOs,foreclosures and auction properties.

For more information about our home staging services, contact Los Angeles home stager, Michelle Minch (626)441-8975 or by email.

Click here to see our Los Angeles home staging portfolio

Click here to go to our Los Angeles home staging blog

Click here for more information about home staging in Los Angeles and how we can help sell your home faster and for the best price

Posted by Michelle Minch Home Staging Los Angeles & Pasadena, CA on 06/22/2007 11:53 AM

Comments (51)

stage, staged, staging, stager, moving mountains design, michelle minch, vacant, vacant home staging, high end, mansion

Originally posted at: Los Angeles Home Staging Info: Before & After Pics of "The Big House"

This post has been included in California Information Los Angeles County, CA Information Arcadia, CA Information
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Post is included in group: Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures
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51 Comments on Before & After Pics of "The Big House"

JUN

2007

Wow! Looks great, it really does make such a difference in how the home shows!

Hi Michelle - WHAT a difference!!! I love seeing the before and after pics, and I'm sure you use pictures like these in your portfolio. Beautiful presentation in what you did with this 'blank canvas'.

Ann

I love the way you place your furniture. Great job again gals! :)

Gorgeous! Good job!

I hope they hire someone to play that piano at their next open-house:)

Now I know why you are called Moving Mountains!

Stephanie

Stephanie: They did have a piano player who also sang opera as he played. Interestingly enough he was also the Architect on the home. Some people are just too talented!

Thanks, everyone, for your kind remarks.

You are very talented. However, the staging will not be part of the appraisal -- so I wonder if the $200K increase in asking price is realsitic merely based on staging.

Quite a change. It really does make a difference in presentation. Thanks for sharing.

I am very impressed, I have never staged a house that I have listed but after seeing this I may have to look into it.

Nice pictures! The before and after really helps to sell your product!

OK... is my before and after for now. Nice Staging with the trees in the after pic. girlie ;)

driving before driving after

This is just my back Stage view.... more to come :)

What a transformation! And what a PROFESSIONAL you are!! I love your before and afters!!!

And... congratulations, your post is being featured in the group Staging "Before" & "After" Pictures.

Thanks for sharing.

Kathy

wow - really impressive. The staging absolutely makes this house feel so much more valuable. Every room is quite exceptional. I think you are certainly talented at what you do. Adding the piano to the entry is an instant $$$$ to the feel of the house. These are some of the best before/after staging photos I have seen in blogs so far. You certainly set the bar high.

Joan: An appraiser is just as likely to be influenced by a property that is beautifully presented as the rest of us. While appraising a property has a lot to do with science, dictated by industry principals, there is a small amount of subjective judgement involved, when the appraiser can choose from a range of values.

Staging is not an excuse for overpricing a house, and an overpriced property will not sell staged or not. This particular property is appropriately priced, less per sq. ft. than some competing listings in the area. Even if the homeowner realizes only 10% of that price increase, it has more than paid for the staging.

Yeh, once again! Great placement,love the red? throw in the office chair. Styling!

Wow! You did a fabulous job! Some homeowners still don't understand the importance and benefits of staging. It really does make a difference.

The before and after pictures are really striking. The rooms are warmer and much more interesting. The transformation on the Living room is especially impressive because the stone floors are beautiful but slightly distracting- your furnishings make the room perfect.

OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!! My mouth is hanging open at the HUGE difference staging makes. The house went from blah to WOW! Wonderful job!

Wow! Another great testament to staging, and another great example of talent here on A/R

You did an awesome job! You should be proud.

Just breathtaking.....amazing work!

JUN

2007

Hi Michelle,

You did a great job, it looks fabulous! Did you do the whole house? I had a similer consultation this week $2.5m, 7500sf. I think I really under bid it. Would you please e-mail me and tell me how you bid the listing, it would be really helpful for future reference. I haven't heard back yet, but it's only been a couple of days. Thank you!

Impressive staging. Good job. You will have to report if the seller got his added $200,000 in the sale once it sells.

Wow!!! Fabulous job!!!! And a piano....I am impressed!!!! Those things can be a pain to move, but looks terrific!!!

That is a lovely home and you made it even more special! You did a great job...and your before and after photos are the testimony.

So Nice to see someone do a house of this quality to the nines like we do at Nuances here in Cape Cod. Keep it up, although it makes me wat to move to California where this kind of qualitu is appreciated> Wow!

Michelle - You are a credit to the industry! Professional, quality work adds value and sets a standard for us all. The house looks amazing. You should include photos and info about this job in a press release to your local media. Hope this opens many more doors for you (and LKP)!

Joan: Appraisers work with a range just like Realtors do, and if a home impresses as this one does, it automatically goes to the top of the range, right? This is why stagers always say, STAGE, LIST, MARKET a property in that order. Then, there is the "I just love it" factor, priceless! Nobody can put a figure on a buyer's imagination and heart when they take over.

Michelle: Your company Moving Mountains is aptly named, you certainly did in this case! And, did an impeccable job showcasing this house and its appropriate attendant lifestyle. The piano and rugs were so worth the effort. I remain in awe.

Bob & Carolin: I will report back as soon as I have information I am allowed to release. Last night I got a phone call from a man who took my card at the Open House. He wanted to know what was the price for all the furnishings! His friend from overseas is interested in buying the house fully furnished. You could have knocked me over with a feather!

Lori H: I rented the piano from a piano rental company. It took two men about 30 minutes to get it off the truck, place it and put it together. The tuning took another 45 minutes. They made it look easy.

Lori G: Good idea! I'll get right on that press release.

Nancy, Kate: Thank you.

Patricia: You are too kind. I appreciate your praise.

JUN

2007

Every time I think of this house when I see the comments coming thru I start breathing heavy just thinking about all the WORK (creative process, choosing furniture & accessories, assigning tasks, going to the airport to get Lori ;), loading the truck, unloading (was it a U-haul? - then getting the truck ,returning the truck) telling Brook where to put everything, making beds, hanging art, placing art, STAGING! eating at some point, breathing.... on an on! )that went in before, during and after. It was a huge undertaking - but this proves that you can do anything now!

Karen: The homeowner told me that he wanted me to begin staging on June 15, but he didn't sign a contract with the Listing Agent until June 13. Since the Listing Agent was the one paying me, I didn't know if the job was a go or not until June 14. I had preselected the furniture and rugs and done my research on the piano on the 12th, just in case, but basically I was sitting on my thumbs until I had a signed contract and a deposit check on June 14. I picked up the UHaul (4 blocks from my house) on the 14th and Diana, Michelle (Asst) and I loaded the truck that afternoon. Since everything is in bins, I just pointed out what bins were needed and the loading went fairly quickly. In an ideal world one or two days more prep would have been good - the Listing Agent, Homeowner and I could have worked out all the contractual and security issue kinks beforehand, instead of during, which was very stressful, as you well know. The actual staging was physically exhausting - but a joy nonetheless.

JUN

2007

Wow Michelle, you made a house into a home. I'm glad this became a week in review favorite because I missed it the first time around. Thank you!!

A note to everyone reading this article. It was featured in Active Rain's Week in Review 6/18/07---6/24/07

This post was one of the Top 25 picks for the week! Congratulations and thanks for writing a great blog!

I am just overwhelmed at the positive response this project has gotten. Overwhelmed and humbled. Thank you one and all.

This is awesome Michelle! Oh my, you truly deserve the praise. I am honored to call you my Staging Friend :)

Amazing home! Amazing staging! WELL DONE!

Julia

JUN

2007

Absolutely stunning - congratulations.

Lori Kim: Couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for you ever generous assistance.

Julia & Cheryl-Anne: Thank you.

Thank you Nora & Susan.

JUN

2007

I wish I had the selection of furniture in this area that you do in California. Looks Great!

JUL

2007

Michele,

What a fantastic job you did on those huge rooms! You made it look effortless, but we know better don't we?

Is that rental furniture? (forgive me if I am asking a question that was already posed - I usually don't read the comments - just the post). And where did the piano come from?

It never ceases to amaze me how furniture, framed prints and greenery can make all of the difference in the world!

VAL

Hi Michelle, Your post is truely a very professional example of an experienced stager. Great to read your posts.

As for your bins you mentioned- I am right now in the process of moving into a storage unit- out of my 2 car garage and into a 10*30 with pallets similar to Lori Polk. Now how do you organize your bins, by rooms- or colors, or all candle holders in one bin. I have bins organized by let's say- gold tone bath room, Country kitchen, animal print bedroom and so on. How do you do it?

Kathy

AUG

2007

It looks SO good. One day.. one day.. I will get to that good ;) I am impressed by the piano rental!

Cheers,

Cindy

AUG

2007

Cindy B - The majority of furniture is from Brook. Nothing too special if you use it the way they intend. I found I can really change the look and dress it up depending upon the accessories, throw pillows, etc. that I use.

Val: All (or almost all - whatever I didn't purchase) is from Brook Furniture Rental. The piano was rented from a piano rental company I found on the internet.

Kathy: My organization is an ongoing and constantly evolving process. Here is a link to a recent blog on the subject How I Organize All That Inventory... .

Cindy L: Thank you very much. I was lucky to be offered a beautiful home to stage and given a decent budget to do it. Of course, more money would have been better, but all in all, it worked out well.

AUG

2007

A house that huge needs to be filled. You did a great job. Was the piano part of your inventory?

Rachel: The piano was rented from a piano rental company. They delivered, set it up, tuned it (we had a pianist for the open house) and removed it.

AUG

2007

I missed seeing these when I was out of town! WOW! I can't tell you how many times I have shared your success story with prospective clients!

AUG

2008

I am sure that even these photos do not do your staging expertise justice.

Jo: And I missed your comment one year ago! Don't take it personally please. Thanks, and share away.

Kathleen: Thank you for your kind comments.

MAY

Beautiful as always! And great idea to add a piano. That makes it feel even cozier and more inviting! And kudos to you on hiring a pianist to play at the open house...brilliant marketing! You think of everything!

Cheers,

Reese: The builder said he designed the house with a piano in the foyer in mind. How could we not get that piano? Thanks!

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