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There's a Really Cute House in Ballard...Buried Under Here Somewhere!

With the help of my very cooperative clients we found it! It was there all the time hiding under 15 years of living. Ten days after we listed it the buyers found it too. My clients also spent about 15k getting their home in market ready condition, but it payed off. Theirs was the only property in Ballard that sold in the 400-450k range during the entire month of December. Using a talented photographer didn't hurt either.

The Better it Looks...the Better it Sells!

before after picture

Posted by Susan Peters - The Better it Looks the Better it Sells on 01/17/2009 01:04 AM

Comments (35)

staging tipsin seattle, seattle, before and after, staging in ballard, real estate

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35 Comments on There's a Really Cute House in Ballard...Buried Under Here Somewhere!

JAN

Susan ~ Another stunning transformation resulting in a quick sale ~ congratulations! Good call advising them to ditch the fireplace insert and old dated window coverings. This looks fantastic and I'm sure your clients -- and the buyers -- were thrilled with the outcome.

Susan - what a dramatic change! Congrats on the quick sale.

Hi Susan,

Another 'Well Done' for you! I bet the sellers couldn't believe it was their home after you staged it. Love your work!!!

Doesn't even look like the same house! Wonderful transformation. Looks like a picture from a magazine.

Susan ~ That is an amazing transformation! Bravo to you and your sellers for doing what needed to be done!

HI Susan, I look forward to posts when there has been a lot of living going on in a house. The before and after photos show such a dramatic transformation. Lovely job on the living room. :) Makes you want to come right in and sit down. Looks like a magazine lay out.

Susan,

What a stunning transformation! It's no wonder the home didn't sell before with all the clutter everywhere. The room is now cozy and inviting and clutter free! I'm not surprised it sold so quickly!! Great job.

Have a good weekend,

Anne Rains

http://activerain.com/blogs/ladyofrealty

Now that is some astounding work!

That wall color is delicious!!!!!!!!!!!

~Michelle

WOW Susan those before photos looked so familiar and the after is AWESOME! Fireplace inserts are coveted items in our mountains and no one ever wants to remove them, even those that frequently out of compliance and must be removed....so why not BEFORE the house hits the market. Do you have a frontal view of the "new" fireplace that I could share?

Susan, what an incredible transformation, just beautiful! It's hard to believe it's the same space, the lighting is so well done. Excellent job, thanks for sharing!

Susan, I keep going back to this blog. Please share that wall color. I can't stand it, it is so gorgeous, like the skin on a Bosc pear.

I have to know!

~Michelle

close up of fireplace

Ginger: Here's your frontal view:

Maureen: My clients are thrilled. Now they can shop for their new place without having to make a contingent offer.

Wanda, Cynthia and Vivian: Thanks! There's nothing like getting a high 5 from your peers.

Kathy: It really helps to have great clients!

Michelle: I have bout 4 more blogs coming up just from this house. Stayed tuned.

Good job Susan! A great example of $15k well spent to 'dress up' the home for sale. It costs money to do it well...and it makes it up many times over! Regards-Kathleen G

Wow Susan, you did an amazing job! I can't wait to read/see the upcoming blogs~ Thanks for sharing.

Bravo! Congratulations!! Thanks for sharing your success with us.

Hi Susan!

What a great transformation indeed!

15K made the difference between "Old" and "Sold". I will keep an eye for your next posts, I am too, interested in the living room paint colour:).

I would be also keen to see where the 15K went, besides painting, of course. (These are the money spent before staging, right?).

Thank you!

Monica @ Staged 2 Sell Solutions Inc.

Anne: Fortunately the house wasn't on the market before the renovation/staging.

Michelle: I think it's Playhouse by Martha Stewart. I'll double check though.

Debbie: My photographer is brilliant with lighting. Wait till you see the exterior shots.

Kathleen: They got back at least 3 times what they spent.

Susan,

Conratulations! What a great staging success story... and the photographs speak for themselves, GREAT transformation! I love how you angled the seating, it gives the room a very welcoming feel.

JAN

WOW! Worth every penny - absolutely stunning transformation Susan. Congrats on the quick sale!

Wow, if that isn't the best photo for a compelling argument to stage your house, I don't know what is!!! It's certainly the before picture that does it!

Tosha: I'll have them up in a couple of days.

Cathy: Thanks to my clients too for seeing the light.

Monica: Yes the 15k was spent before the 1st piece of furniture was moved in.

JAN

Susan if anyone can find a buried treasure you can and you did. The house looks absolutely wonderful.

Michelle: Surprisingly it made the room feel bigger.

Michele: It just goes to show , if it looks great and is priced right it will sell.

Maria: It's a matter of putting your best foot forward.

Hi Tanya,

Thanks for stopping by and for anyone who was wondering what the wall color was it was "Playhouse" by Martha Stewart.

JAN

Hi Susan,

I think you have done a wonderful job! I love the before and after pictures! It is remarkable what you have done. I am curious though, how do you get your sellers to pay for things? I have been trying to get my clients to do the same thing, but have not gotten very far, unfortunately. I would love to know what it is that you say to them to make them realize that their house needs to stand out above the rest. Do you have any advice for me?

JAN

Hi Jeannie

I come up with a projected price for "as is" and one for fixed up. I'm not willing to stage their house if they aren't willing to do at least the top priority items. It works everytime!

JAN

Hi Susan,

Thanks so much for your advice. I will try that. I also had another question that popped up. Once you get them to do all that stuff and you stage it, how do you get them to keep it that way during the time you have it listed? I've worked hard to help my clients get that far, then to see that they have not kept it up because I would get feedback from other agents stating that it wasn't very clean. Its been frustrating for me to know that I have helped them put all my time and effort into it and then to see if for myself as well as to have feedback saying that is wasn't very clean. What would you recommend on this topic? And thanks so much for your input! I truly appreciate it.

Hi Susan - what a great transformation you did! Besides the new "setting", the warm colours in the room make a tremendous difference.

Cheers from your neighbour in Victoria!

David

JAN

You are worth your weight in gold for these sellers. The new room was almost unrecognizable to the before pictures.

FEB

Jeannie: I usually get them to move out. At least for the 1st week or two. You need to price it right so that it's the most appealing property in it's price range. You can stage your brains out but if it's not priced right it's not going to sell.

David: Thanks. That's one of my favorite colors too.

Ellie: My clients were worth their weight in gold too. They took my advice on price and worked like dogs to get their part done.

FEB

Holy cow Susan , that is amazing. It doesn't even look like the same house. You obviously have an amazing eye. I'd love to have you come decorate my house! I think I found the perfect color that I was looking for for our bedroom, Playhouse! I can't tell if that was the same color they had on the wall before or did you have them repaint?

I will be following your blog to see the next posts of the house!

Wow, impressive. I need to go to your website and get some tips!

Absolutely stunning before and after pictures. Those photos should convince any seller of the value of staging.

APR

I trust the house has sold by now. . . what a transformation! I love the work of your photographer, and it goes without saying your work too!

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