kathy nielsen: Are Your MLS Photos Leaving the Buyers Guessing? - 04/09/13 10:56 PM
Are Your MLS Photos Leaving the Buyers Guessing?

One of the biggest challenges with an empty home is that we can often confuse the potential buyer without even knowing it. Here's what I mean. As the person taking the photo, I know definitively what purpose the room serves. However, if I was viewing this home on the Internet, which is what most buyer's are doing, I'd be left guessing. 
Here's an example:
Based on this photo, I know that it's painted a nice neutral color and the carpet looks good. The question is, what room is this? And, will the paint … (15 comments)

kathy nielsen: How Our Atlanta Home Staging Services Are Different - 03/25/13 11:58 PM
Our Atlanta Home Staging Services are different than our competitors. How different? Here's a easy list for your reference:
 
 
 

We always use furniture and accessories that compliment your home We take into consideration the demographics of the buyer We create a warm and inviting home We provide the after photos of your home at no additional charge We make the process of staging your Atlanta home, EASY! All of the furniture and accessories used in the home for staging are available for sale  
 
 
 

We never, ever over-stage. Your home, and it's features, … (6 comments)

kathy nielsen: Home Staging Atlanta - It's as Easy as 1, 2, 3 - 03/25/13 11:09 PM
Home Staging Atlanta - It's as Easy as 1, 2, 3  
Years ago,  I made a conscious decision to ensure the process of staging was made easy for my clients. I can honestly say that it was the best decision I ever made.
In just three easy steps, we can take a vacant home and transform it into a beautiful home that helps secure potential buyers off of the Internet and into the home. The process is the same, regardless if you're a homeowner, an agent, an investor flipping properties or a new home builder and and around Atlanta.
(7 comments)

kathy nielsen: It All Happened in 96 Hours - Atlanta Home Staging - 03/07/13 09:52 PM
It All Happened in 96 Hours - Atlanta Home Staging
After sitting on the market for 11 months, the frustrated homeowner (who is also a real estate agent) elected to use our home staging services. He had "tested the waters" with our staging by taking one of his vacant listings and had us stage it. That listing had also sat on the market for almost a year without a single offer. After staging, the home was under contract in 7 days!
Having shown him how valuable bringing furniture and accessories can have on a home, he elects to have his own … (14 comments)

kathy nielsen: Atlanta Home Staging Before and After Pictures - Our Recent Staging - 02/21/13 09:45 PM
Atlanta Home Staging Before and After Pictures
One of my favorite places to post is here in the Rain. Given how busy I've been lately, I simply haven't had a chance to share any of my recent projects. Well... this morning, I made the time. 
Here's a townhome we staged in Atlanta this past Tuesday. Within 24 hours, the condo went under contract! 
Here are three before and after pictures:
 





We've been helping homeowners, investors and agents all throughout metro Atlanta to help sell their home quickly. To see more examples of our Atlanta home … (9 comments)

kathy nielsen: Atlanta Home Stager Uses the "D" word And.... - 02/12/13 09:34 PM
As far as I can tell, all remains well.
What's the "D" word? Decorate. You can read that post here. It's titled "How to Decorate A Long Narrow Room."
As a professional home stager serving metro Atlanta, I do understand the differences between decorating and home staging. In fact, I wrote a blog post, here in Active Rain, regarding differences. That post is title "The Difference Between Decorating and Home Staging."
The reason for using the word "decorate" versus "home staging" is that I recognize that the traffic to my site isn't strictly coming from those who are in the process … (6 comments)

kathy nielsen: How to Crop Your Photos Using Ribbet - 01/16/13 11:51 PM
Last month, when I was reviewing some of my after pictures of the homes I had staged, I found one image that captured my eye. It wasn't what I would consider one of my "best." However, there was something about the picture that I liked.
Here's the photo that I'm referring to:

I had some time that day and decided to crop the photo. After playing around with it for a bit, I ended up with this:
FYI - I'm standing in the living room, looking into the dining room. You can also see the family room behind it. Without … (8 comments)

kathy nielsen: Your House Is Being Shown in 10 Minutes. What Do You Do? - 11/09/12 12:24 AM
Your House Is Being Shown in 10 Minutes. What Do You Do?
It's difficult, I know, when you're given little to no time to get your home ready for a showing. Although this may not happen often, you do want to be prepared.
Here's a list to reference in the event this happens to you:
Make beds  Place clothes in laundry basket Place dishes inside the dishwasher (assuming you have one) Hide all personal hygiene items in bathroom under the sink. Check out this blog post for more insight Place towels in laundry basket Gather up the toys and place in a … (10 comments)

kathy nielsen: Fixed, Flipped and Staged in Atlanta - 11/07/12 11:48 PM
Fixed, Flipped and Staged in Atlanta
Chosen as the home staging company of choice by many Atlanta real estate investors, we had the distinct pleasure of staging another flipped home this past Tuesday.
The home resides in Kennesaw Georgia. 
Here's the living room before the renovations were completed and prior to staging:

Here's how the home will appear to the potential buyers:

Here's the formal living room. The investors replaced the carpet with hardwood.


Close-up:

(10 comments)

kathy nielsen: An Easy Solution for Keeping Your Home Market-Ready for Showings - 11/05/12 10:56 PM
An Easy Solution for Keeping Your Home Market-Ready for Showings
As a home stager in Atlanta, Georgia, I provide consultations for occupied homeowners who are either already listed or getting ready to list. It's during the consultation that I give out one of the biggest tips to help keep the home market-ready for showings.
This is an easy solution to one of the biggest challenges homeowners face. So.... the solution?
It's these little gems.
 

Note: If you click the image, you'll be taken directly to the Target website where these can be purchased on-line.
Here's how to use these … (6 comments)

kathy nielsen: Selective Focus - Which One Do You Like Best? - 10/27/12 11:50 PM
Selective Focus - Which One Do You Like Best? 
Last Friday, I had some time to experiement more with my camera. As most know, I love taking the shallow depth-of-field pictures. The home, pictured below, was staged for an Atlanta real estate investor whom we've had the distinct pleasure of staging their last 10 homes. But, I digress.
In this first image, you'll see that the background is in focus and the foreground is blurry. In the second image, the background is blurry and the foreground is in focus.
I think I like the second one better.  Which one do you … (7 comments)

kathy nielsen: Atlanta Home Stager - Home Staging FAQ's: - 10/20/12 11:40 PM
I recently added the following new page to my website and thought it might be of value to the Active Rain community as well.  Q. How effective is home staging? A. Home staging is an extremely effective marketing tool as it helps separate your home or listing from the others on the market. Equally important - buyers are beginning their search using the Internet. A well staged home will stand out and help to ensure your home makes the buyers short list of homes to see. Once there, a staged home "feels" good and allows the potential buyer to further connect with … (2 comments)

kathy nielsen: Home Staging Tip - Bed Shams - Because Floppy is Sloppy - 10/16/12 11:55 PM
Home Staging Tip - Bed Shams - Because Floppy is Sloppy
And because I hate sloppy, I created an easy solution to help keep those pesky little bed shams from toppling over at the top. And yes, I'm a virgo so.... something like a bed sham not sitting up straight for a picture irked me.
Here's a very simple solution that will work on any bed sham. I did this in the last home I had staged and this time, took pictures so that I could share it with you.
Step 1 - Purchase velco strips. I've had mine for years … (15 comments)

kathy nielsen: Historic Marietta Homes - 10/16/12 12:30 AM
Historic Marietta Homes
There's something about historic homes that I just love. In fact, the homes, nestled along Whitlock Avenue in Marietta, Georgia, is what drew me to Atlanta to begin with. So, what an honor it was to be asked help a Marietta homeowner prepare their historic Marietta home for the market.
It was during the staging that the agent had mentioned that this home was one of the homes featured in Doug Frey's book titled Marietta, The Gem City of Georgia. It's an incredible book full of some of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen. To purchase, click here. … (11 comments)

kathy nielsen: How To Compose and Style a Marketable Image - 09/20/12 11:41 PM
How To Compose and Style a Marketable Image
For those that follow my post either here in Active Rain or my blog on my home staging website, you know that I'm a huge fan of taking close-ups. Most of the time, I'm taking the depth of field images and other times, it's a simple close-up picture.
Outside of putting them on my website, I wasn't leveraging the marketing opportunities that exist with these images. It wasn't until last month, when I decided to change up my AR Signature, that I realized I could do much more with them. You can see the … (12 comments)

kathy nielsen: Are Artificial Flowers Okay to Use When Preparing Your Home For Sale? - 09/03/12 09:44 PM
Are Artificial Flowers Okay to Use When Preparing Your Home For Sale?
As a home staging professional serving metro Atlanta, it's one of the most frequently asked questions. The answer is YES! However, quality matters greatly!
Where do I get "quality" artificial flowers? Fortunately, there are a variety of stores that offer some excellent choices. Here's a list (in no specific order):
Home Goods - Home Goods will often have a large variety. While some may be pricey, they're worth it. TJ Maxx - While the quantity is sometimes low, I've managed to find a few that I love. Marshalls - Make … (21 comments)

kathy nielsen: Atlanta Home Staging Solutions - Never Leave The Buyer Wondering - 08/09/12 10:29 PM
Atlanta Home Staging Solutions - Never Leave the Buyer Wondering
One of the many benefits of working with a professional stager on a vacant property is that they can take a small room, in this case, a living room, and ensure the potential buyer understands that furniture can indeed work, and work well. In other words, by brining in the furniture and accessories, we never leave the buyer wondering whether or not there's room.
Here's the picture I had captured of the room before home staging:

As you can see, we brought in a sofa, loveseat, coffee table and an … (11 comments)

kathy nielsen: Capturing Shallow Depth of Field Images - 08/05/12 10:58 PM
Capturing Shallow Depth of Field Images

 
Outside of staging homes for homeowners, investors and real estate agents, my next favorite thing to do is to capture after pictures of the homes we've staged. 
A little over a year ago, I took a stab at taking the "depth of field" images.
With my Nikon D90 in hand and my favorite real estate photographer, Iran Watson, guiding me, I managed to get the hang of it.
And now.... I can't stop taking them. 
 
 
And yes, I provide them to the agent (unbranded) in the event they would like to … (17 comments)

kathy nielsen: Atlanta Real Estate Stager - Lots of Before and After Pictures - 08/03/12 11:05 PM
Atlanta Real Estate Stager - Lots of Before and After Pictures
So last week, I did what I love best - staging for an Atlanta investor. Why do I love it so much? Because through the combined efforts of the various contractors involved with the renovations, we take a so-so home and make it beautiful. 
Staging is like the icing on the cake and allows the potential buyers to connect with the home on an emotional level. And how is Georgia Interior Solutions different when it comes to preparing an Atlanta flipped property for the market? 
We use furniture and accessories … (9 comments)

kathy nielsen: Piedmont Heights Home Staging - Before and After Pictures - 08/01/12 10:07 PM
Piedmont Heights Home Staging - Before and After Pictures
We did it again! We took a home that had been on the market for a year without an offer, staged it with furniture and accessories (see pictures below) and had a contract in 8 days. It's further proof that our staging services are having an impact.
Here are a couple of the before and after pictures taken, as well as Iran Watson's photos of the home after being professionally staged. He's incredible!
Living room: 

 


 

Another angle (which I love):

Master bedroom:



(11 comments)

 
Kathy Nielsen, Atlanta Georgia Home Stager (http://atlantahomestaging.net)

Kathy Nielsen

Atlanta Georgia Home Stager

Marietta, GA

More about me…

http://atlantahomestaging.net

Address: Atlanta, GA, 30309

Author Bio: Kathy Nielsen has been a professional home stager since the end of 2005. Kathy works with Atlanta home flippers, homeowners and agents to assist them in getting their home ready for the market.

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