Wisconsin Farmhouse Staging

Selling rural property can be challenging.  It’s the acreage that entices people who want to experience farm life. They can always change the farmhouse if they choose. 

Farmhouse Kitchen

Farmhouse kitchens are different than metro city kitchens. One doesn’t look for stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, or undercabinet lighting. Ever functional and pragmatic, farmhouse kitchens have everything you need.

Farmhouse bathroom

Even though the colored tiles might not be your choice, you can certainly work around them.  After all, there is no need to upgrade if everything still works.

 

Farmhouse Family room

Paneling is very good at concealing uneven walls.  You’ll usually find paneling in a farmhouse. If you would like to lighten it up, a coat of paint will do the trick. 

Farmhouse Exterior

Whatever the white wire is, it must be important enough to hang from the outside. Plus the antenna plays an important role in capturing TV images for free.

Wisconsin Barn

What a wonderful view outside your back deck.  A rural Wisconsin setting might not be right for everyone, but is definitely a good choice for the right buyer.  Premiere Home Stagers will be staging a farmhouse at the end of the week. Next week we’ll show you the inside results.

 

Mini-Getaway to Chicago

Isn’t it nice to have a little getaway once in a while?  It refreshes your outlook in that it allows you to break away from your routine.

When I travel, not only do I notice the tourist attractions like everyone else, but I also notice the decor, curb appeal, colors, fabrics, and general layout of the places I visit.

Bathroom Wallpaper

Our hotel room was the smallest I’d ever had stayed at, but it had everything we needed and every square inch was utilized in the most efficient manner. After all, we were only staying one night and the location was perfect.  When we went into the bathroom, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t all sterile and white.  I would probably have never picked out this wallpaper from a book, but it was absolutely stunning in this setting. Lately when we have entered a home for a staging consultation, we usually are telling the homeowner to remove wallpaper and paint a neutral, but not off-white, color.  However, in places where a person wouldn’t linger too long–like a bathroom, you can be more bold.

The Obamas' Home

One of the places that we saw on our tour of Chicago was The President and Mrs. Obama’s  house in Hyde Park.  While we couldn’t get to the front of the house due to security, we did manage a peek from the side.  Since the President was not at this home at the time, we were allowed to take photos and dawdle a little.   What is refreshing is that their home looks inviting and welcoming as if the neighbors are invited over for tea in the sunroom.

 

Winter Woes

Madison, Wisconsin is one of the most desirable cities to live in. If you like winter, you’ll love it even more. Even though buying and selling of real estate goes on throughout the year, the selling “season” is really between March and November.  So what should you do from December and February for curb appeal? 

This homeowner accentuates the fact that we are inundated with snow. The character flag is half-way buried in the front yard.

Even though the birds need nourishment during the winter, this bird feeder is on the walkway to the front door.

Some suggestions for curb appeal when you are selling your home:

Put something colorful near your front door to brighten up the white snow. A potted evergreen, a group of lanterns, or a bench.  Remove the dead limbs or plants. Place the bird feeder in the backyard near a window. Remove the garden knickknacks until you see your plants budding. Make sure your walkway is cleared and safe for travel. When the front door is opened, have a light cinnamon scent, or my favorite winter scent, Thymes Frasier Fir. 

There are still people who move for business or finish college in December and are looking to purchase a home. Make yours one that looks appealing even during Wisconsin winters.

 

Window Boxes

No matter where you are in the world, window boxes full of colorful flowers give a warm impression. I think that the people who live here are thoughtful, caring, and creative, regardless if that is true or not. It is easy to take care of window boxes in Europe because most people do not have screens on their windows. There are not many flying bugs, so people just leave their windows open. Since window ledges are wider in Europe than in America, the boxes stay in place without any fasteners. The summer climate is temperate and rains on a regular basis, so even when Europeans take their month-long holiday, the flowers need no special treatment.

 

Curb Appeal

I know I’ve used this title before when describing how nice a house should look from the curb. However, this time I’m using this title when deciding whether I should stop and pick something up off the curb and re-purpose it. Because I do re-upholstery and because we both have handy husbands, sometimes we can find some pieces that will turn out as beautiful as we imagined.  Here are a couple of examples.

The metal table was spray-painted brown and can stay outside all summer long with a pot of flowers on it. The brown patio chair has a matching mate. They both had to be re-glued, but with new cushions, they are comfortable to sit in all day while reading in the sun.  The white metal chair also has a matching mate. They spring back when you sit in them and are more comfortable than they look. I sewed lumbar pillows that I bring outside when the weather is nice.  Most of the younger people want to sit in them. 

So with a little repair work, some spray-painting and some cushions, I have a nice patio set that is comfortable for everyone–even the dogs.

 

Curb Appeal

We’ve blogged before about curb appeal. This time of year is perfect to showcase that. Just by adding some color near your front door and perhaps a funky piece such as the brass sun that is propped up, makes all the difference. It looks inviting and people will want to step on in.

 

SOLD!

The house that we lovingly renovated and staged to perfection has sold. The lilacs in front smell heavenly. The sun shining in the rooms warms your heart. The backyard birds sing sweetly. Ah, life is good.  No, we didn’t make a profit. In fact, we took a substantial loss. However, we turned an ugly duckling into a swan and the neighborhood is better because of it.

 

Curb Appeal

The way your house looks on the outside is a direct reflection of the inside. If your front door is welcoming, the perception is that the inside will be welcoming– like its owners. A person makes up their mind as to whether they’d like to peek inside by the condition of the exterior. Since the ‘ol saying that “you only get one chance to make a first impression” holds true for houses, think about what message you are conveying.  Here are a couple of examples where you just might want to take a peek.