1327 Norvell in El Cerrito was a special treat to work on.  Two years ago we helped the Seller’s purchase this home as a fixer.  It was a bit of a mess and needed everything.  The kitchen was small, outdated and closed off from the living space.  The floors were a mess, and the windows old.  The yard had zero curb appeal.

But what it did have was a great neighborhood…
Great bones…
and a great soul.

Within a year after purchasing it the Sellers redesigned the home to include an open kitchen with eat-in dining table, remodeled bathroom, beautifully refinished floors, new paint, and updated lighting.

They treated the outside as if it were their own and planted a mini-orchard of fruit trees and vegetables.  The front yard was designed using drought-tolerant succulents and plantings.

The house was originally purchased for extended family to use when visiting.  Eventually, after renting the home for awhile, the Sellers decided it would be best if they sold the house.  So in the fall we came in to help plan, prep + stage to get ready for an October sale.

The Seller had invested a lot of money into the remodel so it was important to keep the costs for sale as low as possible.  One area that would save some money was in the staging.  They already owned some really nice furniture so we decided to work with the Seller and do the staging ourselves, our first time!  We studied other staging jobs and looked at the furniture on hand to create a plan:

• We put a bookshelf on its side to create an end-table
• We took the back pillows off of the large couch and added in smaller throw pillows, creating a cozy couch that better fit the space
• Asked the Seller to create a painting to fill a large, blank wall.  She rocked it!
• We added in height and texture by taking fabric samples and framing them
• We stuck to a consistent color scheme
• We took the old desk that they were going to donate and turned it into a patio table outside
• We took an inexpensive full length mirror and turned it on its side to create length and make the room appear larger
• Added easy stick-on wallpaper in the laundry room to create texture and interest in the photos

In the end it was a smashing success!  It was beautiful, and agents all asked who did the staging.  Plus we were able to present the Sellers with multiple offers, ultimately selling it for $113,000 above the listed price.

Now that is indeed a success!

We aren’t going into the staging business anytime soon, but in the right setting we might just be willing to attack it again.

For more visit www.1327Norvell.com