Cary Charbonniez, owner of Lola’s in South Hills, has been a client at Yeager Design and Interiors for just over a year. In that time period, she and her family have decided to sell their home and move to downtown Charleston.
Cary’s home in South Hills is a quaint, two-story house nestled into a hillside that bursts with charm and warmth. When she called and told us the news, she also asked us if we could help her get the house ready and make sure it was staged to sell.
We were excited at the thought of working with Cary again and even more thrilled to be able to work with her eclectic yet clean living style.
We started by setting up an in-home consultation. Even though we had been to Cary’s home numerous times before, we treated this like a first-time appointment to be able to look at things with a fresh eye, just as a potential home buyer would.
First impressions are everything and creating warmth and spaciousness is key when showing a home for sale. Adding a woven rug, console with a lamp and mix of pillows and organizing the bookshelves in their entry way does just that
Upon entering through the front door of the home, visitors are greeted on the right by a built-in window seat with book cases that overlook the front yard and neighborhood. To the left, is a continuation of the room that houses a beautiful stone fireplace with a sofa and chair combination that would technically count as their formal living room. This was the area we wanted to be sure to give special attention. Why?
1. You rarely get a second chance at a first impression.
2. That first impression has to create a memory for your potential home buyer.
The first impression of a home for sale should be simple and clean, yet stunning. We aimed to achieve that in Cary’s entry by layering a braided gray accent rug paired with our light gray Batanga Wingback Chair, which features an upholstered burlap back.
We then decided to rearrange the book collection into interesting color palettes and configurations to add interest and design to an everyday area. We also removed the brown upholstered window seat and opted to show off the clean white look of the bookcase and accent it with soft patterned pillows to add texture and warmth.
We added an industrial console table to the right of the door to create an inviting drop space with simple touches of white flowers in a dark cobalt blue ceramic urn to pull in colors from the living room.
That room didn’t need as much in the way of design thanks to Cary’s classic style. We simply added a hairpin-leg end table and lamp to her sofa and chair configuration and installed art with touches of blue and white to pull in her existing colorful, geometric cobalt and cream rug.
Just a few months ago, Cary visited us to the High Point furniture market in North Carolina and purchased a Sunbrella sofa we custom designed for her. As fate would have it, the day we were delivering her home staging furniture, we were also able to bring her new white sofa.
In the family room, plenty of seating but no clutter shows off how large the space is and allows a potential home buyer to see versatility in the space
We advised Cary to clean off all memorabilia in her family room toward the back of the house, and we would install the sofa and two of our aged, tufted leather club chairs to make the room a juxtaposition of crisp lines and colors paired with elements of warmth and vintage flair.
Adjoining the back family room is a screened-in porch that feels like it was made just for relaxation and perhaps a cocktail or two. We suggested Cary bring in her vibrant, purple-painted metal deck chairs and white garden glider love seat.
We added to the look by placing colorful pillows, a hightop metal table and bar stools and arranging it all in a semi-circle for conversation and easy entertainment.
In the dining room, we replaced the family’s large leather dining chairs with updated metal chairs that were the perfect fit for their glass-top table. We accented their clean-line mango wood buffet with architectural candlesticks and a large scale bubble lamp that added height and warmth to the intimate space.
Be a little more creative with pops of color in fun rooms like this sun porch. IT makes it feel fun and inviting and like it’s just begging for that potential buyer to host a great house warming party!
When a client says they want to sell their home, we generally advise them to stick to these 10 tips:
1. Put as many of your own personal items as possible away (or better yet, in storage).
2. Clean out every last closet, nook, cranny and bookshelf until they appear organized, spacious and dare I say it, bare.
3. Keep bedrooms looking large and inviting by placing the bed on the opposite wall of the entrance door, if possible — Don’t be afraid to even place it in front of a window.
4. Put away toiletries in bathroom to create a no-fuss look. Also think about switching your bathmats and hand towels (even your shower curtain) to white. Sometimes this can update a bathroom quickly and inexpensively.
5. Arrange your furniture in a way that makes it easy to navigate through your rooms, while also making sure a potential buyer can imagine being able to seat enough people for entertainment.
6. Keep your front porch, walkway and all flowers, bushes, etc., immaculate. If someone is unimpressed with the outside, they won’t even bother giving the inside a chance.
7. Be sure to update your wall paint or wallpaper to neutral/light colors. While you may think your turquoise-striped room is the best thing since sliced bread, chances are the general public will not.
8. On days you know your real estate agent will be showing your house, do NOT choose a heavy scented candle to burn. This may not agree with your visitor’s senses and be an annoyance, instead of a help.
9. Don’t post a note on a closet door saying, “Do not open door! Cats are in here!” First of all, you want your house to be open and inviting, not secretive and locked. Second, not everyone is an animal lover or will love the thought of what your animals may have done to the house. Out of sight, out of mind.
10. As much as it is a pain, get out of your house when it is being shown. If possible, move out in the interim. While we realize not everyone can do this, sometimes the extra headache of keeping your entire home spotless and show worthy 24/7 is worth it.
We absolutely love working with our clients to make their homes gorgeous, whether it is to add to their design or to aid them in sell
First impressions are everything and creating warmth and spaciousness is key when showing a home for sale. Adding a woven rug, console with a lamp and mix of pillows and organizing the bookshelves in their entry way does just that
ing their home. We urge you to seek help if you find yourself in a design conundrum and especially urge you to hurry and check out the Charbonniez’s hidden South Hills gem of a home if you’re in the market.
– To see more pictures of the projects featured in this article: McCoy Home
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