The Staging - Day 1

Yesterday was the big day, the Staging began. It's very exciting and somewhat nerve racking, and I can't wait to see what happens next. I don't know exactly what they plan to do, which I guess is the whole point!

Yesterday was spent in the gardens... which, I have to admit, look tired and drab and neglected. Well, a word to the wise... if you ever lease your house out, hire a gardener to maintain the outside. Tenants don't do it. We were in a fairly odd situation, since the tenants had "bought" the house, it never occurred to us t

hat they would let it run to ruin, or that it would ever matter to us again. We'll call it live and learn, I guess.

Anyways, here are a few before and during pictures:

My house: Boy, it looks so lonely. It's funny how such a cozy house can look so drab and dreary. That nasty grey sky doesn't help.

But as it is, you don't even notice the wrap around front porch. This space, like most of the houses in Savannah Village, was designed to invite people to

sit out-side and socialize with your neighbors. There's little better than sitting out front after work with a glass of wine or a beer and talking to all your neighbors as they walk by. That's one of the the best things about the traditional neighborhood design, with the smaller front yards and the wide sidewalks that encourage walking. You can't help b

ut live on your front porch, and you can't help but know all your neighbors.

But right now, I have to admit, my front porch doesn't look so inviting. You are so right, Melissa! My house does need help! Please save me!

Here's Cathy, the stager, to the rescue.

And Melissa, my realtor, hard at work. Digging out the front gardens, to invite people up to the front porch. Ok, I have to say, I'm impressed. And my poor barren porch, it so needs a little girl to playing barbie dolls, or a dog

napping on it, or anybody rocking in a swing.

Here's our beautiful rock wall, overgrown and weedy. What happened to all the beautiful flowers? I guess the lupines and tulips and irises are all

out of season. Rumor has it that mums are on their way.

Ugh! Here's my back yard, or the landscaping by the walkout family room door. I can see why people aren't enticed into this fabulous back yard, it just looks tired and hot. Our house is on one of the biggest lots in Savannah Village, where most of the houses have a postage stamp, and it doesn't look much like a selling feature. Ugh.

All I can say is I can't wait to see the after pictures! Stay tuned!