All the world is a stage

I composed this post two weeks ago and have been waiting to "go public" until it was definite. Well, it might be definite...maybe, we think.

Kitchen and den "after"

Kitchen and den, "before"

Living Room "after"

We are moving back to the States ( Houston). Notice, I did not say "good news" and I did not say "bad news", just news. I have mixed feelings about this relocation. I am sure you will be reading my many mixed feelings over the next few weeks or months so I'll skip them for now. What I really want to talk about today is the house selling process. Specifically, staging the house to sell.

Today was staging day. Yes, we coughed up the big bucks and had the house staged. I want to buy this house now! I think when we move, I'll hire the stagers when we move in, instead of when we move out. I obviously have no idea how to get "the look" and the professionals do. I keep trying, and missing, and they got it in about 4 hours today. It is a gift.....

Now, the humiliating part of staging. Many of your beloved treasures just aren't treasures to others. Maybe they are the things that make your house, your house. Maybe they are your grandmother's things that you love just because, but no one else really gets it. Hearing people say, "This isn't doing anything here " or "Once we punch it up and give it some WOW, it will look better" is a humbling experience. You just can't take it personally. Plus, the upside is that when they are finished, it really does look better. All I can say is , thank God for the basement! They don't care what it looks like and you can just put everything there.

Now that the house is ready and the sign is in the yard, the reality is setting in. Reality really hit me when the phone rang only hours after the job was done and it was for the first showing. Two hours on the market and two showings scheduled already. Let's hope we get our money's worth.

One note of hilarity/irony....on the day of staging and putting the house on the market, I woke up and realize the furnace had not been on in a day or two and it was a bit chilly inside...hmmmm. Go down and check thermostat, furnace broken. In the midst of staging, photographing the house, getting windows cleaned, I have the furnace guy here to fix the broken furnace. Perfect! It could not have broken after we moved out? What a day! Hope they like that beautiful furnace.