Recently we met with our longtime client, Jeff, who asked us for our advice on how he could improve his rental property's value with a few cosmetic updates. And we had a very productive visit.

We decided that Jeff's property would shine with some fresh paint, some new light fixtures, new cabinet hardware, new kitchen flooring, and refinished hardwood floors. At the same time, we connected Jeff with a handful of reliable and reasonably-priced contractors. Now Jeff has all the resources he needs to move forward with his work. And needless to say, we're looking forward to visiting Jeff again when his projects are complete!

Do you need guidance on how you can affordably update your own home, and at the same time significantly increase its market

Is there a senior in your life who needs help staying in their current home or assistance moving to a new one? If so, we have 4 excellent resources that we'd like to share with you. 

SAIL (608-230-4321)

Sharing Active Independent Lives (SAIL) is a local non-profit that is dedicated to helping seniors live independently in their own home. One of our friends who is now 102 years old has been a SAIL member for 18 years, and because of SAIL, she continues to thrive in the home she loves while staying connected to the larger community. 

Homestead Care Group (608-577-6993)

Homestead Care Group is another local resource that's dedicated to helping seniors stay in their own home. Homestead served one of our clients for ten years -- offering personal

Spring is a great time to schedule your interior and exterior painting projects! We'd like to share a few local painters that we highly recommend! 

Hellenbrand Painting

• Phone: 608-220-8222

We're receiving excellent feedback from our clients about Dennis and his crew. They've completed many challenging projects for us with skill and care. 

Paul Peterson

• Phone: 608-358-3600

Paul and his team are friendly, reliable, and professional. They're receiving rave reviews from our clients, and we loved their work on our office remodel. 

Dale Tomalin

• Phone: 608-471-7768

Dale has a painting technology that is flexible enough to avoid cracking, hard enough to avoid chipping, and smooth enough for washing. Great for

We're really looking forward to our new listing in Hill Farms! For the last 7 months we've been working on staging, capturing photos and video, and rounding out our marketing.

We're excited for our clients and for the rewards that they're about to reap, thanks to their focus on the fundamentals and their decision to plan ahead.

We'll have much more to share about this one real soon. 

Buyers have become more discerning in 2023, which means it’s time for sellers to get back to the basics. If you’re planning to sell your Madison area home this year, you’ll do yourself a huge favor by embracing these 5 fundamentals.  

The five home-selling fundamentals

1) Consult with an expert on your home’s current market value.

2) Address the repairs and cosmetic updates that add instant value and appeal.

3) Professionally stage your home. 

4) Choose a professional, polished, and comprehensive marketing plan.

5) Hire a realtor who you know you can trust with your negotiation.

When you follow these 5 fundamentals, you’ll be addressing everything you need for a smooth and successful sale. And based on our experience, your sale will

Installing new flooring can be a wonderful way to transform your home and increase its market value, as many of today's flooring products are beautiful, durable, and affordable, too. 

If you've been thinking of upgrading the flooring in your home, we recommend giving Dave Wilka from Floors for Less a call at 608-616-2118. Dave has proven to be an excellent resource for many of our clients, and we think you'll find Dave to be knowledgeable and reliable, as well. 

Do you need help with any other type of project around your home? Please reach out to our realtor team for a referral to a trusted contractor. It would be our pleasure to assist you. 

If you've been thinking about a new look for your kitchen, you've probably been thinking about replacing your kitchen cabinets. Our team recently met with local business owner Dale Tomalin, who showed us a more cost-effective approach than replacement, and we were impressed by the finished product. 

Dale is the franchise owner of Spray-Net of Southern Wisconsin, creators of a painting technology that is flexible enough to avoid cracking, hard enough to avoid chipping, and smooth enough for washing. Dale's product transforms old kitchen cabinets by giving them a brand new, factory finish look. His work also comes with a 15-year transferable warranty. 

For more information, you can check out Dale's reviews on his Google Business Page. And for a

Most of our home and condo selling clients start working with us several months, and sometimes several years, before the for sale sign is posted in the ground. Very often this means we're helping our clients identify the simple cosmetic projects that add real value to their home. For example: choosing paint colors and painting projects, installing new light fixtures and new cabinet hardware, and installing new flooring -- to name a few. 

But sometimes, due to challenging circumstances, our clients need an extra amount of support, and we assume the role of general contractor. This was the case for our clients, Luke and Pat, who gave us the keys to their home and an $11,000 budget to address a few cosmetic updates. We stepped in as project managers,

Sometimes, due to challenging circumstances, our home-selling clients need an extra amount of support, and we step up to be their project manager. In these cases we're contacting contractors and obtaining estimates. We're scheduling projects and managing timelines. And we're keeping our clients up-to-date on the status of their work. 

This recent condo project on the westside of Madison is the perfect example. By investing $15,000 into paint, flooring, light fixtures, cabinet hardware, and a few other cosmetic updates, our seller was able to improve their condo's market value by more than $50,000. Mad City Dream Homes was a reliable resource throughout -- offering guidance on worthwhile projects, lining up contractors, and overseeing the work. 

We'd like to thank our clients, Jerry and Carolyn, for entrusting their home with us while they were away on an extended vacation. Before they left for their trip, Jerry and Carolyn gave us their keys and asked us to sell their home before their return from the West Coast. 

While they were away

We worked with two of our preferred contractors to complete a few painting projects, change out a few light fixtures, and update cabinet hardware throughout the home. Then we staged the home and launched our marketing, which resulted in a steady stream of showings and 4 very strong offers. In the end, Carolyn and Jerry were elated to accept an offer for well above the list price and with a closing date that was timed perfectly for their upcoming move.