One way we can help you ease into the home selling process is to "stage your home in stages", or one room at a time. This photo serves as an excellent example.

Rather than stage the entire home all at once, we helped our clients by completing the living room, dining room, and kitchen staging first. Staging these 3 rooms gave us plenty of beautiful photos to work with. 

Soon, we'll be marketing this property as a "coming soon listing" as we complete the rest of our staging -- ensuring we'll have plenty of buyers lined up to tour the home when showings begin. 

(photo by Step Inside Media with staging by Shelley Lazzareschi and Dan Miller)

A good plumber can be hard to find, especially on short notice. Here are a few of our favorite, tried and true companies: 

• RHD Plumbing: Shelley's go to. 608-292-3318
• Chris Elke Plumbing: Always great feedback. 608-225-0275
• Pertzborn Plumbing: Usually available for emergent situations. 608-256-3900
• Stoppleworth Plumbing: Consistently reliable over the years. 608-831-6342 

Please don't hesitate to reach out to your Mad City Dream Homes realtor whenever you need a referral to a reputable, local business. We'd love to help you. 

Why do auto dealers detail a pre-owned car before putting it up for sale? 

The dealers know we love stepping into a car that's sparkling clean and free of blemishes. A detailed car gives us the feeling that it's been well-maintained and cared for, which translates into a higher price. 

These are the exact same reasons why we invest so much into the preparation of your home before it hits the market. Investing in staging, cleaning, repairs and simple cosmetic updates attracts more buyers to your sale. Buyers who write cleaner offers, and for prices that deliver a remarkable return on your investment. 

(Staging by Debbie Lea and Shelley Lazzareschi, photography by Step Inside Media.) 

We're excited to share that we're receiving excellent feedback from our sellers about Ann Bolden and her professional cleaning service. Ann is punctual, thorough, and an excellent communicator, too. 

To schedule your own visit with Ann's Cleaning, you can call Ann directly at 608-445-3645. 

Do you need help thinking through all of the steps leading up to your future home or condo sale? Reach out to your Mad City Dream Homes realtor for a helpful conversation. We're here to help. 

(photo by Step Inside Media, staging by Debbie Lea and Shelley Lazzareschi, cleaning by Ann's Cleaning Service)

We welcomed Wendy Broadhead from Benjamin Moore to a recent team meeting. Wendy is an expert color consultant who helps our clients find interior and exterior paint colors that make their home "sing" (as Wendy puts it). She updated us on 2024 trends and insights: creamier, 'boho' neutrals are in; nothing beats having wallpaper professionally hung; and green is nature's neutral. Thank you for your time, Wendy. We had fun learning from you! 

Do you have a color decision that Wendy may be able to help with? We'd love to connect you. 

(photo by Step Inside Media with staging by Debbie Lea and Alan Feder) 

Unexpected water issues can be stressful for homeowners and can potentially lead to a canceled sale. This was the problem our client faced, when she realized she had a water issue shortly after she accepted an offer for her home. 

Our client was concerned, and her buyers were concerned, too. The fix wouldn't be an easy one. It required the work of a skilled contractor, and most of the good contractors already had full schedules. 

So Mad City Dream Homes hit the phones and reached out to every reputable contractor we could think of. We called 15 contractors in all. In the end, we found a contractor who had the expertise to tackle the project, and who could complete the work on a timeline and a budget that were acceptable to both parties. 

The

We’ve been busy helping our clients troubleshoot repairs in 2024, especially water issues due to this year's heavy rains. But not every repair needs to be addressed prior to sale. 

At Mad City Dream Homes, we’re here to help you determine which repairs are absolutely necessary to address, and which ones are not. We're also here to connect you with reputable contractors who will do a great job for you and for a reasonable price.

Just reach out to your Mad City Dream Homes realtor to get started. It would be our pleasure to serve you. 

Our clients are enjoying a tremendous amount of success this year, even in this low inventory market. Through the first six months of 2024 we've helped our clients through 76 closings and pending sales. 

Do you know someone who could use our help buying or selling in the coming year? We're always available for a helpful consultation, and never with any sales pressure or spin. Contact your Mad City Dream Homes realtor to make an introduction. 

We appreciate your continued trust in our team. 

Repairing, cleaning, and (when needed) replacing your carpet will improve your home's aesthetic appeal and maintain its market value. Here are a few carpet care contractors who have capably served our clients over the years. 

• Terry Buechner, for re-stretching rolled-up and "wavy" carpet. Call Terry at 608-212-8705. 
• Stephen Meyer at Phenomenal Carpet Care for all of your carpet cleaning needs. Call Stephen at 608-520-3085.   
• CTW Flooring (608-222-5071), Floors for Less (608-442-1200), and Coyle Flooring (608-509-9437) for new carpet selection and installation. 

As always, we are here to help you make the right connections for any type of project around your home. Call your Mad City Dream Homes realtor whenever you need a little help.  

We've been sharing how Dane County home and condo inventory is quietly rising and how buyers who stay the course will find more opportunities to purchase in the months ahead. However, in the big picture, inventory remains low. Here's a quick look at Dane County home and condo supply as of June 27th, 2024. 

Single family homes 

As of June 27th, a total of 580 Dane County homes (or 1.5 months of supply) are available for sale without an accepted offer. Months of supply are low in all price ranges, especially in the sub $400,000 price categories. 

Condos

As of June 27th, 181 condos (or 1.6 months of supply) are available for sale without an accepted offer. Some newer condo developments are improving options for buyers, but inventory remains