If you're like most sellers, the thought of staging your home has you feeling a little intimidated and unsure of where to begin. You know you need to declutter, but beyond that you need guidance from a staging expert who will help your home look its very best.  

Here are some examples of how our experts help you create your own beautiful listing. The sellers highlighted below worked with Shelley and Isabella to implement their staging plan for their near east side home.  

Home staging tips from Mad City Dream Homes

The living room

Go for a clean look in the living room. Use accent pillows and greenery for a splash of color. Remove window treatments, and let the natural light flow in. 

(listing photos courtesy of Step Inside Media)

Condo buyers are more selective this year. And that's understandable. Condo prices, HOA fees, and property taxes have increased significantly over the last decade, so buyers are naturally more sensitive to the costs of ownership. 

Here's how one Madison area seller addressed those concerns head on to create a beautiful listing presentation -- and a sale that attracted multiple offers for far above the list price. 

(photos courtesy of Step Inside Media)

How to crush your condo sale

1) Apply a fresh coat of paint and install new flooring to eliminate wear and tear. 

When you choose the right colors and products, new paint and flooring will change the entire look and feel of your condo, and reward you with an excellent return on

Here's how one Madison area client chose to invest $25,000 into their 1,600 square foot home. These improvements have increased their home's value by approximately $50,000.

New LVP flooring and carpet throughout ($13,000)

New flooring gives your home an entirely new and modern feel when you choose the right products and the right flooring company. Floors For Less in Middleton offers a tremendous selection of LVP flooring and carpet, and excellent pricing, too. 

(photos courtesy of Step Inside Media)

New countertops ($4,000) 

These granite countertops for this small kitchen and breakfast bar are a huge upgrade from the original laminate countertops. The price from TC Countertops includes the cost of installation. 

New ceiling

One of the current trends for paint is to avoid accent walls and go with a warm paint color throughout the home. When you choose the right color, your spaces will feel more inviting.

Take this bedroom, for example. The bottom photo is the "before photo" with a blue accent wall dominating the focus of the room. The top photo is the "after photo" with the accent wall eliminated and professional staging in place. 

Small changes like these cost very little in the big picture and deliver a tremendous return on your investment. Let us know when you'd like a complimentary cosmetics and staging consultation in preparation for your upcoming sale. We'd love to help you. 

A bedroom with and without an accent wall

When we create our customized marketing plan for you, our plan includes a specific recommendation for staging, too. As an example, the staging plan for the home below includes staging of the main level living spaces with furniture and artwork, plus virtual staging of the lower level family room. 

With this combo approach the home presents beautifully online and in-person, while keeping the staging costs manageable: 

Here's a room staged with furniture and artwork

(staging by Elle Maven Homes Staging, photo by Step Inside Media)

With a virtually staged room in the lower level 

(photo and virtual staging by Step Inside Media)

At Mad City Dream Homes, we invest in a staging budget for each home we sell.

We do this because staged

We're excited for Chris's new listing at 402 Burnt Sienna Drive -- one of our winter collaboration projects that's come to fruition with the assistance of other trusted professionals. The photo you see here was made possible by Winger Painting, Elle Maven Homes Staging, and Step Inside Media. 

There is no substitute for teamwork

At Mad City Dream Homes, we're huge believers in partnering with other professionals who work as a larger team to serve you. Our extended team includes contractors, stagers, photographers, lenders, title companies, insurance companies, home inspectors, house cleaners, moving companies, and more. 

Teaming up with trusted experts ensures we're able to flexibly address all of your individual needs in a timely and

Our sellers are loving our partnership with Elle Maven Homes, who is proving to be a tremendous resource for staging vacant properties. Elle Maven is an excellent choice for our clients who need furniture, artwork and accessories for a showcase listing and a "parade of homes" type of look. 

Our collaboration with Elle Maven is one of the many ways we customize our marketing according to the needs of each client. To receive a customized marketing plan for your own home, just reach out to your preferred Mad City Dream Homes realtor. It would be our pleasure to meet with you and offer you our honest, professional advice. 

Photo: staging by Elle Maven Homes with photography by PG Creatives.  

We're pleased to share that our Madison area home and condo sellers continue to fare very well this fall, with a few of our sellers under contract after receiving multiple offers. Even better, all of these properties are selling for above the list price. 

The keys to each sale? Smart pricing, professional staging/virtual staging, and customized marketing.

Call us to discuss your selling goals for the coming year. We'd love to help you prepare for a stress-free and successful sale. 

312 Schweitzer Drive received competing offers, listed by Austin Kempf, with photography and virtual staging by Step Inside Media

This is what one of our recent clients said to us after we had just completed staging her home. She said her house looked so good that she might just stay and enjoy her home rather than sell it. 

She was only joking, of course, but her reaction to her home's transformation was sincere. 

If you're thinking of selling your home, it pays to be proactive and consult with an expert well before you plan to move. So what questions do you have about preparing for your future sale? We're here to serve as your trusted advisors, in the months and years to come.  

Listing photo courtesy of Step Inside Media.

We love working with professionals who are clearly dedicated to their craft, and our clients are loving our new collaboration with Elle Maven Homes and PG Creatives Media. 

Here's an example of our most recent collaboration at 2127 Vintage Drive, with staging by Elle Maven and photography by PG Creatives.

Do you know a Madison area professional who you feel we should meet? Please reach out to us to make an introduction. We'd love to meet with your friend, learn more about their work, and explore a potential collaboration.