Cottage Charm

Neighborhoods in close proximity to downtown are all the rage among Nashville buyers these days. Nowhere is that trend more evident than in East Nashville. Buyers from all walks of life are gobbling up the area's bonny bungalows as quickly as a For Sale sign can be planted in the ground.

My blog posts have been pretty much nonexistent this year because I've been very busy consulting on and staging many of these charming cottages; including this one that sits in walking distance of two of my favorite restaurants in Nashville -- Holland House & The Pharmacy. Here's a peek:

Of course, not all listings in Nashville's transitional neighborhoods have been upgraded and are "move-in ready" like this one. In fact, most are not. More commonly we find either a home where the owners had good intentions but neither the time, energy, nor budget to bring it into this decade -- OR -- we get longtime owners who are elderly and the home has hardly changed since the day they moved in.

That's sort of the situation with our most recent project. The sweet family recently lost their father and are moving their mother to a small condo where they can care for her more easily. After removing the furnishings that their mother wanted to keep, the family had an estate sale and pretty much cleared out the home. Here's how it looked when we arrived . . .

Living Room -- Before

Kitchen & Breakfast Room -- Before

 Bath -- Before

As you can see, it's pretty dated. This listing, however, is in an area where real estate investors are hungry for homes with character and curb appeal; which this house has in abundance. And knowing that many buyers want to renovate while still living in the home, it was important to show off this basement bungalow's move-in ready condition. So this project's aim was to restore the charm of this 1940's cottage with contemporary style. Here's what we did . . . 

Living Room -- After

Living Room -- After

Kitchen -- After

Bath -- After

Going with light & neutral furnishings and creamy accent pieces, we helped the space to look bright, fresh, and most importantly, updated. Now, potential buyers can see that this home can easily be lived in while renovations take place. A move-in ready home full of charm -- it's an absolute win for buyers!