Nanney & Bumgardner Join Ballantyne Home Staging

We are excited to announce that Mary Pat Nanney and Elizabeth Bumgardner have joined the Ballantyne Home Staging team in Charlotte!

Mary Pat Nanney





Nanney has a B.S. in Interior Design and has worked as an interior designer, visual merchandiser and advertising photo stylist. Her background enables her to take a critical look at a setting, ensure its features are enhanced and presented at its best to evoke a positive emotional response from the consumer. 

Elizabeth Bumgardner



Bumgardner earned her B.A. in Architecture from Clemson University and worked for a building design firm in New York City for more than three years. Her background includes developing floor plans, structural plans, kitchen and bath layouts, and assisting with the selection of
materials and interior finishes.

Ballantyne Home Staging is a licensed and insured company offering staging, redecorating and move-in assistance for residential and commercial properties in the greater Charlotte area. For more information on the company, visit www.ballantynehomestaging.com.

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

The Cottages, Pineville NC

www.ballantynehomestaging.com 980.322.5825 carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

Home Staging Costs

The Cost of home staging is a hot topic in the real estate community. Some Realtors® don’t blink and understand the value of the service, other Realtors® think Staging® fees are too high.  The value of home staging is determined by how quickly the house sells and the satisfaction the buyer perceives for the service (as is the case in just about any transaction in life). Staged houses sell more quickly (50%-80% less time on market) and for more money (average 7 %) than un-staged homes.

Let me start with this: there is no set price for home staging services. The size of the home, the location of the home, the condition of the home, the staging professional chosen, the scope of the project, the condition of the housing market in that area/community and other factors will all contribute to the price tag.

It can be a complicated equation! 

And the ROI for a home professionally staged is huge: below are some of our real life examples: 

1. A Staging investment of $5,000 yields $14,000 higher list price! 
2. A $650 Staging investment had a house sold in 32 days at list!
3. A $1,200 Staging investment had a house sold FOR CASH in ONE day!
4. A $24,000 Staging investment resulted in a $70,000 higher list price -- and this house actually had competing bids and went under contract $91,000 higher than where it was going to originally list prior to the Staging overhaul.

Many of the variables that must be taken into consideration to calculate the cost of home staging include:

• The Consultation fee charged by the Stager.

• The Design fee charged by the Stager if hired to do the staging.

• The cost of Staging assistants.

• The cost of items that are either rented or purchased to Stage the property.

• The cost of transporting, delivering heavy furniture. This is multiplied by 2 because the items have to be removed and returned to storage when the house sells.

• The cost of labor for moving the furniture. This is multiplied by 2 because the furniture must be removed when the house sells.

• The cost of labor for projects to be handled by contractors.

• Monthly rentals for furnishings and accessories until the house is sold.

And there are always standard costs of running a business involved that must be factored into any quote.

Some of these costs can be deferred if the homeowner is willing and able to invest some sweat equity, which is why I prefer to start with a Staging Consultation on all occupied properties.

www.ballantynehomestaging.com | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

Going Green

My final installation of a Color Blog that started last week after waking up to grey skies and "Brown-Eyed Girl" playing on the radio.  Color certainly does have an impact on us.  Surround yourself in colors that you like -- there's a reason why you like them.


Dark Green is associated with wealth and money. But green actually symbolizes nature and represents tranquility and good luck. The color is often used for it calming effects.

Orange you glad….
This fabulous, energetic color combines red and yellow, resulting in a dramatic effect. Orange represents enthusiasm, excitement and warmth. It is the color of a beautiful sunset and is quite the attention-getter.

I don’t know why they call it   Mellow Yellow 

Yellow is another attention-getting color; it's warm and cheery. Because it is stimulating, we often find it in restaurants (so we eat more). Although considered cheerful, there is a school of thought that it can cause over-stimulation and agitation -- which is why the color is not usually recommended for an infant’s room. And it's worth noting that yellow reflects a good amount of light, making it difficult on the eyes in certain settings; especially office settings where the glare on computer screens is increased.

Purple Rain 

This is an interesting color that combines stable blue and energetic red. Most often associated with power, royalty, wealth, and extravagance, it also represents dignity and wisdom. (Years ago I was told that it was associated with death in some European countries but have no idea if that is true or not.) 

Live life in full color.  Happy Home Staging Charlotte!

http://www.ballantynehomestaging.com/ | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

The Rainbow Connection

I love how colors affect us and create mood.  This post is a continuation on the subject.

Red, Red Wine.  Yes, I must admit that I do love my Cabs and an occasional Merlot or Pinot Noir. Red is an intense color and the one most associated with love. It's also one of the most appetizing colors, perhaps because we do associate it with strong emotions and feelings of excitement. Red commands attention, but this intensity may also create feelings of anger as well, so I always say a little goes a long way.

The Pink Panthers...

Well, after last year’s season, the Carolina Panthers are likely more blue!  But when we talk about the color Pink – red’s lighter side – we associate it with innocence, love and romance. The favorite of little girls worldwide, the color is thought to have a calming effect. But this is not true of deep and neon pinks, which can actually create feelings of agitation.

Whiter Shade of Pale

White is considered cold and sterile. Although it can make rooms appears larger, they also appear soulless and unwelcoming. White can be quite dramatic when paired with black (I love it in flocked wallpaper), or used in lacquered furnishings in contemporary urban settings.

Blue Moon

First wines, now beers...must be 5:00 somewhere.  Blue is the color of men!  Seriously, most men say it is their favorite color.  Blue can be calming and peaceful, or it can make you feel sad. Have you ever noticed that blue rarely shows up in natural foods?  There are notable exceptions like blueberries, but the color is considered to be one of the least appetizing colors for this reason.  (Check out Jenny Craig's logo ... blue; and Atkins diet website...blue.)

Once again, I find myself signing off to keep this short and sweet.  More posts on colors soon.

Happy Home Staging, Charlotte!

http://www.ballantynehomestaging.com/ | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

You're My Brown Eyed Girl

I woke up to grey skies and drizzle this morning, but this fun little summer ditty was playing on the radio and it made me not only long for summer, but also inspired me to write a series of blogs about colors and how they emotionally impact us.

The grey sky made me think about how this color has seen a rise in popularity recently. A lighter shade of black, grey is a cool and unadventurous color that doesn’t seem to whip up much emotion. Nearly all shades of grey are good neutral background colors. To make it more masculine, mix the grey with yellow and/or red; for more feminine areas mix it up with pinks, blues or greens.

Brown is the color of earthen items and represents stability. The color invokes a warm feeling of comfort and security. Although it is a natural, comfortable color, it can also be very sophisticated.

Black Widows…
Black as a color is often associated with something bad, menacing, or evil. When we use the word black in sentence or as an adjective, it is often associated with something negative or fearful. Although associated with death, mourning and sadness, black can actually be playful when mixed with white, green and pink. Black can represent power and can be used in a sophisticated or formal setting to make a bold statement.

For brevity's sake, I'll break these thoughts up .... More blogs to come on this subject.

Happy Home Staging, Charlotte!

http://www.ballantynehomestaging.com/ | 980.322.5825 | carol@ballantynehomestaging.com

Be at war with your voices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every New Year find you a better man.– Benjamin Franklin