Below is an article that appeared in the
Women's Edition July 2009 issue. Enjoy!
Atmosphere
By Deanna Duncan Allen
Walk through the front door of any house, and it will tell you a story. How that story unfolds as you enter each room can change your mood from stressed to relaxed instantaneously.
Understanding how a room and a home can affect those who enter it, as well as how to create a warm and inviting feeling, are Teri Carr’s specialties. She is the lead designer and creative force behind Atmosphere, an interior design and real estate staging company. And she has the unique ability to help owners and sellers put their property’s best foot forward in today’s challenging real estate market.
Thanks to all of the home remodeling and interior design shows on television these days, many people are more aware that in order to sell a home, putting its best foot forward is critical. But staging a home usually requires more than a little paint or rearranging pictures on the wall. “What I do is really a needed service today,” says Teri. “No one can afford to have a house sit on the market for very long these days.”
Over the years, homes become very personal reflections of their owners, and sometimes it is a difficult transition from homeowner to home seller. The seller has to detach emotionally from his or her lifestyle that has been intertwined with the house in order to open it up to possibilities for potential buyers. “When people are looking for a home, they have a concrete list of things they want,” says Teri. “But what they are really buying is a lifestyle. I help create the possibilities of that lifestyle by bringing a fresh perspective to the home.”
“There are many staging consultants in the marketplace, but Teri is personable and sensitive to the seller’s needs, and she is always very complimentary and upbeat,” says Joy Brandt, a broker/associate with Re/Max Affiliates. “She has great staging suggestions, focuses on the most important projects, and is a pleasure to work with. We offer her services to all of our customers.”
Teri emphasizes that there are some very simple and specific things that always have to be done when getting a home ready for a showing. “Everything has to be tidy and as clean as possible,” she stresses. “Imperfections will jump out at those walking through the home. When you create a sense of comfort and ability to entertain, prospective new homeowners can imagine themselves in the space.”
“Teri really knows how to connect with people and that helps so much,” says Greg Drake of The Drake Group. “Clients love her and so do we because she gets the job done professionally and efficiently.”
Teri emphasizes that it is always important to remember that the client may not feel very receptive to a lot of negative feedback about his or her property, especially if the sale is due to a difficult situation and not part of a happy transition. “That is one reason why I really feel it is important to create a collaboration with the client. It helps to ease those negative emotions,” Teri shares. According to Teri, the key to successful redesign projects is being able to help the seller look at it as a commodity and not to take the redesign suggestions personally.
Teri meets with Joy’s sellers to walk through their homes and then makes suggestions about how to make them more appealing to buyers. Her suggestions include removing clutter, rearranging furniture to make it more inviting, removing excess furniture, packing up those things that aren’t needed for daily living, and helping with the process if the sellers need her assistance. She provides staging furniture or accessories if needed. “In short, she helps the sellers see through the eyes of the potential buyers and prepare their homes accordingly,” Joy comments.
Teri says that it is very important to accompany every recommendation with the reasons for those suggestions. “And I like to be hands-on with projects. Just giving the homeowner a list of what should be done doesn’t necessarily mean it is going to happen. When I do the hands-on approach, it is a much more positive experience for the seller.”
Real estate brokers who work with Teri say they appreciate the way she works with their clients, as well as her willingness to dig in and make things happen quickly. Greg says he recently called Teri to help with a relocation situation for one of his clients since they had to sell their home quickly and needed help. “Teri came in and within one day, had dramatically improved the home and had it in prime showing condition. Because of her work, we were able to have the house under contract in less than two weeks.”
Greg stresses that one of the things that really sets Teri and Atmosphere apart from other staging and redesign companies is Teri’s ability to provide quality service at a reasonable price.
Creating partnerships with realtors and sellers is part of Teri’s success. Being able to provide a full range of services is another plus. One of her specialties is staging vacant properties. “I have a complete and varied inventory of household items to help create the image of a home rather than an empty shell. And I can do it competitively. The efficiency of being able to go to one person for a full range of services is really appealing to many realtors.”
Teri’s road to interior re-designer and consultant has been full of twists and turns, but the underlying thread is that she has always loved interior design. “My interests in design go back to high school,” says Teri. “I was discouraged from becoming a professional interior designer in college by a family friend. So for over 20 years, I worked in the medical equipment sales and service industry. It was rewarding but demanding, and at times very difficult to juggle family and work responsibilities.”
Even while she worked in other industries, Teri was helping friends and family prepare their homes for sale. About 12 years ago, a friend told her she should be doing interior redesign and staging for a living. Teri didn’t make the jump then, but several years later after starting a family, she realized her life had to move in a different direction. “With a young child at home, I knew I had to make a change. I needed a career that worked with my life instead of a lifestyle that worked around my job. It made sense to work in a business that reflected my interests, creativity, and passions, so I started Atmosphere.”
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