We'll Let the Listing Agent Speak for This One!

List Price $399,000, Sales Price $405,000, 45 Days on Market!!! WOW!"Your staging was a major factor in securing a buyer and creating a positive response for a ton of buyers. We had 4 offers and 2 in back up position. The showings were fantastic as a result of your staging. I do not think it would have been such a popular listing without you.
Thanks a bunch!"

Terri Mayall

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

Home Staging Works!

Our latest project at 404 McCormick Avenue in Capitola, sold quickly at list price. Just another reason to stage your vacant listings!

Here is what the listing agent had to say...

"Patti and Lisa created a beach gem from a plain Jane. The pool looked like a resort when they were done and the home that was simple and tired was shining with color, welcoming in its's furnishings and overall created a beach retreat that sold in two weeks. Best money you can spend in preparing a home for the market: Hire FEELS LIKE HOME!"

Caren Spencer

Monterey Bay Properties

Creating a Homey Feeling for the Homeless

ISAIAH GUZMAN - Sentinel CORRESPONDENT Article Launched: 12/18/2008 01:35:36 AM PST View actual story here. (Jeremiah Ridgeway/Sentinel)
New guests at this six-room facility can expect a greeting basket filled with soaps, towels and wash cloths. Their linens will be new, their pillows plump. They may even get some flowers. This isn't a bed and breakfast, though thanks to two Santa Cruz women it may now feel like one. This is the Jesus, Mary, Joseph Home for homeless women, children and the terminally ill. And Lisa Goodrich and Patti Erickson, both part-time real estate staging specialists, have given their extra supplies and time to make over the facility and give a homey feel to those without a place of their own. "Everybody deserves a little luxury at some point in their life," Goodrich said. Goodrich and Erickson co-own a staging business called Feels Like Home. They landed a major client, started building inventory and thought, "We could have a big yard sale or do something meaningful." In less than six months, they've put new furniture, lamps, bedspreads and artwork in all six rooms of JMJ Home. They made over the living room and dining room and, while they were at it, redecorated Director Pat Gorman's cottage on the Lennox Street property. For Thanksgiving, Goodrich and Erickson helped decorate and make desserts. They've also donated bags of clothing to the moms. "They are real angels," Gorman said. "I tell them I can't thank them enough and their response is we're giving them a gift when we allow them to come in and do this." Residents at JMJ Home can stay for up to a year while they get on their feet. Goodrich and Erickson have offered to makeover a room every time a new person arrives. "For whatever reason, people wind up in our shelter," Gorman said. "It makes a huge difference to come in to a warm, inviting environment." The women at JMJ Home showed their appreciation recently by having Goodrich and Erickson over for a feast of homemade Mexican food. Goodrich and Erickson responded by bringing by Christmas presents and throwing a pizza party for the women and their children Wednesday night. "They're wonderful women and they're trying so hard," Goodrich said. "We're humbled by how little they have and how much they give and how much they work together." Gorman, meanwhile, has been humbled by the efforts of Goodrich and Erickson. "Just over and beyond what you'd expect," she said. Contact Isaiah Guzman at 429-2436 or jcopeland@santacruzsentinel.com.

The Best Staging Job Ever!

We are very fortunate as our first year of business has been a very successful one. Many of our staged foreclosures have sold, leaving us with A L O T of inventory. As Lisa and I were organizing our inventory, we brainstormed about what we could do with all our furniture, bedding, accessories, etc.. We decided that we would donate our excess to a homeless women's shelter. It didn't end there...rather than just dumping a load of stuff off at a shelter, we wanted to actually stage a shelter. After a few calls to shelters, we met with a director of one shelter and then planned our staging day.

The shelter that we staged was home to the director, six residents and their six children. It is a long-term (12 month) shelter for clean and sober women (and their kids). Every woman at the shelter has a story and is at the shelter for one or more of reasons. Each woman and their kids have only one room for their of beds and their life belongings. Our goal was to bless these women by dressing up their rooms.

We dressed beds with new bedding, hung artwork and arranged accessories. The rooms looked great! We were able to bring color and life into the house.

The women loved their rooms. Their gratitude towards us was amazing. Here is a brief summary of thanks from them:

"Thank you for the amazing work that you have done to our home. God bless you"

"I love my room! 'M' loves it very much. I feel like I'm on vacation. You both brought Hawaii. Thank you."

"Oh wow. The beautiful job you ladies did, made moving in so much more enjoyable. Our room is so accessible and sunny. Great colors. Thank you."

"We are so unbelievably blessed by the love and generosity you showered on our home. God bless you abundantly!"

"My room looks wonderful...thank you so much for everything. 'L" didn't want to sleep in her bed for 2 days and I needed to share with her my bed. Thank you."

These are women who have essentially nothing, yet they are filled with gratitude, peace, joy and contentment. What a life lesson for us! To be grateful in all situations and to be content with what we have. In today's economy, being grateful is so important. All around us people are hurting; whether it be losing their home, losing their job, losing a loved one, losing their health, etc.. Giving of our inventory and giving of ourselves through the service of staging has blessed us more than words can describe.

Go, help someone in need today!

Don't Miss This!

We have been busy staging foreclosures in Northern California and have a local gem to share with you. Our latest project, 6109 Jason Court in Aptos, will be on broker tour tomorrow, May 8th. You won't want to miss it!


Here are a couple of shots from the foreclosure properties that we have staged.

Get Ready For Summer!

Our latest transformation...another cute beach house. Just add flip flops and sunscreen.

H A P P Y 2 0 0 8 !

Happy New Year! What a ride 2007 has been for FEELS LIKE HOME. As you all know, the real estate market has been declining. With this decline, the need for home sellers and real estate agents to utilize home staging has increased. We're busy; take a look at some of our recent projects.

Call or email for a complimentary one hour home staging consultation.