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A month ago I didn’t see this coming, but things were already in motion that would cause me to be MOVING IN TWO WEEKS!!! <Let’s pause a moment while I freak out.>
Three weekends ago I travelled to our soon-to-be home state of Texas for some house-hunting. It was a whirlwind weekend in which I was introduced to the insanity of DFW real estate and bidding wars and house prices not as sugary-sweet as Northwest Arkansas. Our intense home search taught me a few things about WHAT NOT TO DO when selling a house.
One thing I learned was that QUALITY pictures on the real estate listing make a huge difference! Pictures determined whether or not I wanted to go look at the house! I knew that I would want really good pictures of this house to help it sell.
I googled real estate photographers in my area and was so happy to find some local pros Stefan and Kerrie to help me! I L.O.V.E. the pictures they took! Cross your fingers it sells quickly!
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Awesome pics, Mary!! ANYONE would fall in love with your house!! The hardest part is that they would want to keep all of your furnishings. 🙂 If anyone can handle this sudden move, it is you. I’ll be praying for your family, current friends and neighbors, new neighbors and friends, and hubby’s coworkers. You’ve got this, sweet lady. God is faithful!!
Thank you so much!!
Your house is gorgeous! It must be gratifying to know that your hard work and consistent maintenance at keeping it organized helped you be ready for these great photos and will no doubt help it sell quickly. Praying for success in the sell, the buy, the move, your nerves, energy, family unity … Also, I’ve shared to Pinterest and FB. Wow! Two weeks, eh?
Thank you … I will really need help with ALL of those things, nerve especially. My mom will be 13 minutes away from the new house – I can’t wait!!!
We left North Little Rock (which we LOVED) in 2010 to be closer to my family. My mom’s less than a mile away. I wouldn’t trade it for anything! I’m happy that you’ll be near your mama.
Thank you!
Gorgeous pictures of a wonderful home! There’s a very fortunate homebuyer out here. Blessings to you and your family as you enter this new phase of your lives. You will have much to teach and inspire us through this experience.
Thank you!!
Congratulations! I can’t wait to see how you organize your new home.
I can’t wait to get in and start organizing it. My head is whirling with the plans!!
It’d be neat if you could make the time to post pics of empty “before” rooms, maybe “during” and then “after” as you transform them into your own home. How wonderful that your mom will be minutes away!!! What a blessing <3 for her and your family.
I think that is a great idea … I took lots of pictures before the moving boxes came in, so hopefully I’ll have some good ones to share!
Mary, I agree 100% about hiring a professional photographer for listing photos. We had a great realtor and he found a photographer to take our listing pictures. Like yours, they came out great and made the house look amazing. I think the pictures were one of the reason we has so many viewings and a relatively quick sale.
I hope you’ll share more about your move. I’d love to hear the reasons for the move and about the home you chose in the new area.
Hope you don’t mind me sharing this link. This is a side by side picture of our realtor’s snapshots and the professional real estate photographers pictures we had taken for our house listing. It really illustrates the difference a good photographer can make. http://www.rethinkingthedream.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/professional_real_estate_photos-400×366.jpg
What a difference!!!
Thanks, Eric! I definitely plan to share more about moving. One of the things that made the decision easier is that I’ll be 13 minutes away from my parents!
Gorgeous! Good luck!
Thank you!
Beautiful photos of your lovely home! Good luck and I am looking forward to seeing what you do with your new home!
Thank you – I can’t wait to start working on it. Let’s just admit I had started to run out of places to organize in this house! 🙂
Great pictures!
We just unexpectedly moved from Michigan to SC. I decluttered and took all personal pictures down, and our realtor hired a professional photographer. We had 10 showings and two offers the first two days the house was on the market! (Quite unusual for the area of MI!)
Congrats on the Move. We just moved from Ohio to Texas in June 2016, to Northern DFW area. WOW, what an eye opening experience. The real-estate market is booming, and houses sell before they are even put on the market with back up offers. But, we are really liking the move. Texas has so much to offer.
Although my roots in Texas are new, if there is anything that I can help you with, please let me know. Welcome to Texas!!!!
Thank you so much! We are very excited. I will be 13 minutes from my mom. I can’t wait!!
We just moved in December from Tahlequah, OK, to Denton, TX, so we are in the area, too! We actually looked at one house last night and another on Thursday – it is insane here, but things have slowed down in the housing market, slightly. Welcome!
I’ve heard that it has slowed down … scary to think what it was before!
Hi Courtney! We’re practically neighbors 🙂 I extend the same offer to you as I did Olivia; welcome to the area.
Hi Olivia! Welcome! I’m not sure where you are in the north DFW area but i’m in The Colony and have been for a very long time. If there’s anything I can help you with don’t hesitate to ask. busymomintc@yahoo.com
We just moved to Prosper, we are really close to Frisco and McKinney. I appreciate the help. I am still looking for my Texas Basement. LOL I do not know where everybody stores their holiday decorations and junk. LOL. I believe Mary will post a lot of advice on organizing efficiently when downsizing or tight on storage space. Wink Wink… HInt HInt…….
I’ve been here all of my life so of course never had a basement and never even heard of one for the longest time. I will say now, as an adult I long for one though. They are possible to do here just very cost prohibitive. As far as storage in these parts we’re limited to our attics which this time of year you try to avoid going up there at all cost or you carve out some garage space. Prosper is a nice little area and with the Tollway being right there everything is still easily accessible for you.
Let’s just pray Mary can find time while she settles in to blog anything, lol! 😉
That is awesome! And yes … my gallery wall came down and all the personal touches are missing from the house. In some places I miss them, but I actually like my master bedroom better this way, which was eye-opening.
Some of the things we did I wish we had done while we were still living there! Some things I had put off for years! Oh well! Live and learn! 🙂 We move into our new house on Saturday and I can’t wait to start organizing! 😀 I found your blog after we’d moved to SC and while we were in our temporary apartment (two months, not too bad!), so I’ve been gleaning ideas to put into practice!
I can’t wait to have a whole new bunch of ideas to show since every house will need different tricks! 🙂
Best of luck on the sale of your house.
Thank you!!
Having moved a few times in the past few years, I have a couple of tops for you. (You don’t need the rest, since you are so clutter free:). Anyway, I packed a box in the kitchen first of I the things I needed for the next few weeks. Then hide it in a room that is not currently being packed. Pack the kitchen, move the boxes out, and then bring back in the box with your basics. Paper plates, plastic utensils and Pizza the night before before the move are also very helpful. I’m sure your entire family will love being so close to your mom.
Great tips, thank you!! I have a few pans and kitchen items I’m ready to declutter, so I’m going to leave those out to use at the end and then just donate on the way out of town. lol
So you’re moving to DFW???? Great cause I need help!
Awesome!! As soon as I have my legs under me, I’ll be opening my organizing business there!! So excited for Texas’ awesome small-business laws!
We may be moving to the same area in the next month or so. We should know in the next few weeks (hopefully!). Bidding wars, huh? Not looking forward to that.
We really got lucky with an AMAZING real estate agent that knows her stuff. Email me (mary@maryorganizes.com) if you want her contact info and I would be happy to pass on the recommendation!
Hi Mary, I love reading your blog. Love the pictures of your home. Can you tell me the color and brand name of the paint you used in your living room and husband’s office? Thanks so much and best wishes on your move!
It is Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige. It is a great color. 🙂
And thank you, all good wishes appreciated as we continue to settle in.
Oh my gosh what a beautiful bright airy comfortable house. I am not sure I could ever leave 🙂
Thank you! It was definitely hard to leave …
Congrats on your move and welcome to DFW! I’ve lived in north Fort Worth, near Keller, for nearly 10 years. Love it here! So much to see and do!
Without saying exactly where I live now, I will say that from your location description – you could run into me at Target or anywhere! 😉
We’ve been in Texas a few weeks now and I’m still getting myself adjusted!!
Welcome to North TX!
Oh, wow! I actually just discovered your business and blog a few weeks ago when your “Make Me Move” listing showed up in a Zillow search. 🙂 I’m so sad that you’re leaving NWA, and I won’t be able to hire you to help me organize my house! Our loss is DFW’s gain. 🙂 Your photos look terrific! We will be putting our house on the market in the next couple of years, so I will keep the photographers’ names for future reference. I hope your house sells quickly and you have a smooth transition! I would love to know more about your experience with selling in NWA once it’s all said and done. 🙂
They really were great photographers. And I was so sad to leave NWA, it really is a one of a kind place!! 🙂
How exciting! Once you get settled us DFW girls should have a meet up.
It may take me longer than most to get settled, if I keep taking on projects like re-staining my kitchen cabinets while I try to unpack! 😉
Congratulations Mary!!I am so excited for you!! Your home is so beautiful I am sure it will sell in no time!
Thank you, Jill!
And by the way I really apologize because you respond so nicely to my comments on different topics but sometimes I can’t remember for the life of me , were I left my comment so I can’t respond to yours! Sorry!
You are so sweet! When you get an email that someone has replied to your comment (me or someone else), there should be a link back to the place the comment was made. 🙂