Team

Brandi Cernohlavek ASP, IAHSP, Owner:

"For my entire working career, I have had a knack and love of marketing and merchandising.  I started out merchandising for a major retail chain but later fell completely in love with beautifying homes.  I worked for an interior design firm that specialized in multi-million dollar homes located in Big Sky, Montana.  I was in heaven!  I found my calling and loved what I did.  In 2008, my house went on the market.  For 9 months, it just sat there.  We had showings but not too many of them.  Lots of great feedback on my design choices but no offers.  I was SO discouraged, frustrated, and beginning to feel hopeless.  I begged my Realtor to take us around to the competition and see what I was up against so I could try and get an edge in the market.  We had already reduced our sale price by over $30,000, I didn't know what else to do.  Our competition was stiff!  One block away, a house listed at the same price had all the high end finishes...granite countertops, hardwood floors, stainless appliances, travertine master bath, maple cabinets...I became even more discouraged.  We had formica counters, stock oak cabinets, laminate floors, modular showers...I thought for sure that we would have to spend about $50K just to match up.  After a heartfelt discussion with the Realtor, she suggested Staging.  At the time, Interior Design firms were suffering because of the declining economy and I had been looking for an alternative in the event our firm would close (which it later did).  Staging was the perfect solution!  I started doing research online looking for classes, schools, whatever.  Interior Design schools were about $15K per year and it would take at least 2 years...I didn't have that kind of time.  Then I came across StagedHomes.com.  It was created by the woman who invented Home Staging in 1972, Barb Schwarz.  I noticed that she offered courses so I immediately signed up for the course in Seattle, bought my plane ticket and off I went.  Who better to learn from than the source of it all!  After completing the course, I came home to my first project...my home.  I'm kind of a skeptic by nature so I wanted to see if this Staging thing really worked.  I applied all the things I had learned and with some elbow grease and a couple hundred dollars, the house was staged.  Within 45 days we had 3 offers and sold for more money than the competition.  I was hooked.  I immediately started my own business.  My mission was to help others in the same situation I had been in.  Those who needed to sell their homes, without losing a ton of money and move on with their lives.  I truly love and am passionate about what I do and it shows in my work.  From the smallest jobs to the largest, I'm invested in helping and am there for my clients every step of the way.  My advice for anyone with a house on the market or just thinking about it...call a stager first.  Get a bid, get ideas, ask for help, leave it to the professionals.  "Investing in Home Staging will always be less than your first price reduction" ~ Barb Schwarz.  If I had known then, what I know now, I could've made thousands more on my house.  By calling an Accredited Staging Professional, your house will sell faster and for more money...this means money in your pocket."