We're excited to share that we're receiving excellent feedback from our sellers about Ann Bolden and her professional cleaning service. Ann is punctual, thorough, and an excellent communicator, too. 

To schedule your own visit with Ann's Cleaning, you can call Ann directly at 608-445-3645. 

Do you need help thinking through all of the steps leading up to your future home or condo sale? Reach out to your Mad City Dream Homes realtor for a helpful conversation. We're here to help. 

(photo by Step Inside Media, staging by Debbie Lea and Shelley Lazzareschi, cleaning by Ann's Cleaning Service)

We welcomed Wendy Broadhead from Benjamin Moore to a recent team meeting. Wendy is an expert color consultant who helps our clients find interior and exterior paint colors that make their home "sing" (as Wendy puts it). She updated us on 2024 trends and insights: creamier, 'boho' neutrals are in; nothing beats having wallpaper professionally hung; and green is nature's neutral. Thank you for your time, Wendy. We had fun learning from you! 

Do you have a color decision that Wendy may be able to help with? We'd love to connect you. 

(photo by Step Inside Media with staging by Debbie Lea and Alan Feder) 

Repairing, cleaning, and (when needed) replacing your carpet will improve your home's aesthetic appeal and maintain its market value. Here are a few carpet care contractors who have capably served our clients over the years. 

• Terry Buechner, for re-stretching rolled-up and "wavy" carpet. Call Terry at 608-212-8705. 
• Stephen Meyer at Phenomenal Carpet Care for all of your carpet cleaning needs. Call Stephen at 608-520-3085.   
• CTW Flooring (608-222-5071), Floors for Less (608-442-1200), and Coyle Flooring (608-509-9437) for new carpet selection and installation. 

As always, we are here to help you make the right connections for any type of project around your home. Call your Mad City Dream Homes realtor whenever you need a little help.  

We love helping each seller create a presentation that makes them feel proud of their listing, no matter the price point. With staging, cosmetic updates, photography, video, and professional marketing of the home and neighborhood -- we have so many wonderful opportunities to create a showcase listing. 

(photo by Step Inside Media with staging by Debbie Lea and Alan Feder)

Have you been wondering about the possibilities for your home? Contact us for a helpful consultation. We're here to help you plan for your future and prepare for an amazing return on your investment. 

Many older ceiling fans are big and bulky and can make a room feel crowded and dated. But many of the newer models are sleek and stylish and offer the perfect complement.

Would you like help selecting a ceiling fan for a room in your home? Please feel free to call us. Today's selection offers some beautiful and affordable designs, and we'd love to help you choose the right one. 

While we're at it, we can help you update your light fixtures, too, and connect you with a reputable contractor to install them. 

(Photo by Step Inside Media with staging by Debbie Lea and Alan Feder)

Experience has taught us that a successful sale is very often the result of 5 different experts coming together in support of the seller's goals. 

(Photo by Step Inside Media)

The 5 experts

The first two experts are the professional painter and the professional handyman. The painter and the handyman create value by eliminating common buyer objections, and by addressing a few low-cost/high-impact updates. It's amazing what new cabinet hardware, a few new light fixtures, and a fresh coat of the right paint can do for a home. Very often it's the simple updates like these that create tens of thousands of dollars of value for the client. 

The third expert is the professional stager. The stager shares her guidance with the painter and the

One of the very best ways we can be of service to you is to give your home the time and attention it needs well before the for sale sign goes up in your yard. By focusing on the fundamentals of staging, we're able to create results like these that bring more showings, more offers, and a better return on investment to your sale. 

Are you looking for some sound advice on how you can best prepare for your upcoming sale? Please feel free to contact us. We would be happy to share our thoughts and recommendations with you. 

According to color consultant, Wendy Broadhead, trends are shifting right now. Here are some of Wendy's favorite splashes from the Benjamin Moore product line. 

Main wall colors

"Main wall colors are stepping further away from the cool grays and the bright whites. Warmer colors like OC-24 Winds Breath, OC-20 Pale Oak, 1548 Classic Gray, 1549 Balboa Mist are being selected." 

(Balboa Mist from Benjamin Moore -- photo from Benjamin Moore)

Bedrooms, offices and family rooms

"Slightly deeper shades are being used in spaces like bedrooms, offices and family rooms: AF-100 Pashmina, HC-81 Manchester Tan, HC-80 Bleeker Beige and 984 Stone Hearth." 

(Pashmina from Benjamin Moore -- photo from Benjamin Moore)

Accents, cabinets, and

You don't need to substantially remodel your home in order to prepare for a successful sale. But you can create instant value by addressing the simple projects that eliminate common buyer objections. 

Here are a few common buyer objections that all come with simple fixes:

1) Dated wallpaper and paint colors

2) Dated light fixtures

3) Dated cabinet hardware 

4) Old bathroom mirrors and medicine cabinets

5) Soiled, worn, or dated flooring 

6) Old curtains and blinds 

7) Soiled and dirty siding 

8) Weeds and overgrown shrubs in the yard

Whether you plan to move in the near future or stay in your home for years to come, we're happy to help you with any type of home improvement project -- and refer you to reputable

Recently we had the pleasure of visiting a new client for a staging and cosmetics consultation. Our visit included a color consultant, a home stager, a handyman, and two agents from our team. And it was a wonderfully productive meeting. We identified painting projects, chose paint colors, picked out light fixtures, and prioritized a few home repairs. And of course, we scoped out our staging plan. 

We're excited to help our client transform her home in the weeks ahead. This one is gonna be a lot of fun...