It’s been a long day but our house is going on the market ASAP and I’m so excited and nervous!! I feel like selling is going to be easier than buying. Knock on wood! (The wood of our house!)
You guys asked for a few staging photos. My goal was to make things as clean, simple and organized as possible from the inside out. Buyers open all closets and drawers!! Here are a handful of photos I took – click to enlarge!
Pressure washed exterior and walkway/driveway made a WORLD of a difference. Who knew it was white under there!?
Door repair (it was falling off)
Cleaned up yard and weeded garden and mulched front yard areas
Hand-painted terrace top [mailbox too]
Organized + clear garage and pantry
CLEAN bathrooms (including ceiling!)
Fancy products on display 
Cleaned + thinned all shelves
Bathroom remodels – new shower door, fixtures, hardware and floor
Countertops clear of all cosmetics (Meghann, you need this lesson!)
Drawers super organized
Closets are all thinned and organized and mostly empty to appear BIG
Carpets cleaned
Rooms tidy
OK, that’s most of it!! We spent just over $2,000 on everything and the house is in tip-top shape (that includes replacing wood rot outside and pressure washing the whole house too). Hoping in this market it sells no problem!!
On to the FOOD!
Afternoon snack was consumed once I got home. Blood orange, kiwi, Biscoff and almonds.
This was my first time eating a blood orange. They gross me out! But Kelsey gave us 2 so I tried it. Once I pretended it was a plum or something and not blood it wasn’t bad at all 
[Insert realtor meeting here!]
Dinner was on Bob!
We needed something that could simmer away during our meeting and be ready in a heartbeat so this Vegi Soup Mix was perfect.
I followed the instructions – but used a little less water because we like thicker soups – and it turned out awesome! Simmered for almost two hours on low and was a very thick split pea soup consistency when we were ready to eat. We left out all seasonings and veggies and just used the soup base and added our own seasonings to each bowl!
Mine had cinnamon, salt, turmeric, red pepper flakes and garam masala
I was expecting this soup to be a big goupy split pea mess, but it turned out to have a fantastic texture!! There are green peas, yellow peas, barley, lentils and little tiny pasta shapes and the grains turned out to be perfectly chewy!! It was like eating wheatberries in oats. SO FUN to chew!
A hunk of bread + butter on the side
Nom nom
We gobbled it down in the living room while watching Jenny McCarthy’s Biography!
We have TONS of leftovers!
After dinner I had a chocolate to review! This week is all about chocolate. Clearly. This is a Q.bel vegan wafer dark chocolate – 70% cacao.
It was good! I love wafer (remember those tri-colored wafer packs? I could eat 10 of those!) and I liked the layer of chocolate ganache-like stuff in the middle. My only qualm is that this tiny bar is 90 calories! A bit much for such a small bite. It comes in a pack of 2. But if you’re a vegan and have a hard time finding suitable chocolates – I do recommend the taste!! Yummy.
Goodnight!
{ 93 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome snack plate!!! Your house is so beautiful….I wish I could buy it from you. I’m curious to see how you decorate your new house in Charlottesville!
The house looks great! Good luck with selling. I’ve been there and done that before and I remember how stressful it can be!!
I’m so glad qbel came out with a vegan product!
Your house looks gorrrrgeous!! All of your work will definitely pay off!!
Your house looks so tidy and fresh, I would buy it
. Good luck with selling and with the buying!
Your house looks clean and ready to go on the market. Good luck selling the house!
Dinner looks good, so does the chocolate
Your house is gorgeous! And as someone who is going through the selling process now (our casa is under contract), I wish you luck and patience
Oh my, you’ve done so much work on the house, pretty incredible! And your dinner looked fabulous as well.
I wanted to thank you though – you posted a link to something you wrote on Breathe about food on the go. I went to the link and came across more posts that you wrote – specifically the mind over matter and the “It Doesn’t Matter” (http://www.readbreathe.com/it-doesn%e2%80%99t-matter/) post.
That last one gave me the motivation to give up calorie counting for Lent and focus more on just being healthy rather than worrying about gaining weight. Hopefully this second time trying will be more successful (I stopped for about a month but fell back into it during college :\ ) . I can’t believe how much we share in common!! Thanks again sooooo much and good luck on selling your house!
Thanks and good luck!
Blood oranges are great! So intensely tangy and flavourful! And the deep red colour is beautiful. I’m sorry you’re grossed out by the name and hence put off eating them. I look forward to eating them every winter–the only time they’re available.
Good luck with the house sale–looks like you’ve got things well in hand!
I love how organized your home is
I’m pretty bad about leaving cosmetics on the counter (but at least they’re neat!)
The house looks lovely! You guys worked very hard, nice job. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you!
Your house looks so good Kath! Perfectly organized and staged for sale. Good luck!
Beautiful house pictures! I think that we have one of the same beds– the black one in what looks like the guest room? I got mine at Pier One!
I like those Qbel chocolates– the pb ones are really good!
good luck selling your house, it can be tricky and takes patience most times. I’ve moved (with my parents) like 8 times total and once we sold the house in 2 weeks and another time it took months- hard to tell what will happen!
the soup looks awesome, warm, and toasty
The house, honestly, looks absolutely incredible.
The thing that sold my husband and I on our current home is that it was completely move in ready (wouldn’t have to paint anything, fix anything, etc.) and yours looks the exact same as ours did. We even paid a little bit more than we probably should have just because we knew we wouldn’t have to do a thing to it if we moved in! I’m sure you guys will have no trouble at all selling that baby!
The house looks GREAT. Good luck with the selling, though at least based on your staging job I’d say you’ll have no problem.
Blood oranges kinda freaked me out the first time I tried them too. Yikes!
That’s certainly a house I’d buy if I had a reason to move to your neck of the woods (and could afford it!)
i love blood oranges! but i can see why they’d freak you out haha. good luck with selling your casa, hope you get a great offer soon! mm qbels, i haven’t tried that variety yet though!
Your house looks fabulous- I’m sure it will sell really fast. I would buy it if I could! I’m so impressed that you and Matt OWN a home at such a young age. Good luck!
I might pick up some of that soup- it looks like a good thing to have on hand for a quick healthy dinner.
Your house looks beatiful!! If I only made enough money to buy it I could help you out
Your home looks fabulous! It will sell in no time!
That’s so funny you two created some soup! I just was thinking about making something homemade and delicious
I want to create something with sweet potatoes!
Your house is GORGEOUS! Good luck on finding a buyer quick!
The house looks awesome! You guys really put a lot of work into getting it ready to sell… it shows.
Your house looks great, I’m sure it will sell. I love the pink ,green, and white quilt, it is super cute. I have thought about trying bob’s soups, think I’ll try it.
You must be a realtor’s dream! Soup looks delicious, wish my husband wasn’t a hater of anything that resembles a bean.
good job with cleaning out the closets/drawers. This is one thing we didn’t do when staging our home, and I will definitely do next time.
your house is pristine!!! Looks fabulous.
The soup looks so good. I will try it. Even though I don’t tend to like that type of thing, it is time I do!
Good luck selling your house girl! I’ll have to try that soup mix
Amazing that you only spent $2,000 on all of that..very impressive!!! Does it make you sad at all that you’re not going to get to use the new gussied up house for too long? I think I would be like “whyyyy didn’t we do this a long time ago” lol. Soooo lovely though!! Great job! Love the first lunch photo…ooooo do I love a good contrast in color
I also love when meals have a deconstructed look…i’m weeeeird! I’ve been wondering about that soup…thanks for the info! BRM prices are so reasonable and I have yet to be disappointed!
You have a beautiful home, Kath! Praying it sells quickly for you!!!
Hugs,
Michele
Your house looks great! Best of luck with the sale.
I’m sorry, I must have totally missed this but why are you moving? Is it for a job?
Moving to Charlottesville, VA in August to open a Great Harvest Bakery!
Your house looks absolutely amazing! You should be on HGTV! I’m sure it’ll sell in no time!
You’re suppose to come to FL and teach me that lesson!
I know, I know
With a house that looks that good it should sell very quickly.
I love thick soups and I’m making one this week with tortellini. Should be yummy.
What a beautiful home! Too bad you’re moving! If I lived close, and was in need of a house, I’d certainly come take a look at it.
The soup actually sounds fantastic! I love Bob’s products!
Your home is gorgeous girlie! And so so so organized. Can you come organize my house haha?
Your home is so…. homey. I love it.
I can’t stand cluttered bathroom counters- yours look GREAT! Every morning before I go into my office I have to put all of PB’s toiletries (deodorant, contact solution, etc.) back in his drawer. It drives me NUTS!
your house looks great! makes me want to do spring cleaning!
Wow! You and Matt live in a such beautiful house!
I´m sure you´ll have no trouble selling it
But good luck anyway!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Blood oranges gross me out too! They’re actually pretty tasty but the name just conjures up too many gross images! :S So what I do now is call them SWEETHEART ORANGES. Makes them much more palatable.
Good luck with the house-selling! I’m sure it’ll go in a heartbeat!
the house looks great – i’d buy it!
Best of luck in selling your house!
Have you considered renting it for a while (until the market gets better) if it doesn’t sell right away?
Of course you never know….a friend and her family put their house on the market in CT, and even though there were a lot of similar places for sale in their same town, their place sold in just three months (amazing in this market!).
We would rent only as a last resort…we’ve got 5 months before we leave so hopefully it’ll sell before then!
your house is gorgeous!!!
jenna
Your house looks great! Sending happy thoughts for a quick sale!
do you worry that your stories of roachcapades and critters would deter potential buyer??
Judging from the comments in this post, not at all!! We won’t really have any infestations – in the South those bugs just come inside.
haha it’s so cute that blood oranges gross you out b/c of “blood” <3
your house is so nice! it looks so cozy and inviting! good luck selling it!
i’ve yet to try a blood orange, next time i’m at the store i’ll have to pick one up to try!
Blood oranges are so crazy looking! I remember the 1st time I ate one I thought I had picked out a bad orange or something… good thing Google told me otherwise
Your house is so beautiful! I want it…..too bad Iive in Vermont:) Good luck with everything.
The house looks terrific! Having just been on the buyer side, I’d say it will go quickly.
Good luck!
I feel like I just watched House Hunters! Great job streamlining and cleaning up!
Wow, your house looks great! I could only wish my home looked like that. I crave being organized.
I’ll have to try that soup. I love the combination of spices you added. Garam masala is my favorite. I especially like it sprinkled on roasted cauliflower.
House looks amazing. I need your tips to help me get organized too!
Yes I remember the wafer packs, yummm. Alsoooo, I’m a HGTV fanatic so it looks like you have followed all of their rules, congrats haha!
Your house looks great! I wish mine was that clean right now! I’m sure you will have no problem selling! That soup sounds great I’ve seen that at the store before and thought about buying it, I think I will next time!
the house looks amazing!! and I have the same bedroom furniture
ohhh and I forgot to add *sending my quick house selling vibes* best of luck! I would buy it =)
Kath, your house is gorgeous. I love the beds and paint colors. Fun stuff. How long have you two lived there? And how far away are you moving?
We’ve been here for just over 3 years and are moving to Charlottesville, VA
gorgeous house but i know you’ll find an even lovelier one in the great state of VA
This is apropos of absolutely nothing-but when I go to my dentist there is always a truck outside with the license plate “KATH 26″, and I thought you should know this(;.
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!?!??!?! I used to have THAT SAME LICENCE PLATE!!
Wow, you’re house looks great.
I love Harry Potter!
I’m a complete book nut so I was examining your bookshelf as closely as I could.
I am going to find that soup mix in Oklahoma. It looks great!
your house looks great! I have a package of that soup in my pantry waiting to be made!!!
Ooh your house definetly looks like a showhouse, I think you suceeded in your mission!
I like the idea of having the same soup but adding your own seasonings at the end…I love hot food, my mum hates it, so that would be really useful for us – awesome tip, thankyou!
Your house looks picture perfect!
LOVE Bob’s vegi soup mix!!
Jenn
I love that you even customize your soup with toppings… so brilliant! And good luck selling the house – it looks beautiful!
Everything looks great! Very clean, decluttered and organized. Please come do my house next. Thanks.
Good luck on selling your house. I shall keep my fingers crossed for you–though I don’t think you will have a problem!
Your house looks great. Good luck! I think you already have an edge.
I meant to ask prior, where did you buy all the hardware to switch knobs from brass to silver. I want to do the same but buying them individually is $$$. Hoping you know a place that has a great deal on bulk?
We got them at Lowes and yes, brass to silver. It was about $200 for 2 faucets, 4 knobs and like 8 handles, 3 towel racks and 2 TP holders.
Blood oranges used to gross me out too, but now I love them! Have you ever tried a cara cara? They are a type of orange, but the flesh is a subtle pink color. I love them – they are sweeter and less acidic than a typical orange.
Wow your house looks fantastic- you guys did such a fabulous job!! I hope it sells very quickly and that you have no trouble finding a new home!!
Everything you did to the house would make buyers swoon! It looks fantastic! Love your home
I love Bob…we use him a lot
Good luck selling the place! Who knows, if it’s still on the market in a few weeks maybe I could convince my husband to go look at it.
We’re going up to Charlotte to visit. I want to move there, and he is open to it but he’s never been. I think he’ll love it.
Good luck with the house! We were chickens and didn’t try to sell our last house. We’re renting it out.
Good luck getting your house sold. It looks beautiful!
Your place looks great! We just put an offer in on a house… and we looked at about 50 homes before doing so. If more of them had looked as nice as yours does, we probably would have bought something much sooner! It’s kind of amazing to me that some people just put no effort into showing and selling their home whatsoever… so well done! And Good Luck!
Also, I LOVE blood oranges, especially in salads.
the house looks awesome! if we were in the market for a home in your area i’d totally buy it…good luck! y’alls hard work will pay off
The place looks great! My husband and I can’t wait to own a house one day, when we move out of the city!
Besh wishes for a quick sale!
Hi!
I’m kinda new here…kinda because I did pass by a while back (somehow I got lost and now I’m back!) I’m hoping to get back on track with our (hubs and I) healthy eating, and I’m hoping your site will help!
xoxo
Katy
ps- I love that you thinned your shelves and left the best books from the Harry Potter series there!
Your house looks great! Best of luck! I feel kind of weird asking this… but, would you mind giving the paint color/name or brand of the green paint in your dining room? The few greens I’ve tried over the years have looked horrendous and not at all what I thought they would… yours always looks so nice in your photos.
La Fonda Olive from Lowes
So many blog readers have asked that I memorized it!
C’Ville is AWESOME
We moved outside of there a little over a year ago and LOVE the area!! It’s so beautiful and has great eats!!! Good Luck!!!
I am absolutely in love with Bob’s Red Mill products – if I have a choice, it’s always BRM! That soup looks delicious. I have a few pre-made soup packages in my pantry that I’m saving for a rainy day. How much spice do you add to your serving?
Your house looks gorgeous! I personally love that individual bed frame in the guestroom – it’s so tiny and perfect!
My fingers are crossed that your house sells – you guys have done an amazing job of cleaning it up!
K
I am sure it will sell in no time. It looks great. Where did you get your kitchen table? Love it!
Fun times at that house!