Charleston Living Magazine Nov-Dec 2021

When Elizabeth Baker first bought the home on East Arctic Avenue
on Folly Beach in 2018, it needed a lot of work.
“There were popcorn ceilings, laminate floors, walls where walls
shouldn’t be. The carpeting was worn and original to the house,” she
says. “The roof was leaking; we lived with buckets gathering water.
Then after Hurricane Dorian (in 2019), some water started coming
from under the floor, which caused the laminate floors to peel. Once
we removed those, contractors found black mold beneath the floors
and cabinets.”
Now, it bears little resemblance to its predecessor both inside
and out. Bright blue Bahama shutters on the outside and thick white
plantation shutter blinds in the bedrooms add a classic coastal touch
and large glass doors to the screened-in porch open into the renovated
open living and kitchen space.
A major improvement was adding a heated, 30-foot pool, built
by Heritage Pools, a locally owned and operated company from North
Charleston. Baker and her two kids spend lots of time in and around
the pool with an impressive collection of inflatable pool toys.
With ample outdoor seating, it’s easy to spend relaxing days and
evenings with friends, family or kids. “For resale and rental, having a
pool is priceless,” Baker says.
Professional Stager
As a Charleston realtor with REMAX Southern Shores, Baker knows
the score.
She puts it bluntly: “We live in an HGTV society.”
HGTV has found a niche among Americans interested in buying
and renovating their homes. She was featured in the HGTV Island
Life, for James Island buyers.
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It’s a growing audience, and the prescient Baker has capitalized on
the trend. “People just can’t envision a space without the accompanying
pictures or footage,” she says.
That’s why she focuses not only on selling homes, but staging them.
“I realized these houses weren’t equipped for staging,” Baker says.
“I thought if you want to list it, I’ll stage it for free to get it sold.”
Her staging is a valuable service. “Say, if you have an office, but it
can actually be used as a bedroom, I can place a queen-sized bed in the
room to help buyers understand the space,” she says.
She often uses buyers’ own items to stage their home, adding a bit
of coastal touches, which is a major selling point for any new buyer to
Charleston.
House Highlights
Her own house reflects her love of coastal style and consists of four
bedrooms and three bathrooms, highlighted by its bright and open
feel. A spacious kitchen has granite countertops, mermaid tile, a gas
range, stainless steel appliances, and other amenities, including a pool
table that doubles as a dining room table. A standout turquoise tile in
Dynamic Celeste from Melcer Tile in North Charleston brings the
beach indoors.
“You don’t have to go custom with everything,” she said, adding
that most of the lighting fixtures and bathroom floor tile came from
Lowe’s.
The downstairs bedrooms both have TVs. One has a king-sized
bed, while the other has a queen-sized bed and en-suite bathroom. The
other two bedrooms are upstairs. One has another queen-sized bed
and private porch, and the other comes with two twin beds, and a bunk
with a full-sized bed on bottom and twin on top.