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 <strong>Charleston</strong>. 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 <strong>Charleston</strong> 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. 84 | <strong>Charleston</strong><strong>Living</strong>Mag.com 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 <strong>Charleston</strong>. 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 <strong>Charleston</strong> 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.
An Olhausen Farm Edition pool table from <strong>Charleston</strong> Billiards doubles as a table when not in use. Standout turquoise backsplash tile in the color Dynamic Celeste from Melcer Tile in North <strong>Charleston</strong> brings the beach indoors. <strong>Nov</strong>ember/<strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2021</strong> | 85