Showhomes Franchisees Chris and Lisa Gulliver Stage NFL Quarterback Philip Rivers’ Home

If there is any husband-and-wife duo who understand how to unlock a home’s sale potential, it’sShowhomes franchisees Chris and Lisa Gulliver.

The Gullivers, who own and operate the brand’s San Diego North Coast location, recently completed a major home staging project: the family home of NFL star Philip Rivers, his wife Tiffany and their nine children. The famed San Diego/L.A. Chargers quarterback recently signed a deal with the Indianapolis Colts and needed to put his home on the market. Located in the upscale, gated community of Santaluz, the house is listed for $3,849,000 and boasts six bedrooms, 6.5 bathrooms and more than 6,800 square feet of space on a one-acre lot.

“This house was a special place where Philip and Tiffany Rivers raised their family for over 11 years and it just had a really good vibe to it,” Lisa Gulliver said. “The property is built for privacy, but all of the spaces are light and bright. It’s a wonderful, comfortable, family home. Home staging is about showing buyers the possibilities of what a house can be and for this type of high-end home, luxury staging will always attract more potential buyers.” 

In terms of renovation, the Gullivers hired contractors to perform work on both the interior and exterior of the home. This included painting all of the walls and cabinets, replacing countertops with new white Quartzite and replacing the kitchen and bathroom fixtures. New carpeting was also installed. Exterior changes included painting the entry gate, the stucco walls and the courtyard walls.

In terms of staging, the living room, formal dining room, kitchen, family room and master bedroom suite, as well as a downstairs kids playroom and upstairs teen suite, all received the luxury treatments and were filled with tasteful, high-end furnishings to highlight each room’s assets, such as high open-beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and crown moldings. The staging was specifically selected to feature an airy feel that the home boasts on its own. The Gullivers are thrilled with the finished look and cited the kids’ playroom as one of their favorites in the home.

The Gullivers first joined Showhomes in 2010 and have since made major waves in a competitive market. The opportunity to stage Rivers’ house came thanks to a repeat referral, which is how the franchisees receive most of their business. In this case, the repeat referral came fromShaun Worthen of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. Worthen has sold Rivers’ properties in the past and needed home stagers who could handle this particular high-end project. The Gullivers have focused their reach in recent years on San Diego’s top realtors and typically work with homes in the $2 million to $10 million range. As Showhomes franchisees, the Gullivers could also offer remodeling services to the Rivers family, ultimately taking the partnership to the next level.

Worthen certainly appreciated the Gullivers knowledge and professionalism and gave them his full endorsement. “Philip Rivers has been a great client of mine for many years,” Worthen said. “To get Philip Rivers’ family home ready for market, I knew Chris and Lisa were the right team for the job. They brought a wealth of design expertise and remodeling skills to this project and they always give 110%. The duo did an amazing job on this property and I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.”

The ability to bring their vision to Rivers’ home and facilitate this kind of change is exactly what the Gullivers love about franchising with Showhomes.

“It’s really an amazing experience to walk into a home in the morning that looks less than spectacular and make it look spectacular by the time we leave,” Lisa said. “Working in a higher-end market means we get to bring out the potential of some truly beautiful homes. There’s a lot of satisfaction in transforming a home into the best that it can be.”

As Showhomes franchisees, the Gullivers were well-equipped to showcase the property to its full potential. Showhomes was first founded in 1986 and operates today as a full-service home staging, management, update and renovation franchise with nearly 60 offices across 18 states. The core communities the brand serves across the country are golf course communities and wealthy suburbs, catering to a wide range of clientele, including those who possess homes on the more luxurious side. Showhomes seeks to expand its footprint in markets with minimum home prices of $500,000.

Such quality work is indicative of the caliber of franchisees Showhomes attracts to its franchise system. Showhomes COO Matt Kelton and the rest of the leadership team are certainly thrilled with the Gullivers’ work on this particular job.

“The Gullivers have a genuine enthusiasm for what they do and bring that excitement to their jobs every single day,” Kelton said. “This high level of passion, care and attention to detail is exactly what Showhomes seeks in franchisees, and with people like Chris and Lisa on board, the future is certainly looking bright for our brand.”

The startup costs for a Showhomes franchise range from $70,550 to $103,000. The franchise fee is $49,900. To learn more about franchising with Showhomes, visit https://www.showhomesfranchise.com/.