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The Art of Home Staging

10/27/2016

Hi beautiful people!

I hope you're enjoying these fall rainy days. Here's an article I found that tells a first hand story of the art of staging from a couple trying to sell their home:

Like many sellers, Francis and Dave were initially reluctant to stage their apartment.
Their agent, Annalese, an associate broker, had already helped them declutter and identify home improvements for their two-bedroom ground-floor co-op..

Following Annalese’s advice, the couple had spent about $45,000 tearing out carpets, installing hardwood flooring and new light fixtures, painting, repointing brick and replacing siding on a wall in the rear garden.

But they stopped short of hiring a professional stager to swap out their furniture and art. “I was extremely skeptical, I couldn’t see why things that I had collected over my life, sparsely placed, would be a problem.”

They listed the apartment for $1.85 million in June 2014. Then they watched, dismayed, as it sat on the market for six months, while they gradually cut the asking price to $1.65 million. “I had over a hundred showings, and could not sell it,” Francis said. “Not one offer.”

The couple took the place off the market that December, and at Annalese's behest, sent for a Home Stager.

To the Stager, the home’s décor was too eclectic, “like Victoriana meets ’80s meets Ikea,” she said.
She instructed the couple to empty the apartment, except for one small bench that she deemed attractive. Then, for about $26,000, she had the kitchen cabinets, shelving, doors and door frames painted white, and moved in an entire home’s worth of contemporary furniture, including shapely clear acrylic dining chairs and a white pedestal table, an Italian linen sofa and a chrome-and-glass coffee table placed atop a cowhide rug.

When Francis relisted the staged property last April for $1.495 million, “the place was mobbed,” at the first open house.

A bidding war ensued, and the apartment soon went into contract for $1.8 million, before closing in July.

“I can’t believe how it worked out, I still shake my head!”

Recent Work By Upstage By Lili!

The practice of home staging has long elicited strong reactions. Staging can usually help a home sell faster, and for a higher price, offering a larger return on the investment. Homeowners, reluctant to spend the money or admit that their decorating choices might not be catnip to buyers, are often loath to pay strangers to impose their tastes on their premises. But as staging has evolved over the past decade, many real estate professionals say it has become more important than ever!

“It always makes a difference, and is essential in this market,”

“It’s not just about solving a problem now, but much more about presenting a lifestyle to prospective buyers,”

“The bar has definitely been raised. The glamour apartment is really what sells. People will walk out if it looks ugly, or they think it’s dark, claustrophobic or has other warts they don’t want to deal with.”

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How to Stage Your Home For Fall!

10/4/2016

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I can’t believe it’s already October! Fall is in the air and I love it! Fortunately, staging your home in the cooler weather isn’t as hard as you think. There are quite a few easy and inexpensive things you can do to make your house feel very warm and cozy.

Take advantage of the cooler weather and compliment Mother Nature’s hard work by following these staging tips...

Make the Curb Appealing

This is one of the most important parts of staging your flip, and is essential during the cooler months. During the fall season, your flip’s yard will need a little more upkeep and maintenance than usual. Make an effort to clean out the flower beds and rake the leaves often. The last thing you want your potential buyers to focus on is a yard covered with dead leaves instead of the house. Consider planting a couple of flowers or bushes that grow well in the fall weather. It is also wise to spend some time power washing the house as the dead summer foliage will make any imperfections on the house stand out more.
As a finishing touch, add a fun and simple fall wreath to the door and place an uncarved pumpkin or a pot of mums on the porch. These final décor pieces will make the house feel warm and inviting to your buyers.

Brighten Up the House

The weather is getting colder, which means the days are getting shorter and nights are getting longer. Each of your rooms must be well-lit. Use bright, warm lights that will highlight the room’s best features. Not only will good lighting make the house’s rooms look larger, but they also look more inviting.
Before a showing go through the house and turn on all of the lights, paying special attention to the rooms that face the street. These rooms will provide the house with a welcome glow when buyers drive up.

Use Seasonal Scents

Nothing says fall like cinnamon, apple and pumpkin smells. Before showing your flip, burn a couple of fall-scented candles throughout the house or simmer some apple cider on the stove with cinnamon sticks tossed in. Since smell is tied to emotion, harnessing the aroma of fall will evoke memories of apple picking, pumpkin carving, leaf raking and other family-friendly activities. Just make sure none of the smells are too overpowering or conflict with each other.

Up the Coziness Factor

A cozy house is the perfect compliment to chilly weather and will encourage buyers to stay around longer to look at the house. Nothing will up the coziness factor of your house more than a crackling fire and additional throw pillows and blankets.

Play up the fireplace by arranging furniture to transform it into the focal point of a room. Add soft blankets and fun throw pillows to couches and chairs that will encourage buyers to want to stay and curl up with a good book.