I’m often asked for referrals from clients who are looking for local amenities or help with home repairs. So, with the new year, I’m adding a new feature to my blog called “5 Questions.” Throughout the year I’ll ask local experts I frequently recommend five questions about the work they do so as to better acquaint my clients with the variety of talent to choose from in our area.
Home staging is an important step in listing your home for sale — I’ve seen a number of homes transformed by the process and easily able to recoup the cost of the service. In fact, I feel so strongly about it that I routinely cover my client’s initial consultation fee. As I wrote in the 3rd Quarter Stats Review in October, homes are selling significantly faster than in previous quarters — the recent trend of optimistic pricing combined with strategic home preparation is clearly delivering results.
WILLOW HOME STAGING
Janet Thompson, Owner
Rye, NY (914) 806-4007
WillowHomeStaging.com
What exactly is home staging?
Home Staging is a marketing tool for sellers to help them get top dollar for their property. Each staging job is different but it can include anything from simply removing clutter and years of accumulated “stuff”, to rearranging furniture or removing furniture to highlight the spaciousness of the home, or adding furniture and accessories to “warm up” a particular room.
Why should I stage my home?
Staged homes sell faster and for more money. Since your home is probably your largest asset, staging is a smart investment. The investment that you make in staging your home will be much lower than any price reduction you might have to make. Buyers are wary of a house that has been on the market too long – staging your house before it’s listed will give it a “leg up” so that it sells quickly.
Why can’t I stage the house myself?
Homeowners are emotionally attached and financially invested in their own homes and can’t be objective. You need a trained professional with experience and a trained eye to create that “wow” factor that will sell your home.
Do you have a favorite project you’d like to share?
Before
After
The before and after pictures above show one room in of one of my favorite home staging jobs. This was a large and beautiful home that had become very tired and outdated and in need of some serious sprucing up. We went through stacks of papers and old magazines, date books, mail, etc. and removed or organized, took out the torn and faded wall-to-wall carpet, removed dated wallpaper, and removed much of the out of style furniture. We refinished all of the beautiful floors, put on a fresh coat of paint, and brought in some furniture and decorative accessories to give a finished look. As you can see in the photos below, the change was dramatic. The owner was thrilled with the finished product and with the neatly organized and labeled boxes of important papers and mementos.
Does Willow Home Staging have a specialty?
Willow has a team of stagers all of whom have different strengths – some are very organized and can tackle the clutter with ease, some prefer the finishing touches – editing and re-styling the bookcases, arranging the accessories to create that warm and lived in look, and some have a great eye for space and making a room appear larger and to flow well. All of the stagers at Willow have a warm and personal touch that appeals to homeowners and makes them feel comfortable and accepting of the changes being made to their home. Willow is unique in that we will work right alongside a client sorting through and organizing papers, closets and kitchens, children’s bedroom’s ; doing part or all of the home for the client.
