Media Talk: Staging a home for sale

(click on the images to read the article)

Home staging is only just taking hold here in New England. We’re a DIY kind of people, so it’s hard for some folks to believe that they may need help making their home more attractive to buyers. This is an article in South Shore Living Magazine on a house that’s for sale in my town. I did the staging on this home. While it was already quite beautiful, it was still a family home filled with lots of cast-off kids items and the clutter of every day life. It’s a luxury property which meant that it had to be even more perfect for a potential buyer. One of the big issues was that the dining room was completely empty. It has spectacular views of our Bay and is quite large. The client wasn’t interested in purchasing a new dining room set, understandably, and luxury rentals are hard to come buy. So, I suggested we turn it into a music salon/intimate dining room. The client rented a grand piano for one corner (the kids took lessons so it gave them a place to practice when staying there) and moved a stunning round Dakota Jackson table in from another room. We purchased simple contemporary red leather chairs from Design Within Reach and a new hand knotted oriental carpet to anchor the eating area. Both the chairs and carpet would easily be usable in a new house down the road. Click here for more photos of the dining room.

I brought in a my professional organizer friend Sharon Fisher of COME to ORDER!, to work her magic on all the closets, attics and basement storage rooms, and garage. I re-arranged furniture around the whole house, swapped out tired looking painted shades for wooden blinds in the kids rooms, and turned the master bath into an oasis with orchids and chocolates. All while keeping in mind that it will take quite a while for such a premium property to sell and the current owner and kids need to be able to live in the house comfortably in the meantime.