staged homes: This is My Second Favorite Day In The World - The Stage Is Set - 05/27/11 04:38 PM
If you were to say I was passionate about staging, you would be so right.  There is something magical that happens when you transform a space from "time warp" to timely.  Before the first thing is removed from the room, before the first brush stroke hits the wall, I see this day in my mind's eye.
I know that the simple act of peeling back the layers of age, to reveal the pretty and pristine space that was always there, can mean the difference of tens of thousands of dollars to the homeowner and a shorter time languishing on the market when … (22 comments)

staged homes: We Set The Stage, Raise The Curtain And The Show Goes On - 05/04/11 03:50 PM
Preparing homes for sale often makes me feel like the horse being led to the field for a race, waiting for the starting gate to clang open.  Right at the moment, I'm juggling two properties getting ever closer to their premiere performance.  One is ready for its dress rehearsal, the other being primed and painted, primped and prettied, stepping up to show time.
This is an exciting time as we put on our finery and show our wares in the hopes that the one perfect buyer sees it for the jewel that it is.  If we do it right, we can defy market conditions and … (2 comments)

staged homes: Staging Is Not A Dirty Word - 01/24/11 03:43 PM

I read a post recently saying that staged homes shouldn't look staged and my reaction was "why not?"  There is nothing wrong with redesigning a home in preparation for a sale.  If done right, it makes a huge difference in the way it's perceived by consumers.  It gives rooms definition and purpose.  It keeps the flow going and allows potential buyers to envision living in the space.
We tone down colors when they're too strong or too specific.  We encourage the use of the new neutrals in paint to instantly warm up the space, and we streamline furnishings to have form … (12 comments)

staged homes: Setting The Stage - A Treasure Hunt - 09/29/10 04:56 PM
Today was another one of those magical days when the elusive items I've been searching for, appeared before me as if constructed for my eyes only.  I turned a corner, in search of some throw pillows and additional bedding when this manifestation of the perfect 7 ft. tree appeared out of nowhere.  It was set on one of HomeGoods little platforms.  Random items, bunched together with little thought or care, cried out for someone to love them and take them home.  From what I could see, nobody was getting the message.  I walked around the unattractive little island of stuff once, … (12 comments)

staged homes: Thinking Of Selling Your Home on Long Island? Stage It, Price It Right and Start Packing - 04/08/10 03:45 PM
The plain, unvarnished truth is staged homes sell faster and for more money.  It's been proven over and over again for decades.  Builders knew the secret to reaching their target audience and getting their properties sold long before we did.  They created model homes.  Buyers walked in and fell in love.  It wasn't the space that sold them.  It was the feeling the furnished home evoked.
It took many years for the resale market to catch up, but catch up they did.  Staging is now a customary practice in much of the country.  A very wise man who ran a sales … (2 comments)

staged homes: Should I Stage My Home Before Selling? Only If You Want More Money & A Quicker Sale - 05/24/09 01:34 AM
Though staging is no longer an alien term on Long Island, it is far from de rigueur in this part of the world when placing a home on the market.  Well I'm here to say it should be.  Just like placing a sign on the lawn or writing a description that is geared to entice buyers to at least take a look, the package we present to the world should be polished, attractive and stand out from its competition. 
What people fail to realize is, the clutter they've grown accustomed to can be an instant deterrent to a prospective buyer for whom this property … (2 comments)