Seems like a simple question, right? As a professional home staging expert I ask this to many sellers because when it comes time to prepare your home for sale...MOST SELLERS ARE RESISTANT TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO SELL!!!

First, you must remember that the way you live in your home and the way you PRESENT YOUR HOME to sell are two very different things. There is alot of competition on the market today and it is important that your home stand out from the competition. Even the nicest of homes can benefit from staging. 

Here is an example of home we staged this week. While the client had beautiful furniture and a home that had great selling features, the beauty of the home was being hidden by children's toys, too much furniture and poor layout.

By decluttering, repurposing and rearranging, we created a home that is much more appealing to a buyer.

Here is an example of the Dining Room prior to staging...The room was being used as a playroom for the children.

Dining Room AFTER....By removing the toys and using a large bureau and mirror from another room, we now created a DR that is fit for dining

The Family Room/Kitchen area before was filled with too many pieces of furniture which competed with the fireplace and breakfast nook

FAMILY ROOM/KITCHEN AFTER...By removing items to storage, the room shows off the size and selling features of the home 

GUEST BEDROOM BEFORE...Once again, too many items combined with poor layout makes the room seem smaller than it is

GUEST BEDROOM AFTER...This is a how bedrooms should look when selling your home. RESTFUL RETREATS!! 

Working with a professional home staging expert is a necessity when it comes time to sell your home.

If you are TRULY ready to sell your home, then it is important that you HAND YOUR HOME OVER TO A HOME STAGING EXPERT and that you allow them to make the appropriate, necessary changes that are needed. The Team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging Experts will TAKE YOUR HOME and transform it INTO A FABULOUS PRODUCT that your agent would be THRILLED TO SHOW and....In no time at all, you will be moving onto your new home.

The Team of ReStyled to Sell has been assisting sellers and their agents throughout the NJ area in increasing the marketability of their homes. We would be happy to meet with you and evaluate your home. Call 732-995-3425 to schedule your in home consultation.

Together we are changing the way buyers view homes.

I ask you this question, because the builder I just finished working with is asking himself this question. He is kicking himself because he cannot believe the difference staging his home has made and he is sorry he did not stage months ago. Everytime your house is shown is an opportunity to sell it and if the buyer is not initially impressed with what they see, it is a missed opportunity you can never get back.

Prior to staging, buyers could not envision furniture in this home. Most thought the space was too small. Once staged, the house is warm, comfortable and inviting, a place anyone would love to call home.

Here  are some of the changes...

LR BEFORE...The beautiful fireplace seems lost in this room

LR AFTER.....Now buyers can envision themselves enjoying the fireplace with family and friends.

BEDROOMS BEFORE...Buyers thought these rooms were small and they would not be able to fit their furniture. So they passed on a beautiful home that has more than ample space to raise a family

BEDROOM 1..great for a little girl, can you see that?? I thought so, neither could the buyers!

What about now?? What little girl would not want this as her room?

BEDROOM 2...You really can fit two boys or guests in this room, REALLY! But buyers thought there was not enough room for a full size bed!

So we staged it with a Queen instead..it fits and much more will also!!

The Master Bedroom provides that perfect retreat at the end of the evening for Mom and Dad!!

The kitchen and family room are always the heart of the home, but before being staged, this space left buyers confused on where to place their furnishings.

BUT ONCE STAGED THIS SPACE TRULY BECOMES THE HEART OF THE HOME

The Formal Dining adds to the beauty of this home and provides plenty of room to entertain guests..BUT BEFORE STAGING buyers could not see that

Leaving your vacant house up to the buyers imagination is NEVER a wise investment..STAGING YOUR HOUSE IS!!

Call on the Team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging Experts of NJ @ 732-995-3425 PRIOR TO LISTING. Remember the cost to stage is ALWAYS LESS THAN YOUR FIRST PRICE REDUCTION!! how many price reductions and missed opportunities will it take before you make the investment to stage?

What do you do when buyers complain that your home does not offer enough living space? Do you think of knocking down walls and adding on?? I certainly hope not! Instead you should be seriously considering the services of a professional home stager...Enter the team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging Experts!!

My job as a professional home staging expert is to clearly define your space so buyers can envision themselves living there. Sometimes that may mean swapping out rooms for better flow. Here is a home we staged in Westfield, NJ last week. The home was completely renovated but left buyers unimpressed with the layout of the home as IN THEIR EYES they felt it lacked adequate LIVING SPACE....NOT SO ONCE WE STAGED IT...first OPEN HOUSE...FIVE OFFERS AND SOLD FOR 6K OVER ASKING!!!

Here are just some of the transformations that we achieved in under 6 hours

LR BEFORE....This was the first room that buyers entered so it was important that this room be broken up into a warm and inviting living room and entry foyer. Most sellers, when faced with a long narrow room do not know how to properly arrange their furniture. As you can see, the furniture layout before was not condusive for conversation and enjoying the fireplace...BORING

LR AFTER...The seller had this furniture stored elsewhere, JUST LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE!! Now when a buyer enters this house the LR is to the left and furniture is arranged properly which is condusive to conversation and enjoyment of the beautiful frieplace which now a focal point. An entry foyer was created to the right of your room, highlighting a beautiful staircase... MAKES PERFECT SENSE!!

THE MASTER BEDROOM BEFORE LACKED WARMTH

MASTER BEDROOM SUITE AFTER...By rearranging the bed and dressing it, the room takes on a grander appearance. We now have room to place a chair and table in this corner which draws attention to the beautiful bay window

THE OLD DR BEFORE..It lacked pizazz and caused buyers to walk right into the table while moving onto the FR. This did not make sense to me so here is what we did..

The DR and FR were swapped out which gave the LR and NEW FR a connection, again offering more living space. Plus it just made sense to have the NEW DR off the kitchen.. Always remember this, you need to appeal to all senses and when entertaining it is ALWAYS best to have your DR off your kitchen..JUST A SIDE NOTE..the seller took the chandelier down after my pics were taken and moved it to the new DR!!

THIS NEW DR NOW TIES IN TO THE BEAUTIFULLY RENOVATED KITCHEN...We just punched the kitchen up a notch by adding accessories as well as PUTTING BACK the table that the seller removed. This table ties in beautifully to the NEW GRANITE COUNTERS, which is a HUGE SELLING FEATURE

KITCHEN BEFORE

KITCHEN AFTER...SO MUCH BETTER

THE THIRD FLOOR ATTIC WAS FINISHED BUT WAS BEING SHOWN VACANT...HUGE MISTAKE!!

HERE IT IS STAGED AND NOW SHOWS BUYERS THE BEAUTY OF THIS SPACE, OFFERING LOTS OF ADDITIONAL LIVING SPACE, DON'T YOU AGREE?

These were just SOME OF THE CHANGES we made which has helped buyers see the true potential of this home. THIS IS THE ROLE OF THE HOME STAGING EXPERT!

Is your home sitting on the market without any offers? What are you waiting for, another price reduction?   Call today for your in home staging consultation at 732-995-3425...TOGETHER, WE ARE TRULY CHANGING THE WAY BUYERS VIEW HOMES AND HELPING SELLERS MOVE ON.

Awhile back I wrote a blog..STAGING FOR THE RICH AND FAMOUS, WILL YOU KNOW IT? I DIDN'T. I have repeated this blog below and you will notice that I never mentioned the client's name because I felt it was important to keep his private life, private. But tonight I heard the shocking news that this former client was found dead.  I want the world to know who he was and let everyone know he was a kind man and that he will be missed. He loved his family and the realtor that hired me loved him like a son, I am sure she is shocked and heart broken...TONIGHT WE MOURN ARTURO GATTI! A young life cut down in his prime.

It was less than a year ago I wrote this blog and he was excited about selling his home in NJ and moving out of state.

This is a little humorous story that I thought I would share with my fellow AR's. I just finished staging a home for a client as of yesterday and it was quite an experience. Let me backtrack a few days...

I met with the realtor last Friday as usual for my initial consultation. The seller answered the door, I introduced myself and proceeded with my walk through. He was following me around the house and I was telling him we need to take down these curtains, paint this, bring in furniture for that....such an oblivious stager, huh?? Hey I was just doing my job!

As you all know, my husband is a KEY part of my business as he heads up my contracting team. He was lagging behind on the phone with someone while I went on ahead.

I was about half way through with my walkthrough when my husband came over to me and said ..."DO YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS?" I said WHO? To protect my client's privacy I cannot mention his name, but needless to say, my husband is a HUGE Boxing fan so he was thrilled to be in this gentleman's presence.

I WAS CLUELESS, DUH, What the heck do I know about boxing, well maybe I would have recognized Mike Tyson if he had answered the door. (it wasn't him).. My husband was like a little kid, it was quite amusing.

We got the job which involved lots of construction and then staging. When I placed the order at my rental company and they saw the lease agreement, the office began chatting. On the day of my furniture delivery, the delivery guys pulled up in the driveway and had smiles from ear to ear and could not wait to get inside to meet the "former champion of the world" (I did not say any names). It was amusing. BUT HE WAS NOT THERE, HE WAS AT THE AIRPORT. THESE GUYS WERE BUMMED. They wanted his autograph, I laughed and said to them...here I have it on the Lease Agreement, how much do you want to pay me for it?

The realtor called him and told them there were disappointed men here who wanted to meet him. He was very kind and said he would catch them when they picked up the furniture.

The following day my husband and I met with him to review his newly staged home (which he loved by the way) and to finalize some paperwork. When he heard about the delivery guys again he said he would love to meet with them and did autograph a dollar bill for them.

It was a fun job and NOW MY HUSBAND MAKES SURE HE COMES IN ALL THE TIME, GOD ONLY KNOWS HOW MANY OTHER FAMOUS PEOPLE I MAY HAVE MISSED

Here is a project we worked on in Linden, NJ. The units are beautifully done and when we asked what the demographics were, we were told young, first time buyers and older professionals. OKAY SO WE NEED TO APPEAL TO BUYERS WITH A LITTLE TRADITIONAL FLAIR AND A LITTLE MODERN EDGE...Here is what we did!

We chose a unit on the first floor and second floor. We staged the unit on the first floor a bit more traditional and then showed the buyer how the unit on the second floor, which had a "BONUS SPACE" would look decorated with a modern flair

LR/DR....UNIT 1

LR/DR UNIT 2..also notice the "BONUS SPACE OFF THE LR"

MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH UNIT 1 which is staged for the traditional buyer

MASTER BEDROOM AND BATH IN UNIT 2 which is staged for the young buyer with a modern edge

SECOND BEDROOM IN UNIT 1...This was staged with a twin bed and writing desk since Unit 2 had the bonus space for an office

SECOND BEDROOM IN UNIT 2...This was staged with a daybed to welcome guests

Kitchens in both units were fabulous!

BUT WHICHEVER STYLE SUITS YOU, YOU  HAVE TO ADMIT THAT THEY BLOW AWAY THIS NEXT STYLE WHICH SO MANY BUILDERS AND SELLERS ARE STILL USING......VACANT!!! WHICH APPEALS TO NO ONE!!

DON'T SELL YOUR HOME WITHOUT STAGING IT FIRST...CALL TODAY FORY OUR IN HOME CONSULTATION WITH THE TEAM OF RESTYLED TO SELL HOME STAGING EXPERTS @ 732-995-3425

TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE WAY BUYERS VIEW HOMES AND BUILDERS SELL HOMES!

Okay, okay you have heard me say it thousands of times, REMOVE THE WALLPAPER, buyers don't want to deal with it...wallpaper is like getting a tatoo, it is a great idea at the time but a painful process to remove!! SO WHY DID I WALLPAPER THIS ROOM?? Let's take a look!

OFFICE SPACE BEFORE....Too many shelves, clutter and GOLD VEINED MIRRORS! What's the solution?? Lose the deal, take down and replace ALL walls, Paint and risk chipping or......

OFFICE SPACE AFTER...I had this product called Paper Illusions that mimics a faux finish and was specifically made to go over hard to cover surfaces. By matching the wall color in LR, you now have an updated look. JUST DON'T GO HANGING ANY PICTURES ON THE WALLS!

LIVING ROOM BEFORE...The fireplace is a bit dated but we needed to work with what we had...SOOOO, we removed the gold trim, matched the tile color by using a beautiful color called Cup of Cocoa on the walls and ceiling, removed the mirrored corners and tile on floor as well as ALL LEVELORS. Look at the results!

LR AFTER...Updated, fresh, clean and MOVE IN READY!

DINING ROOM BEFORE...same 80's Style

DINING ROOM AFTER...Carry the same carpet and paint colors throughout the space, remove the levelors and replace light fixture...ELECTRICIAN went after my pics were taken and you have a whole new space!

KITCHEN BEFORE...Look at those backsplashes, that is NOT TILE!

KITCHEN AFTER...Much better now that floor tiles have been removed from the backsplash

When selling your home it is sooooo important to update all your outdated features. The investment will be worth it when that buyer walks through the door and says THIS IS IT!!

Call on the team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging Experts in NJ @ 732-995-3425, if you are ready to sell your home. TOGETHER, we are changing the way buyers view homes!

I have to give a SHOUT OUT TO MY TEAM MEMBERS on this one! On Monday morning myself and my assistants Al and Andrew showed up at this home and began the tedious task of removing wallpaper. My fabulous moving company, All Jersey Movers, were there packing, decluttering and putting the many pieces of furniture I asked be removed, to their storage unit. Tuesday, my painters showed up and Sunday, the best flooring company around, headed up by Michael Vasko installed the hardwood flooring. Yes I said Sunday, and they stayed until it was COMPLETE and the house was ready for it's photo shoot on Monday afternoon. This meant them staying until 10:30 that evening. Now THAT'S A TEAM YOU CAN COUNT ON EVERYTIME...Here are the fabulous results

ENTRY FOYER BEFORE...Long, dark and dated. Not a very good first impression

ENTRY FOYER AFTER...WOW! The staircase is FABULOUS! Always was, but the busy hallway distracted buyers from seeing anything else

DINING ROOM BEFORE...The room seemed more like a library than a formal dining room.

DINING ROOM AFTER...SO MUCH LARGER AND CHEERFUL, YET ELEGANT

KITCHEN BEFORE...Too many things distracted buyers from seeing the granite counters

KITCHEN AFTER...Once the wallpaper, lighting, furniture and decorative items were removed, the granite counters now become the STAR of this kitchen

SMALL HALL BATH BEFORE...Okay it has gray fixtures, but the pink wallpaper DID NOT HELP!

SMALL BATH AFTER...still the gray fixtures, but fresh, clean and updated feel

THE MASTER BEDROOM WAS LARGE BUT TOO MANY DISTRACTIONS KEPT BUYERS FROM SEEING THE SPACE

MASTER BEDROOM AFTER...REMINDS YOU OF A RELAXING WEEKEND AWAY AT A FABULOUS BED AND BREAKFAST

THE GUEST ROOM WAS ACTUALLY MY FAVORITE TRANSFORMATION...BEFORE IT WAS JUST WAAAAY TOO BUSY

GUEST ROOM AFTER....BUYERS UNPACK YOUR BAGS YOU ARE HOME!

THE FAMILY ROOM APPEARED SMALL

FAMILY AFTER...Once the large entertainment center was removed along with replacing the rugs with hardwood flooring, the room is now large, welcoming and updated

THIS FABULOUS HOUSE WAS BEING HIDDEN BEHIND MY WONDERFUL CLIENTS (WHOM WE LOVED) PERSONAL BELONGINGS. BUYERS COULD NOT SEE THE BEAUTY THIS HOUSE HAD TO OFFER. PRIOR TO THE THE RENOVATIONS AND STAGINGS, THERE WERE ONLY TWO SHOWINGS ON THE  HOUSE. THE REALTOR COULD NOT GET BUYERS THROUGH THE DOOR.

TO VIEW THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME IN SHREWSBURY, NJ CONTACT PEGGY KAELI @ 732-241-9298, MLS 20923764

WHY?? THE MLS PHOTOS. YOU SEE THE BEFORES, WOULD YOU HAVE MADE AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE THIS HOUSE? NOW THIS LOVELY HOME IN SHREWSBURY, NJ IS BACK ON THE MARKET, READY TO COMPETE AND SURE TO WIN!!

CALL ON THE TEAM OF RESTYLED TO SELL HOME STAGING EXPERTS @732-995-3425 TO HELP UNLOCK YOUR HOME'S HIDDEN TREASURES! TOGETHER WE ARE CHANGING THE WAY BUYERS VIEW HOMES!!

Okay this was a biggy both for my team and the client. As you can see the clients were pretty overwhelmed with the prospect of preparing their home for sale. Sometimes all it takes is someone to come along with a plan and alot of helping hands. ENTER THE TEAM OF RESTYLED TO SELL.....

LR BEFORE....The clients personal belongings combined with poor furniture arrangement did nothing to enhance the selling features of this home.

LR AFTER..Now this space welcomes buyers in

The Kitchen is opposite this open LR and together they now make a GREAT FIRST IMPRESSION! My team had been at the home one week prior to staging and painted the kitchen walls which were a dark green color. Now the cabinets are the STAR of the room!

Dressing up your Master Bedroom is as simple as crisp, white bedding with a punch of color carried throughout..OKAY maybe the dog should not be on the bed, but SHE REFUSED TO MOVE!

MBR BEFORE

MBR AFTER

Girl's Rooms are usually filled with posters and paraphernalia that screams THIS IS MY SPACE!

When selling your home you need to stage so that ANY LITTLE GIRL will want to call this HER SPACE

BASEMENTS SHOULD NOT BE FOR STORAGE ONLY. THEY ADD VALUABLE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO YOUR HOME AND NEED TO BE STAGED TO SHOW BUYERS HOW THE SPACE CAN BE USED.

WHO WOULDN'T LOVE HANGING OUT WITH THEIR FAMILY IN THIS BASEMENT?

When it is time to sell your home, call on the Team of ReStyled to Sell @ 732-995-32425, to lend a helping hand, you will be glad you did..Together we are changing the way buyers view homes!

Today we staged a lovely home in Newark, NJ. When the sellers first called me, they were in the middle of doing many extensive renovations of the home. My client thought that she may want to stage the property herself and she actually called rental companies and had received quotes based on the items she thought she would need.

When I did my consultation, I found many key items in her basement and then ONLY ORDERED pieces that would compliment their furnishings and home. I ACTUALLY WAS ABLE TO SAVE THEM MONEY AND GET MORE ITEMS FOR THEM.

LR BEFORE: A long and narrow room leaves buyers wondering how to set up their furniture for intimate conversation 

LR AFTER....I found this couch and area rug in their basement. The client had the fabulous piece of artwork which tied the whole color scheme together. I only needed to order accent chairs, table and lamps. My accessories mixed with the clients accessories completed the look

The KITCHEN BEFORE....The clients had done a beautiful job on renovating the kitchen, it just needed some pizazz..

Red will do it EVERYTIME..

The Parsons Chairs were also in their basement.

The Master Bedroom came to life when we found the beautiful wrought iron headboard and oriental screen. The client also had a great wicker rocker and decorative trunks in the basement, all we needed to bring in was bedding, nightstands, lamps and accessories to complete the master retreat.

If you think that you cannot afford the services of a Home Staging Professional, think again..by unlocking the HIDDEN TREASURES IN YOUR HOME, we will actually save you TIME AND MONEY.

Staging your house to sell is more affordable than you think. Call on The Team of ReStyled to Sell at 732-995-3425 to schedule your initial in home consultation. Together we are changing the way buyers view homes.

When the Team of ReStyled to Sell is called on a Home Staging Consultation the first thing that we look at is HOW CAN WE MAKE THEIR HOUSE COME ALIVE BY USING THEIR ITEMS...That is the most fun that we have as we search diligently through basements, closets and garages. Here is what we came up with on a house we staged this weekend.

The clients had some vacant rooms that they were looking to stage. They opted to purchase some of the larger items like couch and chairs for living room. The other items were either purchased by me for a minimal fee or we found them around their home. 

The Living Room Before had no appeal to a buyer as they entered the front door. The client purchased the Sofa, Chair and Lamps, while the other items were taken from other parts of the house

The Dining Room Before lacked drama. The client purchased the tablecloth and centerpiece. Everything else was found throughout the house.

The white curtains were removed to showcase the beautiful windows. In the after angle you cannot see that but I wanted to show you the view now from entering the home.

The Kitchen was beautiful, but appeared cluttered and cold. By adding color, swapping out chairs, table and artwork (also found from around the house) the room appears much warmer and inviting.

KITCHEN AFTER...

The Family Room presented a challenge as the clients had a large TV and couch, winding staircase, and a curved wall of windows...

FR BEFORE did not highlight any of the home's selling features.....

FAMILY ROOM AFTER....Did you notice the fireplace before??

The first part to selling any home is getting people in the front door to see it. WHICH PHOTOS WOULD HAVE MADE YOU CURIOUS ENOUGH TO COME SEE THIS HOME??

Call on the Team of ReStyled to Sell Home Staging Experts @ 732-995-3425, before you list your house for sale. Together we are changing the way buyers view homes.