Julia Maher, Connecticut Home Stager Staging Fairfield & New Haven Counties

Quick Staging Tip for Sectionals From A Connecticut Home Stager!

Sectionals, those lushly comfortable pits of family warmth, can be the bane of a Stager's life. Frequently, they are over-sized, and too large for the rooms they occupy. They can often block important traffic flow and generally make a space feel awkward and too small.

Before: The sectional sofa cuts off part of this family room, and blocks easy access to the sliding glass doors. The TV also blocks part of a large picture window.

Sometimes sectionals can be taken apart and down-sized. Sometimes, all it takes is moving them! Following directions from a Staging Consultation by Nestings Home Staging Connecticut, the Sellers simply moved the sectional and TV, opening up the space and traffic flow.

After: This simple change actually makes a dramatic difference in how the space is perceived and used.

If you're preparing your home for today's real estate market, re-think that sectional. Make sure it doesn't overwhelm the room or block traffic flow. If you need help, call your local professional Home Stager!

Staging Your House? Stage Those Bookshelves!

I'm sure you've seen bookcases beautifully merchandised with art, accessories and books - books that were placed on the shelves backwards! Various shelter magazines and home stores have used this clever device to show off the display techniques and/or the furnishings. The styling visually removes the titles, as well as potentially clashing binding colors, leaving the simple neutral beige of the color of the pages.

Lovely to look at, but impossible to live with in real life! How would I know which book is my favorite Dickens novel?

However, this technique can be very useful for Home Staging. When your home is on the market, you want the focus on its features (such as built-in bookcases), not your possessions (such as self-help books). This display technique can help sell your house, and remove distractions.

Before: The valuable custom built-in bookshelves in this Master Bedroom were cluttered and poorly organized.

After: Nestings Home Staging had the seller pack up most of the books. We then removed some shelves to display some art, and stacked the remaining books and reversed them to lend a calming air to the Master Bedroom. Additional accessories and boxes were added.

The built-ins now look rich, more important, and valuable. This is how to sell a house!

Vintage Staged Connecticut House Shows Off Its Charm

As the owner of this charming vintage Connecticut home, nestled in a lovely North Haven neighborhood, had made the decision to sell, the house next door sold after one week on the market. The seller realized that it was possible to sell quickly in this market, but that she had a lot to do. She knew she had to make her home move-in ready.

The savvy seller followed the recommendations provided by Nestings Home Staging. Repairs, painting, editing, new light fixtures, updating... Over the course of a couple of months, she got it done on a minimal budget. We then went in to finesse the Staging details.

Before: While the layout is fine, the mis-matched fabric patterns and overabundance of art detract from the room's features and highlights.

After: By editing out the drapery, rug, art, and smaller furniture pieces, the features of the room really shine. Gleaming hardwood floors and very special multi-paned windows are now visible. A simple linen slipcover helps unite the disparate upholstery.

Here's another view. The seller had some wonderful things to work with. What's new? The paint, slipcover, a lamp, and some pillows - and a fresh new attitude!

The house sold in 63 days. Not as quickly as her neighbor's, but much faster than the 120 day average* (3-month period for her time on market) for the town!

*Source: www.raveis.com

"I'm Mayhem, and I'm Your Worst Nightmare!"

I like small children.

I surf the internet looking for them.

I don't have to bother with social networking sites.

I can use the MLS.

I know if it's a boy or a girl.

I know approximately how old they are.

I know their address.

I KNOW THEIR NAME!!!

I know they might respond to me if I call them by their name.

I'm Mayhem, and I'm your worst nightmare!

Parents, if your house is for sale, PLEASE remove any and all references to specific information regarding your children. This may include name banners, awards, certificates, report cards, signs, etc. Don't give Mayhem a chance with with your children!

Real Estate Agents: Please encourage your listing clients to remove name signs such as the one above. While charming, they could put a child at risk. If the client won't comply, refrain from posting such photos.

This is one important piece of advice I give all my Connecticut Home Staging clients, and one that I would think all agents would too. However, every day I see new listings posted on the MLS with this kind of blatant "invitation". Let's keep the children's safety in mind!

Selling Your Connecticut Home? Check Out Your Competition!

When you are preparing your house for the market, you and your real estate agent will be sure to check out the competition. This is important for setting the asking price, but you also want to be sure your house looks as good as - if not better than - similar houses in the area.

This is easy to do on the MLS. Are the competing homes' kitchens cluttered or updated? Is yours? Do the family rooms appear spacious and appealing to the target buyer? Does yours? Are the master bedrooms restful and luxurious? Is yours?

In this case study, both houses are the same age, on the same street - just across the way from each other in an upscale Connecticut golf community. At the time of the Subject house's listing, the competition had already been on the market for three months. Online, it appeared neat and spacious. The Subject house had a lot of work to do.

Subject House: 1 DOM; $594.5 - 5 BR/3 Ba; 3400 sf (w/finished lower level not included)

Competition: 91 DOM; $579.9 - 4 BR/2.5Ba 3400 sf

Nestings Home Staging performed four hours of hands-on Staging, and the sellers completed the rest of the work following the instructions we gave them. Here are the results.

Note: The Before photos of the Subject house are mine. The After and Competition photos are as seen on the MLS.

The listing agent informed me the Subject house sold in 50 days. (The competition was pulled off the market; I don't know when or why - but it had been on the market for 90 days at the time of our listing.)

How does your house compare to the competition? Call a professional Home Stager to be sure your house truly stands out from the competition!

Selling Your Connecticut Home? Check Out Your Competition!