Day in the Life

Staging in Jefferson

The goal of home staging is to create a welcoming environment that showcases features of your house, highlights its most impressive assets, and provides a tasteful neutral setting that exhibits the potential of the home. This allows prospective buyers to visualize the house as their new HOME. Real Estate Mogul Barbara Corcoran, currently featured on Shark Tank, asserts, "Home Staging is no longer optional in this real estate market, but a MUST. It’s what will make the difference in whether your home sells or not.” Thanks to shows like HGTV, homebuyers expect to see picture-perfect houses when shopping for their new HOME.

Staging a home for sale does not necessarily mean every room is emptied of the seller's possessions and replaced with the typical standard fare of home furnishings from the pages of a catalog - simple and safe but not memorable. This type of staging is a “cookie cutter” approach and doesn’t really show the home’s best attributes.

To assist my seller clients with getting their homes ready to market, I will review the home and make a few suggestions on what to paint, remove, rearrange, or what pieces of furniture, artwork, or lighting will need to be added. I like to create vignettes throughout the house, creating lifestyle moments to engage the buyer. I use what the homeowner already has and then bring in carefully curated pieces to enhance and supplement.

For my recent listing of a farmhouse in Jefferson, my sellers went above and beyond in doing everything I suggested. The original kitchen ceiling beams had been painted by a previous homeowner a dingy tan. After showing my clients several magazine photos of black painted beams set against crisp white paint, they enthusiastically agreed to paint the beams black and the whole kitchen received a fresh coat of crisp white. The finished look was stunning and the room has received numerous compliments from visiting potential buyers. My clients expressed that they never would have thought to change the color of the beams, but loved the look. Sometimes you have to be pushed out of your comfort zone.

The kitchen glass cupboard doors revealed cereal boxes and canned goods etc. Those items were all moved to lower cabinets and were styled with my coordinating black and white dishes along with the homeowner’s assorted glassware. A beautiful hutch in the living room that had been used as a catch all spot became an elegant, well-appointed bar. Simple touches throughout the home like adding greenery on shelves and night stands or a strategically placed bowl of fruit provided pops of color to draw the viewer into the online photos.

My favorite part of the kitchen staging was bringing in a beautiful table that had been hand-built by the client. I added a pair of caned chairs with pillows alongside the table to make a little dining area in the kitchen. But an even bigger surprise was behind the piece of drywall in the front entry. My suggestion had been to remove the drywall and replace it with shiplap boards to enhance that farmhouse vibe. When the drywall was removed it revealed the beehive chimney behind it. Shelves were added and styled with plants and decorative items. The whole wall became a charming focal point welcoming visitors when entering the home. This was such a fun surprise.

Regardless of what the market is, sellers should always put their home’s best foot forward and I am there to help make it happen.