Home Staging Makes a Difference!

Living Room Before

When you first walk into this lovely home, this is the view from the front door.  There is an opening to the kitchen, an opening to the front hall, a short hallway to the master bedroom, plus you need to cross the room to go up the stairs.  Furniture arrangement can be a challenge.  However, once you recognize that the fireplace should be a focal point, furniture placement then unfolds.

Notice how you are drawn into this room now. It is warm, inviting, and yet sophisticated. 

Living Room After

 

Living Room After

 

At Premiere Home Stagers, we work with you to make your home feel right. We don’t sell homes; we make your home more saleable. By using the right furniture and accessories, we emotionally connect your house to a prospective buyer. Or, we can make your home more comfortable for you.  Isn’t it time you become emotionally connected to your house? 

If you’d like to see more of this house, take a look at our slide show and contact Donna Birschbach at Keller Williams Realty for a showing.

 

Bedroom Redesign

Bedroom before

Except for adding a piece of wall art behind the bed, this bedroom was looking good from a staging perspective.  The bed was the focal point of the room when standing in the doorway.

 However, this room didn’t function well for the student who occupies it. The student liked the larger desk to accommodate the sound system when doing homework.  The problem was the desk chair rarely got put back tight against the desk–probably because it also held clothes that never made it into the laundry basket.  The chair then blocked access to the closet where the student kept her larger books, extra office supplies, and clean clothes.  Premiere Home Stagers to the rescue to re-arrange the furniture.

Bedroom after

This arrangement solves the “access to the closet” problem, plus lets the student gaze (daydream?) out the window instead of tackling homework.  The bed and the desk switched places.  The armoire and parlor chair stayed right where they were.  For some reason, the room feels larger. That’s what we hear all the time.  When the room is right, it just feels better.

 Now all we need to do is find some wall art that goes above the bed.

 

On the Move

Premiere Home Stagers received a phone call  from a realtor who asked how fast we could do a staging consult.  So, within 90 minutes, I was at the front door of this house.  When people receive job offers, they need to be flexible enough to pack up and go. These homeowners had all the right pieces, but needed a little advice on the details.

Living Room After

What made the living room more appealing wasn’t re-arranging the large pieces of furniture, but adding softness and texture.  It’s unbelieveable how such small changes can make such a big impact.  Softness and texture was added by: a) putting a lamp on top of  two stacked books that sit on the square basket to the left of the sectional; b) placing a complementary basket with reading material near the chair on the left side of the fireplace; c) adding a plant for nurture/nature on the mantel; d) moving the floor lamp behind the right side of the sectional; e)  turning the armoire onto the diagonal in the corner; and f) centering the ottoman in the center of the room.  Now when a prospective buyer walks into this living room, it will F-E-E-L right.  Premiere Home Stagers uses the FEEL test:  F =First impression; E = Eliminate clutter; E = Emotional Connections;  L =Lighten it up.

Armoire on an Angle

Now onto the master bedroom:

Master Bedroom before

The first thing one needs to see when entering a master bedroom is the bed. We decided the bed’s headboard should go against the window wall. The night stand can go to the left of the bed and only the tall dresser (right) will remain on the opposite wall. The long dresser (left) will need to be stored for now. Although the furniture pieces are quite lovely, they darken the room and make it more crowded.  And, because the walls are blue, there should be blue accent pillows on the bed and perhaps a blue accessory piece on the dresser or nightstand.

These homeowners understand that they only get one chance to make a good first impression.  They scheduled the exterior to be power washed and hired a painter to touch up the interior walls.  The kids will clean their rooms and the kitchen counters will be cleared off.  Realtors love to show off a house in prime condition.  After all, statistics support the fact that staged homes sell faster and for more money.  You can bet that these homeowners will be settled into their new home sooner than you think.  In fact, the homeowners expressed an interest into having Premiere Home Stagers consult on their next home.  Our pleasure!

 

Summertime Porch

Some homeowners don’t realize the potential of certain spaces in their homes.  For example, this front porch is enclosed with storm windows that when lifted to expose the screens, the summer breeze wafts through.  The problem is that over the winter the porch becomes the “catch-all” space. Premiere Home Stagers saw the diamond in the rough.

Porch before

Notice the number of competing patterns. There is no cohesion, no flow, no comfort level. It does not invoke a peaceful space on a lovely summer afternoon sipping iced tea or lemonade.

Porch glider before

The homeowner had problems finding the correct size of cushions for this 3-seat glider so she cobbled together bedspreads and thin bench cushions to soften the springs.  When Premiere Home Stagers sought out cushions that would fit, they went to World Market and purchased six floor cushions.  They are the perfect size and oh so comfortable.

Porch Glider after

You can position these cushions so that the stripes are either horizontal or vertical–whatever is your pleasure.

After removing the clutter and mismatched fabric patterns, then re-arranging the layout, the porch becomes a serene gathering place during the day plus a welcomed relief from mosquitoes in the evening.

Porch After

Notice the colors aren’t all the same, but complement each other. By positioning the daybed at the end, there is more room for guests on the glider to enjoy the outdoor view. The rug runner is just the right size and ties the burgundy colors with the golden and brown colors.

Porch Dining

This is the place where you would want to go to read the morning paper while sipping coffee. Or, perhaps enjoy a casual lunch or dinner with friends.  Who doesn’t want to stay up late on summer evenings while watching fireflies dance about.

Front Porch After

Just imagine what Premiere Home Stagers can do for your cherished spaces!

 

Movin’ On

This is the view when you first walk into the front door. Can you tell what room this is? 

Dining Room "before"

Remember, prospective buyers make up their minds about a house in the first 30 seconds.  Every second counts.  Every room needs a focal point and a purpose. 

Dining Room "after"

The homeowner said they didn’t have a formal dining table, so they didn’t know what to do with this room.  Perhaps the next homeowners will have a formal dining set.  We moved the kitchen dining table into this space and moved a counter-height table from the basement  into the kitchen dinette space.  Problem solved. 

Living Room "before"

The next room straight ahead is the living room.  However, the pathway is obstructed by a green chair,  the large armoire blocks the beautiful windows, and there are no end tables to put down a drink or read by a lamp.  The sofa and chair don’t quite face each other, so it is difficult to carry on a conversation.

Living room "after"

 With a few changes, you’ll notice the windows look balanced with the armoire moved to the opposite wall, the fireplace becomes noticeable when the green chair is snuggled next to it, and the seating is more conducive to conversation.

Master Bedroom "before"

The Master Bedroom is on the first floor, whereas the other bedrooms are upstairs.  The Master bedroom needs to be a soothing retreat, distinguished from all the other bedrooms.

Master Bedroom "after"

This room just needed a few “tweaks.”  The style of the bedroom furniture clashed with the Greek column and the mirror shouldn’t be on the floor as an afterthought. It now looks clean and fresh. A very relaxing spot to view a backyard full of flowers.

You know you’ve done your job when the homeowner says, “wow, it feels right.”    If you’d like to see more, please contact Joe Marks at Cooper Spransy Realty.

 

Living room Redesign

Sometimes when I sit at someone’s house, I am visualizing how much better the room would look if the furniture was rearranged.   When I ask the homeowner if they ever thought about moving the sofa to the adjacent wall, we end up moving it to see if they like it.  Then after things are rearranged, I realize I should have taken a “before” photo. 

Living Room Redesign "after"

So, imagine the sofa on the short wall where the two green swivel chairs are located.  Where the sofa is now was a writing desk with two upholstered backless stools.  It was hard to have a conversation because the sofa was at one end and the two chairs were at the other end.  Now, no matter where you sit, you can make eye contact and carrying on a conversation without having to speak louder. It just feels right. 

The writing desk and stools are now located on a non-impact wall, yet is still functional.

 It seems that every time Premiere Home Stagers does a redesign, the homeowner exclaims  “why didn’t I think of that?”

 

Redesign after Construction – Dining Room

Sometimes Premiere Home Stagers is asked to consult when the homeowner is remodeling.  We are more than happy to give our insight as to how to use a space more efficiently, select paint colors, and help with furniture placement and accessories.

Dining Room before Construction

The kitchen, bathroom, laundry and dining area were all affected by remodeling. It’s not easy living without these basic necessities for 5 weeks. But the end result is certainly worth it.

Dining Room before Staging

The wallpaper border was removed, as was the carpet. New red oak flooring was installed, along with a new light fixture. We chose a warm grey paint color.

Dining Room After

Premiere Home Stagers updated the look of this dining room while keeping the homeowner’s inherited antique dining table and chairs.   The chair cushions were reupholstered and a new contemporary area rug brings in some color. The antique hutch was placed in the corner for more impact and given fresh accessories to display. We love to mix antiques with contemporary pieces. 

Dining Room After

The homeowners were contemplating moving, but instead decided to remodel and stay put.  They like their location and neighbors.  So why not remodel for yourself instead of for the next buyer. Let Premiere Home Stagers help you with your remodel or redesign needs.

 

Guess Our Age

Have you ever visited a Guess Your Age booth at a carnival?  What are the clues the ‘guesser’ uses to come so close to a person’s actual age?  It’s amazing, and I’m sure it is more than pure guesswork!

Our challenge in home staging is to increase the appeal of a home to any age buyer.  It should be hard to guess the age of the current occupants–thus more successfully marketing the home of grandparents to the thirty-something buyer, for example.  Pictured below is a recent project–the beautiful home of a retiring couple.  Premiere Home Stagers was tasked to spend a few hours staging the home.  A clue to the age of the occupants is the many antiques and family heirlooms that are lovingly displayed throughout.

We love antiques and use them in our own home decor.  But when it comes to staging, antiques can ‘age’ a property.  Since this living room is the first thing seen when entering the home it was imperative to update its look, using what the homeowners have.  We scoured the house for other pieces.  We rearranged and pulled the sofa in from across the room to form a conversation grouping.  We left clear access to the lovely sunporch beyond–a big selling feature.  Below is the result.

Now the room is harder to categorize as belonging to an older couple.  We suggested the addition of a warmer tan paint color that blends well with adjoining spaces.  The home should appeal to any buyer.

 

Staged, Shown, Sold–in 1 Day!

We love success stories–don’t you?  Premiere Home Stagers is delighted to share our latest with you! 

Last week we spent an afternoon staging a home.  We were busy decluttering, rearranging furniture, repositioning wall art and doing our best with what was available, even improvising a pasta centerpiece for the dining table (a future blog subject!).  The seller mentioned that there was a showing the next morning.  No time for major changes!

We just received a call from the listing agent, Katie Michelle of Century 21 Affliliated, that there is an accepted offer as a result of that next day showing.  Way to go Katie!  She wisely chose professional home staging,  competitively priced the home and marketed it for a quick sale.

We’re glad to be part of selling success stories like this one!

 

Sale Pending in 3 Days

Living Room Before

Premiere Home Stagers were asked to give a consultation to the homeowners who planned to put their home on the market within the next few days.  When we walked in, we were immediately face-to-face with the sofa and an empty area rug. We see this fairly often–all the furniture is placed with their backs against a wall like you’ve moved the pieces for a ”barn dance.”  Just by moving the sofa to the adjacent wall and bringing up the chair that was sitting by itself in the corner (like it had done something wrong), we made a conversation group. Immediately the living room felt warm and cozy.

Living Room After

We then went about our consultation and left our report with the homeowners.  They followed our instructions perfectly and low and behold, their home wasn’t on the market long enough to have one  Open House. They listed it on the FSBO Madison site and had an acceptable offer within 3 days of our consult.  Granted, the area of town is a well-desirable place to live in Madison, WI.  But there are other homes in the area listed around the same price point that haven’t yet sold. Does staging make a difference?  You bet. Statistics bear that out.