Whether its a $250k rental property in Queens or a $30mm penthouse in midtown, there are certain techniques to staging that really help show a property in its best light. The most obvious and easiest ways to stage a home are:
–De-clutter. Every room, every shelf and horizontal surface, every closet should be thinned out and organized. You don’t want things empty or vacant but you want there to be a feeling like there is more space available – particularly in NYC.
–Fresh coat of paint. WHITE paint. This is one of the best ways to make a place look and feel new. And no, no accent walls. No need to get creative here. Don’t overthink it. Just paint it white.
Here is an example of a de-cluttering staging job with a fresh coat of white paint that I did with the seller of a studio in midtown. The seller had very little budget to hire a stager so we improvised, de-cluttered (which involved throwing out a lot of stuff that had accumulated), repurposed and repainted:
Before:
After:
Pro Home Stagers
Professional home stagers come in all different varieties from large companies to individuals. Either of which can do a great job for your property. One boutique company, Journey Home Design quotes Barbara Corcoran saying:
Home Staging is no longer an option in this real estate market -It’s a must….. Barbara Corcoran, Founder of the Corcoran Group.
Staging is the art of preparing your home to sell in its best possible form. We bring it from standard to stunning so it stands out amid the many other homes on the market. Giving your home that WOW factor is a wise investment; it will increase its value and attract quicker and higher offers.
I was recently at the launch party of a new development in Soho which was nicely staged by a big home staging company, Meredith Baer Home. One of their pieces of advice is “White Walls, Period.” They go on to say:
White makes everything look new and also makes rooms look bigger. Paint is an inexpensive way to freshen up the overall atmosphere and give your home a facelift. Upgrading your hardware can also create dynamic changes without having to spend a lot of money. [For paints] Meredith recommends:
Farrow & Ball “All White”
Restoration Hardware “Perfect White”
Benhamin Moore “Decorator’s White”
Sherwin Williams “Glass of Milk” or “Pure White”
Here is a series of tips and pictures from that new development staging and for the uninitiated, works as a primer to home staging with some great tips:
