Before & After: Home Staging in CT

We recently staged a home in Connecticut that I must share. In 10 years of staging, this house is definitely in my top 5 favorite houses that I've seen. It was built in 1919 and has more character in the front door than most houses have in their whole footprint. So, when we got the opportunity to visit the home back in Jan., make renovation recommendations and then stage the home for sale, I was so excited. This is a bank owned home and currently on the market. I would buy this house in a New York minute if it were in my neck of the woods. Here's the story...

Before: The house is no doubt fabulous from the outside however, especially in the winter, it's important to create some color contrast and open the shades for a welcoming effect.

AFTER; The house was painted and the front door painted deep red.

Before: The entry was dark but the dark brown contrast on the trim was great, so we kept that and had the walls painted a gray color instead of brown. 

After: 

Can we discuss this original dutch door!! 

What a major feature to highlight in the real estate photos!

(I can't even deal!)

Before: This yellow wall color is dated and the furniture is not good.

After: Simple staging and neutral wall color,

Before: Dated bedroom. And also, notice the wall color stops at the top of the window line. 

When you have a ceiling pitch like this, paint it all the way up to the ceiling.

After: The gray color, painted to the top of the pitch, makes the ceiling look higher and the room look bigger. 

Before: The kitchen caused some debate between myself and the (bank hired)contractor. 

I thought the "before" was workable. As a professional stager, my recommendation is based on a "spend the least amount of money to get the greatest return" mentality .  It's all in the merchandising.

My recommendation: Save those white quartz counters. Keep the brass knobs because brass is back.  Switch out the stove and oven.

Change the lighting to something like this with some aged brass elements:

I thought the bookcase and the slate floors were fine..

Could be staged like this with a round zinc or gate leg table, accessorized with cloches and orchid:

via Pinterest

However, I was over ruled and they decided to do an entire reno.

AFTER

I would be curious to know if the house would have sold without renovating the kitchen but, we'll never really know. Maybe when the house sells, the new homeowner will share what they loved about the house and we can get some insight on the features they love most.

So anyway, the master bathroom needed to be reconfigured for a double sink.
BEFORE

AFTER:

The original faucets were saved!! YES!

The other bathroom AFTER:

The walls were painted gray and the original lighting was saved.

This house is so fabulous.

More photos

The house is listed for sale by New England Realty Associates in CT

Here is the old listing

Staged home sales still gowing strong 2009!

A great thing about selling in a slow, tumultuous, snowy, cold, real estate market in New England is that home sellers can assume the buyers looking at homes are serious about purchasing. As a service provider in the real estate market, we went into January with high hopes and anxiety about the 2009 market. Our clients whom staged their homes in January continued to show strong results, each going under agreement right away, consistently beating the average DOM in their market. View success stories

What is the staging difference and does it really matter in a slow market?
VIEW this MLS listing BEFORE staging on the market 122 days, getting showings yet no offers (prime staging candidate!!)
VIEW this same MLS listing AFTER staging This house is UNDER AGREEMENT from the first showing after staging!!

Yes this is real estate market January 2009!

If you have a listing or a home for sale that is getting showings yet no offers, you have the perfect home staging candidate. Every showing you receive is an opportunity for a sale. Trust us, the tire kickers are home shoveling the driveway, they are not out looking at homes right now. Buyers in 2009 mean business!

Regardless of market conditions, when you decide to sell, your home becomes a product. Staging is the best way to display your product to help buyers identify with the lifestyle your house represents. Statistics show that a well displayed home sells faster and for greater profit. Today's savvy buyer is looking for quality, style, and a smart investment. A home that is offered for sale in "AS IS" condition or "un-staged" before selling, will likely get an "AS IS" price in the marketplace. If you are selling a home without staging then you can consider yourself in the "as-is" marketplace where unfortunately, many of the homes in New Hampshire for sale are foreclosures or bank owned homes in NH.

Especially for Builders, you are off to a rough start if you have a peice of raw land and are asking your real estate agent what you should build. Few small to mid-sized builders understand the role of marketing in new home sales. Construction competence, while necessary for a strong product, is not enough to ensure sales. If you produce quality however find your sales disappointing, chances are you are lacking an effective marketing force. We're not talking about simply hiring the right real estate professional- rather employing a team that together will define your position in the marketplace through brand building and creative marketing solutions.

If you would like more information on home staging or marketing solutions for new homes, CALL New England Home Staging at 1-888-778-NEHS