Move-In Ready Home Staging
Home staging becomes a family affair as we make a friend’s Bedford, NY, home move-in ready.
From time-to-time we have the pleasure of hearing about a home staging project from the point of view of the homeowner. This month, however, we get the inside skinny from one of the folks in the trenches. This article is written by my sister, Laura Atwell, who is instrumental in all the phases of a recent home staging. The home is that of our family friends Ann Marie and John. Here’s what Laura has to say about the home staging process, her experience, and the final results.
I am understandably sad when I learn that my friends Ann Marie and John have accepted a job offer that will move them out of state. Instead of focusing on my personal loss, I promise to help out in any way I can to make the sale of their home and their move go quickly and smoothly.
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Realizing that home staging can have a huge impact on a sale, they ask my sister, Susan Atwell, to help them prepare their home for sale.
When Susan goes to their house for a staging consultation, I tag along, taking notes and helping to move furniture and accessories as needed.
Having worked with my sister before, I know that she works fast and that I will have to be on my toes to keep up!
I also know that after the work Susan suggests is complete, the house will be ready for a speedy sale. I am not disappointed!
It’s easy to see how this can be an emotional experience. Ann Marie and John raised two boys in this house, hosted many church events and parties, and the home is very familiar to me. My family had even stayed in the house for almost a week when we were out of power after Superstorm Sandy. So I am not immune to the feelings that come with the experience.
We all know that there are updates needed in some areas and that staging and a deep cleaning will help to show the house at its best and make it move-in ready.
Ann Marie and John have lots of antique furniture and beautiful black-and-white prints on the walls. Susan wants the house to be a bit brighter and more colorful and modern to appeal to the young family that will most likely buy the house. We take down the prints and replace them with more colorful ones, some borrowed from my home.
We unclutter and move furniture around. We even find some treasures in the many cabinets and bureaus to put on display. (My sister refers to this as “shopping” the home.)
As we follow Susan’s advice, we also begin packing away items that will not be used, and since Ann Marie and John are downsizing, we start to arrange for donations of furniture and other items, as well as junk pickup for other objects. This makes their out-of-state move much easier.
There are some repairs and cosmetic do-it-yourself projects to be done. Since John is already spending most of his week at his new job three hours away, my husband, Todd, puts his handyman skills to work.
The mailbox needs replacing, a few walls need minor repairs and paint, the stair rail needs painting, and there are some exterior shingles to replace on the siding, along with a few other simple jobs. We are able to get it all done for the cost of some paint and some iced tea for Todd.
Finally, it is time to deep clean the house.
Since time and budget are tight and since Ann Marie and John are wonderful people with many friends, I organize a cleaning day with mutual friends from our church.
Six adults show up on a Saturday morning, some with kid helpers in tow, and we clean, clean, clean, everything including the windows. I spend the majority of my time cleaning the kitchen, which we want to look its best, particularly because we know that it needs updating.
Susan comes back in after the cleaning to put on the finishing touches for photos and showings. When the house is finally done, the change is amazing.
The house has always been welcoming and warm, but now it’s dressed in its Sunday best for potential buyers and new owners.
Here’s what Ann Marie has to say about the experience and results:
“We cannot tell you how much we appreciated all your help. It truly made a difference—and still does—as we use your staging tips and ideas in our new home.
It was a far-reaching and eye-opening experience, to be moving and relocating after almost 20 years, and you, Laura, and Todd made a stressful time so much easier.
What I greatly appreciated was your ability to use what we had in our home to give it a fresh new look, your vision and creativity, and your ability to see things through the eyes of a potential buyer. These are all great assets.
Most of all, you gave a fresh feel to a house that was very much in need of one, and buyers responded better than I could have expected. We sold our house more quickly than I expected, and to a wonderful family.
After this experience, we would definitely recommend using a home stager to anyone selling their home. It gives you, the seller, a whole new way to look at your home, and the investment is surely well worth it. Thank you for everything.”
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