2010 December « The Staging Chick

Archive | December, 2010

Design-to-sell: one property’s journey

Showing a buyer a house is a home sometimes requires more than just bringing in furniture and accessories. That was definitely the case with our most recent design-to-sell property in Plymouth Meeting, PA.

My initial reaction when walking into this property was ‘wow, this is a little dated’. Although the home has a great layout, ample space, a large backyard and is in a sweet location it needed some updates.

One of the things to remember when updating your home for sale is to spend your money well. You want to make the necessary updates but don’t go overboard or you may end up losing money.

After the walk thru I was excited to get started. We came up with a list of updates that we felt were necessary to make the home stand out. On top of the staging walk thru my clients brought in a home inspector to do a pre-inspection. Luckily there were only a few things that came up on the report and we were able to take care of them.

I wanted to get everything accomplished in two weeks as to not hold up the showings for too long. We pushed through and managed to get the job done in time!

Here are the before and after shots with a list of what was done. Enjoy!

Living Room:

Living Room After Living Room Before

Paint (BenMoore: Swiss Coffee BenMoore:Tree Moss (Accent))
Paint trim
Remove furniture

Kitchen:

Replace wallpaper w/paint (BenMoore: Cedar Key)
Update light fixture
Update cabinet hardware
Stage w/accessories

Family Room:

Family Room Before Family Room After

Update light fixture
Repair ceiling
Stage using client’s furniture

Basement/Garage:

Cleaned out garage
Demo/removed shelving
Minimally staged basement w/ client’s furniture
Cleaned out laundry area

1/2 Bath:

1/2 bath before 1/2 Bath After

Repaired unfinished ceiling
Replaced blinds w/ window treatment
Replaced damaged flooring
Staged w/accessories

Master Bedroom:

Bedroom Before Bedroom After

Painted walls (BenMoore: Cedar Key)
Painted trim
Painted doors/closet doors
Removed carpet
Refinished Floors
Removed window treatments
Staged using seller’s left behind furniture (painted 2 nightstands white)

Master Bathroom:

Master Bathroom Before Bathroom After Master Bath After

Replaced wallpaper with paint (BenMoore: Swiss Coffee)
Updated vanity
Updated light fixture
Replaced toilet
Painted floor tiles w/floor paint
Staged w/accessories

Spare Bedrooms/Hall Foyer:

Spare Bedroom Before Spare bedroom after Foyer After

Removed window treatments
Removed carpet
Refinished floors
Painted trim
Painted doors

Full Bath:

Guest Bath Before Guest Bath After

Guest Bath After

Replaced wallpaper w/ paint (BenMoore: Violet White)
Replaced vanity
Replaced toilet
Painted floor w/ floor paint
Replaced light fixture
Staged w/ accessories

Interested in seeing this property? Check out the listing here to contact Susan or Helen. Let me know what you think!

XOXO,

The Staging Chick

Comments 1 Comment
Categories decor, Home Staging, interior design

Home staging Fairmount Philadelphia

15 Dec

Hi! *smiles shyly* I’m just getting back into the swing of things. Two weeks ago I started working on a huge project, which as I write is still on going. I’ll share more about that later, but the point being I’ve been super busy and I feel so removed from the internet world! Finding time to blog and upload pictures is so hard when you’re out in the field. But here I sit because I have a great property to share with you.

Friday I staged this cute 3br in the Fairmount area of Philadelphia. Or as some lovingly refer to it as the Art Museum area. What a great neighborhood! It’s like a tight little community on that hill across from the Museum where Rocky lives.

I know I’ve said this before but when I walk into a property I immediately get a sense of where I’m going to put what. It’s always so interesting to see how the homeowner actually had it setup. In this case I was able to see before pictures.

The homeowners of this property are so sweet and family oriented. Which is why I did not find it shocking that they had a sofa in the dining room instead of a table and a large dining table to accommodate other families for dinner where their living room should be. What truly makes a house a home is the love and community you bring to it. There aren’t rules to how you should live.

There are rules about how you show your property to buyers. This is where I come in. One of the most interesting features of this house is that the kitchen is in the front of the house. Most of the buyer feedback was negative about walking into the kitchen from the front door. However, I think it’s charming. A kitchen is where families spend time cooking, chatting and just being together. So what’s the big deal?

I can’t change the layout but I can change the feeling it evokes. How does this space make you feel? Want to check out this property, talk to Lauren at Prudential Fox & Roach she’ll help you out.

Off to the next project!

XOXO

The Staging Chick

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Home Staging

DIY Shabby Chic Desk

6 Dec

As I was preparing to write about my most recent DIY trash-to-treasure my friend over at First Home Makeover gave me the heads up that one of my past trash-to-treasures was featured on BetterAfter! I love blogging about my DIY adventures. I’m finding less time to spend on these projects but when I do I’m so happy! It’s even more fulfilling when other people want to see what I’m working on.

Desk Before

So without further ado, here’s what I’ve been working on! I found this in front of my neighbor’s house a few months ago. My loving husband was hoping I wouldn’t go outside and see it, but he lost. Glad he did! This piece is an amazing antique. There were four leaves that went to this table and to be honest I’m not sure how it worked. I left the leaves behind and decided this would work best as a console or small writing desk.

Desk After

The top of this piece pulled apart so my first step was to secure it together with wood glue. Then I used a two-part epoxy to smooth over the seam. After a run with the sander and a little cleaning with mineral spirits it was time for paint.

Desk After

I decided to paint the entire dresser a cream color (Sandstone Cove: Behr) and highlight the accents in my favorite sage (Silver Sage: Behr). I painted the dresser in the cream first. Then I went back in and hand painted the accents.

The final step was adding these adorable knobs (Homegoods).

I love the way this turned out. I think it would be perfect for a kids room or as a sofa table in a shabby chic home! This piece is currently for sale. Email amanda@sunflowercreationsonline.com for more info!

I hope you love this as much as I do!

XOXO

The Staging Chick

Comments 4 Comments
Categories DIY Projects, Furniture, Home Staging, interior design

Home staging Italian Market Philadelphia

1 Dec

First I’d like to say Happy December to everyone! That went FAST!

Last week, pre Thanksgiving face stuffing, I staged a beautiful property in the Italian Market section of Philadelphia. If you’ve never been there I highly recommend you check it out. Fresh meats, cheeses, veggies, oh my!

This property is prime location for scooting over to Sabrina’s (9th & Christian) on a Sunday afternoon. Another must if you’re in the area. They have the best..brunch…EVER. Plus they’re BYOB so if you feel like topping it off with a mimosa bring a bottle of champagne.

So enough about the amazing location, lets talk about the amazing property. This property is fully rehabbed and immaculate.

It’s one of those jobs that makes you wonder if the builder was building for himself because he pulled out all the stops. Beautiful kitchen with a wine bar, finished basement, hardwoods throughout, 3 br, and a master bathroom that will knock your socks off. Oh yeah and…and there is a roof deck with a terrific view of the city.

Needless to say I really love this place, which made it a fun and easy job. I think we hit the mark with this one. What do you think? Want to move in? Talk to Fred he can set you up 938 Hall Street Listing.