A Cottage home staging story....
This home is a small 1950's cottage. It was a rental property for 25 years and had been neglected. The owner decided to invest in necessary home repairs and needed to improve curb appeal, the bath and the kitchen. Given the repairs cost, the staging budget was critical. For tax reasons, the owner planned to live in the house two years before selling. Staging for selling became a redesign for living!
In this before staging photo, you see the first angle at which potential buyers would see the house, side yard and front porch. The shutters and the window unit air conditioner were removed. The house was power washed. The grade was addressed to re-direct water away from the foundation.
In this after staging photo, rocks were purchased to edge the planting beds. Redwood lattice panels were placed at the grade level and a combination of Carolina Jessamine and Clematis were planted which will provide cover for the concrete block foundation.
The existing front porch was screened to create outdoor living space. The front porch is the main entry. The before pictures shows a concrete floor with flaking paint covered by a large black rug. The area was addressed by repainting the floor in a neutral color, non skid paint $27 a gallon.
Flower boxes were built, painted with the exterior trim paint and accentuated with ceramic tiles from the clearance bin at the local ceramic tile store.
The firewood and barbecue grill were edited.
In the after photo you see the existing wicker furniture got a new coat of paint with accent trim coordinating with the window boxes. The paint cost $20.
The homeowner created art work on plywood found in the basement and used a combination of all paints purchased for other projects. Cost: Free
Cost Breakdown for staging the porch: $47 for paint, that's it! The rest was Hands-On Staging, working together with the homeowner in two days time.
Cost Breakdown for curb appeal: Window boxes, $25 each (times 8 windows)for wood, $40.00 total for all ceramic tiles purchased, 4 hours of work! Rocks for edging garden $50. Plants $220. Total $510!
Moving inside ..... to the two most important areas in a staged home, the bath and the kitchen.
As shown in these before photos, the single bathroom in the home was in poor shape, with laminate wall covering & disintegrating grout.
The tub was resurfaced by a contractor at a cost of $500. A carpenter re-grouted the ceramic tile walls around the tub, installed the ceramic tile floor and removed the laminate on the wall to install bead board. The vanity was replaced with a pedestal sink at a cost of about $125 and new fixtures for about $40. The existing lighted medicine cabinet was refinished and a new shower curtain ($20) was added.
Staging cost breakdown for bathroom repairs and staging: Bead board $50, Pedestal sink $125, Sink fixtures $120, Paint $20, Ceramic Tile Floor $100, Shower Curtain $20, Tub resurfacing $500. Total $935.
The before kitchen photos show a bright yellow laminate counter top and a floor with multiple layers of linoleum.
The floor was addressed by removing the sheet linoleum and placing adhesive linoleum squares. The kitchen counter was replaced with new laminate. The carpenter created cut-outs in the plywood cabinet doors and the homeowner made curtain inserts. Tip: The homeowner made multiple curtain sets to change the look of the kitchen as the seasons change! The kitchen was painted, a new stove was purchased and a new dishwasher installed.
Staging Cost Breakdown: Floor squares $90, Paint $40, Counter Top $360, New Stove $500. New dishwasher $700. New sink and fixtures $400
Total Cost: $2090 Compare this to a typical kitchen remodel which often exceeds $20,000.
Bedroom De-clutter In A Ranch Style Home
Staging this room in a 1960 ranch home was as simple as de-cluttering and neutralizing. Packing away the homeowners dolls made the room feel bigger. The bed frame was packed and the bed was remade with new crisp white sheets. A piece of foam board from the craft store was covered with drapery remnant fabric to create a wall hanging. and the fern and stand were moved in from the living area.
Bedroom Staging Cost Breakdown: $30 for new sheets, $6 for fabric and $2 for the foam board. Total: $38 and about 2 hours.
Kitchen Neutralizing - In a Craftsman Cottage - A project in progress - before photos
The homeowner in this home needed to neutralize the yellow and de-clutter the counter, the built in cabinet and the eating area. We worked with a minimal budget.
The homeowner decided on a complete renovation of kitchen cabinets, counter tops and wall color. As soon as those renovations are complete the "after" photos will be added.
Exterior Consultation Results
This homeowners had a 300 foot deck. As a home stager, it is difficult to place outdoor furniture in a position of sure deterioration. The client received a Home Staging Consultation for the exterior and made dramatic change. This deck is the focal point and the selling feature of the home.
Staging a Downtown Condo....
This condo had been on the market for many months. Realtor comments were clients could not determine how to utilize the large living/dining combination. The owner had shown the condo with the dining table position on the entry wall just past the edge of the kitchen bar area. This became a stumbling point and inhibited flow through to the focal point of natural light from the large windows. A view overlooking a hip community of young artists and professionals needs to be accentuated. Sheer reflective drapery and dark wood drop leaf table set for a nice evening dinner and wine overlooking the community solved the flow problem. The Realtor comments after staging were, as the owner said, people love it now, it's the first time I have had any positive comments about how to use the space.
Before and After rooms in the condo.
