3 Questions With a Homeowner About His Staging Experience

Every quarter we celebrate homeowners, realtors, developers, and home renovators who are so often our home staging clients. In honor of Get to Know Your Customers Day (we prefer Get to Know Our Client Day), we asked homeowner client Chris Holdren three questions.

Our Client!

Chris Holdren was skeptical about the benefits of home staging. He was ready to sell TWO homes quickly and for the best price. Realtor Steve Penner of William Pitt Sothebys International Realty recommended Staged Ryte. After a thoughtful conversation with Dawn Trachtenberg, Chris took the plunge! Now he’s a believer in the impact home staging (and home styling) can make. Dawn Trachtenberg worked with Chris and his realtor to sell two northwestern Connecticut homes quickly and for a great value —a lovely home in Gaylordsville, Connecticut (styled) and the OLDEST home in Warren, Connecticut (staged).

Quick definitions! Home Styling is when a home stager uses the existing furniture and accessories in a home, rearranges room layouts, edits existing pieces, relocates items to other locations in the house and often brings in additional or alternate pieces to enhance the home’s look. Home Staging is when an empty or partially furnished home is furnished and accessorized to grab the attention of potential home buyers.

The before and after photos are from the Gaylordsville styling. Dawn used the homeowners’s furnishings and accessories to reimagine the spaces so they engaged house hunters. See more photos!

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Read this Q & A!

Q. Staged Ryte has done distinct transformations for two of your homes: one focused on styling, using furnishings and decor already in the home and utilizing them to create a polished look for prospective home buyers in Gaylordsville, CT; the other a complete staging in Warren, CT. Start with the styling and tell us about those experiences and outcomes.

A. I was skeptical of the benefits of styling to be honest. After all, our home was well designed, clean, and perfect for us. I didn't fully appreciate the difference it would make until Dawn had worked her magic. When you're surrounded by your things each and every day, you don't fully appreciate the impact an expert and outside eye can have. It isn't that she "de-personalized" it, but she made it more inviting and arranged the furniture to highlight the unique attributes of the house. Her work definitely helped broaden the appeal for potential buyers and ultimately sell the house.

Q. How did you learn about our home staging and design firm? Why did you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

A. I was referred to Staged Ryte by my realtor, Steve Pener. I was listing two houses for sale with him, and he'd had great success with Dawn in the past. It made all the difference for both houses, but the transformation of the one that was staged made a dramatic and welcome change. Dawn turned an empty house into a home where people could envision living, complete with a room that looked like children had been playing.

Q. What would you say to someone selling a home who is unsure if they should stage their home.

A. After going through this process with Dawn, I'm a believer in the advantages of staging and styling. Dawn's staging work made me fall in love with the house all over again and remember all the reasons we had bought it in the first place. I definitely recommend staging when someone is selling a home and highly recommend Dawn and her talented team.

The below photos are from the Warren staging. It was important to respect the bones and structure of this home AND make it feel comfortable and contemporary. Note the children’s space that Chris mentions. Take a tour of the home here. And follow us on Instagram.

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Thank you to Chris for answering our questions!

Learn more about our home staging and home styling services. We would love to transform your home!

Get to Know Our Client: Julie King of William Pitt Sothebys

Every quarter we celebrate the realtors, developers, and flippers who are so often our home staging clients. They understand the value of home staging. In honor of Get to Know Your Customers Day (we prefer Get to Know Our Client Day), we asked Julie King, Regional Manager for the Litchfield County Brokerage of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, a few questions. Read on!

What brought you to real estate and how many years in the biz?

My own search for a home here in the Litchfield Hills. Like many second home buyers, my husband and I embarked on our search while working full time in Manhattan. This got me thinking about the unmet needs of second home buyers in the Litchfield Hills and how the skills developed in my career as SVP Director of Client Leadership at Ogilvy were transferable to real estate. My interest in securing a real estate license accelerated when we moved to the Litchfield Hills full-time and expanded our weekend cottage into a home. In 2014, I retired from Ogilvy and embarked on my mission to become a REALTOR. In 2018, I joined WIlliam Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. In 2021, I became Regional Manager of our Litchfield Hills Brokerage offices in Kent, Litchfield, Salisbury, and Washington.

What is the secret sauce for real estate success?

A keen understanding of human nature and how buyers and sellers make decisions.  

We staged 6 Rug Road in West Cornwall, Connecticut. In less than a week it received multiple offers and went under contract. Photos: Michael Bowman.

What do you find rewarding about real estate in northwestern Connecticut?

Turning our client’s ideal into a reality. For example, when my husband and I decided to buy a second home our ideal was to wake up to exceptional views, enjoy breakfast on the porch, hike local trails, explore hidden gems, and share our love of this area with friends and family. And we did and it is incredibly rewarding to do the same for our clients.

What are the greatest challenges in 2023?

Dispelling the myths of what’s happening to the real estate market.  Much of the media reporting focuses on the major metro markets where demand has softened. In our market, we continue to see an influx of buyers seeking homes here. With demand high and inventory low, our prices remain stable.

Kent, Connecticut staging from a couple years ago.

Sometimes we like to do the unexpected.

How did you find Staged Ryte? And how has your experience been working with Dawn and crew?

I discovered Staged Ryte through our team in the Berkshire Hills - they had been working with Staged Ryte and shared your work with us. We were impressed and continue to be. 

What are you looking forward to in 2023 (Business wise but we'd also love to hear anything personal!)

Engagement without fear as people grow more confident about their ability to contend with Covid. Personally, I’m looking forward to entertaining  as we complete the renovation of our home in Washington. We started with the outside last spring and will finish the inside by summer. Just in time to shop the warehouse sale at StagedRyte! [Editor’s Note: Thanks, Julie! Our Warehouse Sale is May 5, 6, and 7 at 21 Business Park Road in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts.]

Thanks, Julie! You can connect with Julie on LinkedIn and follow Litchfield Hills William Pitt on Facebook and Instagram.

Actor Jayne Atkinson Loved It and Didn't List It

Home Staging Turns Into a Fresh Interior Design for House of Cards Actors

Actor Jayne Atkinson and husband actor Michel Gill had decided to sell their home. Their son was launched and they were ready to move on to new adventures. Jayne’s realtor, Leslie Chesloff of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Real Estate, recommended that Staged Ryte come in to advise on changes and updates, such as painting. We immediately hit it off with Jayne. (Honestly, who wouldn’t…she’s so warm and charming.) Staged Ryte transformed the interiors so well that Jayne and Michel decided to love their home and not put it on the market. A first for us!

Dawn sat down with Jayne in her refreshed 1920s home in the Hill Section of Great Barrington and had a conversation about the home staging process and outcome. Watch the video! Jayne says, “I know you staged the house so that it would look good but somehow you captured my whimsy and brought in gorgeous color. It just helped me relax. Staging it gave it this crisp, clean new look.”

Jayne especially loves the orange-hued throw pillows. The living room colors tied in with an orange and blue rug in the primary bedroom that Jayne never knew quite what to do with.

Atkinson and Gill may be most recognizable from their roles as Secretary of State and President on the popular Netlix series, House of Cards. Both are seasoned performers on stage and in television and movies. Atkinson loves the Berkshires and supports theatre companies and cultural institutions. She most recently appeared in WAM Theatre’s “Miscast Cabaret” benefit at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in July.

Actor Jayne Atkinson played Secretary of State Catherine Durant; Michel Gill played President Garrett Walker.

“Jayne was ready to sell! We walked through the house together - room by room - and identified furniture and accessories that should be edited or removed," says Dawn. "Then we made recommendations on paint colors and trim, brought in furniture, bedding and accessories to supplement and to help prospective buyers understand what their lifestyle could be like in the home." The dining room was completely transformed - piano, dining table, rug, chairs and accessories removed and replaced.

This was the first time a Staged Ryte client decided to keep their home based on its staging. They even purchased many of the staging furnishing, artwork, and other accessories. Trachtenberg says that it’s not unusual for home buyers to see a staged home and ask to certain buy pieces.

Watch the lively conversation between Dawn and Jayne on Staged Ryte’s…and please subscribe to our new YouTube Channel.

And the work continues. There are still some pieces to be sourced and brought into the home. Then Jayne and Michel will be ready to move back in!

“How Does Home Staging Work?”

Most home owners haven’t embarked on home staging journeys before. It’s often their realtor who recommends home staging. So the question we get most often (before how much does home staging cost) is how does home staging work? Well, we’re here to tell you.

Let’s break down the home staging process. We’ve simplified it here, but you’ll get the overall idea.

It’s a Process!

From first home visit to measurements, pulling furniture and accessories to trying different artwork, home staging is a thoughtful process.

The List

1. Home staging always starts with a conversation - often with a realtor to help us understand the seller's needs and the optimal buyer.

2. The next conversation is with the home owner. As home stagers, we need to know if the home will be vacant or furnished. Does any work need to be done to the home before staging?

3. We tour the home and take copious photographs and notes.

4. We create a comprehensive home staging plan which informs the proposal we send to the home owner. With the home owner’s go ahead, we send our Staging Agreement and with that and a deposit, we are on our way to staging.

5. We then dive into our home staging warehouse to pull sofas, cocktail tables, dining tables, bed frames, mattresses, carpets, accessories, etc. Sometimes we have to go on shopping excursions to fill in where needed (we don’t mind).

6. We now have space in our Ashley Falls facility to pre-stage - set up a room to see what else we need or if another color scheme, living room chair or pillow might work better. This has been a great benefit to our design process.

7. Once everything is finalized, we load up our truck and head out to stage the home. Small homes can take a day; large homes can take multiple days. Staging doesn’t happen in a matter of hours as it seems to on our favorite HGTV and Magnolia Network shows. We will often make multiple trips back to the warehouse if we need to swap items out, add more furniture or find just the right last accessory to complete a room.

8. Sometimes homes are staged for months, sometimes days! Then it's time to pack, wrap and bring it all back.

Measurements are our friends. Measuring saves us from lugging a too-large sofa to a home - only to then have to take it back to the warehouse.

Ahhhh. This is our favorite step: a beautifully staged home…right before it goes under contract and we need to move it all out.

Contact Dawn…

This is probably what she’ll be doing when you call. 917.543.4590. Or click here.

Our process works. We see it happen over and over and over again.

Staged homes sell faster and garner up to 6% more than unstaged homes. It’s so worth the home owner’s or developers investment. And it’s so worth our time and expertise.

Look through our Metro and Country galleries to see dozens of single-family homes, city apartments and condos where we’ve worked our process and our magic.

Get to Know Our Client: Dan Alden of ACRES - Alden Country Real Estate Services

Every quarter we celebrate the realtors, developers, and flippers who are so often our home staging clients. They are the ones who understand the value of home staging to sell homes fast – and to the right buyers. So, in honor of Get to Know Your Customers Day (we prefer Get to Know Your Client Day), we asked Dan Alden of ACRES - Alden Country Real Estate Services a few questions about himself and real estate in the Berkshires.

Q and A with Dan Alden

Dan says, “I choose to work with Staged Ryte because I appreciate their professionalism and the added value they bring to my listings.” Thanks, Dan!

Q. How long have you been a realtor? And why did you get into real estate in the Berkshires?

A. I have been a realtor for 17 years. I was born and raised in the Berkshires, and grew up working in the antiques business at Bradford Auction Gallery, where I learned to appreciate the history and the value of a wide range of antiques & collectibles and the “art of the sale” (anyone lucky enough to have experienced a Bill Bradford auction will know exactly what I mean). I attended college in Chicago then returned to the Berkshires where I worked as a sales manager for various local and national gift and manufacturing companies. After deciding the Berkshires weren’t such a bad place to live after all, I built a house in New Marlborough and the intersection of this process with my sales experience and local knowledge led me into the real estate business.

This home in Becket, Mass went under contract so quickly that we didn't even have time to share “Just Listed!” photos on Instagram!

Q. Houses have been moving like hotcakes in the Berkshires. What are the challenges and benefits of this type of market?

A. The biggest challenge in this market is that expectations and anxieties are running high on all sides. While many sellers are expecting (and often getting) top dollar for the properties, for every property that sells there is only one lucky buyer but often many frustrated under-bidders, and as an agent it can be very stressful to be the bearer of bad news and manage that disappointment. The benefit of this market is that where it used to take 4 to 6 months to sell a property, it now may take only a matter of weeks or even days.

This occupied Sheffield, Mass home was staged by Staged Ryte and went under contract within a days.

Q. What do you find most rewarding about real estate?

A. The things I find most rewarding about real estate is getting to know the histories of the properties I sell and playing the role of matchmaker between sellers and buyers of unique & interesting properties. It is a fascinating process and always full of surprises that keep me on my toes.

Q. How did 2021 into 2022 go for you?

A. The past two years have been quite a blur and I have to keep looking back at the calendar to keep perspective on how crazy it has been. There are houses I’ve sold and resold in the same period of time that would normally play out over many years so time really feels compressed.

Q. What are you looking forward to for the rest of 2022?

A. I’m really looking forward to enjoying a laid-back Berkshire summer and taking advantage of our local arts & cultural offerings. We have so many amazing creative and artistic venues around here, and if I’ve learned anything in the past couple of years it is to not take any of it for granted.

Learn more about Dan Alden and ACRES - Alden Country Real Estate!

Blue Crush With Us

Blue is by far people’s favorite color. In fact, according to the popular real estate/design site Apartment Therapy , 42% of women and 30% of men prefer it over all other colors. We have seen this in our own experience as home stagers. Blue is the most common color we encounter in homes, on walls, bookshelves, carpets, cabinets, tiles, and sofas.

Here are some tried and true techniques that we employ when we work with lots of beautiful blue.

Add More Color

When we are staging a room with lots of blue walls, we treat blue as a background color and bring in a lot of whites, neutrals and pops of color to diminish the strength of the blue. We transform blue from the primary color into one of a number of important colors. Painting your walls blue? Here are 50+ Perfect Blue Paint Colors.

Use Blues and Complementary colors

Sometimes we feature a bold blue pattern on furniture or accessories to make a statements with blue - we want to intrigue visitors’ eyes. Try a large floral patterned sofa in different shades of orange, which is a natural complement of blue. We employed this technique with a home that was languishing on the market with no offers. After the owner followed our advice, the home sold within two weeks for $50,000 over the asking price. In this photo, we used navy blue and orange to create energy. Below we used dynamic contemporary art in blues and blacks to draw the eye up.

Blue and White Crush With Us

A blue and white color scheme is timeless. If you have a lot of blue in a room, try balancing it with large swaths of white--on baseboards, ceilings, window sills, bannisters--to create a sophisticated and soothing atmosphere that will be pleasing to many people. Guaranteed. (If you love blue and white together, follow the Instagram hashtag #blueandwhitecrush ← we use it sometimes.) Here are more tips from Homes and Gardens on how to decorate with blue.

Textures Create Interest

If you have a large space of flat blue color, like a wall, use accessories with shiny finishes and textures that catch and reflect light. If your blue surface is shiny, try the opposite--nubby textiles and textures. This holds true for any large area of one color. 

Are you planning to sell your home? Or are you a realtor selling a home? We can stage it to maximize your sale price. Call us today at 917.543.4590 for a consultation or click here to contact us. If you don’t already, follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook @stagedryte

Reasons to Stage a Home for Winter Sale

We’re stagers, not real estate agents…but we do have a front-row seat for home sales. We know what helps a home to sell faster and for a higher price…but when to put it on the market? Zillow says that the best time of year used to be May but that’s moved to March as of 2019 (everything went a little sideways in 2020…). Of course, the best time to list a home depends on location and region. Local realtors know best…chime in here with your expertise, realtors! We do have a few reasons to stage a home for winter sale. Here’s what we know…

Winter staging we did recently in Litchfield County.

A home that presents warm, cozy & move-in ready will sell faster in the winter than a home that's not prepared.

Why list and stage in the winter?

• People visit to ski. Maybe they fall in love with the area and on that blustery or rainy day, they'll go visit houses. You want to capture those visitors with your listing and in-home experience. Remember, we want to present a lifestyle to prospective buyers, not just an empty house.

• People may not think that listing a home in the winter is the right time, but you will be fresh on the market and capture looks because there aren't many listings. If your home is staged, it will be a superstar and garner a great price.

• Staging the home during the winter season prepares it for the spring and new lookers. If a home has been on the market but hasn’t moved, we always recommend to take it off the market, stage it, and relaunch for winter/spring. All eyes will be on your listing.

If your house needs a refresh and relaunch. talk to us. http://www.stagedryte.com/contact

Be fresh on the market and capture looks because there aren't as many listings as spring/summer.

In the News: Why it helps to stage a house if you want to sell it

We appreciate the new article in The Lakeville Journal! The focus is on our new home staging facility in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts, and why it helps to stage a house if you want to sell it. Dawn and editor/realtor Cynthia Hochswender also get into some detail on the three stages of staging:

1. Fluffing

2. Staging

3. Interior Design

Read the full article here.

Here are Dawn’s recommendations for zhuzhing (or fluffing) a home to ready for photos and sale, as she shared them in the article. Of course, we always recommend you bring in a home staging professional…

EDIT

“Too much big furniture in a room is not a good thing. Two recliners and a huge leather easy-sofa might be comfortable for you and your friends but it won’t help you sell your house.”

LET IN THE LIGHT

“‘Take down the window treatments. It lets in more light, which is important.’ The curtains or shades can also dominate the way a room looks and feels. It’s possible but unlikely that a potential buyer will want the same window treatments as the seller.”

DEPERSONALIZE

“The wall of family photos and awards is too much. The buyer needs to focus on imagining themselves in the space, not be distracted by your diplomas.”

MAKE IT CLEAN AND FRESH

“Buy new white towels and new shower curtains. Use fresh new bed linens (and iron out any wrinkles or creases). Many bestselling house photos show stark white rooms, often with black trim. Trachtenberg feels that might be getting overdone. ‘How many people want to live with all-white walls? You want to draw people in’”

We Launched Our 5,000 Square Foot Home-Staging Facility in the Berkshires

We did it! We welcomed realtors, developers, friends and family to our new storage space in the Berkshires on Friday, October 15. Our 5,000 square foot home-staging facility houses over 10,000 pieces of furniture and accessories and, we’re proud to say, visitors were pretty stunned by what they saw. (We’re still feeling pretty stunned ourselves…)

Our new facility is located at 21 Business Park Road in Ashley Falls. And it’s a very important piece for our continued growth! It’s now a warehouse, showroom space, and office perfect for our  woman-owned company serving the Berkshires, Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, Eastern New York State, New York City and New Jersey. 

“Because we have enough furniture and accessories in stock to stage 15+ homes at a time, we have a lot to manage,” Dawn Trachtenberg said at the grand opening. “I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to remove eight sofas or multiple tables and chairs just to access the one particular piece we needed for a staging project. Now we can see everything at a glance. This storage facility is a game changer for us.”

We’ve always been thrilled with the outcome of our stagings, it’s just that the process was often challenging. The term “making the sausage” comes to mind here…the final product is amazing, but you didn’t want to watch it being made. This new space makes all items accessible.

The new storage facility houses:

• 10,000 pieces of furniture and accessories

• 1,000 books

• 500 pillows

• 90 dining room chairs

• 30 sofas

• 450 pieces of wall art, including over 200 original works.

Sofas, cocktail tables, chests of drawers, and other large items needed to be organized and tucked away (as well as you can tuck away a large piece of furniture and still have it visible for easy access). The shelving structures necessary to organize all of this stock were a vital component for this project’s success. The massive shelving units are out of the former C. A. Lindell Hardware and Lumber yard in Canaan, CT. We figured if the shelves could hold hundreds of pounds of lumber, they could hold our furniture and accessories.

Unlike some home-staging companies, we own all our stock: no additional furniture rental costs are passed on to clients. Our philosophy is to never stage in a “cookie cutter” style. Dawn says, “We believe that every home tells a story – and you need to tell that story to the right buyer. Our attention to detail and ability to understand what buyers want is unmatched.”

A special thanks goes out to the team that worked lots of hours to get everything in place. Lot’s of elbow grease, muscle, creativity, and endurance made this home staging dream come true.

Thanks to all who came to our open house. If you’d like a tour, contact Dawn Trachtenberg at 917.543.4590 or contact us (button below).

Read a Berkshire Eagle article about our business and the new space.

It takes a team to tackle a project like this. Thank you to our hard-working staff!

Get to Know Our Client: Anna Kolberg of Corcoran

Every quarter we celebrate the realtors, developers, and flippers who are so often our home staging clients. They are the ones who understand the value of home staging to sell homes fast – and to the right buyers. So, in honor of Get to Know Your Customers Day, we are excited to showcase Anna Kolberg, licensed Real Estate Salesperson with The Corcoran Group. We just staged a wonderful apartment in Bushwick/Brooklyn, NY for Anna and the results? She’ll tell you about it. But first, let’s learn something about Anna.

Anna joined Corcoran with 10 years of real estate experience in NYC as a property owner and an investor. In addition to their two-family primary home in Williamsburg, she and her husband, a sales director for Corcoran Sunshine, own several income-producing properties which they’ve gut-renovated, managed, and substantially increased their value.

Where’s your home base, Anna?

I am based at the Williamsburg office. I cover all of NYC, but specialize in the North Brooklyn neighborhoods of Williamsburg, Greenpoint, and Bushwick.

Anna Koblerg’s client needed a quick turnaround time on this Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY listing. Staged Ryte delivered on the staging and Anna sold the apartment in two weeks.

What do you find challenging about real estate in the city right now?

Since January, the velocity in the real estate market has picked up considerably. In certain segments of the market, we are seeing multiple bids above asking. Inventory in Brooklyn is low which makes it even more competitive for prospective buyers. Buyers need to be ready to go and submit their strongest offer from the start, or they risk losing out. [Editors Note: Brooklyn’s second quarter saw the highest number of closed sales on record.]

I always try to be upfront with my clients about the state of the market, so they know what they are getting into. Buying or selling a home is such an emotional experience. I find that people can remain calm if they know what to expect and are prepared for a situation. Arming them with information and a game plan is just one way I help my clients keep their cool in a hot market.

What do you find rewarding about real estate?

I find it rewarding to help someone achieve a goal that they may never felt possible (such as buying their first home or selling their property above ask in 2 weeks.) My clients enjoy working with me because I work tirelessly and do whatever it takes to help make the buying or selling process as easy as possible for them. (You would not believe some of the things I have done!!)

As a property owner and landlord myself, I have experience with finding undervalued properties and renovating them to increase their worth. It is extremely rewarding to help someone find a "diamond in the rough" — something that not only excites them, but is also a sound investment that helps them achieve financial independence.

Working in real estate is challenging, but it is also fun! Where else you can spend the day with a friend, exploring different neighborhoods, checking out properties and call that work?

How did 2020 go for you?

2020 was an interesting and challenging year for everyone. Real estate agents had to pivot on a dime and quickly figure out how to adapt a very personal, face-to-face process to a virtual one. The online classes Corcoran's Agent Studio offered definitely helped us make this transformation in stride. While it was definitely not "normal," I learned a lot about resilience, and enjoyed the extra quality time with my family. I guess I am a "glass half full" kind of person!

What are you looking forward to in Q3 & Q4?

Summer is usually slow for real estate agents in NYC. But this year is anything but normal! I guess we are still making up for lost time due to COVID. I expect Q3 and Q4 to be just as busy as Q2. So hold on to your hats!

Why did you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

We needed a quick turnaround on our staging so that our listing could hit the market asap. Nancy and Dawn promised a quick service at a great price and they truly delivered! The quality of their work exceeded my expectations and they were also fun to work with!

Staged Ryte took a half furnished apartment and made it look fresh & stylish. I think people could see themselves living in that space, and they wanted to live there. Every single showing, someone commented on the furniture and some even asked to buy it. We had multiple offers in the first two weeks and went into contract at asking!

Thanks, Anna! Learn more about Anna at at www.corcoran.com.

Get to Know Our Client: Realtors Stacey and Pels Matthews

Every quarter we celebrate the realtors, developers, and flippers who are so often our home staging clients. They are the ones who understand the value of home staging to sell homes fast – and to the right buyers. So, in honor of Get to Know Your Customers Day, we highlight not one but two realtors: Stacey and Pels Matthews – The Matthews Group – of William Raveis Real Estate in beautiful Litchfield County. Business has been booming and they’re busy…so here are some quick questions and answers.

Q & A with Stacey and Pels

Stacey and Pels Matthews

Q. How long have you been in real estate?

A. Stacey has been in the business for 21 years and Pels joined her about 10 years ago when they decided to expand and create a large team. The Matthews Group now has 21 agents. 

Q. How has real estate changed over the years?

A. Connecticut was in a real estate slump for the last 12 years. Things are completely different now and properties are moving quickly. Prices are up about 20%, but are still below replacement cost. 

Recently staged and under contract: 424 Long Mountain Road, New Milford, CT. Photo by Michael Bowman.

“We’re amazed at how quickly they…have it looking perfect.”

Q. What do you find challenging about real estate?

A. 24/7 schedule and never having a day off.  

Q. What do you find rewarding about real estate?

A. Meeting interesting people and finding them their dream homes. Many of our best friends are former clients.  

Q. Why do you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

A. Staged Ryte is so quick. When we have had a job to do, I am amazed at how quickly they can get furniture and accessories into a house and have it look picture perfect. 

Former listing with Stacey: Litchfield, Connecticut primary bedroom before and after.

Q. How did 2020 go for you?

A. 2020 was a record year in real estate. We worked nonstop. 

Q. What do you think 2021 will bring...and what are you looking forward to? 

A. We are working on listing several spectacular properties in the next month and are looking forward to some quick sales!

Thanks, Stacey and Pels! Learn more about The Matthews Group here. Or call them at 860.868.0511.

Recent listing with Stacey Matthews - staged and sold.

Get to Know Our Client: Realtor George Cain

Staged Ryte has staged four houses for realtor George Cain. It’s a joy to work with George: not only is he a hard-working professional and all-around fun guy, he absolutely sees the value of home staging. What he says is, “I don’t think home staging works…I know home staging works!” We love that. It’s Get to Know Your Customer Day, so it’s the perfect time for us to showcase George. Read on!

How long have you been a realtor & where do you sell homes?

I’ve been a realtor for 17 years but have been a real estate investor and real estate manager for decades.

Beautiful home staged for George Cain, Winter 2021. William Pitt Sothebys International Realty.

What differentiates you as a realtor?

My business experience (which is quite relevant to being a realtor) is both diversified and extensive. In addition to my decades of real estate and management experience, I also held significant Fortune 500 company positions, gaining experience in finance, advertising, marketing, sales, and management.

How's 2021 looking for real estate?

I think 2021 will continue to be good for real estate due to ongoing low mortgage rates and New Yorkers fleeing NYC to migrate to Massachusetts and Connecticut. These states will benefit from that exodus. At the same time, I think there may be slower economic growth associated with higher taxes and more government regulations. Nevertheless, New Yorkers leaving the city will save so much in taxes and others costs that they can well afford real estate in the Berkshires.

Do you think home staging works? Why Staged Ryte?

“Staged Ryte’s attention to detail is impressive.” Thanks, George!

I don’t think staging works…I know staging works! I have seen homes that sat on the market too long be totally reassessed by buyers after staging. Ironically, too many sellers look at $10K, $20K, $30K or more price reductions before considering a staging investment at a much less significant cost.

Why staged Ryte? Simple, I have worked with and seen other stager’s operations and I have worked with and seen Staged Ryte’s operations on four different occasions. The results have been dramatic. Staged Ryte’s attention to detail is impressive. On two of my Staged Ryte listings, the first person to enter that listing purchased the home! That shows the impact of their work. On my third listing, that did not sell on day one (but within six weeks). I had other agents that showed that home contact me for Staged Ryte’s info. My fourth experience just listed. There were eight showings in the first week based on fabulous photos with Staged Ryte’s staging. I expect a sale very soon.

What's are you looking forward to these days?

These days, I’m looking forward to a return to “normality” where I can attend broker open houses, see new listings in person, have closings without masks, shake someone’s hand and not simply bumping elbows. Now I really know what people mean when they talk about “The Good Old Days!”

Before and After at Heron Pond in Monterey, MA.

21 Putnam Park, Greenwich, CT. George Cain listing with Charles Paternina Properties.

George is a family man with a wonderful wife, six children, and 12 grandchildren! Not surprisingly, he’s even more passionate about them than he is about real estate (and he LOVES helping people to buy and sell homes).

Learn more about George in the Berkshires with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty here (and check out two AMAZING listings). Learn more about George’s listing (staged by us!) in Greenwich, CT with Charles Paternina Properties. Or just call him directly at 917.861.3855.

Read our last Get to Know Our Customer Day blog post here.

Bored? 6 Home Improvement Projects While You Self-Isolate

It’s an In Between Time…

It’s a strange in-between time for many of us. We still need to work but we also have odd pockets of time not knowing what to do with ourselves. Now’s the time to tackle home projects that have been neglected all winter. Review the list below and see what you can do now or over the upcoming weekends. If you need help, or you have a client who wants to get their house on the market soon, you should know that Staged Ryte offers remote staging and design consulting. We don’t have to physically be in a space to assess and direct how a room should be edited and staged. Click the button below to contact us.

6 Home Improvement Projects

1. Yard work: Spring can be gray and damp but remember: sunny days ahead! Get outside and sweep, rake, pick up, clip, and mulch – even if it’s just a few minutes each day. Here’s what we did recently at a soon-to-be-listed home. (If you don’t already follow us on Instagram, please do!)

2. Spring cleaning: Are you spending lots of time gazing out your windows? We are too. Now’s the time to clean them inside and out. Want to know THE BEST WINDOW CLEANER? Combine 2 cups water, ¼ cup white vinegar, and ½ teaspoon Dawn Dishwashing Liquid (we’re biased on this one). Soak a soft brush with the mixture and scrub the window. Rinse with clean water before it dries. It’s also time to vacuum and wash curtains, move furniture and thoroughly clean all areas, clean outdoor furniture, and…you know the drill.

3. Curb appeal: Research paint colors and paint your front door (and possibly garage doors, while you’re at it). Zillow did an analysis of 135,000 photos from listings across the US since 2010 and found on average that houses with black or charcoal gray front doors sold for as much as $6,271 more than expected. Other curb appeal projects: remove overgrown shrubbery and replace; buy and install a new mailbox; plant a tree.

4. Edit: Dig in so you can throw out, recycle and donate:

Scott in action! Transforming bookshelves.

• Clean out closets, dressers, pantry, basement, linen closets, kitchen cabinets and make them neat and tidy;

• Donate books, clothing, furniture, food pantry items, small appliances. Get them ready for drop off;

• Clear out excess furniture: move it to the garage for family or donation;

5. Rearrange your bedroom, living room, office. Browse through Pinterest, Houzz, magazines, etc. and get ideas for fresh ways to rearrange. You can also reach out to us – we can remotely guide you.

6. Create a home office: Have you been working from home? Are you sitting on the corner of your couch? How’s your neck? Shoulders? Lower back? Now’s the time to actually create an ergonomically-appropriate work space. Even if you don’t have an extra room, you can create a mini-office that works. Scope out these areas for a desk and a chair that are comfortable: seating area in your master bedroom; in front of your book shelves where there’s that extra space. And your son’s room…he’s moved to California…time to take it over, especially if it has great light.

Call Staged Ryte to learn about remote staging and design consultation. We want to help everyone keep moving forward.

Staged Ryte’s Flipping Clients: Q and A's

When we write “flipping” in the headline, we’re not substituting a benign word for a swear word: we mean that these professionals flip houses for quick resale (or sell houses renovated by flippers). You’ve seen the shows on HGTV! These real estate investors buy and renovate houses and then count on Staged Ryte tell the home’s story through interior design/staging. Today is Get to Know Your Customers Day – January 16th – so we thought it was the perfect day to get to know these three clients a bit better: Elle Villetto of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, a realtor with clients who are flippers; Matt Merritt of Merritt Home Solutions; and Clerio Cardoso of Z&C Floors.

Elle Villetto, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.

Q.  What is your business or job?

A.  Real estate agent.

Q.  How long have you been doing this job?

A.  7 years.

Q,  What do you love about your job?

Elle Villetto, William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

A.  Every day is different! I’m in charge of myself. And, I like the creativity and design aspects of a home as well as architecture

Q.  What do you find challenging about your job?

A.  Unrealistic sellers and buyers ;)

Q.  Why do you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

A.  Because your design and aesthetic gets homes sold in a shorter period of time - even in 30 days; your inventory, eye and style; you are forward thinking.

Q.  What are your thoughts/goals for 2020?

A.  Have another great year - 2019 was one of the best so far, work with some new flippers, and continue with existing flipper clients, and finish two of my own homes/projects. KEEP MY SANITY! (Editor’s Note: We’d like to help Elle keep her sanity.)

Matt Merritt, Merritt Home Solutions. 

Q.  What is your business or job?

A.  Contractor.

Q.  How long have you been doing this job?

A.  26 years.

Q,  What do you love about your job?

A.  I do house flipping and construction so I am not dealing with homeowner’s and their wants. I can do what I want.

Q.  What do you find challenging about your job?

A.  Biggest challenge right now is that all my work is out of pocket until a home sells. And always making sure that I have a good product (home) and real estate market so the house is not sitting around too long.

Q.  Why do you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

A.  Initially because my realtor suggested Staged Ryte. I took her advice. I am pleased with the product, attention to details, fair pricing, and willingness to listen to my suggestions.


Q.  What are your thoughts/goals for 2020?

A.  Sell the last project that has been done, purchase & renovate two more projects, and renovate an existing one. (Editor’s Note: We’re here for you, Matt!)

Clerio Cardoso, Z&C Floors

Q.  What is your business or job?

A.  Installation and refinishing of hardwood floors and flipping homes.

Q.  How long have you been doing this job?

A.  Flooring: 15 years and flipping: 6 years .

Q,  What do you love about your job?

A.  All aspects of flooring and renovations - I love old floors and integrity of homes.

Q.  Why do you choose to work with Staged Ryte?

A.  You are the best and you do it with Love!

Q.  What are your thoughts/goals for 2020?

A.  Sell the new home I am finishing, renovate another, and sell it. And keep busy and make my customers happy! (Editor’s Note: Thank you, Clerio!)

We love working with these flipping professionals! Staging with the intention that the house show as a HOME and appeal to buyers is our sweet spot. If you buy and renovate homes, contact us. Or if you know someone who flips houses, share this blog post with them!