Here Staged Ryte shares their insider tips for transforming dated rooms into contemporary spaces where people want to live.
Your Office Your Way: Designing Functional and Beautiful Work Spaces
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!
Be Festive: Four Tips to Decorate and Sell Your Home During the Holidays While You are Still Living There
Make Your Primary Bedroom THEIR Primary Bedroom: 5 Tips to Stage A Bedroom
Make Your Primary Bedroom (Master Bedroom) THEIR Primary Bedroom: 5 Tips to Stage a Bedroom
Let’s be honest: Primary Bedrooms (Master Bedrooms) are intimate spaces. When it’s time to put a home on the market, it’s standard protocol to scour the kitchen, clean the carpets, get new pillows to freshen the living room, and even paint the mud room. But what about the primary bedroom? What about the kids rooms? And don’t forget the guest room filled with the left-over furniture from Nana’s house. Bedrooms need to be upgraded and staged just like public-facing rooms. When buyers go into a prospective home, they want to see themselves living their best lives there – they don’t want to see your wedding photo (although you did look fabulous!) or your old wicker laundry basket.
Stop a potential buyer’s bright red “NOPE!” button from blaring with bedrooms that delight and charm. Easy to say, but how—exactly—do you create a bedroom atmosphere that sells your home fast? These tips focus on the master bedroom – but are easily transferable to the other bedrooms in your home:
Make it 100% fresh. Clean every surface. Start at the top: ceiling, walls, windows, blinds, woodwork, baseboards, furniture and carpets. Vacuum the cobwebs and hunt down the dust bunnies. Have a trusted friend, your realtor or another dependable professional (ahem, that would be us at Staged Ryte!) – provide an unbiased opinion. Is there any odor? Do the linens look old or stained? Is a fresh coat of paint necessary? Give your friend or colleague the space and confidence to speak freely. Don’t forget to have the carpets professionally cleaned. There may be stains that you don’t notice anymore, but the people shopping your house will.
Edit the furniture. Your master bedroom is perfect…for you. But your prospective buyer has to envision their dream bedroom. Make is easy for them by creating space. How do you do that? It’s easier than you may think. First, remove as much as possible from the room. Leave the bed and nightstands and remove almost everything else. Defer to less, not more. You want the space to look open and spacious (as much as possible).
Ahhhh. This bedroom is neutral and relaxing - but not bland. It’s crisp and clean. A buyer can look at this and think, “I could sleep here!” Painting by artist Kari Kroll.
3. Make relaxation the theme. Buyers respond positively to a master bedroom where they can see themselves feeling at ease. Review your comforter and curtains. Are they an outdated style, color or print (or all three)? Buy a neutral duvet/bedspread/comforter. Maybe you don’t even need the curtains – let the light shine in. Add color with new pillows and a throw (see this recent blog post on how to use a pop of color when staging your home) and strategically placed fresh or fake flowers. Also consider the shades on the bedside table lamps. If they look dingy, buy new shades in a neutral color.
4. Consider the closet. Everyone wants to think that when THEY live there, the closet will be beautifully organized. Make it easy for them to visualize this by setting an example of closet nirvana. Declutter. Review your wardrobe and decrease it by one third. What remains hanging in the closet should hang neatly and not be jammed in. Invest in shoe, bag and scarf organizers. And if you’re not ready to get rid of that size 2 dress you wore to your brother’s wedding or your husband can’t bear to part with his 5K tee-shirt collection, rent a storage unit or box the memento clothing up and put it in the basement or attic. If you do the declutter now, your move into your new space will be ten times easier!
5. Channel your inner Mari Kondo and keep on top of it. (You know—the famous diminutive author of “The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” as well as the star of the Emmy-winning Netflix series of the same name?) Once you’ve done all this cleaning, editing and zhushing, you have to stay on top of it. Every morning, get up and put the room back in order. That way you’re ready for that last minute call from your realtor saying she wants to show your house to a buyer.
We love the simple pop of color above this bed. Paintings by artist Kari Kroll.
And if all of this just seems like too too much, give Staged Ryte a call. We want your house to tell the story that prospective buyers want to hear. Contact us here.
Fear Not a Pop of Orange: How We Use Vibrant Color to Add Personality to a Home
The color orange is not for the faint of heart. When a room is curtains to walls to rugs orange, to some it says, “LOOK AT ME! I’M HERE TO ENERGIZE YOU! THERE WILL BE NO RELAXATION IN THIS ROOM.” Right? However, orange used judiciously can lend warmth, charm and personality to a living room, kitchen, bedroom or study. It’s joyous. It’s enthusiastic. It’s vibrant. And it’s a bit flamboyant without being aggressive.
Here are four examples of how we’ve used orange to lend personality to staged homes.
These saddle-orange chairs are an anchor in a large and open living area. The orange against the stone fireplace helps warm up the room. Imagine blue chairs – the room would feel much cooler with the blue pillows and a blue desk. FYI: Orange and blue go well together because they are complementary colors – directly across from each other on the color wheel. This home in Canaan, NY is listed by Jennifer Capala, William Pitt Sothebys International Realty
Art: A simple orange painting – no frame (by our friend Kari Kroll) – lends happy energy to white walls in this country-chic renovated farmhouse. The raspberry-patterned chairs are an analogous color (on the same side of the color wheel), so the overall feeling is comfortable. Bottom line? These colors play well together. (Want to learn a bit more about color theory? Click here.)
Dark wood and tan tile are energized by orange accessories in this city apartment. The orange also works with the blue sink. See how we tied it all together with that make-up brushes cup above the sink? It’s the little things! Photo: Ellen Silverman.
Mixed-pattern orange pillows lend energy to this Lenox, MA condo’s neutral pallet. We love to combine patterns when we can. It brings a sense of joy to a staged room.
We love orange – but it’s only one color – we use all the other ones too! Click here to see more of our recently staged county homes - and click here to see some recent city homes.