The Ferris Street Project was a vacant home listed by a real estate investor. The house had sat on the market for 90 days with minimal showings. The first thing I looked at when I came to the property was the outside and landscaping to see if there was anything that would keep a buyer from loving the property. The curb appeal was actually very good. The back of the house even had outdoor furniture and a fire pit with seating. The only thing I could see that would possibly deter a buyer were the bars on the windows. It might seem like the neighborhood was unsafe to a buyer, when in all actuality, the previous owners were senior citizens and they were using the “old school” security system of bars. I suggested they be removed and a security system installed but the owner/investor did not want to spend the money. So I would have to work around that.
The Living Room/Kitchen/Dining Room was very cozy but had been updated with nice finishes. Buyers are looking for an open concept so this was a plus. There did not seem to be a dedicated dining room so I had to create one next to the French doors leading out to the back patio. A small table would do the trick, just to show buyers that there was room for eating other than the kitchen island. I swapped out the outdated island stools for more modern barstools with no backs so they would be unobtrusive. There was a beautiful fireplace that was a great focal point so it was easy to create a seating area around it. I also added a console table at the front door with a mirror to reflect the fireplace.
The bedrooms were a different story. There were 4 bedrooms that did not have the same attention to detail on the painting/caulking. This is where great staging can distract the buyer from some of the less than stellar finishes. The Master Bedroom looked like a bowling alley but I did not want to break up the room by placing the bed horizontally because there were windows where a potential TV would be. So I placed the bed at the far end and had to add something substantial at the end of the bed to eat up some space. I chose a loveseat with a small side table in front of it. That created a seating area in the bedroom which buyers would appreciate. The owner did not want me to stage any of the other bedrooms, but I suggested doing the smaller bedroom, with a door leading to the patio, as an office. This is a huge plus to people who work from home and/or run a business from home. Customers would not even have to come through the house for appointments or meetings.
Bathrooms just took light staging of towels, candles, plants and I was done.
After I staged the property, the realtor had pictures taken and put on the MLS on a Friday and there was an offer by Sunday. The power of staging!