PROPERTY
PREPARATION
BY COURTNEY CHARNEY
Palo Alto
The owners of this home enjoyed living here for more than a decade, and when it came time to putting the home on the market, they were hesitant to make many cosmetic changes. Initially, I had my go-to stager and designer work with the sellers to pare down their furniture and personal effects, and we added some staged pieces, along with art from a local art gallery to present the home in the best possible way. While the home looked well put together, it’s color scheme and mix of furniture prevented buyers from truly envisioning themselves living in it. After some time on the market, I presented the feedback to my clients, along with a clear plan of action. My clients trusted me to move forward with an aggressive interior painting job as well as the installing of new light fixtures and staging the home with all new furniture. Additionally, the art gallery installed new art throughout the home to reflect the new furniture aesthetic. Once we re-presented the home with a more updated and modern feel that represented what the buyers were seeking, the home sold within weeks.
ATHERTON
These clients lived in their home for more than forty years, so preparing their home for sale meant bringing in my treasured resources to help sort their personal effects before we could start marketing their home.
This retired couple was downsizing, so it also meant getting their new home ready while preparing their current one for sale.
We showed and marketed the home off-market for a few months, giving the couple the time to go through their belongings.
The “Before” pictures reflect the beautiful home that my clients enjoyed for so many decades. My staging team helped to de-clutter, but most of the furniture was their own.
The off-market exposure gave us an opportunity to receive buyer feedback. Once my clients moved out of their home and into the new one, they were very responsive to my proposal of some cosmetic changes including paint and light fixtures, and bringing in staged furniture. While the sellers owned some beautiful pieces, the staging furniture was more neutral and allowed prospective buyers to envision themselves living in the home and not being distracted by personal belongings.
Menlo Park
I sold this home to my client several years ago. We were in a competitive offer situation and with my knowledge and understanding of the market and relative home values, I was able to advise her on a winning strategy. I had another opportunity to work with this client when work and family drew her out of state. While I was sad to see her go, I felt enormous satisfaction in helping her navigate another major transition. I assisted this seller with paring down her personal effects and replacing some of her own furniture with staged pieces that were better scaled to the rooms. We were on a tight timeline with her pending move, and I was able to change out some light fixtures and re-paint some of the interior. Thanks for a well-priced and well-presented property, this home sold the day it hit the market!
AND MANY MORE STORIES
