Designing and Staging Interiors to Sell Your Home

Q&A With Fairfield County Based Interior Designer, Alexis Parent Interiors:

Selling your chic and elegant home means selling a lifestyle. We at Chilton and Chadwick sat down with Westport native and Interior Designer, Alexis Avellanet Parent, for some tips on how get your luxury property poised for a competitive real estate market.  Alexis has recently returned to running her own full-service design firm after spending years working on high-profile projects for the corporate division of Lillian August.   Her projects included designing several multi-million dollar model apartments for NYC’s prestigious Extell Development. With a modern aesthetic that is sophisticated yet inviting and livable, Alexis is sought after by HGTV for staging productions and by homeowners and realtors for designing private residences that sell.

Alexis Parent Staging 

Q: Hi Alexis, thanks for sitting down with us today. How can Interior Design and Staging services help a luxury property to sell more quickly and for more?

A: My pleasure!  By providing a look that is current and clean, but not necessarily taste specific, buyers can envision themselves moving right in.  Proper presentation can help your home sell faster and at times even for a higher price! You need to know who your buyer is. Your design professional and realtor can help you zero in and appeal to your target market. designing to sell and Staging are tremendous marketing tools and have become the new standard for selling a refined home.  In fact, the Association of Property Scene Designers states that staged homes sell 43% more quickly than un-staged homes.

Q: What is the most important room to keep “re-sale ready?”

A: I always encourage my design clients to stay ahead of the curve with their kitchens.  They are the heart of any home. If you are updating your kitchen before putting it on the market, be sure to incorporate light, neutral colors and finishes.  The ultimate goal to re-sale is being able to appeal to a wide variety of buyers.  Try and stick to the classics.  Crisp white cabinets are always a hit and good quality appliances will be noticed.  Kitchen upgrades can get expensive, but the good news is you will get your money back on this one.  

Q: How is a luxury property different to stage than your average home?

One Riverside Park

A:  With interior design in general, the quality of the décor should reflect the home’s price range and style.  Prestigious homes are held to a much higher standard.  For example, the fabrics and furnishings in a high-end Greenwich home should be far more luxurious than you would find in a hip yet lower priced apartment in SoNo.  It is important to highlight the amenities that make your home so well appointed.  If there is a large pool patio or BBQ, be sure there is inviting outdoor furniture with pops of colorful pillows.  Buyers should be able to envision themselves entertaining friends and family.  Wine cellars should be stocked, gym spaces should have at least a few pieces of exercise equipment, etc.  There should be no forgotten spaces and cleanliness is paramount.

Q: How can sellers stage their own home?

Staging for Property Brothers

A:  Property can likely one of  your biggest investments.  You never get a second chance to make a first impression.  It may sound cliché, but it is very true.  While I strongly suggest finding the right pros to work with, I can tell you some of the easiest changes to make:

1. Start with a clean slate.  Sadly many buyers do not have a tremendous amount of vision to see beyond your current décor.  Remove overly decorative or dated wall coverings and apply a fresh coat of paint to everything possible. While you may love your bold color selections, be sure your home isn’t too taste specific.  I strongly suggest going with colors that are on trend, like light grays and soft whites.

2. Let there be light!  Every buyer wants good lighting in their prospective home.  Something so simple as maximizing the wattage or switching to LED or Halogen bulbs in your fixtures can make a space feel brighter and larger.  I also suggest adding mirrors, taking down heavy draperies and pruning any outdoor landscaping that darkens a room.  Do whatever is needed to make your home feel light and airy.

Duplex Penthouse

3. De-Clutter.  This is so very important and can be a touchy subject with sellers.  Family photos, memorabilia, collectibles and many other personal items can be distracting to a buyer.  Less is more! Essentially, you want to de-personalize the home.  At times homeowners can over furnish a room so consider moving pieces into storage.  This will make rooms appear much larger.

If you are interested in design services from Alexis, you can learn more at:

alexisparent.com | ph: 203.451.5630

Article by: Bailey Bitetto

Make Your House Market Ready

By: Matthew Hyde

Just like meeting a person for the first time, first impressions are everything. The initial presentation of your home at sale can be the make or break and drastically effect the sale price. Below is some advice to get your house ready for the market.

 

Fix the imperfections

The majority of the homes you walk into have minor to major defects and that is normal. Whether it be the nicks and dings on the walls from the kids, dog scratches on the trim, wobbly doorknobs from years of use, or handprints all over the door, these are the little things that should be tended to. It isn’t something you would think would be of much concern, but homeowners are very critical these days and want “perfection”. Think back to when you were getting ready to buy your first home or apartment, what would you want to see or not want to see when you walked in the door?

Power Wash

Whether it be the snow, rain or leaves falling, your house is bound to take a beating from mother nature. Year after year, you will begin to notice that your patio, deck, siding, and front walkway will begin to accumulate heaps of dirt and other natural growths. Your once shining patio begins to look gloomy and uninviting. Do yourself a favor and have it power washed. It's almost guaranteed to give the potential buyers a better idea of the entertainment possibilities and simply give the home a cleaner more inviting look.

Paint

Painting can ultimately be a game changer in selling your home. Paint your front door! Remember when I said first impressions are everything? This is where it applies. This is the first thing the potential buyer is going to see when they walk up the front steps before entering. Try revamping the door with a fresh pop of color, or add a fresh coat of the same existing color to give it a clean cut feel. However, I am not saying it is a must to paint every interior wall in your house, but be observant and notice where it is needed.  Lighter colors statistically are more appealing to the potential buyer because it gives them room for imagination. It is hard to picture moving into a house that's  living room walls are bright pink. Instead, before you list the home, choose a lighter more basic color such as a light blue grey, or off-white. Simplicity sells.

Prep the floors

There are several ways to go about this depending on your situation. In the bedrooms, leaving carpets isn’t a sin, but make sure you have them professionally cleaned. But, if you have old carpeting that is beyond saving, rip them up immediately and expose the hardwood. These days, hardwood floors can be a hidden gem and by exposing them will add immediate guaranteed value while making the room look bigger. Take the scuffs up and have the floors refinished. It will be well worth it when your house sells in 1 month rather than 6.

You may be thinking, this seems like a lot of time and money. I can promise giving your home the best first impression will lead to saving a lot of time while making more money at closing.

If you have any questions, you may reach me at:
Matthew@ChiltonAndChadwick.com