It's Shakespeare's Birthday - So Why Not Link Up Some of His Quotes as They Relate to Home Staging!

Happy Birthday William Shakespeare!  People who have known me for a long time know me as a lover of English Literature...especially William Shakespeare.  And as old English majors never die - here are some thoughts about how some Shakespearean quotes might apply to staging a home for sale (and - of course - how some people don't do anything to get theirs ready!!).

From As You Like It..."Can one desire too much of a good thing?"

From "Hooked on Houses," this really appeared as a photo from a house for sale.

Apparently, Elvis has not left the building!

From James Swann, 101 Things I Hate About Your House

Oh boy - why didn't the realtors say anything to this homeseller?? From Ugly House Photos

Hamlet said "Hold a mirror up to nature," but he forgot to give realtors advice

about how to take photos of small spaces with mirrors.



"Nothing will come of nothing," is a quote from King Lear.  So - always sell your home furnished.  Also, don't just give up and sell "as is" - because you will get an "as is" offer or none at all.  We staged the home below in less than a day - for a very modest monthly rental and it sold in 30 days. 

Before...

After - with our "Value Line" furnishings

You can make the most of a small space - it takes clutter control, editing and some creativity but it can be done.  Home buyers want "space." but when you make your small rooms functional and beautiful - they sell. Just remember this quote from Hamlet... "O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell, and count myself a king of infinite space…”

Designer Chad Eisner, created a great space in a small kitchen. From House Beautiful

A small but beautiful bedroom, from HGTV. The horizontal stripes

add a calmness to the room - just like looking at the horizon.

This design also gives the perception that a room is wider

Propero, in The Tempest, said "We are such stuff as dreams are made on," - so you need to give a buyer a picture that's much better than your ordinary life.  They need to see the dream of the lifestyle that they want to live. 

From the Finnish magazine Avotakka, via Hooked on Houses blog

Photographer Mauricio Fuertes, via Inspire to Desire

So "Brush up your Shakespeare, start quoting him now (from Kiss Me Kate) and you'll be a wiser home seller.  Remember, Shakespeare wrote..."People usually are the happiest at home". So when they come to view your home - give them a reason to feel and be happy!
If you would like to create a happy home for buyers to fall in love with, call Linda at 631 793-1315 today.  We have two convenient locations - my home office in Great River and my studio at 325 Main Street in Huntington NY.



Newsday Article on How to Get Your Home Ready to Sell Quickly on Long Island

I want to thank Donna Rogers and Valerie Kellog of Newsday for the great article on "How to Fix Up Your Home for a Quick Sale." I was quoted - as well as some terrific realtors and landscapers on Long Island.  Here's a link if you didn't get to read it...

Newsday Article About Getting Your Home Ready for Sale

If you would like some professional help in getting your home ready for sale, call me at 631 793-1315.  I'm very glad to help you make your home look great - and make it a buyer magnet.  We have locations in Great River NY and Huntington NY.

7 Great Ways to Update the Look of a Room

7 Great Ways to Update the Look of a Room That Will Help You Sell Your Home


Whether you are selling your home or staying put, the change of season is a great time to update your home. Here are some great ideas that you can start implementing right away

Add a Burst of Color The winter season is now over – so let’s bring on the happier colors of spring into our interiors. Make winter a thing of the past by adding some colorful toss pillows. Mix and match patterns and solids to create an interesting contrast.

Add some colorful lampshades to revive your old lighting fixtures and perhaps a striped ottoman or chair to perk up a room. Add some floral accessories (real or faux orchids) in vivid hues like magenta or add cherry or forsythia blossoms in a beautiful vase and you’ll forget that we ever had as bad a winter as we had.

Add colorful art and accessories to update and add zing.  Source, ivillage.com

Add Texture Whether it’s a seagrass rug, a textured pillow, throw or woven wood shades, adding texture to a room warms it up, makes it more cozy and interesting.

Add texture for added warmth and interest. Images from Crate & Barrel

Add Pattern A beautiful, geometric patterned carpet can warm up a room plus give it a more updated feel. For a more traditional look, try a damask patterned carpet – but perhaps one in a non-traditional color. You can also add patterned vases, pillows and other accessories to add some life to your room.

A patterned tablecloth from Williams & Sonoma

Angle Your Furniture Why be predictable when you can be interesting? Try angling some furniture pieces (a sofa, your bed...a piano) and you may find that your room seems roomier…and much more exciting! It costs nothing but time to experiment with different furniture arrangements - so give it a try.  You may just surprise yourself!

Change Some of Your Wooden Furniture  Dark wooden furniture can look a bit too heavy in the spring and summer – so why not try some lighter tables etc. that will give your room an instant lift. Whether it’s painted wood, wrought iron or other metal – choose something that’s lighter in feel to add airiness and more visual space to your room. Mirrored tables add functional storage – while blending seamlessly into your walls. Glass table tops also lend a lighter, more contemporary feel to a room.

Rococco console from House Eclectic

Playing with the Scale of Some of the Items in Your Room  Sometimes a room can look dated and uninteresting because the scale of some of the furnishings may not be right.  A bulky sofa (or one with oversized arms) takes up valuable real estate in a room.    If possible, purchase a sofa that is sleeker - one with less bulk by the arms.  Not only is this a more modern look - but it helps to make your room seem...well, roomier!

Also, take a look at some of your most important focal points - a beautiful fireplace, for example.  If your mantle or mantle  is too small  and thin as compared to the entire hearth, you may want to add more substance to the mantle (beefing up the size, so that it corresponds better).  Changing the scale of a mantle creates a dramatic and updated look to your fireplace.

Other ways to change scale is to add a tall lamp to bring in some height - rather than use two smaller table lamps.  Or consider hanging a large mirror vertically (instead of horizontally).

Draperies that are hung at the height of a window make a room look shorter. Why not bring the drapery rod up towards the ceiling - and hang the drapes higher?  This will make your room seem taller.

Originally, this fireplace that we staged had only a horizontal landscape picture above it.  Adding a vertically placed mirror brings more prominence and height to the space

Bring the Outside In  Add some spring and summer to any room with a decorative vase and fresh-cut flowers. Bring in natural items like wicker and sisal to give a more natural feel. Decorate with seaside acceessories like coral, a nautilus and sea glass to add a beachy theme. Create a taller feel to your room by adding tall grasses in a long cylinder vase in a corner.

Natural wicker, rattan and sea shell accessories bring the outside in.  Image, organizeeverything.com

Sometimes simple things can change a room dramatically.  Try a few of these suggestions - and let me know how they worked in your rooms!

If you would like to have some of these suggestions and more implemented in your home before you sell it, call me at 631 793-1315 or email me at Linda.Leyble@gmail.com.  I will work within your budget to create a home that buyers will fall in love with - so that your home doesn't linger on the market.  I can also do a staging consultation for you with great suggestions and ideas that you can implement yourself - for a totally budget-friendly way to stage your own home for sale. We have two locations - Great River NY and Huntington NY.

Making Your Home Sing: Price + Presentation + Location = Two Home Sale Offers in 2 Days!#comment-form#comment-form#comment-form

A wonderful stager friend of mine in Jacksonville Florida staged a home that sold in two days. Please read this post. Making Your Home Sing: Price + Presentation + Location = Two Home Sale Offers in 2 Days!#comment-form#comment-form#comment-form

How to Reduce and Elimate Noise in Your Home, Apartment or Condo

Some Great Ways to Reduce Noise

Some real estate deals can go sour because of noise - from next door neighbors, barking dogs, street noise, trains, traffic etc.  Don't let that kill your deal.  Here are some ideas to help reduce and possibly eliminate some noises in your home.


Seal All Cracks: To cut down on noise from one room to another, you should seal any cracks and air passages. Noise will seep through any opening. Electrical outlets are a prime area where noise can escape. A quick visit to your hardware store where you can buy electrical outlet seals - which fit between your outlet and the plate - will help reduce the noise from an adjacent room.

Most drywall is not installed flush with the floor. If you were to remove the base and shoe molding, you would find a nearly 2 inch space between the bottom of the drywall and the floor. This is another area where you can focus your efforts to stem noise from seeping through. Carefully remove the shoe molding - then fill the gap with a spray insulating foam. Then reinstall the shoe molding.

Specialty Drywall: There's a product from Blue Ridge Fiberboard called SOUNDSTOP® which deadens sound transfer from outside noise, shared walls and corridors...any noise generating space. It needs to be installed under drywall. You can use it on ceilings and walls. Available nationwide. Check their website - www.blueridgefiberboard.com.

There is also a drywall product called QuietRock (www. quietrock.com) that helps to deaden noise. This is available at Lowes.

Acoustic Ceiling Tiles: There are many of these products on the marketplace. One product is called Auralex T-Coustic Ceiling Tiles - it measures two feet by two feet and sold at truesoundcontrol.com (price is approximately $599.00 for a box of twelve). They will fit into a drop ceiling grid, ideal for hiding ugly HVAC equipment or a/v wires. These tiles act as acoustic sound deafening tiles with 20 to 45% more effective sound absorption than that of other competitors. They are an ideal replacement for your old drop ceiling and they create a serene and less noisy environment.

Also check out this site - http://www.soundproofing.org/. They offer a lot of advice and solutions, plus they have everything from acoustical floor mats and natural cotton fiber insulation and noise proof windows and acoustical foam products.

Soundproof Windows: There is also another company called Citiquiet - and they manufacture and install the best acoustical, noise deadening windows available. This is the priciest solution - but it's one of the best ways to reduce any kind of noise. See their website for more information. www.citiquiet.com.

Also consider...

Carpeting: If you don't have wall-to-wall carpeting, area rugs will help deaden some noise in your home.

Specialty Paints Etc: There's a paint product called Acousti-Coat that I found online. I have not used this particular product but supposedly it helps reduce noise. We have used some specialty plasters that reduce noise - especially in media rooms. Some metallic plasters that we use have sound-reducing properties (as well as fireproof protection). Another great material is "JaDecor" which is a beautiful product that has acoustical properties. Our shop is a preferred installer (you have to be certified in order to use the product).

If you are selling your home, call me at 631 793-1315 for a consultation before you put it on the market.  I can save you money and time by helping you create a home that buyers will love.  We have locations in Huntington NY and Great River NY.