Original Living Room

In my experience, staging may not necessarily help your home sell for more money, but it WILL help your home SELL and it will help your home SELL FASTER.  My recent clients, a young professional couple with a baby, were growing out of their one bedroom place. In order to differentiate it from the other units in the building, the owners enlisted Kathy Rath to come over and see what we could do to warm up the apartment on a budget.  With some furniture rearranging, IKEA fabrics and pillows and some pieces from Target, this apartment was transformed!

Together with proper pricing, this home stood out from the rest, and sold relatively quickly to an all cash

buyer. Feel free to contact me for more information on this topic and for recommendations.

Her recent post featured on the William Raveis Real Estate Blog about home pricing bears repeating, perhaps now more than ever:

Click here to read her post, Stop Overpricing Your Home.

*Photo courtesy of William Raveis Real Estate

Woodrow Jewelers in Rye

I was reminded of that this past week when I brought a very special piece of jewelry to R & M Woodrow Jewelers at 21 Purchase Street in Rye. A family owned business since 1985*, I have always enjoyed stopping in this store. Wendy gave me very helpful, straight forward recommendations on what to do with this piece, and her brother Michael was extremely patient with me as it was difficult for me to hand over this sentimental item, even though I knew it was the right time to do so. I am thrilled beyond my expectations with the transformation and was so impressed with their kindness and exemplary customer service.

I also stopped by La Coquette (27 Purchase St) as I heading out and picked up a gift for my nieces. Specializing in Sterling Silver jewelry and other adornment pieces, this store is unfortunately going out of business in this location and offering sales of up to 70%. Husband and wife team Daniel and Yon have been in the jewelry business for 18 years and carry some unique and beautiful costume jewelry. Visit them today while they are still here!

*Information and photograph courtesy of Westchester Magazine article online.

Inexpensive Paperwhites can liven up indoor spaces in winter.

Whether you are sprucing up the house in anticipation of putting your home on the market, or just need a fresh look to pick you up during this time, there are a couple of easy and inexpensive things you can do:

• I purchased some inexpensive paperwhite bulbs ($4.99 at Trader Joes) to bloom around the house, but any kind of flowers can provide a quick pick me up. Studies show that flowers are a natural mood booster with direct long term positive effects on emotional well being.
• An “All White” color palette integrates your home with the snowy exterior and adds a bit of drama.  CLICK HERE for some really great ideas to incorporate this theme into your home, courtesy of my friend and coworker in Fairfield, Mary Jo McAvey.
• Mirrors can add a touch of  sparkle at this time of year, perhaps as a group of small mirrors in a decorative pattern.

I asked local resident Missie Fahey for some additional ideas.  Missie has a successful interior design business, Missie Fahey, Inc., and I can’t say enough about her diligence, kind manner, and sweet southern charm! Here are her suggestions:

• De-clutter! “While we are getting hit with massive amounts of snowfall, instead of letting cabin fever set in, get busy! It is amazing how fresh a space can become just be emptying it of a few unnecessary or unwanted things.
• Repurpose. This can be as easy as taking a dusty vase off the shelf and filling it with fresh cut flowers or drop it off at your favorite florist and let them surprise you with a vibrant burst! On a slightly larger scale, “DIY” projects are a great way to use what you have, like spray painting a simple mirror frame to jazz it up. I really love the hi gloss paint finishes, which add a snazzy, sophisticated touch!
• Rearrange. Let your inner designer speak to you! Again, while we seem to be spending more time at home than we would like to, don’t hesitate to start moving things around and thinking how spaces can be used differently and possibly more inviting and more efficiently (you can always change it back!).”

Feel free to contact Missie for additional ideas!

Missie also recommends fresh towels and bath mats to perk up a dreary bath, chic new lighting styles, or groupings of inexpensive picture frames. These items and more can be found inexpensively at Marshalls (Port Chester), Home Goods (New Rochelle) or T.J. Maxx (White Plains).

When all else fails, Missie suggests pulling out the votives and invite a group over,  have everyone bring a bottle of wine, toast the New Year and bask in the warmth of friends who will be there for you no matter what your home looks like!

Missie can be reached at 914-673-0861 or through her site HERE.

William Raveis Real Estate entered the Massachusetts market only seven years ago, and this is truly an outstanding acomplishment for the company. Executive Vice President/ Managing Partner Chris Raveis spearheaded the expansion into Massachusetts, as he is now doing in New York State with the opening of our Westchester County offices last year. I have a lot of personal respect for Chris and he deserves all these accolades and more for this tremendous achievement.

*Rismedia 6-23-2010 Regional Spotlight: William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance Wins Number 1 Place to Work in Massachusetts