May 1, 2005 -- The array of crystal decorations were packed and the window treatment was hung.
Renee Calandro and her business partner Catherine Catanese attend to every detail. They provide brutally honest assessments of what it takes to prepare a home before the “sale” sign appears in the front yard.
“Vacant homes lack comfort and cluttered homes send potential buyers into sensory overload,” says Renee Calandro co-owner of Metropolitan Décor. She places an elegant plant in the center of the already set dining room table and talks over her shoulder, “I’ve seen homes sit on the market for months and sell days after a staging.”
Staging is more or less a home makeover and Calandro’s Florida based company, Metropolitan Décor, uses the interior decorating method to give homes a new look by moving furniture, changing color schemes, updating accessories, using window treatments and adding floral displays.
Home staging is fairly new across the country, as realtors and homeowners seek expert help to get a condo or house to sell for top dollar in a short period.
“Housing prices continue to soar and the demand is there; but, if you want to take a concrete block home, built in 1978, and make it sell for top dollar you may need to hire an expert,” says Craig Shatto of Prudential Tropical Realty. “Statistics show that a staged home sells 83% faster and for top dollar.”
Calandro turns from the ready-to-use dining room with a nod of approval. “When a potential buyer walks into a home, you’ve only got 5 seconds to meet their expectations,” she chides. “That’s how long it takes for most buyers to make up their minds about a property.”
So what kind of property owner turns to staging? “I encourage anyone selling a property to protect their investment and do what they can to find the best possible return,” says Shatto. “It’s also helpful for people who are saddled with two mortgages and need to sell a property quickly.”
Calandro reflects on past projects as she frowns at a 70’s style lighting fixture in the den of her latest masterpiece. “Making a home inviting can be as simple as sprucing up; but some properties take more work.”
A couple of moths ago, Calandro created an office area out of a large living room, by renting silk trees, a room divider, and some accessories at the cost of about $500.00.
“We had an open house afterwards and the homeowner had two offers within 24-hours,” says Calandro.
“That’s not unusual,” confirms Jim Longstreth of Your Neighborhood Realty. “I hired Metropolitan Décor to stage a waterfront property, because the contract was about to expire and I had shown the home 40 times unsuccessfully. It sold one day after staging and at list price.”
Metropolitan Decor stages the average home for less than $1,000. “Our motto is: if the home is worth selling, sell it for what it’s worth,” says Calandro, who regularly holds seminars on the topic.
For more information on home staging, visit Renee Calandro or Catherine Catanese at the Metropolitan Décor showroom on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg, Florida or call Metropolitan Décor at 727-215-8729. Before and after pictures of home staging are posted on www.metropolitandecor.com.
High-resolution photographs available.
Kim Justice is a freelance writer for Savvy Buzz.
