Get It Done Right...And Sold!

by Maurajane Rogers

Stage Right Design
781.424.8087
StageRightDesign@comcast.net

If you are one of the thousands of people attempting to sell your house in this competitive and virtually saturated real estate market, perhaps you are in need of a bit of inspiration vis-à-vis the interior decorating department. With inventory mounting, competition is brutal and in order to keep your house from languishing in the 'For Sale' column, a fresh and innovative look at the interior of your home through the eyes of a professional is nearly essential. The dynamic duo of Myra Leen and Jacki Roche and their brainchild "Stage Right Design" will help you in your quest to create a warm and welcoming home, in order to get it sold.

While watching her mother succeed in Theater Stage Direction and Design, Myra Leen tapped into her own creativity and, upon graduation from The Museum School of Fine Arts, did what most people tend do with their degree; she went into the business world. After her obligatory time in cutthroat corporate, getting married and having children, Myra tapped back into her creative vein and several years ago created her own business, "Interior Solutions," an interior decorating company. Jacki Roche's story nearly mirrors Myra's: with a graduate degree from the URI Business School and a Master's Degree in filmmaking from Boston University, Jacki, too, delved right into corporate America. Although she had always desired to utilize her creativity, it wasn't until five years ago, after having built businesses, mastered the sales and marketing of same, and earned an entrepreneurial skill set, did Jacki decide to follow her yearning to find her artistic self.

With hundreds of 'how-to' television shows to guide you in painting, re-doing, landscaping, building, tearing down, decorating, re-decorating and then some (there are fifty-five on HGTV alone!), it's no wonder that people are overwhelmed with the prospect of preparing their home for the real estate market. Enter 'Stagers' Myra and Jacki. They both knew that they had to find their niche. Inspired through a realtor and longtime friend in Washington D.C. (who does not sell a house without a stager), Myra presented the idea of home staging to Jacki. Home staging has been around for years beginning, fittingly (where many innovative and trendsetting ideas stem), in California. Practically speaking, the marketing of a house for sale-everything from interior painting to curb appeal, Myra and Jacki, armed not only with their formal training but also their joie de vivre, will create an atmosphere specially tailored to you. Using herself as a guinea pig, the pair went to work on Myra's home prior to its sale. The results spoke for themselves-positive feedback and the "Sold" sign in front of Myra's house.

After initial consultation with the two Stage Right divas, groundwork is laid out for the seller and then the implementation of those changes occurs. While Myra acknowledges that selling a home is an immensely stressful time, she won't hesitate in pointing out the pivotal fact that "once you've put your house on the market, it no longer belongs to you and a certain detachment must be made, as it now becomes merely a property." 'Jill's of all Trades', Jacki and Myra not only invent a sellable space working with the homeowners' personal effects, they are simultaneously creators, decorators, purveyors of style and psychotherapists, all in a week's work. And that is all the time they need to do for you what you really cannot do for yourself; merely one week to ten days, give or take. A walk through can consist of simple changes; a fresh coat of paint, a decluttering here, a rearrangement there. A common theme during consultation of a property is typically "I know what I like, I've got what I want, I just can't quite get it all together." Another common theme is simplicity. Thoreau had it right when he penned those wise words: "Our life is frittered away by detail...simplify, simplify." Both Myra and Jacki agree too much of anything can be...well, too much! Do buyers want to see your teacup collection cluttering the corner curio? No! Everyone loves a plant here or there, but must you have your entire greenhouse inside? It is truly simple little measures taken, says Jacki that can make a world of difference. Fresh hand towels in the bathroom, updated knobs on drawers or a vase of flowers on the main table-so little effort, such big results.

Other than simplicity, another basic tenet of Stage Right Design is cleanliness. Let's face it-if your house is dirty, a large percentage of buyers are turned off, and turned off immediately. Get thee to a cleaning service! Wholeheartedly in agreement, Myra and Jacki insist that the property must gleam in order to be successful.

Staging is predominantly cosmetic as opposed to structural. Updating, streamlining, and using the homeowner's own pieces, Myra and Jacki will not zap the life out of your property. They recognize a need for personal connection and that dissociation may equal contrary results. Many staging companies will insist that family photos be tucked away. Stage Right Design disagrees, suggesting that a few photos give people that feeling of connection, especially if the home houses a family (although they do insist that everything be removed from the front of the fridge).

Myra and Jacki don't believe in faking it and although they are intent on closing the deal, they also recognize the existence of their palette. No need to paint the kids' rooms beige. If it's fun, let it be fun and maintain its personality. Conversely, if it's zebra stripes, there may have to be some negotiation (and painting). Frequenting discount retailers in order to accessorize, Myra and Jacki can find something for everyone's need, and without the huge expense.

Working primarily on the South Shore, Myra and Jacki thoroughly enjoy what they do and the people they work with. And if you find yourself standing in your family room saying this just isn't right, but really have no intention of selling your home, you're in luck. Stage Right Design can help the hapless who may not have the burden of selling, but have the misfortune of not knowing how to make what they've got work. As far as Myra and Jacki are concerned, one of their most satisfying results occurred when a client came into her home upon staging completion and burst into tears. Uh-oh, thought Myra, until her client hugged her and proclaimed, "This is how I've always wanted it to be!"

For more information, or a consultation, contact Stage Right Design at 781.424.8087 or StageRightDesign@comcast.net.