When Steve and Kim Allen called Kaja Bolton for help with staging and selling their place, their apartment had sat on the market for six months. After two kids, they’d outgrown their first home and were eager to move into a place with a backyard. But the slow sale of their current place was holding up their plans.

According to Kaja, “it was a great place but it lacked the “wow” factor.”  The apartment needed some help to expose its full potential, so she set to work making it shine.

Mismatched furniture failed to highlight one of the apartment’s biggest pluses – it’s open concept living room, dining room, and kitchen. The space had a great flow to it, but it wasn’t until Kaja added more complementary furniture that potential buyers could see its possibilities. “I put in furniture that served to light up the whole apartment,” says Kaja. The new pieces had a contemporary feel and warmth colors which immediately made the apartment feel more updated.

In just a week, and with one open house, we had more people come through than had seen the place in six months!

In staging the rooms, Kaja went for a more neutral palette of blues and creams that tied them together. With a neutral palette, buyers can see themselves living in a place, but to up the “wow” factor she balanced the palette with different textures and metals.

Smaller objects, “things that make you move your eyes around the picture and draw people into the apartment,” like a cheeky silver monkey on a side table and a sequined pillow added interest. She continued the use of textures into the master bedroom – where plush velvet pillows encouraged buyers to see themselves curled up on the bed or reading a book in the armchair.

Of all the apartment’s rooms, the girl’s bedroom was Kaja’s favorite. In a child’s room, there’s more freedom to be whimsical and fun. An elephant pillow on the soft pink bedspread and unicorn and swan heads mounted above the beds create a sense of playfulness.

Everywhere you looked, there was something to make you smile and look closer. Within seven days of staging and showing the apartment the sellers had received several offers above the list price.

“In just a week, and with one open house, we had more people come through than had seen the place in six months,” Steve says. “We loved working with Kaja, she bent over backwards for us.” The couple especially appreciated how Kaja worked her network to bring interested buyers through the apartment.

Adding the “wow” factor added up to a win for the sellers. After sitting on the market for months with a different broker, Kaja had multiple offers and put it under contract in seven days.  It sold for $11,000 over the asking price.

If you’ve been thinking about selling and want to learn more, contact Kaja today.