The Mccosker’s weren’t even sure they wanted to sell their apartment when they listed it. At first, they just wanted to test the market. They’d done work since buying the place in 2013; moving walls, shifting rooms, and adding a huge walk-in closet, and thought it might be time to cash in on that equity. Going off a referral, they called realtor and stager Kaja Bolton, who staged it to sell.

The kitchen had been well lived-in, so Kaja suggested that they spruce it up. A simple coat of paint on the cabinets covered splotches, and new brass hardware gave the space a warmer feel. Adding wallpaper behind the television broke up the unrelieved white walls, and she suggested they de-clutter.

Closet space is always at a premium and a definite selling point. But, the walk-in closet still needed tidying. Kaja brought in an expert to rearrange clothing and present it to its best advantage.

One of the apartment’s most impressive features – its incredible views – also presented Kaja with the home’s largest staging challenge. “I’d never staged an apartment with more natural light,” she says, “the light changed by the hour, so the color would change.” She decided to keep everything neutral, using brass to add warmth.

Wood tones and ivory panels in the living room highlighted the views and picked up on the gray flooring’s blue tint. In the bedroom, she used navy as an accent color. The owners continued to live in the apartment while it was on the market. Kaja had to work with their bed and some of their furniture.

Both the light changes and existing furniture made it tricky for Kaja to find something that felt warm but still worked with what they had. She settled on a more gender-neutral color to help appeal to a wider range of buyers.

The purpose of staging is to sell for higher by appealing to the target buyer.

Kaja showcased the ability to house a larger family. The staging helped pull in the target buyer, and it was snapped up by a larger family.

After making small updates and relying on Kaja’s staging expertise, the McCosker’s sold their home for $225k more than another apartment in the same line, during the same timeframe!

Even if you own a desirable property, it pays to update and stage your home. After all, who doesn’t want to get top dollar? If you’ve been thinking about selling and want to learn more, contact Kaja today.