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January 2012 Newsletter

 

Greetings!  

 

In December we were given the opportunity to get a $10.6 million full-floor apartment on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park in market ready condition.

 

It was truly an amazing experience, from feeling the sense of history of the apartment to seeing with pride the amazing transformation we made.

 

See the Testimonials from the homeowners and real estate agent and the Before and After pictures below.

 

And in other exciting news, I appeared on HGTV's Selling New York December 29th episode!!  In it, I give my advice during a home staging consultation to owners of a $5.75 million, 5-story Manhattan townhouse.  To view a clip of my appearance on the show, click here and scroll down about half way until you see my name highlighted in blue.  Click on the video underneath my name.

 

Warmest regards,

 

Donna M. Dazzo, President
Designed to Appeal    

 

 

 
In This Issue...
Testimonials of the Month
$10 Million Hidden Gem Refined
Market Overview: New York, NY
Tips and Tricks of the Trade: Top 10 Tips to Getting Organized
Did you know: 2011 Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers
Market Overview: The East End
F/REE Closet Organization, Open House & Moving Checklists
 
TestimonialsTestimonials of the Month

1067 Fifth Ave. Living Room
 
"You and your team did a fabulous job.  Brad's work has been superb, so appreciated.  Your ideas were visionary, tasteful.  And your tenacity right on.  Our thanks!"  

Mirra Bank, Homeowner

New York, New York

 

 

"The work that you and Brad did looks really quite wonderful. To be honest I had been reluctant to "stage" the apartment, partly because it was so "unique" and unconventional. But what you have done was to take what was there and make it look better, fresher and unique in a brighter way without in any way making it look conventional.  Thank you."  

Richard Brockman, Homeowner

New York, New York 

 

 "The apartment looks amazing considering where we began. Thank you Donna and all your wonderful helpers. Brad is very special and I feel lucky to have had him in on the mix. It is a success!" 

 

Frosty Montgomery, SVP and Director

Brown Harris Stevens 

New York, New York

 

 

 

 

 

 Staging$10 Million Hidden Gem Refined


Piano Room After 

 

In December we were asked by Frosty Montgomery, Senior Vice President, at Brown Harris Stevens, to get a $10.6 million full floor apartment overlooking Central Park in market ready condition.

 

The apartment had a lot of unique antique furniture and other decorative items, as well as original art, that we strived to use.  However, like pieces in a puzzle, they were often in the wrong places until we rearranged them for maximum effect.

 

In addition, we:

  • Removed excess furniture to create a more spacious feeling in the rooms
    Asked the homeowners to remove a lot of personal items that were cluttering the space (and can lead to a negative subconscious experience among buyers)
  • Lightened up the space by:
    • painting the key rooms, particularly the hallway which had 3 different paint colors
    • swapping out the lighting fixtures, and even the light bulbs
    • thoroughly washing all of the windows to let in more natural light
    • replacing heavy window treatments with lighter ones
  •  Rented furniture and rugs to supplement the existing pieces.

 

Here are the dramatic photos before and after we staged:

 

Hallway Before
 Hallway
 Before 

The hallway was 3 different paint colors and the lighting fixtures

were not appropriate for such a dark space.

 

Hallway After
Hallway After 

So we had the walls painted, replaced the lighting fixtures, moved in a mirror and rearranged the artwork, all to brighten up the space.

  
  
Guest Bedroom/Study Before  
Guest Bedroom/Study Before
The room was in sore need of painting, and was overwhelmed
and darkened by the tapestry hanging on the wall. 
 
Guest Bdrm/Study After
Guest Bedroom/Study After 
So we replaced the tapestry with artwork we found elsewhere in the apartment, painted the walls, and added some new bedding to the daybed. 
 
 
 
    Master Bedroom Before

Master Bedroom Before

The mattresses were on the floor and the surfaces were covered

in books and personal items. 

 

Master Bedroom After

Master Bedroom After 

So we purchased new bedding and window treatments, rented some furniture, and used their existing pieces, all to create a restful sanctuary. 

  

 

Living Room Before
Living Room Before 
The living room was crowded with too much furniture.
 
Living Room After
Living Room After
Removing the extra furniture, replacing some pieces with rental furniture, purchasing some throw pillows, and rearranging the owner's artwork, lighting fixtures and decorative items, made the room warm and welcoming.
 
 
 Guest Bedroom Before
Guest Bedroom Before
This bed was in the wrong position and
the room had a random collection of furniture...
 
Guest Bedroom After
Guest Bedroom 
After
...until we moved the bed, brought in the right furniture, and added some bright bedding and window sheers.
 

 

Breakfast Nook Before
Breakfast Room Before
What can we say about this room? The jungle motif and lack of lighting
made it dark and unappealing.
 

 

Breakfast Nook After
Breakfast Room After
Voila!  In addition to defining the room by adding a table and chairs, a fresh coat of paint, a chandelier and a hidden window uncovered,
all did the trick to brighten up this room.
 

 

Piano Room Before
Piano Room Before

 The existing conversation area blocked the flow of traffic from the living room to the guest bedroom/study, and the daybed needed some sprucing up.

 

Piano Room After

Piano Room After

With the daybed recovered, buyers can now imagine themselves relaxing there with a good book and gazing out the window at Central Park.

 

To see more Before and After photos, click here.

 

 

   NYMarket Overview:
     New York, NY


According to Corcoran's Fourth Quarter 2011 Report:
 

"After strong demand over the past two quarters, market wide transaction activity pulled back during Fourth Quarter 2011 to approximately 2,600 sales, the lowest level of activity since Second Quarter 2009. The number of quarterly sales was 12% lower than Fourth Quarter 2010 and 20% lower than Third Quarter 2011. The compression in sales this quarter can be attributed to seasonal activity trending downward at the end of each year and low new development inventory."

 

The following is a comparison of Fourth Quarter 2011 vs. Fourth Quarter 2010:

 

Market Wide:

  • Number of Sales increased 12% to 2,600.
  • Listings on the market decreased 6% to 8,440.
  • Median price decreased 6% to $795,000 and average price per square foot decreased 1% to $1,044.
  • New listings as a % of total listings decreased from 52% to 46%.

 

Condos:

  • The median sale price increased 11% to $1,197,000.
  • The average price per square foot increased 3% to $1,242.

Co-ops:

  • The median sale price decreased 8% to $629,000.
  • The average price per square foot decreased 2% to $843.

Read what other firms' reports have to say about 2011.

 

And check out the predictions for the 2012 local market by top real estate experts.

 
 
  
 
Tips and Tricks of the Trade:
Top 10 Tips to Getting Organized
 
The doldrums of winter seem like the best time to get into some organized habits.  Here are a few of the top 10 tips given by professional organizers:
 
1. Open your mail over the recycle bin:  Get rid of it, or put bills to be paid and other important papers in the right pile, immediately.
2. Give it up:  if you haven't used it get rid of it.  You won't miss it. Most people have too much stuff and all of it becomes a big chore when it's time to sell their home and move out.
3. Write it down: Helps you to remember, frees up your mind, and aids in relaxation.
4. Put it away NOW:  everything should be put back in its place when you are done with it.  It's easier to do this one at a time rather than all at once.
 
Read more about these and the remaining 6 tips. 
 
 
  

 

 

 

     Did you know....      

 

 

 

  

According to the 2011 National Association of Realtors� (NAR) Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers:  

 

  • First-time home buyers decreased 37% last year from 2010's record high of 50%?

 

According to Ron Phipps, President of the NAR, "first-time buyers are critical to a housing recovery because they help existing home owners sell and make a trade".

 

  • 89% of buyers and 88% of sellers used a real estate agent to find their home in 2011? 
  • 88% of buyers used the Internet in their search for a home? 
  • The typical home buyer searched for 12 weeks and viewed 12 homes?
  • The typical home seller was 53 years old and their income was $101,500?

  • Sellers moved a median distance of 20 miles and their home was on the market for 9 weeks, up from 8 weeks in the 2010 profile.

  • While sellers had been in their previous home for a median of nine years, up from eight years in the 2010 study, first-time buyers plan to stay for 10 years and repeat buyers plan to hold their property for 15 years.

 

See more statistics and analysis here

 
 

 
     EastEndMarket Overview: The East End




 

According to George R. Simpson, President of Suffolk Research Service:

 

"The real estate market on the East End of Long Island is showing some improvement compared to 3rd quarter 2011, but little to no improvement compared to 2010 yearly results."
 

Mr. Simpson said that all three of the market indicators: Median Price, Unit Sales, and Dollar Sales showed a stationary trend 2011 vs 2010, although improved over 2008 and 2009.

Comparing quarterly sales on the East End for 4th quarter of 2011 vs the previous (3rd) quarter, Median Price was up 8.7%, and Dollar Sales were up 7.8%. Unit sales of single family homes were down by three units.


Read more here

 

The following is a comparison of 2011 vs 2010 by town:

 

East Hampton Town:
  • The median sales price decreased 7% to $875,000
  • The number of sales decreased 12.6% to 491
  • The dollar volume of sales decreased 26% to $714 million

 Southampton Town:

  • The median sales price increased 8% to $865,000
  • The number of sales decreased by 6% to 980
  • The dollar volume of sales increased 13% to $1.793 billion
Southold Town:
  • The median sales price remained the same at $440,000
  • The number of sales decreased 8% to 293
  • The dollar volume of sales decreased 5% to $180 million

For a list of the most expensive home sales in the Hamptons in 2011, click here.

 

Read what market experts had to say regarding the Hamptons market in 2011 and their thoughts for 2012 in this recent New York Times article.

 
Quick Links

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F/REE Closet Organization,
Open House, and Moving Checklists

 

Checklist

 

Download your FREE Closet Organization,  Open House and Moving Checklists,

Try our new Home Staging Savings Calculator developed by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA):DIV>

 

 

Click on the calculator above, which will launch in a new window. 

 

For more detailed instructions, click here.


HomeStagingConsultationHome Staging
Consultation
(occupied homes)
 
For Manhattan and the Hamptons from Montauk to Southampton:  $350 for the first 2 hours, $125/hour thereafter
Other Areas:
  A travel premium will apply.

Click here for more information and to schedule a Home Staging Consultation.


FREE VACANT STAGING ESTIMATES IN MANHATTAN AND THE HAMPTONS