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January 2013 Newsletter

 

Greetings!  

 

Hope you enjoyed your Holidays.  Well, January is off to a fast start!  We are busy staging several vacant, as well as owner-occupied, apartments, and also helping several homeowners decorate and improve their homes for living.

 

We recently staged a vacant loft apartment in Greenwich Village that had been on the market for 7 months.  Previously, buyers walked in and couldn't imagine where their furniture would go, nor did they feel any emotional connection with the space.  Now they can say "Wow!", just like the real estate agent did after seeing our staging.  See his Testimonial below.

 

January feels like an appropriate time to share our Staging Success Stories from 2012  with you, as shown in our feature article below.  From apartments selling at the first open house to those that resulted in a bidding war, these success stories are proof that Staging Works! 

 

Warmest regards,

 

Donna M. Dazzo, President

Designed to Appeal

 

 
In This Issue
Testimonial of the Month
Our 2012 Staging Success Stories
Market Overview: New York, NY
Tips and Tricks of the Trade: DIY Headboard and Bulletin Board
Did You Know...What Central Park Views are Actually Worth?
Market Overview: The East End
F/REE Closet Organization, Open House & Moving Checklists
 
Testimonial 
Testimonial of the Month
  
"WOW! The place looks amazing, Donna. Thank you!
We will definitely be working together again."
 

 

After being on the market for nearly 7 months, this empty loft apartment was in desperate need of  staging so buyers could imagine themselves living there and want to live the lifestyle the apartment portrays.
  
The Albert & Rice Team of The Corcoran Group called in Designed to Appeal and we staged this light and bright loft apartment, perfect for entertaining, in the heart of Greenwich Village.
  
Now that it shows beautifully online and in person, we are confident we will add this to our long list of staging success stories.
 

FeaturedStaging 

  Our 2012 Staging Success Stories
 
Take a look at some of last year's success stories from Designed To Appeal.

169 Mercer Soho Loft
 
An offer was accepted 10 days after going on the market staged. The final selling price was $100K over the asking price! 
 
 
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77 Bleecker Street

 

Offer accepted in 15 days at 99% of asking price!

 

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Willow Place, Brooklyn Heights

Offer was accepted in 16 days after the staging for 100% of the asking price! 


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West 13th Street Bakery Building

 

Offer accepted in 14 days at the full asking price!! Just a jaunt from Union Square, this large family apartment was full of empty bookshelves. The real estate agent knew exactly who to call for this big job. Designed To Appeal's talent for nick-nacks and large inventory were perfect to stage this impressive place.

 

 

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La Guardia Place, West Village

 

Sold in 11 days at 9% ABOVE asking price! As seen in their feature article, The New York Times agreed many things in this lived-in apartment had to be changed before selling. After our team came in, the place looked as good as the price the owners received at the sale!  

 


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East 75th Street

Offer accepted 18 days after staging!
  
 
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East 65th Street


This apartment got a nice update with some comfortable furniture and tasteful accessories. The staging helped the buyers envision this apartment's potential and an offer was accepted in a short 29 days at full asking price!  


 
 

   NYMarket Overview:
     New York, NY


According to Corcoran's 4th Quarter 2012 Report:

  

"The Manhattan market ended the year with robust results. Market-wide sales in the Fourth Quarter 2012 increased 20% vs. Fourth Quarter 2011 to 3,200. Following expected seasonality, the Fourth Quarter's sales volume trailed the Third Quarter's record-high sales volume by 19%.

 

Market-wide, the number of available listings in Manhattan reached...its lowest point in 7 years and a 19% decline from the same time period last year." 

 

Prices responded to the tight market conditions with a market-wide median price increase of 8% versus Fourth Quarter 2011."

 

Market Wide:

 

There are 6,514 units currently listed on the market, 54% of which are new listings added during the 4th quarter.  

 

Condos:

  • The median sale price of $1,043,000 in the 4th quarter of 2012 represents a 2% decrease from from the same quarter of 2011
  • The average price per square foot of $1,256 is a 5% decrease from 4th quarter 2011
Co-ops:
  • The median sale price of $645,000 in the 4th quarter of 2012 represents an 8% increase from 4th quarter 2011
  • The average price per square foot of $869 in the 4th quarter represents a 6% increase from same time last year
 
                                     Tips
Tips and Tricks of the Trade:
DIY Headboard and Bulletin Board

Designed To Appeal needed to transform this child's room to appeal to a new buyer. The murphy bed's headboard and the bulletin above the desk needed some cleaning up and our Design Associate, Brad Scoggins, shares his insight on how DIY projects like this one can completely change a room.

 

"For the headboard, I started with inexpensive cork board pieces and layered each one with polyester batting. I then stapled a clean, contemporary grey chevron fabric to each piece of cork board with short staples. To keep it inexpensive, I used multiple pieces of smaller cork board rather than one large piece, and fit the segments tightly side by side. For a more durable option you can also use homosote board instead of cork board.

                     

For the bulletin board I knew we needed to start fresh. I chose a more daring print fabric and used three large square pieces of cork. Once they were covered in a layer of batting and tightly stapled, they gave a dynamic and fresh look to this kid's room. It definitely improved the appeal of this room to buyers. Throw in some new bedding and t's a great, inexpensive way to change the look of an entire room!"

 

Before
 
 

Didyouknow Did You Know...     

 

the real deal central park views 

What Central Park Views Are Actually Worth?

 

According to January's issue of The Real Deal:  

  • CEO Shaun Osher of CORE says, "Pricing an apartment in New York City is an art, not a science. There are so many intangibles that create value."
  • Central Park can add up to 50% onto an apartment's price, according to Jonathan Miller of Miller Samuel.
  • Unobstructed Central Park views are 10-15% more valuable than unobstructed river views in comparable apartments.  
  • Park views remain one of the toughest features for Real Estate Agents to price because they are so subjective.  
  • Outdoor space can raise the value of an apartment about 25%
  • Prewar detailing can add anywhere from 15-25% in value.

Read more here.

 
 
 

 
     EastEndMarket Overview: The East End




 

According to George R. Simpson, President of Suffolk Research Service, Inc., the real estate market on the East End of Long Island in December ended it's best year in terms of dollar sales and unit sales since 2007.  
  
The following is a comparison of December 2012, vs. all of 2011, by town:

 

East Hampton Town:

  • The median sales price increased 9% to $955,000
  • The number of sales increased 22% to 601 
  • The dollar volume of sales increased 56% to $1,113,000,000

 Southampton Town:

  • The median sales price decreased nearly 8% to $800,000
  • The number of sales decreased by 8% to 1115
  • The dollar volume of sales increased 4% to $1,857,000,000

Southold Town:

  • The median sales price decreased 1% to $435,000
  • The number of sales increased 12% to 341
  • The dollar volume of sales increased 16% to $341 million

Source: Suffolk Research Services 

 

 

 
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FREE 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)

 

 

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.


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