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November/December 2016 Newsletter

 

  

 

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. We decided to combine our November and December newsletters since they normally go out at the end of the month when everyone is so busy with the Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah holidays (which fall on the same day this year - see below). 

 

Our staging success story this month is a one bedroom apartment at 245 East 93rd Street that sold for nearly 8% over the asking price in just 10 days!  See below for photos and more information including the cost of the improvements and what it ultimately sold for. 

 

Have a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. See you in 2017. 

 

Warm regards,

 

Donna M. Dazzo, President

Designed to Appeal 

P.S.  I am pleased to announce that I was selected to be among the Top Ten Home Stagers in the United States by the Real Estate Staging Association.


 

 

 
In This Issue
Testimonial of the Month
Our Staging Success Story:
Market Overview: New York, NY
Tips and Tricks of the Trade: Over-the-Top Decorating Ideas for the Hardcore Holiday Enthusiast!
Did You Know...What Years Have Hanukkah and Christmas Fallen on the Same Day in the Last Century?
Market Overview: The East End
FREE Closet Organization, Open House & Moving Checklists
 
Testimonial of the Month

"Donna and her team did an outstanding job with the transformation of my one-bedroom for sale listing on the Upper East Side in Yorkville. 

Prior to staging, Donna collaborated with the seller and his contractor, who completed minor cosmetic upgrades. I was really impressed with her hands-on approach and attention to every detail. She created a "wow factor" and as a result, there was a lot of prospective broker/buyer traffic. 

Based on Donna's design skills and experience, buyers were able to envision living in this now contemporary, move-in-condition apartment. I had multiple offers after only 10-days on market and achieved 7.93% over the ask price for my seller/ client, who was thrilled with the final outcome.

Major lesson here for the brokerage community and prospective sellers: staging works!

I look forward to working with Donna again in the near future."

 
Warburg Realty
New York, NY
 
 
Our Staging Success Story: Stagingsuccess

Staged And "Sold" In Ten Days 
for 8% Over Asking!!

When we were first contacted by George Matthews of Warburg Realty, the apartment at 245 East 93rd Street was furnished as a bachelor-like pied-a-terre and we knew it would look cluttered and dull for the listing photos and buyer open houses. 

Based upon his family's experience in luxury residential real estate development and interior design, George also knew what an apartment should look like in order to present it to market for sale. He told the owner he could not list the apartment in the "as is" condition and then presented a strong argument to the owner as to why it was important to make the upfront investment in cosmetic upgrades and staging:

"No matter if it's a one-bedroom or a four-bedroom, staging (if done right; meaning smart contemporary design with broad appeal) is likely to increase the odds for a successful sales outcome", George said. 
 
After careful consideration, the client agreed to proceed!  Between the combination of the cosmetic upgrades (painting, refinishing of floors, minor repairs and light fixture replacements) and the smart staging design, a lot of potential buyers were drawn to the apartment. 

George said that the photo image of the living room was so powerful that it drove interest and foot traffic to the listing. Both agents and sellers should realize how important the intro visual is!

Without the improvements, George would have priced the apartment for less. The client spent about $25,000 for both the cosmetic upgrades and staging. The apartment was ultimately listed for $765,000 and the agent felt that the $25,000 investment would be recouped through a projected sale price of $750,000 - $800,000, based on the current dynamic of the Yorkville under $1 million condo market. 

After only 10 days on the market and multiple offers, the agent had secured a buyer at a sales price of $825,714 or $7.93% over ask (signed contract after 27 days on the market.)
     
 Living Room Before
   
   Living Room After
     
Bedroom Before  

   Bedroom  After  
     
Bathroom Before
 
Bathroom After
   
Kitchen Before   
   
 Kitchen After  
 

   Corcoran      

To read the entire report, click here.
 
 Tips
Tips and Tricks of the Trade:  
 
 Over-the-Top Decorating Ideas for the 
Hardcore Holiday Enthusiast!!

 
Sometimes, more is more. For many, one of those times is Christmas, and all the deocrating opportunities the holiday brings with it. Below,  Apartment Therapy contributor   Eleanor Büsing  offers some ideas below for those who are more of a maximalist than a minimalist when it comes to decking your halls.


Start at the front door!
      
Decorating starts at the front door, so why not go all-out and wrap that thing up like a giant present, as Amaryllis from OhOhBlog did? 

Everybody loves a wreath!
 
   
A wreath is a more traditional option for the front door - this one from Wreaths by Rebecca B on Etsy is fairly bursting with Christmas goodies, while still getting in on the current trend for bare branches and asymmetric styles. 

Simple can be fancy!
 
Once you're inside, don't ignore your other doors. Here, some simple gold stickers make this (rather fancy) architrave featured on House & Garden come alive with Christmas cheer. 



Did someone say ombre?


Ombre has invaded everything else, why not our Christmas trees? Pick one color and buy a bunch of baubles in varying shades, as on this tree from Lovely Indeed. 


Create a wall tree 

Wall trees aren't just for minimalists. This one (though technically a cork board leaning against the wall) from How to Decorate is made entirely of sparkly ornaments. 


For even more ideas, click  here!
 
Didyouknow    Did You Know.....
What Years Hanukkah and Christmas Have Fallen 
on the Same Day in the Last Century?
 
 
Hanukkah is an 8 day holiday, so it can never fall on exactly the same day, but if referring to the first night of Hanukkah, this happened only four times in the last 100 years: 1918, 1921, 1959, and 2005.  

Then there have also been years when Hanukkah overlapped with Christmas more than 50 times in the last 100 years.  In the current decade there has been and will be overlap, which can be seen with the following Hanukkah starting days since 2011: 

  • December 21, 2011
  • December 9, 2012
  • November 28, 2013
  • December 17, 2014
  • December 7, 2015
  • December 25, 2016
  • December 13, 2017
  • December 3, 2018
  • December 23, 2019
The holiday usually begins the night before the days listed. 

The information for this article was found  here.
 

To reference the quarterly numbers, click here .
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