2149 Basil Lane, Los Angeles (IN ESCROW)
$929,000
This inspirational Bill Mack contemporary architectural on a rare, private cul de sac just east of Beverly Glen features a 2-story tall wall of glass looking out across an open, sunlit living room and dining area to a large landscaped patio and deck surrounded by tall trees, tranquil canyon views and sky. Listed by Elyse Gunter of Coldwell Banker.

1925 S. Beverly Glen #27, Los Angeles (SOLD)
$519,000
This sophisticated split level townhouse with soaring ceilings in the living room is just moments from all that Century City has to offer. Listed by Deborah Bremner of Coldwell Banker.

2011 Ashland, Santa Monica
$1,375,000
This stunning contemporary craftsman home, listed by Megan and Stacey Valnes of Sunset Park Realtors, is open, airy, light and bright and will entice any buyer.

1749 Wellesley Dr., Santa Monica (PENDING)
$875,000
Turn-key traditional on an over sized lot. Oozing with vintage style & charm but updated for modern living. Listed by Jennifer Field of Teles Properties.

840 20th St. #3, Santa Monica
$849,000
Exquisite north of Wilshire townhome with designer finishes throughout and a private rooftop deck. Listed by Mike Schwartz of Coldwell Banker.

2329 Castle Heights, Los Angeles
$929,000

With hardwood floors and plantation shutters throughout, this classic home exudes elegance at every turn. Listed by Trevor Thomas of Bankers Realty Exclusive, Inc.

Check out the photos of the finished product!

10740 Ashton Ave.

Living Room

Dining Room

Family/Media Room

Office/Library

Office/Library

Kitchen

Kitchen/Breakfast Room

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

3rd Bedroom

Atrium

Listed by Daniel Bahr – CORE Commercial Real Estate. Call 818-231-2231 for more information or to arrange a showing.

Now you would think I would know better, seeing as how I posted this article back in 2008, warning other stagers to make sure their properties are “Stage Ready” before they show up. However, even the most experienced of us can sometimes slip when the agents and sellers are in a hurry to get a property staged and on the market.

So it happened (twice) that I found myself and my crew at a property that was simply not ready for us.

A couple of months ago, we were asked to stage a property that had been in the middle of a big remodel when the owner ran out of money before s/he could finish it. Our client purchased the home with the intent of quickly finishing the work and flipping it. While most of the construction seemed to progress fairly quickly, there were some issues with the electrical that the inspector refused to sign off on. Until he signed off, they couldn’t have electricity at the property. I informed the client of the reasons that we can’t stage without water and power and he assured me that the water would definitely be turned on in time, but that he wouldn’t have confirmation on the power until closer to the staging day. When I pushed him on this, he responded that the contractor knew my schedule, so I shouldn’t worry. Famous last words!

We arrived to the job site to find that not only was there no electricity (so we couldn’t steam any of the bedding or turn on any of the lights to take photos when we were done), but the contractors were actually still working. They were just beginning to install a large Jacuzzi tub in the master bathroom. The tub itself (which was quite large) had to sit inside the master bedroom while the workers  poured the concrete and waited for it to set before they could install the tub. Unfortunately that meant that my furniture delivery guys couldn’t get the bed, dresser and nightstands into the room!

After much back and forth, we compromised with the workers. They would move the tub into the very large master closet so we could install the furniture and stage the master bedroom. Unfortunately we still didn’t have power, so we couldn’t steam any of the bedding in the three bedrooms. We took photos, but they were taken with natural light only since none of the overhead lights or lamps worked.

After almost two months of me checking in weekly with the owner about when we could come back to do the steaming and photos, we finally got the go-ahead that they had power this week. We showed up on Wednesday only to find that, once again, the power was off (though it had been fully functional just the day before). The sad part is that the owner has paid for two months of staging rentals and hasn’t had the full effect of being able to show the property in its “best light” – pun intended. The Realtor has continued to hold open houses and to do showings, despite the lack of power, and the good news is that there may already be an offer on the table! That would be a wonderful result for this seller and I certainly hope it goes through. But lesson learned – or so I thought…

A mere month and a half later, I was asked to stage another property that was in the midst of a major remodel. In fact, this is what it looked like on the day I went to preview the home.

But the Realtor assured me that they would be ready for us in 8 days, which was how long we had before the staging date.

The good news is that we arrived to both water AND power! The bad news was that we also arrived to a house FULL of workers – electricians, painters, and more. The kitchen was full of appliances waiting to be installed. The tile guy still needed to grout the tile in both bathrooms and the kitchen, and there was a bunch of electrical work that still had to be done (fixtures installed, half-hot outlets set up, etc). To their credit, the construction crew was as accommodating as possible. They really tried to stay out of our way so we could work. But I had a four-person staging crew plus two delivery guys, and for much of the day, we were stuck waiting for workmen to finish so we could stage.

Luckily both of these stagings turned out great in the end, but let it be a lesson to other stagers not to repeat my mistakes. Confirm and reconfirm in the days leading up to the installation. And make sure you have a backup plan if you walk in to a construction site. You’ll be glad you did!

So after 3 months of sitting on the market and $100,000 in price reductions, the seller finally agreed to stage it.

One of the issues with showing this home empty was that the second bedroom was directly across from the dining room and had no door.

Downstairs Bedroom Before Staging (open to dining room)

According to the agent, most buyers of this floorplan had sliding doors installed to wall off the room and create privacy, but this one had not been upgraded in that way. So as potential buyers finished their tour, they inevitably asked “Where’s the 2nd bedroom?” When the agent pointed out the open space across from the dining room, which was visible from most of the downstairs, buyers balked.

The space also felt a bit cold, as modern spaces can tend to when they are not furnished.

Our first task was to create a division so that the second bedroom actually felt like a bedroom. We accomplished this with a simple room divider to create privacy. Adding bedroom furniture, as well as a desk, also helped buyers envision how they could use the space.

Downstairs Bedroom After Staging

Next we added warmth with furniture, art and accessories.

Did it work? Well, after 3 months on the market, this place is now in escrow! I call that success.

As things go in the “small world” of Los Angeles real estate, the buyer’s agent for that property loved my work and hired me to stage one of his listings…and another and another. That agent has been a steady client ever since and tells me he won’t take a listing unless the seller agrees to have me stage it! Aren’t those type of clients the BEST?

So last week this agent calls to tell me that his clients (the ones that bought that Santa Monica townhome) are now selling, and it was time for me to “work my magic” again! It’s not often we get a second chance to stage the same home, so I was excited – especially since it was such a great experience the last time! We both agreed not to mess with success (so to speak) and to keep the basics the same in terms of furniture placement, but I just had to mix it up a bit.

Check out these photos of the home how I staged it in 2008 and now how it looks today. Which do you prefer?

View from 2nd floor 2008

View from 2nd floor 2010

Living/Dining Room 2008

Living/Dining Room 2010

Dining Room 2008

Dining Room 2010

Master Bedroom 2008

Master Bedroom 2010

Office 2008

Office 2010

Guest Room 2008

Guest Room 2010

Master Bath 2008

Master Bath 2010

631 N. Martel, Los Angeles. MLS#10-463635

Call today for a showing! 323-697-5157

827 Wilson Place, Santa Monica

Contact Revi Mendelsohn at 310-963-7384 for a showing. Hurry, this one will go fast!

We knew immediately why this home wasn’t selling. Despite its beautiful bones and spacious rooms, the layout confused even the most savvy buyer. With a very long and narrow living room, a small space right off the living room that no one knew what to do with, and 3 connected bedrooms on the top floor, buyers were stumped. All it took was the right furniture to help them figure it out.

In the long living room, we created two distinct seating areas – one to take advantage of the beautiful fireplace, and the other to be the TV watching area. Suddenly the spaciousness of the room didn’t feel so overwhelming.

Oh, and that awkward space off the living room (visible above through the opening)? Now it’s a library/office – a bonus to any home.

Now for the 3 adjoining rooms upstairs. When this home was built, they added doors that led from one room right into the next, and planned for those doors to stay open for light and flow and to give the space a suite feel. But for today’s buyers, that equates to fewer bedrooms (if indeed it’s used as a suite) and less privacy.

Since putting a lock on the middle door wasn’t an option, we used a door stopper to make sure the doors remained closed during showings. The 3rd room that was attached to the middle bedroom was very small, so we decided to stage it as a playroom off of a young child’s room. Now the open nature of that bedroom to the playroom seems more of a feature than a deterrent to buyers.

See the double doors to the left of the bed? Those lead into the adjacent bedroom, so we closed them off with a door stopper.

The master bedroom didn’t really need much help at all. This is a very large and bright room. We simply brought in the furniture, art and accessories to showcase it properly. Mission accomplished!

Now we’re just waiting to hear that this beautiful home is SOLD!

Here is a testimonial from the Realtor. I’ll admit I got a little teary reading this one.

“I can’t say enough about Annie…not only is she a real professional, she goes beyond the call of duty… This home was vacant and the seller was out of state, so all the correspondence was conducted via email, and having a very particular seller, details were a big part of it…She did not disappoint either myself or my seller!  The staging was done on time and our first Broker’s open brought out a huge turnout due to the fabulous photos that I was able to post after the staging was complete in enough time to tantalize the buyers. We had four offers right away and it was in escrow within 5 days of hitting the market, I say that’s a REAL SUCCESS STORY! Thank you Annie once again for making me look good and doing what I promise my clients, have the home in the best condition you can, and they will come! Looking forward to the next opportunity to work with you!”

-Claudia Border, GRI