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Flawlessly renov Back Bay Marlb St. Townhouse by Award Winning craftsman Payne/Bouchier. Designed to exceed the needs of today's family. 4 or 5 spacious BRs, + a study, luxurious bow window L/R w/fp, inlaid & top nailed flrs, high ceilings, French doors, & cstm blt-ins. D/R w/ balcony for grilling, chef’s prof. Viking gas kitch w/granite. Sumptuous M/BR w/en suite spa-like marble bth. Sep.entr in-law/nanny/$28,800 yrly income prod grdn unit. Headhouse to approx. 1000sqft rf dck, 2 deeded prkng!

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434 Marlborough St
Boston
$2,895,000

Come home to this exquisite, versatile 5700+ sqft renov, sunny, 14 rm Back Bay Town House w/6+ bdrms/5 lux.bths & floor to ceiling wndws. Gracious principal rooms w/12' ceilings, exciting orig period details; 6 marble fp & moldings. Elegant formal LR &,DR, butler's pantry w/warming drawers, 2nd flr chef’s eat-in kitch, huge Fam/Rm overlooking Beacon St. Au pair/in law's suite, home theater w/kitchenette to wonderful encl priv brick patio, C a/c, 2 drct deeded prk & much more. Perfectly located!

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407 Beacon St
Boston
$4,149,000

 


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Romancing a Home Sale: Staging to Be Engaging Share



Will it be love at first sight? The desirability of a home should be emotional and immediate. Yes, many home buyers will come with a checklist of their practical needs including square footage required, number of bedrooms, bathrooms and so forth. But in their hearts, they are also secretly hoping to fall in love with a home. They will be looking for that “oh wow moment” even before they walk through the front door. 

This is the reason it is so important to show your home at its most attractive. The appeal of a place can be as important as its functionality. It should be fresh and engaging. It should draw people in. “Staging” your home refers to the act of improving your home’s appearance and enhancing its ambiance in an immediately positive way in order to appeal to the widest segment of potential buyers. The goal is to sell it quickly at a fair price.

Did you know that a survey by a large national real estate brokerage firm showed that staged homes sell in half the time? Another survey of Realtors® showed that a $500 staging investment recouped 343% of that cost. Staging is especially important in a slower market. Recently I had three identical units for sale (numbers 3, 4 and 5) in a building on Beacon Street. Number 4 was the only one that was staged and it sold first.

Another recent example I can give from my experience is that my real estate firm was given a totally empty home to sell on a Tuesday. We quickly staged it and it now has an almost a full price offer that we accepted on Wednesday. Staging can work - fast.

There is a big difference between selling and dwelling. As you may have a strong psychological attachment to your home, you may not fully appreciate hearing about a better way to show your home. But try to realize that the way you decorate to sell, may be quite different from the way you decorate to dwell. Staging throughout is important.

Both a real estate agent and a professional home stager can help to market your home successfully by highlighting its positive benefits and features, often in a multi-sensory way. How a home looks (including lighting) is the visual part of the equation, but the sounds, fragrances, and textures of a home can also influence potential buyers.


The first thing I suggest a seller do is to de-clutter and depersonalizehis or her home. Pack away CDs, videos, tapes, books, games, photos, collectibles and children’s items. (You may have to store a few pieces of furniture, too.) The idea is to simplify your home providing plenty of space for prospective buyers to imagine living there.

Then organize and clean your home. Make repairs, fix leaks, provide updates to areas and amenities that need it and put on a fresh coat of paint. It will work wonders. Make sure kitchen counters and bathrooms are free of clutter and spotlessly clean. If you have beautiful hardwood floors, show them off. Don’t hide them under an area rug.

Some items to consider adding to enhance your home that are favorites with staging professionals are: attractive table and floor lamps, flowers and greenery in most every room to add fresh appeal, a soft throw and new luxury fabric pillows in the living room, mirrors to make a room look larger and reflect light, candles for fragrance and a glass bowl of fruit in the kitchen for a touch of color. These are just a few ideas.

Natural light and air flow are critical components that are often overlooked. Make sure your home’s windows are simply draped to allow sunlight and fresh air to enter and circulate. Arrange furniture in settings that illustrate comfort and usage. Put on some upbeat music that will suggest how great your home is for entertaining. Music helps create a mood. If all this seems like a lot, it is. Better yet, hire a professional realtor who has all the contacts you will need to be sure your home is so engaging, it gets proposals.

South EndSouth End
The South End is one of Boston's most vibrant communities. Situated next to the Back Bay and Beacon Hill areas, the South End is bordered by Massachusetts Avenue, Berkeley Avenue, and from Columbus Avenue to Harrison Avenue. The South End sits on the... More On This Community

Back BayBack Bay
The Back Bay is a popular, upscale residential and retail district. Residential streets are lined with historic Victorian Brownstones and quaint gardens. This ½ square mile area hosts many Boston landmarks, such as, Copley Square, the Prudential Cent... More On This Community

BrooklineBrookline
Brookline is bordered on three sides by Boston and by the Town of Newton to the west. It is an affluent, residential suburb of Boston with five historic districts. There are several institutes of higher education situated here including Wheelock C... More On This Community
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DuxburyDuxbury
Duxbury is a coastal town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. Duxbury is a suburb of Boston, situated approximately 35 miles (56 km) to the south of the city on the South Shore. The area now known as Duxbury was inhabited by people as early as 12,... More On This Community
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Beacon HillBoston
Beacon Hill is a 19th-century downtown Boston residential neighborhood situated directly north of the Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden. It has a rich community life, with neighbors knowing neighbors. Approximately one-half mile square, Beac... More On This Community
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Try Searching Listings Using Keyword: Beacon Hill

 

Robb Cohen •  BDP •  617.962.0142
745 Boylston Street • Boston, MA 02116
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A Few Really Good Reasons To List With Robb | A Walking Tour of Boston's Back Bay | About Robb Cohen | Back Bay | Bay Village | Beacon Hill | Boston 4th of July Celebration | Boston Annual Events | Boston Arts and Culture | Boston Harbor Islands | Boston History | Boston's Freedom Trail | Boston's Prudential Center | Bring Robb's Expertise to the Sale of Your Home | Bring Robb's Expertise to Your Home Buying Experience | Brookline | Buying a Home | Charlestown | Complimentary Market Evaluation for Your Home | Display Sold Listings | Get Daily Alerts and Search Boston Homes | Get Your House Ready to Show Buyers | Home Inspections Avert Future Headaches | How to Choose a Home | How to Choose A Neighborhood for Your Home Search | How to Set a List Price for Your Home | Jacqueline Cabral | Jill Connors | Joshua Kellerman | Katie Noble | Laurie Carter Noble | Midtown | Mortgage Information and Tips | My Sold Listings | Newbury Street - Boston's Back Bay | Newton | Norma Cohen | Places of Interest | Romancing a Home Sale: Staging to Be Engaging | Selling Your Home | South End | Take Charge When Buying A Home | Tara Bellucci | Technology Overview | Ten Home Finance Mistakes You Can't Afford | The Basics of Making an Offer | The Basics of Marketing Your Home | The Leather District | Waterfront | Whale Watching | Why Choose a REALTOR When Buying a Home? | Why Choose a REALTOR When Selling a Home |

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