This townhome in Westlake Village was a total disconnect to its site. It is situated right on the lake but the house was up the creek.
From the moment you entered the front door the view took center stage. What was lacking were the supporting cast members. Zan and Larry Bernhardt with Dilbeck Real Estate in Westlake Village, are savvy realtors and knew that this home was desperate to be staged.
Day One: The game plan was to do as much as possible on a tight budget. The living room, dining room, family room, kitchen and loft got the green light for staging. Also a necessity was some new flooring and paint. Literally the day that I previewed the property I chose paint colors and flooring from my preferred flooring provider. The painters started prepping that day. Obviously this property was on the fast track!
STAGING WITH COLOR: Adding fresh paint in a neutral color is one of the top ways to add BIG value to your property.
On Day Two I brought in my flooring installer, who noticed big issues with the original vinyl in the master bathroom. Pet urine had seeped underneath the vinyl tiles; they literally pulled right up with no effort! My installer (who didn’t even have the job yet) took off his “good” shirt and started pulling up the soaked tiles. Now that’s dedication!! (He got the job!)
That same day I chose the carpet and new sheet vinyl, making sure the choice would come in on time. Not so lucky with the first carpet choice! Second time around, everyone’s happy and it ships from California so will get to us in two days! Whew. The new flooring is installed just six days after I had the installer come preview the job site. Yes, we had some jostling between the painters, electricians, and the flooring guys, but everything got done.
PAM SMITH ON STAGING & DESIGN: A huge benefit of working with VCHS, (a professional real estate stager) is have long term relationships with many contractors and can be the coordinator/intermediary between all the trades.
On Day 10, just two full days after the flooring went in – and while the painters were finishing up – I got in to stage the home. Cort Furniture brought in the most of the living, dining, family room, and loft pieces. I added art, accessories, small furniture, lamps, and plants from my ever-growing inventory. I chose to infuse a beachy/natural theme for all the rooms. This pulled the natural setting at the lake right into the house. And of course we staged the patio … where the best views take place!
plain Jane living room before staging
The living room furnishings reflect the colors outdoors
An empty corner is not so inviting
An alternative seating area in the living room
How would you know this is the dining room?
… a dining room table and chairs create a usable space
A loft with no purpose is a tragedy!
We created a spacious home office useful for work or hobby
This family room off the kitchen looks more like a utility room
Now it’s a cozy family space ready for fun!
What’s a table without chairs? Unusable!
Chairs at the patio table? Check! Chairs to enjoy the view? Double check!
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