Market Ready Interiors Prepares Homes to Sell

Spring is the season to stage your home to sell in the real estate market in Mount Vernon.

Owner Susan Driscoll has more than 13 years of experience in the furniture business. She also owns Not Too Shabby Consignments and Potomac West Interiors in Del Ray, and she decided to channel her experience into helping real estate agents stage homes for open houses.

“We found ourselves working with a lot of real estate agents looking for furniture for staging,” Driscoll said. “The opportunity presented itself for us to stage properties. We went to a lot of open houses and noticed how they’re staged.”

Home staging is quickly becoming a standard in the real estate industry. Properties that are staged typically receive offers more quickly, often above asking price. Home staging is the process of optimizing a property for sale using professional design to furnish specific rooms and updating property elements like hardware, paint and flooring.

Market Ready Interiors has staged more than 75 properties in the D.C. area since it opened in 2011. The last three properties Driscoll staged sold in 30 days. The current real estate climate is a good reason for homeowners to stage their homes to sell quickly.  

“We are noticing this is a sellers’ market which is all more reason to stage,” Marketing Manager Lauren Rismiller said. “Buyers become more competitive and you put yourself in a position to sell.”

Driscoll has access to unique antique and vintage pieces that add a special touch to a home. She describes her selection as "limited, but deep."

“We’ve diversified quite a bit over the years,” Driscoll explained. “We bought a few pieces of contemporary furniture. We use a modern look with a twist, and add some kind of antique, unique piece.”

Driscoll offers advice to those staging their homes for open houses this spring:

Keep it minimal.  “You want to declutter your home, add fresh paint and hardware, and upgrade light fixtures,” Driscoll explained. “You can go to Lowe’s and get updated light fixtures.”

Be consistent with color. “Your foundation can be a neutral color and color may be in a lamp or artwork,” Driscoll said. “The rooms have to show how they can handle furniture.” Green is a hot color this spring and makes a room pop. “Green is just so vibrant and fresh and makes a property feel alive,” Driscoll said.

Try to have a vision. “Some people don’t always have a vision, they can’t look at a place and look at possibilities,” Driscoll said. “It can be challenging especially with older homes. Staging is not as easy as throwing in furniture and calling it done. You have to make the furniture fit comfortably so people can see how to use a room.”

Accessorize. Pillows are a great way to make a huge difference in a room. “It’s an  inexpensive way to add a pop of color,” Rissmiller said. Driscoll also uses seashells, fruit and colored glass to add a unique touch to a room.

Market Ready Interiors is located at 7204 Fordson Rd. For more information, visit their website at www.marketreadystagingsolutions.com.