See How a Stager Transformed a “Dark and Dated” 1920s Tudor into a Bright, Airy Sanctuary

Realtor Fiona Dogan is a big believer in the power of home staging, and she knows what she’s talking about. As an agent in the top 3% at Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty in Rye, New York, Dogan understands what it takes to take homes from sitting on the market to flying off the “shelves.” She put her expertise to use when selling a 1920s Tudor home that originally “felt dark and dated” with its low ceilings, small and oddly shaped rooms, and small and dated kitchen. 

In general, Dogan’s belief system is as follows: “Decluttering, refreshing, and staging a house are critical to a successful real estate transaction in this current market. When my clients invest $30,000 to $50,000 in preparing their house according to my recommendations, the payoff is big. We typically will sell for $200,000 to $300,000 over the asking price!” Here’s how she transformed the space — and got the sellers a major return on investment.

“In today’s market, photography and an online presence are critical,” says Dogan. “Buyers shop 24/7 online, and if the house does not look dazzling when you see it online, most buyers just move on.” Dogan uses this knowledge to make houses appealing in buyers’ first contact with the home, which is almost always digital. 

“My staging principle is to make every property HGTV-ready so it stops a buyer in their tracks, entices them to make an appointment to see the house, and feel wowed as they step inside and walk around,” she adds.

Ensuring the staging makes the home look stunning in photos, before anyone ever sets foot in the house, primes potential buyers for a positive reaction and kickstarts the emotional attachment to a space that’s critical for people to buy. 

In order to make this particular home appealing from the first look online through an actual physical walk-through, Dogan set out to “brighten it, give the rooms meaning and purpose, and modernize the decor and furnishings.” 

Specifically, she began by painting the entire first floor Benjamin Moore’s White Dove because, as she put it, “first impressions are critical.” The white paint acted as a fresh canvas for the rest of the changes. 

Dogan repurposed some of the rooms so that buyers could better imagine themselves living in the space. She and her team converted the office into the dining room, and then the former dining room became the family room, the the former family room transitioned into a formal living room. The downstairs gym was refreshed as a recreation room, and then the small upstairs bedroom was converted into an office.

Lastly, Dogan and her team “updated the decor with modern light fixtures, and staged all the rooms with contemporary white sofas, chairs, tables, rugs, lamps, and white bedding.” Additionally, they took up old carpet in order to “showcase the beautiful hardwood floors that buyers covet.” 

The result of these changes, Dogan shares, was that “the house looked refreshed, modern, and move-in ready. Buyers just need to bring their toothbrush!”

The effect of home staging is evident in how quickly a home sells and for how much.

This was exactly the case with this beautifully refreshed Tudor. “The transformation made all the difference,” declares Dogan, detailing that “the house had 25-plus showings and sold at the very aggressive asking price after multiple bids.” 

“If the house was not prepared well, I estimate it might have sold [for] $200,000 [or] $300,000 below asking,” she adds. Now, that’s a good return on investment!