See How a Stager Gave This Townhouse a Bright, Modern Makeover (It Sold in Just 5 Days!)

Staged properties have the potential to sell faster and often for more money — or a lot more money for some high-end properties. This was indeed the case in June 2024 for one Hoboken, New Jersey townhouse that was put in the able hands of stager Kaja Bolton, founder of Hoboken Living Real Estate & Staging.

Bolton, who is also a Realtor Associate at Christie’s International Real Estate Group — New Jersey, always keeps the market in mind when staging. “I kind of know who I think the buyer is going to be,” she says. “I make sure to tell the right story for that person.”

To begin this story, she sought to brighten up the interior as much as possible. She notes that with a lot of these single-family homes, they’re not known for being “exceptionally bright just because of the way they are on the streets,” adding that the homes on either side don’t allow the same amount of natural light as a condo could. 

The house has a fairly traditional design, so Bolton went with furniture pieces that were “modern and light.” Neutral tones set the scene for decor and wall art throughout the home, with some tasteful exceptions: a light blue throw pillow here, a bold black vase there. One of the more eye-catching decor choices is Bolton’s placement of a mirror above each of the fireplace mantels; in particular, the convex mirror in the living room on the main floor. 

To be fair, some of the “before” photos showed an already beautiful home. But a fresh coat of paint took things to the next level. “I did the trim slightly brighter, because there was a lot of beautiful detail here,” says Bolton. “It was a little bit of a crime to paint over, but the color it was before, I had to. I don’t think that ‘before’ really tells you how not nice the coloring was.” 

With multiple floors featuring large, open-concept floor plans, Bolton had a lot to play with. She transformed one area the owners used as a children’s play and study area into a dining area with seating for 10. The expansive built-in shelves now hold sparse, curated decor. Bolton’s brighter white paint color puts the ceiling’s exquisite molding and chandelier with a medallion on full display.

The kitchen is on the ground floor of the townhouse, which was not ideal for some buyers who came to look. Still, others gladly looked past the inconvenience — the property received a dozen offers — thanks to Bolton’s transformation. 

She swapped out the island’s butcher block countertop for white marble and added gold accents with new pendant lights and a faucet. In addition to four stools at the long island for casual dining and meal prep, Bolton placed a table and chairs in front of the light-filled windows for additional seating.

The townhouse also included a home office that was turned into another seating area featuring comfortable couches in neutral colors accented by the rich wood tones of the coffee table and sideboard. 

Bolton says there was a “torrential downpour” the day of the open house, but it didn’t stop 76 groups from coming through. 

Only five days later, the property was snatched up for $3.65 million — $350,000 over asking. It was the most expensive home sale in Hudson County to date. Bolton says that right now, home buyers want — and will obviously pay more for — turnkey properties.