My column is appearing on a new day after appearing on Sundays. For those who have followed me here, thank you. For those who are new to Claudia’s Corner, welcome! Let me introduce myself.

My column has been in the Times Herald Record for almost as long as I have been in business, going on 16 years. Topics covered are staging and affordable decorating.

As the first professional stager in the area, I had a lot of convincing to do. My mission has been to educate, through this column and local classes, the benefits of Staging and Redesign. Defining these services is not easy due to multiple meanings and there is an assumption we all know the meaning. Let me explain each one.

Home Staging: The professional service of preparing homes for sale to appeal to potential buyers and generate higher selling prices. Vacant Staging brings in furniture and décor to create a lifestyle. Occupied Staging is staging a house using existing furnishings while owners live in it.

Redesign: To make a revision in the appearance or function. To a designer, it is decorating with existing furnishings. If you own and love it but can’t put it all together in a cohesive space, this affordable service makes it happen. Most people have everything they need and may only need a few items. It’s reconnecting with your home and its contents.

My philosophy is that everyone should love their home. Loving and functioning in your own personal space can have a ripple effect on other areas of your life. One size does not fit all when it comes to decorating and staging. Decorating is designing for the people living in a house that suits their lifestyle and personal space. Staging is getting the house to appeal to the potential buyer. It’s marketing and showcasing the house to the target market, which varies based on location.

Last year I moved and downsized. The Stager became the Seller experiencing firsthand the stressful process I have been advising my clients on for years.

My best advice if you are planning on downsizing in the future is to start getting rid of the things that no longer serve you and not moving with you. Start early because eventually you will run out of time once the moving truck shows up. In future columns I will explain the staging process in great detail.

 

Change is good

I love my smaller house with less property and Hudson River views. The change for me this year is in my business which focuses on the pre-listing consultation for future sellers on how to cost effectively prepare their house for sale. I welcome having my column appear on the Home and Garden page. If you have a question relating to home, send it in.

 

Upcoming Events:

Home Sellers Information Session

Sunday, February 9, 2020, 1-3pm

Keller Williams Realty

69 Brookside Avenue, Suite 225, Chester, NY

Call 347-837-7011 to register

Claudia Jacobs is a professional home stager, decorator and owner of Claudia Jacobs Designs in Newburgh. Read Claudia’s Corner in the Times Herald Record. Visit claudiajacobsdesigns.com or call 845-294-8993. Send questions and photos to ClaudiaJacobsDesigns@gmail.com.