It used to be that, to find their dream home, buyers would settle into the car of a real estate agent and drive around looking at properties with “for sale” signs on them.
COVID and the internet have pretty much (although not completely) put an end to that. Most people now search for homes on internet sites such as Zillow, and already have a fairly good idea of what they’re interested in before they contact an agent.
Someone recently said to me that people treat real estate websites in much the same way as they treat dating apps: They look at one or two photos and quickly swipe left or right.
Thus, if you’re trying to sell your house, even in the super hot real estate market of the last year and a half, it is essential to have attractive photos.
Dawn Trachtenberg is the founder and stager-in-chief for Staged Ryte, one of the major staging companies in the Tri-state Region. She says that there are three stages of staging, so to speak: There is fluffing, staging and interior design.
Most people will not (and should not) completely redesign their home before they put it on sale, Trachtenberg notes.
Fluffing by adding flowers, putting crisp linens on beds and tidying up clutter is very helpful, but assumes that a house already looks fairly spruce.
Staging is the middle ground. It’s a relatively new practice for real estate agents. Back in the 1980s and 1990s, owners of new luxury apartment buildings used to create a “model” apartment, often decorated by a famous designer. Potential buyers could step into the model apartment and imagine more easily how dreamy their life could be if they bought a residence in that building.
Staging a house for sale is a similar concept. It requires, for the most part, an unoccupied house, however.
“There are people who do ‘occupied staging,’” Trachtenberg said. “But it’s harder, because you’re integrating new and older furnishings.”
Occupied staging, she explained, is when the owner still lives in the home. Staging it requires using their furniture and accessories, and bringing in updates such as fresh towels, sheets and throw pillows — while predominantly keeping the owner’s furnishings.
And then of course there are the challenges of people and pets living in a house that’s been neatly and perfectly designed. Usually, Trachtenberg said, when she finishes staging a space, she leaves and no one comes into the house again until the photographer is ready for the glamour photo shoot.
In this modern world of real estate sales via photos, Trachtenberg believes that not every corner of a house needs to be documented for the property’s social media posts (although people generally do like to see all the rooms, even if they’re empty, once they start to get serious).
And certainly, Trachtenberg advises, rooms don’t have to be renovated in order to be attractively photographed. The goal is to create a mood for a room that a potential buyer can tap into.
Staged Ryte charges a fee based on the number of rooms that will be furnished; and what kind of furniture and accents will be brought in. Antiques cost more than newer items (Trachtenberg feels that a mix of older and newer items often works best). Generally the furnishings remain in the house until it has sold (which in this market can happen within weeks).
Trachtenberg does not advise sellers to bring in furnishings just for the photo shoot. People want to see the house “from the photos” when they show up at the actual location.
The staging process can be fairly quick with Staged Ryte, thanks to the massive warehouse of furnishings that Trachtenberg recently moved into on Clayton Road in Ashley Falls, Mass. Interior design usually requires weeks (or, more often, months) of waiting for pieces to become available, to be upholstered or finished and to be shipped to a location.
Trachtenberg can also provide interior design services. In those situations, she invites clients into her warehouse to discuss the look for their house; then everything can be trucked over and put in place fairly quickly.
Of course not everyone can move out of their house or afford to have it staged. Trachtenberg shared a few quick tips that can help sellers to at least “fluff up” a house so it can look its best when it’s time for its closeup.
Edit!
“Too much big furniture in a room is not a good thing,” Trachtenberg said. “Two recliners and a huge leather easy-sofa might be comfortable for you and your friends but it won’t help you sell your house.”
Let in the Light
“Take down the window treatments. It lets in more light, which is important.”
The curtains or shades can also dominate the way a room looks and feels. It’s possible but unlikely that a potential buyer will want the same window treatments as the seller.
Depersonalize
“The wall of family photos and awards is too much. The buyer needs to focus on imagining themselves in the space, not be distracted by your diplomas.”
Make it Clean and Fresh
Buy new white towels and new shower curtains. Use fresh new bed linens (and iron out any wrinkles or creases).
Many bestselling house photos show stark white rooms, often with black trim. Trachtenberg feels that might be getting overdone.
“How many people want to live with all-white walls?”
White does look pristine, however. To warm up a white room, Trachtenberg will “use pops of color, eclectic furnishings and decorative pieces, collections of objects on shelves.
“You want to draw people in.”
To learn more about staging and Staged Ryte, go to www.stagedryte.com; email dawn@stagedryte.com ; or call Trachtenberg at 917-543-4590.
Aradev LLC’s plans to redevelop Wake Robin Inn include four 2,000-square-foot cabins, an event space, a sit-down restaurant and fast-casual counter, a spa, library, lounge, gym and seasonal pool. If approved, guest room numbers would increase from 38 to 57.
LAKEVILLE — The public hearing for the redevelopment of Wake Robin Inn is over. Salisbury Planning and Zoning Commission now has two months to make a decision.
The hearing closed on Tuesday, Sept. 9, after its seventh session.
Michael Klemens, chair of P&Z, had warned at the opening of the proceedings that “this might be a long night” due to a last-minute influx of material from experts hired by Wells Hill Road residents William and Angela Cruger to oppose the project, but this turned out not to be the case.
These 11th hour submissions set a sour tone to the start of the meeting, with commissioner Robert Riva stating that it was “not very professional to pull this stunt on this Commission.” Riva said he had diligently reviewed the already substantial documentation provided by both the applicant and the opposing experts, and was surprised to find a “dump” of additional information submitted just hours before the meeting’s start time at 6 p.m.
Tensions were quickly eased, however, when William Cruger offered his concise summation of his platform’s opposition to the expansion, which is the second iteration of the project after an earlier version was withdrawn late last year.
“It’s important for you all to hear from me that there was never any disrespect intended to the Commission, the commissioners, and to the process,” Cruger said. He defended the last-minute submissions as an effort on the part of the experts to be thorough in their analysis: “Our intention… has been and remains to do our best to get whatever we think will be helpful in your deliberations into the record.”
The Crugers formally entered the hearing process as intervenors for the first application from Aradev LLC, the applicant, in the fall of 2024, meaning they and their hired consultants had full party status in the hearing proceedings. During this cycle, however, they chose not to petition for intervenor status, yet during this round of hearings their role has been similar. Klemens described them as having “almost intervenor status — not quite.”
William Cruger summarized the consultant’s findings for Aradev’s revised application, noting they found it to be “virtually identical in scale to the previous proposal.”
“Our position is that the proposed expansion would absolutely negatively impact the usefulness, enjoyment and value of the surrounding properties,” he said.
Aradev’s attorney Joshua Mackey countered by saying that the special permit conditions would elevate the currently non-conforming hotel in the zone, describing it as a “community asset that is improved, regulated, and safeguarded for generations to come.” He characterized Aradev as “the next steward of this storied property.”
After Mackey and Aradev co-founder Steven Cohen concluded their remarks, Klemens closed the hearing with no public comment, which he had stated would be the case at last week’s hearing session on Thursday, Sept. 4. Klemens said that P&Z will begin deliberating the proposal in early October after the commissioners have had the chance to review the information in the record.
A total of 45 letters, including the Crugers’ experts’ testimony, were submitted since the Sept. 4 meeting alone, alongside hundreds of pages of application materials and additional testimony.
As the Commission deliberates and reviews, all of this information is available for public viewing on the “Meeting Documents” subpage under P&Z’s section on the town website, www.salisburyct.us.
The Commission must issue a decision on the application by Nov. 13, the end of the statutorily defined deliberation window.
The Weavery is Stanton Home’s oldest activity space, featuring a collection of vintage and modern floor looms. It offers opportunities for building dexterity, creative expression, and social connection through fiber arts.
Stanton Home is holding its annual Harvest Roast fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 13 in Great Barrington, an evening of farm-to-table dining, live swing music, and community connection.
For nearly 40 years, Stanton Home has supported adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities through residential programs, therapeutic services and skill-building activities.
“Here in the Berkshires, adults with diverse abilities often face barriers like limited housing, tricky transportation, and fewer opportunities for meaningful work,” said Executive Director Peter Stanton. “Stanton Home flips that script. Our mission is to partner with adults to pursue healthy, self-determined lives.”
The Harvest Roast features locally grilled meats, roasted vegetables from Stanton’s own gardens, warm apple crisp with SoCo Creamery ice cream, and beverages —all set to the swing and gypsy jazz rhythms of the Lucky 5 Band.
“The Harvest Roast is a celebration of what makes our community strong, inclusive, and vibrant,” Stanton said. “Every ticket and sponsored table supports programs that make a lasting difference.”
Guests will begin in the gardens with a signature cocktail before gathering at long farm tables for a shared meal and celebration.
“Though this night matters, the work is year-round,” Stanton added. “People can help by shopping locally at the farm store or buying handmade weavery goods, pitching in with time or skills, gardening, lending a hand at events or by partnering with Stanton’s programs like composting or sourcing local goods. Folks can also speak up for inclusion in their workplace or community circle. Even the smallest action helps keep the mission alive.”
Tickets are $125 per person. Proceeds support Stanton Home’s inclusive programs. Reserve at donorbox.org/events/771775/steps/choose_tickets or call 413-441-0761.
Following the memorable benefit reading last season of Charles Busch’s Tony-nominated Broadway hit, “The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife,” the Sharon Playhouse will present a one-night-only staged reading of his riotous comic melodrama “Die Mommie Die!” on Friday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m.
The production —a deliciously over-the-top homage to classic Hollywood mid-century thrillers — continues the Playhouse’s artistic partnership with Busch, who reprises his iconic role of the glamorous yet troubled songstress Angela Arden.
The playwright and performer is no stranger to the Playhouse and, luckily, he’s supported by a truly stellar powerhouse cast of top-notch comic actors — some returning to the Playhouse stage, and some making their debut. The cast includes Richard Kind; two-time Tony Award nominee Kristine Nielsen, who was part of the original New York cast; Tony Award winner Celia Keenan-Bolger; Andrew Keenan-Bolger; and Claybourne Elder.
The production also marks a fortuitous alignment of talent and history. It is directed by Sharon Playhouse Artistic Director Carl Andress, who performed in the play’s Los Angeles premiere in 1999.
“I have a long and happy history with this particular show,” Andress said. “At the Sharon Playhouse, we’re thrilled to offer unforgettable, one-of-a-kind live experiences. With Charles Busch and this phenomenal cast, ‘Die Mommie Die!’ will surely light up the Olsen Stage with laughter, wit and glamour.”
The original music is by Lewis Flinn, whose score for the 2007 Off-Broadway production is being adapted specially for this event.
The play is a classic Charles Busch concoction that, like all his work, lovingly and intelligently spoofs some of the greatest talents and tropes of stage and screen. The original production was praised by critics as his “funniest, most accomplished and, without question, raunchiest work.”
In 2003, Busch won the Best Performance award at the Sundance Film Festival for the film version of “Die Mommie Die!” His indelible contributions to American theater have been recognized with countless awards and he was recently inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.
The event promises to be an unforgettable night of laughter, glamour and theatrical fun, with all proceeds going to benefit Sharon Playhouse’s productions and educational programs. The funds will help ensure that the Playhouse continues to thrive as a cultural destination for audiences and artists alike.
For tickets, visit: sharonplayhouse.org. Running time: 90 minutes.
Richard Feiner and Annette Stover have worked and taught in the arts, communications, and philanthropy in West Berlin, Paris, Tokyo, and New York. Passionate supporters of the arts, they live in Salisbury and Greenwich Village.
