Kathy Sollitto
Owner, Designer
“Every home is unique and, as a professional home stager, it is my job to create spaces using design techniques that will show your home to its best advantage, photograph well and appeal to prospective buyers.”
Kathy Sollitto has always had a love of interior design. So after a career of more than 30 years as a real estate broker on Martha’s Vineyard, it felt like a natural transition to step back from her role as an agent and lend her design talents and real estate marketing knowledge to helping clients prepare their homes for sale or vacation rental. Kathy understands that there is an emotional component to purchasing a home. Most people can tell within the first few minutes upon entering a home if they are attracted to the space and can envision themselves living there. Creating that great first impression is key to the art of good home staging.
Kathy is a graduate of the New York Institute of Art & Design where she received her certificate in Home Staging.
ByDesignMV offers both home staging and redesign services on Martha’s Vineyard.
FAQ
Do I really need to stage my home?
Staging a home for sale is not required, but it does benefit you as a seller. There is a science behind home staging . It is designed to make a home more marketable by creating a look that will appeal to the widest market of prospective buyers. Staged homes tend to sell faster and for more money than homes that are not staged.
How does a professional stager select the style of furniture for each property?
Stagers choose furnishings and decor items that are current and will compliment the architecture of the home, enhance its best features and appeal to the buyer demographic for that area. Staging is meant to highlight a space in a neutral, non personal way so that a prospective buyer can envision themselves living there.
How much will staging cost?
Staging a vacant home involves the rental of furniture and decor inventory which are leased on a 1-2 month basis plus the services of the home stager. The stager’s fee includes the initial home consultation and proposal, design fees, staging installation and removal of staging inventory at the end of the contract. Cost can vary depending on the size of the staging project.
For an occupied home, stagers try to use as much of the home owner’s existing furniture as possible. The stager’s fee involves the same process as noted above, but may only involve minimal rental inventory,
How long does it take to stage?
Once the contract is signed and the pre-staging preparations have been completed, the actual staging should take about 2-3 days, depending on the size of the home and number of rooms to be staged.