House ‘staging’ is something new in local real estate

Selling real estate is a popular occupation in Albion, with over a half dozen agents active in the area. MaKensey Harris, Seasons Realty owner and broker, noticed this trend and decided a new approach was needed to sell properties. She wanted to start staging homes. To do this, she reached out to Jamie Kohl, owner of Barn Wood and Brushstrokes, in June 2019. Jamie was excited about the idea and a partnership was born.
The plan started casually, as MaKensey was visiting Jamie’s shop. Jamie said, “She approached me and thought it might be nice to take some of the empty houses that she was showing and dress them up a bit… It’s always been a big interest of mine to do interior design, but [I] never really had that opportunity. I thought it would be really fun.” MaKensey said of Jamie, “…when there are cute things in a house, it will help sell it. I knew she had a lot of cute stuff at her store so it was perfect.”
Jamie said that while she doesn’t have a background in interior design, she enjoys decorating as a hobby. Staging takes some work, but Jamie is up to the challenge. When a house is scheduled to be staged, “I do a walk-through with MaKensey to see each room… to see what specific pieces I need… I have been just doing the main rooms: kitchen, dining room, living room, and a bedroom or two. Then maybe some little accessories for entryways and bathrooms.” Jamie’s goal is to design a space that appeals to many people by using subtle, fresh colors and keeping the rooms simple.
Staging doesn’t happen in every home MaKensey sells, but it’s an option for sellers working with MaKensey.
Complete feature by Staci Sandman in this week’s Albion News print and e-editions.