Living Large in a Small(er) Home...

After years of super-sizing, Americans are looking for more modest living spaces.

Baby Boomers are now becoming “empty nesters” and are looking for simplification in their lives and downsizing fits the bill to a “T”!  Young adults are keen on leaving less of a “footprint” and women lead the way in head of household homes that are being purchased. With the average home size declining, owners are being more creative with the square footage they have or will purchase.

Baby boomers are retiring, young adults are delaying marriage and the economy is still sputtering along. Although the average square footage of a new house is still double what it was in 1960, in the last year, it decreased slightly to 2,215 square feet from a high of 2,277 square feet in 2008, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Smaller houses require owners to rethink what they have and how they use things.

Often I have to work with my clients on “placing” furniture as we walk thru a prospective home and it can become a sticking point if “grandma’s dining room table won’t fit. I have also seen clients walk away from a gorgeous new home because the T.V wouldn’t be able to sit front and center!

This is where my staging expert comes in…

Mary Kalesz of McKenna and Me is a certified staging and redesign expert that has been helping clients re size their lives. Mary can help rearrange their furniture to maximize floor space, reuse and re-purpose ….  Mary understands that the average size of a new home has decreased for the 1^st time in nearly 30 years. Also, Mary works with me to help you get your home ready to sell!

Mary says “If you wanted to move into a certain neighborhood 40 years ago, you'd only have one or two homes to choose from. Now you've got six homes on a block. People need to take that extra step. Staging will preserve more of the purchase price. And that's what people need to do - all that they can to increase the perceived value of their home ".

Here is a list of a few of Mary’s comprehensive services:

Home Staging and curb appeal consulting, de-cluttering and re-organizing, wall color and  lighting schemes,inspired room configurations,window treatments, and attention grabbing finishing accents.You can contact Mary at 847-209-3221 or email her at mcandmedesign@sbcglobal.net. Check out  Mary's website

Remember..I am here to help!

Cheers!