Apt Stager/Decorator

Sid Pinkerton. fromdrabtofab.com
He's great, not too expensive. Lives on the uws.

lightandairdesign@gmail.com. We used her and liked the result.

Save your money. Serious buyers will easily see beyond your shabby berber carpet and faded sectional from the 80's. You're selling the apartment, not the decor. The whole 'staging' phenomenon is just a racket to get you to open up your wallet unnecessarily.

Your best bet is to rid your space of clutter (if necessary rent a storage unit and stow junk there while your apartment is on the market) and keep the place as bright as possible (shades open, lights on) and odor-free while showing. There's also no harm in a small paint touch-up here and there, but no need for any major overhaul. Leave that to your buyer.

Squid- I semi-disagree with you. Buyers absolutely get caught up with stupid stuff, esp. carpets these days. That said, you don't need a stager. Get rid of everything that says "you" and you might be better off then spending the extra money.

I agree -- declutter to the max -- the declutter some more. remove family photos and use touch up paint -- organize closets and make everything glisten and shine and smell absoltely fabulous including window washing, etc. It will make you evetual move easier. Well worth the effort at virtually no cost to you.
Good luck.

You can do it yourself and save a fortune:
(1) Rent a storage locker and empty the place of all you can: luggage, collections, off-season clothes, boxes, most books, excess furniture. Empty closets until they look like they easily accommodate whatever is in them.
(2) Remove all personal items: photos of anything other than landscapes; taste-specific art; cosmetics on display; anything but an alarm clock on nightstands; dirty laundry.
(3) Pay for a deep cleaning or do it yourself: every inch from back of closets to kitchen cabinets to under bathroom sink; clean windows. Bathroom and kitchen must be beyond immaculate. Fresh towels and dishtowels, new shower curtain, no 1/2 bars of soap in shower, no plunger next to toilet.
(4) Fresh paint in off-white helps but isn't necessary unless your walls are in bad shape and can't be cleaned with a little Fantastic where there are spots.
(5) Put a small plant (orchid, flowers, tidy houseplant) in every room.
(6) Take a picture of each room when you are done and look at the picture objectively: what is distracting, cluttering, dingy, old, cramped? Then go back, fix those things, and you are ready!

I was very impressed with Kristine Jegi of NY Home Staging Solutions, Inc. (www.nystaging.com).

I run L&Z Design on West 72nd street and I'd be happy to come by for a consultation. My rates are reasonable, I will de-clutter and advise on how to improve the image of the space. Have a look at my website for more information: www.lzinteriors.com

As others are saying, decluttering is absolutely a must. This is important not only for aesthetic reasons (a tidy apartment is ALWAYS more appealing--makes the place seemed cared-for and welcoming) but also for practical reasons--I cannot tell you how many apartments I've seen that are so filled with junk that it is literally impossible to do a thorough walk-through. That's just not acceptable and does indeed hinder a sale.

I do agree that it absolutely isn't necessary to shell out big bucks for a stager/decorator. I've been to places that have been very obviously 'staged' and while they are worlds better than a pig-sty, they can also be extremely distracting. For example, I just don't need to see various designer colors on the walls--give me a standard white so I can see true detail/light. And don't even DARE putting down carpet--I want to see the condition of the naked floors.

Remember that your designer's taste is very likely NOT the taste of your potential buyer. I've seen heavily designed apartments that are so 'done' that what I remember best about them is the snazzy red velvet couch (blech) and zebra-print rug (double belch) rather than the bones of the apartment itself. Your buyer is interested in seeing a blank slate, not something out of a bad issue of Architectural Digest.

Some tips:

Keep a few normal-sized every-day pieces of furniture (a sofa, coffee table, bed, dining table/chairs, etc) to show how these standard pieces will fit in the space. Dump everything else into storage (ie: excess chairs, side-tables covered with tchotchkes, curio-cabinets, free-standing file boxes, etc).

Bedroom: Make sure bedding looks fresh and clean (invest in an inexpensive neutral-colored bed-spread if need be--it's an instant and cheap way to update). Get rid of ALL nick-knacks on bedstands--a lamp, book, and perhaps a small plant or vase of flowers (as Kyle suggests) is all you need.

Bathroom: Buy a few new white towels to hang on show-days; add a crisp new shower curtain and put away all toiletries--don't leave anything sitting out on surfaces. Box 'em up if need be--don't cram them into the medicine cabinet, as folks will inevitably peek inside.

Kitchen: Again, put everything away. Get new reflectors for your burners (it's cheap and instantly makes the stove feel new). Add a new dishtowel. Some people suggest boiling potpourri for a welcoming smell--the jury's still out on that as far as I'm concerned.

Living-room: Streamline everything. Keep surfaces clear of any clutter, including groups of framed family pix, stacks of mags, curios. Corral entertainment equipment.

Dining area: Ditto for above. Nothing on table except, perhaps, a cheery vase of flowers. There's nothing tackier than a 'set' dining room table at an open-house--a stupid trick often employed by stagers.

Closets: Make 'em look as though they're too roomy for you--take out and store a third of their contents. Keep them neat and organized.

Finally--don't forget to clean grunge off doors, door-frames, switch-plates, phones, and other areas that get gray and dingy from constant use. And, as someone else said, NO ODORS. Stenches from smoke, pets--that can be a deal-breaker. Get an air purifier if need be. Board the pet. Whatever. Just make sure the place doesn't stink.

I am a professional Staging Designer with experience in Home Staging, Redecorating and Interior Design. I happen to live on the UWS and would be delighted to assist you with your staging/redesign needs.