Chelmsford Duo Breathes New Life Into Homes For Sale

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By Alana Melanson, amelanson@lowellsun.com

CHELMSFORD -- Having trouble selling your home? Or looking to move a new construction that feels cold and bare?

Perfectly good homes will often sit on the market because potential buyers can't imagine themselves living there, according to home stager Jan Poulain.

"You want to show people that they have the potential to create that lifestyle that they want," Poulain said.

That's where Perfectly Placed For You LLC steps in, working with homeowners, real estate agents and developers to breathe life into these properties.

For 10 years, owners Poulain and Liz Larson, both of Chelmsford, have specialized in making homes of all kinds and price points more visually appealing so they sell faster and put more money in sellers' pockets.

"It's very rewarding when someone says to us, 'I never would have seen it that way,' or 'I love my staged house so much, I wish I did this 10 years ago,'" Poulain said.

Poulain, who is certified by the Academy of Design and Decorating in Peterboro, N.H., specializes in using traditional principles of design such as balance, harmony and texture to transform rooms through staging.

Larson, who has a hotel and restaurant hospitality background, is always thinking about what kinds of events will be held in each of the homes she works on and who will live there.

"For me, homes are about bringing people together," she said.

"When I walk in, that's my goal: how is this house going to speak to people?"

Nice homes in desirable neighborhoods will no doubt sell, but staging can often get sellers more than the asking price, said Realtor Robin Flynn of Keller Williams Realty Merrimack Valley in Westford. She said she works with Poulain at least 20 times a year.

Flynn will often provide the initial consultation for her clients; the sellers pay for any furniture and decor rentals. Her clients aren't always on board at first, but Poulain puts them to ease with her unassuming away of making them see her vision, Flynn said.

She gave the example of a 1960s ranch in Westford that had looked a bit dated until Poulain and Larson worked their magic.

When Flynn held the open house, 27 families came. Each remarked how beautiful the house was. Flynn knew the secret was in the extra furnishings.

An offer $50,000 over the asking price was accepted the first day the home was on the market.

"Just having the staging done, people can picture it as their home, not your home," Flynn said.

Poulain said it's about bringing an objective eye to the property and showcasing it so people can get the most out of their largest investment. Sellers may be personally attached and have grown blind to little imperfections they've lived with for years, she said.

"We're able to help them see the property through the eyes of the buyer," Poulain said.

Vacant properties are clean slates that provide immediate color stories, Larson said.

"But those properties that are a little dated, we can just turn them into real jewels just by adding pops of color and structuring and positioning things a certain way," she said.

One of the first steps is depersonalizing and decluttering. If the home looks too much like you, potential buyers won't be able to see themselves there, she said.

When there are elements the seller can't change, Larson and Poulain find ways to make them look intentional. If repainting is an option, they'll help pick out colors to lighten and brighten rooms.

They'll position furniture to optimize flow and highlight focal points and features that will catch a buyer's eye.

They create emotional cues with little props, like an entertaining vignette with a bottle and wine glasses on the dining room table, or a jar of tea packets on the kitchen counter.

Over the years, they've amassed an ever-evolving collection of furnishings they keep at a warehouse in Billerica when they're not enlivening client properties. The just under 4,000-square-foot warehouse holds numerous home furnishing treasures: hundreds of pillows in every color, a rainbow of glass bottle decorations, stacks of parsons chairs and coffee tables of every shape and finish. 

They have enough furniture and decorations to furnish 12 to 15 vacant houses simultaneously, plus accessories to give additional occupied homes that extra oomph.

The collection has a strong base of what Poulain calls transitional furniture -- neutral pieces that never go out of style -- supported by a number of more current, trendy items. Damaged, worn or out of trend pieces are donated to Habitat for Humanity or other organizations, Larson said.

An initial consult is $300. Staging packages are designed according to the individual client needs, but generally run $950 to $7,200.

To celebrate their 10th year in business, Perfectly Placed For You will offer a number of "Christmas in July" staging specials. For more information, contact Poulain and Larson through perfectlyplacedforyou.com or facebook.com/PerfectlyPlacedForYou.