IN THE KITCHEN WITH: Nancy Maurer

Helping home sellers get an edge Nancy Maurer uses her interior decorating training to help people stuck in the real estate market If you are looking to sell your house, get rid of clutter and memorabilia says Nancy Maurer, owner of Whitehall Interior and Home Staging. Maurer’s services are in demand especially in today’s market. After a 15-year career in international trade marketing American products to Russia and other former Soviet countries, Maurer decided to switch gears to decorating. “My mother was a frustrated interior decorator and my grandmother owned an antique business in Tennessee. A great focus of my family was the home,” she said. Eight years ago after moving from California to Sparta, Maurer decided to attend the New York School of Interior Design for training. Upon completing her design education and learning to produce and read architectural plans, she felt it was time to start a business. “After all these years of doing different things while raising my daughter, I decided this is what I want to do,” said Maurer. Because of the amount of inventory, homes on the market need to be distinguishable. “Both homeowners and realtors need to make a home stand out. If you hire a home stager, they will bring out the best features.” When she established Whitehall Interiors, her focus was on interior design. “The home staging for which I also received training for became a phenomenon and a large part of my business.” Her first introduction to home staging was while living in California where it has been popular for over 20 years. “I was very familiar with the concept. Sellers or homeowners need to understand that buyers are buying the real estate not your stuff,” she said. “You have to simplify and disengage yourself and market your home which is now a product.” One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is having too much furniture in a room and it being the wrong size. So the removal and re-arrangement of furniture is quite common in home staging, along with taking away personal items like photographs. “You don’t want a person leaving your house remembering the award you won,” said Maurer “With both small and large homes, it always helps to have another pair of eyes.” A vacant home is also a hard home to sell. Maurer has access to rental furniture, painters and other resources. “I recently worked with a builder who knew enough that he had to furnish a beautiful brand new house in order to sell it,” she said. “ You don’t want someone wondering whether their king bed fits in a room.” Two and a half years ago, Maurer’s phone stopped ringing. “It was tough with the recession beginning, people were losing jobs and they were unsure, I definitely saw a dip in business.” 2010 has been successful year, and she is confident about the future and recently opened a satellite office in Bergen County. “I am getting more calls for home decorating,” said Maurer. For them she likes to gain an understanding of their lifestyle. “Listening is key for interior decorating. I don’t expect to put my personal stamp on a project. I like to incorporate their style. I just provide some know-how and make sure rooms transition well.” “I really like helping people. Some people are in dire straits when I meet them. I love being able to help them to meet their goal of selling their house or coming home to a beautiful place they want to be in.” Whitehall Interiors & Home Staging, call 973-978-5195, www.newjerseystager.com. Mediterranean Chicken Oil, for greasing pan 1 roasting chicken (3 lb) 2 large garlic cloves 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon crushed sage 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 6 small new potatoes 1/4 cup pitted Greek olives 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly oil a large roasting pan or deep casserole. 2. Remove skin from the chicken. Place chicken in roasting pan, breast side up. Peel and halve garlic cloves. Rub surface of chicken with cut garlic and place cloves inside chicken. 3. Mix together olive oil, tarragon, sage, and vinegar. Pour over surface of chicken and inside cavity. Cut potatoes in quarters and place olives and potatoes around chicken. Cover pan and place in oven. 4. Roast until juice runs clear when a sharp knife is inserted in thigh of the chicken (about one hour). Slice into serving pieces and serve with olives, potatoes, and cooking liquid.