REAL ESTATE LOCAL | Updating Your Stairs Before Listing Your Home by Penny O'Brien, Baird & Warner

STAIRCASETRENDS: THE IMPORTANCE OF UPDATING YOUR STAIRCASE BEFORE LISTING The staircase is usually one of the first things guests see when they enter your home. There is a strong trend in home design to modernize your staircase. This means saying goodbye to outdated elements like orange oak railings, spindles, and carpet on your stairs. Homeowners are opting to stain the stair treads to match their refinished hardwood floors or paint them a dark off black color. The risers are commonly painted white. Oak spindles are being painted white or replaced with wrought iron spindles for a more updated look. The spindle styles are also changing to more modern or masculine designs. Modern styles include rectangular or straight black spindles, while masculine designs feature thicker spindles with occasional knuckles. Traditional basket weave and scroll spindles are no longer in vogue.

When it comes to railings, they can be refinished and stained to match the overall color scheme of the staircase. Opting for a gel stain in a dark black shade is a cost-effective and dramatic choice.

Some homeowners are taking the staircase renovation a step further by replacing the newel posts with square shaker-style posts. The round spindles are being swapped out for white square shaker-style spindles. In all these renovations, carpeting on the stairs is no longer favored.

Updating your staircase can be relatively affordable. It is recommended to hire a professional hardwood floor tradesperson to refinish the treads, but you can easily paint the risers white and gel stain the banister yourself. Refinishing and replacing newel posts and spindles can be more expensive, depending on the extent of the renovation. However, you have the flexibility to choose the level of renovation that suits your budget. Regardless of the updates made, your family and friends will immediately notice and admire the changes. Happy renovating!

Penny O’Brien is among the top 1% of all Chicagoland Brokers serving buyers and sellers throughout the western suburbs. Her track record of success has helped her build a solid repeat and referral client base.

• Sold $53 Million in 2021

• #1 Realtor Baird & Warner Naperville 2021

• Top 1% of all Chicagoland realtors

• Glancer Magazine Reader’s Choice Award 2022, 2021,2020

• Chicago Agent Magazine Who’s Who 2021,2020, 2019

ABOUT PENNY O'BRIEN

BAIRD & WARNER – One word that consistently comes to clients’ minds when they think of Penny O’Brien is “hustle.” As a Seller Representative Specialist, she loves meeting with sellers to discuss pre-market home improvements and guide them to make their home “showtime ready” when it hits the market. She strongly believes in professional staging and offers it as a complimentary service. With a reputation for “good-looking listings,” she helps clients realize a higher return and quicker sale. Penny says “Staging transforms a home from average to amazing”.

Penny O'Brien Broker, Relocation Specialist and Negotiation Expert (630) 207-7001 • penny.obrien@bairdwarner.com