Subscribe to Guide
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Hamptons Real Estate Market Data
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton, Pike’s Beach
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Hamptons Real Estate Market Data
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton, Pike’s Beach
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support
No Result
View All Result
Hamptons.com
May 28, 2015

All The World’s A Stage: Hamptons Top Broker Discusses Staging

Sponsored Guest Post by Gary R. DePersiaby Sponsored Guest Post by Gary R. DePersia
in Real Estate
Home Real Estate

In the Beginning… In the deepening real estate darkness of 2008, my wife and I had the questionable good fortune of having a 5,000 SF, 6 bedroom spec house on 2+ acres coming to market at $4.295M in Amagansett North. Even in early 2008, it was evident that the Hamptons landscape was about to go through a challenging transition. With a good chunk of capital tied up, we were naturally concerned with how long we would need to hold the house before it found a buyer. We made the decision to furnish the house and actually move into it while we marketed the property. In February of that year, we enlisted the help of the very talented Celerie Kemble, who in short order, put together a great interior design plan. By the early summer, having found a renter for our own house, we moved into a now fully furnished house on Canvasback Lane and on July 15th of that year officially began the process of finding our ultimate buyer.

Stage Right: The staging of houses both old and new was certainly not a novel concept. Tired, well lived in houses had been for years the beneficiaries of freshening up where sellers either hired a designer to reinvigorate the interiors or tried it themselves. But as new construction took hold in the Hamptons, a number of savvy builders began to stage their projects. Some of these spec houses would get a partial furnishing with the first floor commonly getting the most furniture and accessories along with maybe the master upstairs. Other developers would furnish the entire house from the window and wall treatments, to the carpeting and right down to the audiovisual systems. And, why not? There are some significant benefits to furnishing a house. Let’s take a look.

Photography: It began to dawn on spec builders that with 80 percent or more of buyers beginning their search on the internet that big, empty boxy rooms did not play well online or even on the brochures that realtors would ultimately hand out to their colleagues and potential buyers. But once furnished, these same rooms would now come alive online and give a potential buyer ample reason to contact their broker find out more. Print advertising similarly benefits as both common rooms and bedrooms as well as outdoor spaces begin to jump off the page with beautifully staged spaces.

Showings: It doesn’t take a broker long to see the difference in the reaction of buyers when they walk into an empty house, as opposed to a furnished spec house. Immediately, in the furnished house, the buyer begins to understand the spatial relationships of the various spaces and can imagine living in and using the house themselves. Sometimes they will actually sit in various rooms while they talk amongst themselves or with the brokers. This is a very powerful dynamic. With so many houses being shown in the dead of winter, a buyer gets a much warmer feeling walking through furnished new construction.

The Rental Option: And what’s wrong with generating some income from a well-furnished spec house until it finds its buyer? This is exactly what we are doing with a 9,000 SF, 3-acre estate with tennis that has been exquisitely furnished on Bridgehampton’s iconic Ocean Road.

Have Furniture Will Travel… or Not: And when the house sells what happens to the furnishings? Very often the buyer will actually want to buy some or all of the furnishings just like in a resale. With so many houses selling close to the summer it makes it very easy for a buyer to merely purchase the furnishings and begin using the house immediately, filling in or switching out later on where needed. And if you are a prolific builder with multiple projects underway then you can easily pack it up and move it to the next project. I recently found a buyer for one of my own listings of a mostly furnished house in Water Mill South for M & M Custom Homes. The buyer had their own furniture so M & M merely moved the furnishings North of the Highway to their nearly complete project there. Now ready for photography and showings, the mostly furnished 948 Deerfield Road looks sensational and at no additional cost to the developer. Mega builder Joe Farrell has enthusiastically embraced staging and with so many houses underway, actually has a warehouse from which he pulls unsold furnishings for various projects. And if you are the very talented designer/developer James Michael Howard, you actually fully furnish the house from the custom carpets to the window and wall treatments, right down to the bedding, wall art, and table top objects, to offer the ultimate in furnished houses, where a buyer could move in with only their toothbrush and clothes, and live in a house that might have been outfitted for the most discerning of high end buyers.

In the End… So I’m sure you’re dying to know what happened to our little furnished endeavor in Amagansett? Well, by October we found our buyer at slightly less than ask. As it turns out, they wanted all the furnishings too at 85 cents on the dollar cementing in my mind forever the value of the furnished spec house. If this is something that appeals to you, call me today. I have several available that you could move in to and use immediately.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

What's Happening in the Hamptons

Related Posts

Hamptons Real Estate Market Data – Week of 10/​21/2025
Hamptons Real Estate Market Data

Hamptons Real Estate Market Data – Week of 10/​21/2025

October 29, 2025
Between Beach & Bay: A Hidden Gem Just Outside Amagansett Village
Real Estate

Between Beach & Bay: A Hidden Gem Just Outside Amagansett Village

October 28, 2025
Historic Van Brunt Home In Southampton Village
Real Estate

Historic Van Brunt Home In Southampton Village

October 28, 2025

Search Articles

No Result
View All Result

LOCAL EVENTS

Events

29
Oct
29
Oct
-
29
Oct

The Magic of Music Under the Montauk Moon: A conversation with Joe Delia composer, singer, storyteller 

October 29 @ 06:30 PM - October 29 @ 07:30 PM
Montauk Library 871 Montauk Hwy, Montauk NY 11954
30
Oct
30
Oct
-
30
Oct

Aperitivo (Sunset Cocktails)

October 30 @ 05:00 PM - October 30 @ 08:00 PM
The Baker House 1650
30
Oct
30
Oct
-
30
Oct

A Season in Sound: A Look at the Year to Come

October 30 @ 06:00 PM - October 30 @ 07:00 PM
Hoie Hall at St. Luke's Episcopal Church
30
Oct
30
Oct
-
30
Oct

Wine & Cheese Class at Wölffer

October 30 @ 06:00 PM - October 30 @ 07:30 PM
Wölffer Estate Vineyard 139 Sagg Road Sagaponack, NY 11962
30
Oct
30
Oct
-
30
Oct

LTV Presents a Night of Spooky Fun: Vampire Masquerade

October 30 @ 07:00 PM - October 30 @ 09:00 PM
75 Industrial Road, Wainscott, NY, 11975
Load more listings
Next Post
Chatterbox: Do You Know Which Momager Was Denied Entrance To A New Hamptons Hotspot Over Memorial Day Weekend?

Chatterbox: Do You Know Which Momager Was Denied Entrance To A New Hamptons Hotspot Over Memorial Day Weekend?

  • Dust off your favorite witch’s hat and opt for a paddleboard instead of a broom for Paddle Diva & Wych’s Bloom’s inaugural Witches Paddle on Wednesday, October 29, from 4–6 p.m. at Paddle Diva (10 Boat Yard Rd., East Hampton, NY). A portion of the proceeds will go to the Surfrider Foundation’s Eastern Long Island Chapter and its efforts to protect the world’s oceans, waves, and beaches through dedicated activism. ⁠
⁠
We’ve all seen Witches Paddles grace our social media feeds, and now you can partake in the spooky fun! This tradition combines Halloween vibes with the healing power of nature as you glide and take in the beautiful Three Mile Harbor views.⁠
⁠
Gina Bradley excitedly shared, “I am thrilled to be hosting this at Paddle Diva’s permanent location inside Swan’s Marina (formerly Vanderveer’s). This kind of paddle has been on my mind for many years, as I’ve seen them in all parts of the world, and it looks so cool seeing all the witches gracefully gliding along the water. This is particularly exciting because we’ve joined forces with Wych’s Bloom, a local herbal apothecary brand, and Surfrider to raise money and awareness for ocean and clean bay initiatives that are crucial for our waters on the East End of Long Island.”⁠
⁠
“As an herbalist, Samhain, or Halloween, offers a special occasion for me to celebrate the healers who came before us to teach the wisdom of the plants in our region. I had seen people gathering for Witches Paddles all over the country, and as a surfer, I connected instantly with these events. When I texted Gina the idea, she was immediately in. That’s what I love about the women on the East End—they’re always up for an adventure,” shared Wych’s Bloom owner and Surfrider Foundation board member Christina Winters.⁠
⁠
Join us in taking part in this one-of-a-kind event! Craft a witch’s outfit and set sail at the inaugural Witches Paddle for a great cause.⁠
⁠
@paddlediva @wychs_bloom⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
#witch #witchespaddle #paddlediva #hamptons #halloween #easthampton⁠
⁠
⁠
  • Check out the top Hamptons events this weekend!⁠
⁠
🍎 Wölffer’s Cider Fest⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 2–5PM⁠
📍 The Wine Stand, Sagaponack⁠
Sip cider, enjoy live music, games, and lobster rolls!⁠
⁠
⁠
🍦 Buddhaberry’s Spooktacular Costume Party⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 2–4PM⁠
📍 Buddhaberry, Southampton⁠
Bingo, trivia & costume prizes galore!⁠
⁠
👻 Haunted Village⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 11AM–4PM⁠
📍 Southampton History Museum⁠
Ghost stories, pumpkin carving & trick-or-treating!⁠
⁠
🧙‍♀️ CMEE’s Halloween Bash⁠
📅 Fri, Oct 24 | ⏰ 4–6PM⁠
📍 CMEE, Bridgehampton⁠
Spooky crafts, games & costume contest!⁠
⁠
🎬 The Horror Show at Sunset Theater⁠
📅 Oct 24–30⁠
📍 Westhampton Beach⁠
7 nights of scary movies 🍿⁠
⁠
🎧 Halloween Silent Disco Dance Party⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 7–10PM⁠
📍 Guild Hall, East Hampton⁠
3 channels, endless grooves—disco, funk & more!⁠
⁠
🐾 Canines in Costume at LongHouse Reserve⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 10:30AM–12:30PM⁠
📍 East Hampton⁠
Dress up your pup + enjoy treats & fun!⁠
⁠
🎃 Bridgehampton Halloween Parade⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 10–11AM⁠
📍 Hampton Library, Bridgehampton⁠
Trick-or-treat parade down Main Street!⁠
⁠
🎸 The Cherry Bombs at The Stephen Talkhouse⁠
📅 Fri, Oct 24 | ⏰ 8PM⁠
📍 Amagansett⁠
Rock out all night! 🤘⁠
⁠
🌲 Enchanted Forest Trail⁠
📅 Oct 25–26 | ⏰ 12–1:30PM⁠
📍 Quogue Wildlife Refuge⁠
Costume walk + crafts + games!⁠
⁠
🥁 Annual Ragamuffin Parade⁠
📅 Sun, Oct 26 | ⏰ 1PM⁠
📍 Sag Harbor⁠
Parade fun for all ages + pets!⁠
⁠
🐶 Little Lucy’s Annual Pet Parade⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 1–4PM⁠
📍 Agawam Park, Southampton⁠
Prizes, live music & celebrity judges!⁠
⁠
🕸️ Solé East’s Halloween Party⁠
📅 Sat, Oct 25 | ⏰ 8PM⁠
📍 Montauk⁠
Win a free weekend stay for best costume!⁠
⁠
🍁 Centro’s Fall Festival⁠
📅 Sun, Oct 26 | ⏰ 12–5PM⁠
📍 Hampton Bays⁠
Pumpkin decorating, drinks & local vendors!⁠
⁠
🔗 Click link in bio for more events at Hamptons.com⁠
⁠
#hamptons #halloween #pumpkins #scarymovies #southampton #sagharbor #easthampton #costumes
  • East Hampton’s streets came alive with wagging tails and smiling faces for ARF’s 32nd Annual Stroll to the Sea Dog Walk. Families, friends, and their dogs gathered at the historic Mulford Farm, where the morning kicked off with vendors, photo ops, custom merchandise, contests, and prizes.

@arfhamptons 

#arf #hamptons #community #mainbeach #adoptdontshop❤️
  • Last Saturday, Wölffer held its annual harvest party at its scenic vineyard in Sagaponack. The annual fest brought together friends, families, and wine lovers to toast the season and harvest behind every bottle of Wölffer wine.⁠
⁠
📸: Cameron Burton⁠
⁠
⁠
Check out the full gallery at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
#wolffer #hamptons #wolfferwine #harvestparty
  • From Hollywood red carpets to Milan exhibits and Hamptons fashion shoots, Filbert Kung has photographed the world—but it’s his quiet, unguarded, and attentive nature that reveals the artist behind the lens.⁠ @filbert_kung 
⁠
I met Filbert Diego Kung at a Grey/Ven fashion event in Amagansett last summer. He’s one of those rare photographers who instantly puts you at ease—calm, composed, and naturally good at making anyone feel like they belong in front of his lens. Had I known then just how in-demand Filbert is in the fashion and photography world, I probably wouldn’t have asked him to snap a few shots of me goofing off on the red carpet. But maybe that makes me a model? Either way, it was my first glimpse of how effortlessly he captures people as they are. In my case, goofy-but-make-it-chic.⁠
⁠
Since then, I’ve seen him popping up around the Hamptons, often between flights to LA, Miami, or wherever the next big editorial or campaign takes him. Originally from the Philippines, Filbert has spent over fifteen years building a career that bridges Hollywood red carpets, high-fashion editorials, and fine art portraiture. ⁠
⁠
⁠
Read the interview at Hamptons.com (Link in Bio)⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
.⁠
⁠#photographer #photography #hamptons
  • From fall festivals to concerts, a lot is happening in the Hamptons this weekend! ⁠
⁠
Check out the top Hamptons events this weekend!⁠
⁠
🎃 Fall Festival at Good Ground Park⁠
📍 Hampton Bays | 🗓️ Fri, Oct 17 | 🕓 4–6PM⁠
Bring your pre-carved pumpkin & compete for prizes! Games, food truck, costume parade & more!⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🍷 Wölffer’s Candlelight Fridays⁠
📍 Sagaponack | 🗓️ Fri, Oct 17 | 🕓 4–7PM⁠
Live music, seasonal pairings & cozy vibes 🍁⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🖼️ Like No One: Michael McDowell Exhibition⁠
📍 East Hampton | 🗓️ Oct 17–19⁠
🎉 Opening reception: Sat, Oct 18 | 4–8PM⁠
Fine art lovers, don’t miss this!⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
📚 BookHampton: Caroline Sutton in Conversation⁠
📍 East Hampton | 🗓️ Sat, Oct 18 | 🕕 6PM⁠
Nature meets literature in this insightful author talk.⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
👟 Shelter Island Fall 5K Run/Walk⁠
📍 Shelter Island | 🗓️ Sat, Oct 18 | 🕚 11AM–2PM⁠
Run/walk for a cause—supporting Breast Cancer Awareness 💗⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🏛️ 32nd Annual Landmarks Luncheon⁠
📍 Maidstone Club | 🗓️ Sat, Oct 18 | 🕦 11:30AM–2:30PM⁠
Hosted by LVIS, spotlighting the history of East Hampton’s Freetown.⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🍂 Amber Waves’ Oktoberfeast⁠
📍 Amagansett | 🗓️ Sat, Oct 18 | 🕑 2–5PM⁠
Seasonal dishes, live music, dancing & games 🎶⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🎻 BCM Autumn: Brooklyn Rider⁠
📍 Bridgehampton | 🗓️ Sat, Oct 18 | 🕔 5–6:30PM⁠
A powerful string quartet performance you won’t want to miss.⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
🍷 Cab Franc Forward Winemaker’s Dinner⁠
📍 Shelter Island | 🗓️ Sun, Oct 19 | 🕔 5PM⁠
Multi-course dinner + Cab Franc pairings = 🍽️🍇 perfection⁠
👉 Link in bio⁠
⁠
✨ So much happening this weekend — which event are you heading to first?⁠
⁠
#hamptons #fall #fallfestival #shelterisland #5k #wine #winedinner #amberwaves #wolffer
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube
Hamptons.com

Saunders Broadcasting Corp.

Phone: 631-613-8440
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Facebook.com/HamptonsOnline
Twitter: @Hamptons
Instagram: @HamptonsOnline

About Us | Contact Us

Hamptons.com

  • Lifestyle
  • Events
  • Real Estate
  • Live Cameras
  • Public WiFi

Subscribe

Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Get the top Hamptons events and latest scoop!

© 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Spotlight Magazine
  • Lifestyle
    • Featured
    • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Community
    • Dining
    • Recreation
    • Trending
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Post an Event
    • Gallery
  • Real Estate
    • Real Estate Features
    • Hamptons Real Estate Market Data
    • Search Real Estate
      • Open Houses
      • Search Sales
      • Search Rentals
    • Title Insurance
    • Happening In The Hamptons Podcast
  • Live Cameras
    • All Live Cameras
    • Live Weather Cams
    • Amagansett, Atlantic Avenue Beach
    • Bridgehampton, West Scott Cameron Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Beach
    • East Hampton Village, Main Street
    • East Hampton Village, Newtown Lane
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Beach
    • Hampton Bays, Ponquogue Bridge
    • Hampton Bays, Shinnecock Fishing Dock
    • Hampton Bays, Tiana Beach
    • Long Island Aquarium | Coral Reef
    • Long Island Aquarium | Penguins
    • Long Island Aquarium | Shark Tank
    • Montauk, Downtown Circle
    • Montauk, Lars Simenson Skatepark
    • Montauk, Gin Beach & Inlet
    • Montauk, Sunset Beach & Inlet
    • Sagaponack, Sagg Main Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Foster Memorial Beach
    • Sag Harbor, Long Wharf Marina
    • Sag Harbor, Main Street (South)
    • Sag Harbor, Sag Harbor Bay
    • Sag Harbor, Windmill Beach & Bay
    • Shelter Island, South Ferry
    • Southampton, 39A to Montauk Hwy Merge
    • Southampton, Conscience Point Marina
    • Southampton Village, Coopers Beach
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (North)
    • Southampton Village, Main Street (Hildreths)
    • Westhampton, Pike’s Beach
    • Westhampton Village, Main Street (East)
    • Westhampton Village, Rogers Beach
  • Public WiFi
    • Public WiFi Map
    • Public Wi-Fi Support

© 2025 Hamptons.com | All rights reserved
Saunders Broadcasting Corp.
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | About Us | Contact Us