Staging Series – Living Room
If you are trying to sell a home or are just looking for some tips to spruce up your place, there are quite a few ideas for updating the living room that you can easily and inexpensively do. The living room could be considered the heart of the home, and the way it is set up can dramatically effect the way potential buyers view the entire house. Below are some tips and ideas for setting it up in the most flattering way.
Removing any furniture pieces that are in bad shape such as items that are scuffed, stained, torn and etc. will make a huge impact on the overall effect of the room. If the pieces are something that you plan to keep, find a way to relocate them temporarily to a storage unit or somewhere else or ask a friend to hold on to it for you for a little bit.
In addition, purchasing some new throw pillows for couches or chairs can update and modernize the area. Even if you already have some, putting a few more than you would normally use is a relatively cheap way to freshen up the look of the room and give it that magazine photo feel. In addition, if you have a dark heavy rug in the space it might be a good idea to remove that or replace with something lighter. Don’t use an area rug if it’s too small, it should comfortably fit just under the edge of whatever couches you are using and still cover a large area.
If possible, pack away any extra blankets, personal items, and anything else that might contribute to a cluttered look or find some nice baskets or pretty containers to hide things away in. A good rule of thumb is to remove half of everything that’s sitting on a surface such as desk, mantel or side table. It is an especially good idea to packing away any extra toys and pet related items and put them in a closet or storage area to really give the effect of open space.
Establishing a focal point in the room and have the furniture all arranged to work with the focal point will draw attention to features you would like to accent. If you have a formal living room with a fireplace, use that as your focal point. Instead of pushing all the furniture up against walls, which may be tempting because you think it will make the room seem bigger, move the pieces relatively close together to create a more intimate setting that just looks more relaxing.
You can also brighten up the room by removing any dark heavy shades or curtains to let in as much light as possible, and if the blinds are damaged or broken replace or remove those as well. In addition, make sure you have bright functioning bulbs in your overhead lighting and if there is no overhead lighting make sure there are plenty of lamps spaced evenly throughout the room. In addition, make sure you leave enough room for people to comfortably walk around in the space. Remember, there will be people walking through your house trying to decide if they want to purchase it and we want them to feel at home there and not like they are having to maneuver around your personal items and furniture.
Some final thoughts, it might be a good idea to paint the walls a nice light cream or gray color to brighten up the space, especially if its been a while since they were last painted or have obvious signs of wear. In addition, be sure to give everything a good wipe down and vacuum and mop as necessary. If you really want to go the extra mile, adding some fresh flowers would be a nice touch! Just be sure to throw them away before they start to get droopy.
Studies have been done that show, staged homes sell faster. Here is just one example of where you can find some of the data and research:
https://homeownershipmatters.realtor/issues/staged-homes-sell-faster/
For more ideas on staging and prepping for showings, be sure to check out some of the other articles on the blog.