Just like the kitchen, a living room is a space in the home that likely sees a lot of activity.  From streaming episodes of your favorite tv show, chatting with friends, and doing homework, there is always something happening.  Because of this, this room can be challenging to keep ready for showings.  Here are some easy tips for realistically staging a living room to have it ready to sell.

  • Simplify the  furniture  Remember a room that is staged is meant to highlight the best features of the home and may not always be how you like to live in it day to day.  Staging a living room means making the it appealing to as many buyers as possible. Having a huge sectional for movie nights is perfect, but might be overtaking the living room and leaving buyers with the impression that the room is smaller than it really is.  Stage the furniture in the room so that you can easily move around the room and take out any excess pieces.  Create conversational groups of seating with chairs, a coffee table, and rug, and don’t be afraid to try pulling furniture away from the walls.
  • Declutter  You knew this one was coming!  Decluttering is one of the best ways to get your home ready for showings. Bonus: The more decluttering you do now, the less you have to move later. Moving kids toys out of the living room, simplifying what is on bookshelves, and donating what you are not using, helps buyers to see themselves in the staged space.
  • Neutralize the Space  Stick with a simple color palette that compliments the other areas you can see from the living room.  Consider adding a pop color by using a couple throw pillows (You can reuse what you’ve got and just order a cover-there are lots of options online.), flowers or a piece of art.
  • Add light:  Being ready for showings in the winter can mean needing to add more light into your space. If your living room is lacking natural light, add some table lamps.  Mirrors also can help to reflect light.  Open the blinds on windows or switch out your darker curtains for lighter ones.
  • Wall Art:  Now is the time to depersonalize the room a little when you are staging a living room.  Family photos are priceless but switching out a bunch of smaller photos for one larger picture helps buyers picture themselves in the home.  
  • Decorative baskets are your friend:  Tucking a decorative basket under the coffee table, in the corner of the room, or next to the tv stand is a great place to stash everyday stuff or a hiding hole for items you need to quickly pick up when getting read for a showing.  The baskets help to minimize the look of the room while still giving you a place to stash everyday essentials. 

Staging a living room is just one part of your home. Grab some more information about staging here. Check out these other blogs too.

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