Aside from the right location and price range, buyers are searching for a home that has plenty of space.
A home that feels cramped is always less appealing than one that feels open and welcoming. Even if you're selling an apartment, the size of a space isn't just about its physical size, it all comes down to perception.
To ensure that your home is as appealing to buyers as possible, follow these small space home staging tips that are sure to appeal to buyers.
Edit and declutter
No matter how large your home is, decluttering is a necessary step to getting your home ready to sell. Every item you have in your home is an opportunity for buyers to be distracted from the home itself. Before going on the market, every home can benefit from decluttering, even the most organized ones.
Decluttering also makes a space feel larger. The three most important areas to declutter are shelves, closets, and surfaces. Clear off your countertops as much as possible. The same goes for coffee tables and end tables. As for shelves, clear off 2/3 of what is displayed on them to create a more open appearance. In closets, clear the floor space, pair down 50 percent, and neatly arrange the remaining contents like this one by Simply Spaced.
Bring on the light
Dark spaces tend to feel smaller and less welcoming. To make your home feel bigger, make sure it has as much light as possible. Open the windows, clean the glass, opt to store the screens, and make sure they aren’t blocked by outside landscaping. In rooms without much natural light, bring in ample artificial lighting. In every room, look to fill in dark corners to make it bright and inviting like this master bedroom by Heather Scott Home & Design.
Pair down and rearrange furniture
The way your furnishings are arranged can determine how large or small a space feels. If any pieces are blocking natural traffic patterns or doors into the space, that will contribute to it appearing smaller. Keep the layout open with as few pieces of furniture as possible. Also, if you can, opt for furniture that is lightweight and/or light in color to take up less visual space as in this living room staging by House Plan Blog.
Neutralize
Light, neutral colors not only expand a space, they also appeal to the broadest range of prospective buyers. White or light colors are easy to look at, leaving buyers free to invision their own furnishings in each space. Color can be incorporated in small accents such as with artwork or pillows as shown in in the before and after photos of the living room above. Learn more about neutralizing here - How To Choose the Right Colors for Staging
Give every room one purpose
A room with more than one purpose feels crowded and often appears smaller than it actually is. Rather than using a spare room as an office and a guest bedroom, move the bed to storage while your home is on the market so buyers can see ample space for one specific use; a home office. A use appropriate for a spare room is best determined by looking at trends in your area. Are homeowners working from home regularly? Then stage a spare room as an office like I did in this Denver home on a private golf course.
Do you have a room that's challenging to declutter? Let me know in the comments below and I'll give you my best ideas for tackling that space :)
Looking for more staging ideas for your home?
- Read this blog post --- > My #1 Staging Tip
- Get a Staging Checklist to learn what's necessary to prepare your home for market --- > Staging Checklist (this service is available in any location via video call :)
- Shop my recommended staging products --- > Staging Essentials
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