Staging - Living Room

The living-room is an area where families tend to spend a great deal of time relaxing together. It should be comfortable and inviting looking with clear pathways and some natural light entering the room. The second function of the room tends to be for entertaining, and you must present the room with this in mind, arranging the seating area in a conversational way.

• Clear away any children?s toys, used coffee cups, multiple TV remotes and anything else which should not be on view when your prospective buyers are looking round your house. (De-cluttering instantly creates more space and allows viewers to focus on what you actually want them to see).
• As a general rule, any family photographs should be packed safely away and temporarily replaced with a few ?lifestyle? looking pictures or prints. (buyers have to imagine themselves living there, and it?s more difficult and distracting for them if your family photographs are everywhere).
• Create the illusion of space by removing any unnecessary or ?bulky? furniture. (put furniture in storage if necessary) You may live with five arm-chairs, but it doesn?t necessarily have the cosmetic appeal you?ll need to sell. Arrange the furniture for the maximum buyer appeal and ease of movement, not the best view of the television. (once you have your sale, you can change it round again).
• Should your furniture be on it?s last legs and your budget is a little tight, visit thrift shops and sale rooms for a bargain or simply ?dress-up? what you already have. (new cushion covers can detract attention from a tired sofa and new sofa covers can give an old sofa a new lease of life). Another option is to rent suitable pieces for the few weeks it takes to sell your house.
• If you have a lime-green or purple living-room, now is the time to deal with it. You already know that a neutral palette of colours works best for selling, so why sabotage your own efforts? You can revert to the psychedelic look when you have clinched the sale and moved into your new abode!
• A fireplace is a great focal point for a room. Try arranging candles on each side of the mantle piece, to effectively draw the eye to this important feature of the room.
• If you do have a fireplace, you have a fantastic opportunity to create a really impressive display with your choice of over-mantle mirror. The visual appeal of this combination can not be over-emphasized. (buff that mirror before viewings)! If you can?t run to a new mirror, try mounting or resting a large picture above the fireplace.
• Identify any dingy corners of the room and make use of any co-ordinating or contrasting lamps you have stashed away. Lighting at different levels can provide a ?layered? look, allowing for mood lighting for evening showings. Getting the lighting right is particularly important in the winter months.
• Add some life to the room with attractive plants, which you can use to add height and conceal wiring. They can also soften the feeling of the room and interest.
• Consider arranging some ?lifestyle? magazines on the coffee table and perhaps a single clean cup and saucer. (have fun with picking up tips from home magazines where you?ll begin to see why some simple tricks work so effectively).
• Make the most of ?accent? colours and groupings of objects. Accent colours can be a fantastic way of grabbing your buyers? attention. Two of three items of a strong colour, in an otherwise neutral room, can look classy and contemporary. (you can achieve this with throws, cushions, vases and flowers).
• Plump-up cushions and add some fresh flowers in strategic places throughout the room.
• Get rid of any pet odors, cooking smells and generally air the room before viewings. Smells can really interfere with the ?buying emotion? so don?t take any chances. (again, fresh flowers are a wonderful way to make the room smell appealing, as are good- quality, scented candles and pot-pourri. Don?t go over-board with the scents; subtle and pleasant are the key.
• If you have book-shelves in your living-room, try alternating books with interesting objects (echoing your chosen accent colour) Instead of filling the shelves, be selective about what you place in there. Group the books of similar height together, and hold these in place with a small vase or contemporary ornament.
• Get the temperature right! Buyers won?t enjoy a freezing or sauna-like house. Make them comfortable and you are more likely to receive an offer.

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