Add the ‘wow’ factor to your home
Who doesn’t want a comfortable and cosy living room? Where do we all settle down at night to watch a good film or a TV drama? The living room is one of the most important rooms in any family home. It is where we can relax and ‘switch off’.
Your buyers will expect your living room to be clean, well-designed and attractive.
So let’s look at your living room, and how best to present it for sale, and wow your buyers:
Our Top Ten Tips for Staging Your Living Room
- Your suite – We have often visited homes that are on the market with old, sagging sofas that haven’t been in fashion since the 1980s. When the homeowner tells us they plan to replace their suite when they move, we urge them to do it now instead, to help the house become more saleable. Old sofa equals dated house, or that’s what a buyer will think. A new modern sofa will really add a stylish look to your living room and prove a worthwhile investment for you.
- Your carpeting – how is your carpet looking? Is it heavily patterned, darkly-coloured, or both? Would a professional clean refresh it, or does it really need replacing? A dirty, worn and dated carpet will give the impression that the house hasn’t been looked after, so if you want to portray a well-presented home, it may be worth investing a few hundred pounds in a new, neutral carpet. Perhaps you have animals that have helped age your carpets… don’t let your carpet let down your sale.
- Your walls – you don’t need to paint everything in sight magnolia, but you do need to present a buyer with a décor that they will like, as much as you can do. Whilst you haven’t got mind-reading powers (we assume.) few people will be put off by neutral, modern colour schemes. If you have a feature wall in say, vibrant purple, you are risking alienating anyone that doesn’t like purple, so play it safe and go for neutral shades like oatmeal or pale grey.
- Your lighting – The lighting you choose can have a huge impact on the feeling of your home. Downlighters and table lamps can create a cosy atmosphere; uplighting can add a splash of drama. If you have overhead lighting, it’s usually best to leave that off and create a real feeling of homeliness with your additional lighting choices. Play around with what looks best so that you are ready when your viewers arrive.
- Your cushions – If you can invest in an inexpensive sofa in a neutral colour like cream or pale grey, it can really transform a living room. If you can’t justify a new sofa, then add some colourful cushions in rich fabrics, to add a real feeling of luxury without a big spend.
- Your accessories – have a look around your living room at your ornaments and other accessories. Are any of them new and stylish? Or do you have little collections of old-fashioned or sentimental ornaments you’ve gathered over the years? If they have sentimental value, why not parcel them all up now ready for your forthcoming move? That way you can clear the space for some pieces that are in keeping with current home style and perhaps match your new colourful cushions. With shops around like Matalan, it’s easy to accessorise your home on a limited budget.
- Your art and pictures – if your walls and surfaces are covered in personal family portraits, it’s time to take them down, and box them up for your move. Usually, it’s best if art is neutral and not distracting, like the kind of bland style you see in hotels. Lots of mirrors and large pictures in a style and colour to match your living room, will lift your presentation and add a feeling of coordination and harmony. Too many family photos may make your viewers feel alienated and it will make it harder for them to imagine your house as their own.
- Your TV – don’t let a huge TV dominate your living room. Unless you have one of those high-tech mirrors that magically transforms into a TV at the touch of a button, you need to consider how you are going to reduce its impact. Try rearranging the furniture around the fireplace or another feature, rather than grouping it around your TV. You may not be able to live with the furniture in that position, but it’s worth placing it, especially for your photography and viewings.
- Your ambience – how does your living room feel? Does it have a nice sense of calm and tranquillity? Would you want to relax there after a busy day at work? Consider the way it smells, and sounds, as well as the way it looks. Lightly scented candles and some background music can really enhance the feeling of your living room and provide a restful space so that your viewers can relax and take in everything your home has to offer.
- Your finishing touches – Finishing touches are very important. Before you have your photographs taken, or book a viewing, take a last look at your living room with a critical eye. Take away anything that doesn’t improve the look of the room, like wastepaper bins or piles of magazines, and add a vase of flowers and a beautiful coffee table book, and voila! Your room is ready.
If you’d like to have a chat about your living room, and whether it’s photography-ready, maybe send us some photos to team@ashdownjones.co.uk or we can have a chat over the phone on 015394 88811. However you get in touch, we’ll be delighted to hear from you.
Sam and Phil
