Home Staging Tips:
Staging living rooms and family rooms

People spend a lot of time in their living room and family room areas, especially when they have children. The family room / living room is also an entertainment area of the home.

So when buyers walk through the living room or family room area of your home, they will want to envision these two activities — spending time as a family and entertaining guests.

Stage the living room / family room area with this in mind. Make it warm and inviting, with good use of space and a conversational arrangement.

Here are some specific tips to help you stage this key area of your home.

Staging the Family Room / Living Room

• Clear the room of family portraits and other items that say "you don't live here" to buyers.
• Arrange the room in a conversational way, if it's not that way already. Try different furniture arrangements until you get the best fit.
• Choose a nice and warm paint color for the living room. Use neutral tones in this space. That doesn't mean you are limited to beige. There are plenty of warm colors that will neutralize the space, while also adding visual interest. These include the softer shades of green, blue and brown.
• "Neutral" does not have to be boring. You can liven up a neutral color scheme with colorful accent items, such as pillows and rugs. Color-coordinate these items for a professional and "put together" appearance.
• Let the room breathe. If it's crowded or hard to walk through due to having too much furniture, remove some items and place them in storage.
• Consider renting furniture for staging purposes. If your family room ensemble consists of that old couch from college days and a cheap table with wobbly legs, replace them with some nice rental pieces.
• If the furniture is a bit worn but otherwise intact, use a slip cover as a low-cost way to enhance the appearance of your couch and chairs. Slip covers can also help you neutralize overly bright or "loud" fabric colors.
• If you have a mantle, make sure it's not overloaded with knick knacks. A couple of well-placed items (like a vase or flower arrangement) are all you need.
• If you have a fireplace in this room, make it the focal point and the star of the show. Arrange seating to face the fireplace. Remove the TV if it's too large -- a huge television will draw attention away from the fireplace.

Remember, people want a living room or family room area that seems open and inviting. Make the room airy and bright, and arrange furniture for the best possible flow. Replace or cover worn furniture as needed. When people naturally want to sit down and spend time in the room, you've achieved your home-staging goals for the room!

Dusty Dziza