How to Stage Furniture for Home Sale

Staging improves a seller's chances to sell at or above market value.

Price and condition are two reasons why houses don't sell. When you put your home up for sale, you are competing with every house that's for sale in the area. If your home isn't selling, it's to your advantage to prepare your house to show it in the best light. In "Home Staging to Sell Your Home Fast," author Amy Miller says well-staged homes sell more than 30 percent faster than those that aren't staged. Instead of coming down in price to sell, improve the appearance by staging the furniture, decluttering and cleaning the interior.

Things You'll Need

• Storage space - garage or storage locker
• Floor cleaning equipment such as steam cleaners, buffers and waxers
• New baseboards or trim if necessary
• Fresh paint in light, neutral colors
• Rented furniture or new furniture covers in soft, neutral colors if desired
• New light bulbs or new lighting
• Fresh window treatments if necessary

Instructions

1. De-clutter and freshen the areas where you'll be staging your furniture, especially the living room, kitchen, master bathroom, master bedroom and the main entrance. Remove everything from each area, including floor lamps and window treatments, and store personal accessories, knick-knacks and unnecessary furniture. Clean windows, walls, light fixtures, ceilings and floors and make any needed repairs to them. Replace worn baseboards and trim. Clean carpets and buff and wax wood floors. Add a fresh coat of paint on walls in a light, neutral color, especially if the area is dark or the existing paint is an odd color. Put new light bulbs in ceiling light fixtures and use light-colored, updated window treatments to light and highlight furniture settings. The areas are now ready to refurnish sparingly.

2. Use colors, textures and styles that attract buyers and flatter the space, avoiding extreme styles such as ultra modern or gothic. Light, neutral and soft colors allow buyers to imagine their own belongings in the space without the distraction of jarring colors. Walls and furniture in creams, beiges and light browns brighten a room and do not distract from room settings. Furniture with wood frames and legs in contemporary or traditional style is warmer and more inviting than cold metal or black in eclectic styles. Stage furniture pieces that are conservative and not flamboyant. If you're stuck with odd or flamboyant, use neutral furniture throw covers as camouflage to create a more conservative, contemporary look. Set off the furniture with a few simple accessories like throw pillows on a couch or a vase with flowers in complementary colors on a table.

3. Use furniture that is the right size for the space, renting furniture if necessary and feasible. A large room needs proportionately sized furniture and a small room needs small furniture. The right size furniture is important in avoiding clutter. If the entryway is filled with large benches, side tables and oversized lamps, for example, the space appears cramped, crowded and less welcoming. Replacing them with fewer, smaller items opens the space and improves its appearance and utility.

4. Arrange furniture to enhance a focal point of the room, such as a fireplace, a large bay window or built-in bookcases. Christine Rae and Jan Saunders Maresh in "Home Staging for Dummies" emphasize the importance of focal points in staging. The furniture placement should attract the eye to the focal point, not to personal items or your furniture. Draw attention to a fireplace by grouping a couch, easy chair and coffee table in front of it instead of along walls in the room. Stage furniture around the most attractive focal point if there are multiple focal points.

Tips & Warnings

• Consult a real estate agent for information about what attracts buyers in your area before beginning a staging project.

• Consider hiring a staging professional if you don't want to or can't do the work yourself.

• Stage at least the main areas of the home before putting it up for sale or showing it to buyers to save time and preserve the sale price of the home.

References

• "Home Staging to Sell Your Home Fast: Over 100 Home Decor Tips to Sell Your Home Fast or How to Stage Your Home for a Quick Home Sale"; Amy Miller; 2010
• "Staging to Sell: The Secret to Selling Homes in a Down Market"; Barb Schwartz; 2009
• "Home Staging for Dummies"; Christine Rae and Jan Saunders Maresh; 2008
• "This Sold House, Staging Your Home to Sell in Today's Market"; Diane Keyes; 2008
• "Do Your Own Home Staging"; Tina Parker; 2008