Level Up Your Living Room

In a lot of contemporary homes, the living room is the nerve center of most activities. This is the area of the home where families relax together, where the guests are entertained, where we talk and catch up with extended family or friends who are visiting from other places, and also usually where we enjoy our favorite music, movies or TV shows. If we think about it, in most homes today the living room would probably serve more as the de facto dining area instead of the actual dining room because dinners are often eaten in front of the living room TV.

Potential home buyers whom you show around your house would likely focus on how your living room can fit with their own activities and what their own interests are. Of course, every person has different living room preferences based on family size and their usual activities, but it is a must to highlight the qualities of your living room that can make it more attractive and marketable to potential buyers. Points of interest mostly revolve around the floor space, furniture arrangement, and the general ambiance of the living room area.

Home staging, in particular staging your living room, would need to be strategized with the target clients in mind, and the safest route is usually to make it neutral and with as much mass appeal as can be maximized. Some homeowners rent staging furniture specifically for their living room, but you may also want to look at affordable furniture items or living room fixtures which you can purchase and then take with you when you move out, or include in the selling price of the home so you can recoup your investment. Either way, living room staging does require financial investment on your part.

There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to get your living room ready for house showings. Some suggestions you can consider include:

• Minimize and de-personalize. Look around your living room and choose what items are essential and what furniture pieces can be removed. An excess of furniture crowding your living room, especially if it has limited floor area, can distract the buyer from being able to see just how much space the room actually has. Also, remove belongings that are too personal (family portraits, crafts, souvenirs) as these are also distracting; remember, the goal of home staging is to make it fit what potential buyers have in mind.
  
  
• Reconfigure and rearrange what you have. Some maintenance, repairs and cleaning might do the trick for your living room furniture, so before you go out and rent or buy all-new items, look at what you already have first. Slip-on covers for couches and chairs can quickly transform them for a fraction of the cost. Also, re-arrange furniture so they foster eye-to-eye conversation and socialization. More than likely, you and your potential buyers will spend some time conversing in the living room, so this would be a chance to showcase just how comfortable and homey your living room can be.
  
  
• Accessorize, throw in some color, and experiment. As with most other areas of the home, a fresh coat of paint can work wonders in the living room; go for a paint color that is easy to accessorize; usual suggestions would be pastels and neutral hues. Then, bright-colored throw pillows and window treatments can provide contrast and update your living room with a contemporary flavor. Minimalist light fixtures can also add a touch of sophistication or add to the ambiance you are going for.