Oct
13


Staging a Small Space for Sale

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

If you have a home with small spaces, it could be challenging to convince buyers of its potential. That's where staging, organization and decluttering come into the picture.
Buyers can't envision your home as their own if the living room or bedrooms are overwhelmed with furniture that's too big for the space. Although you want to show the functionality of a room, keep decorations, furniture and personal effects to a minimum, says Chris White, a sales associate with RE/MAX, and a professional home stager.
"Less is always more," White says. "If there's a ton of stuff in a room, store it or get rid of it. Buyers need to picture a clean slate - a place they can call home, hang their photos in and grow with."
Here are some of Chris' tips for staging small spaces:
Use Furniture Sparingly
If you have a small family room or bedroom, pay attention to the scale of the furniture compared to the room. In a small living space, use a loveseat instead of a couch, two floating end tables instead of a massive coffee table. Remove oversized beds and bedroom furniture. You can use an inflatable full-sized aero bed with an egg carton pad in the meantime.
Staging a Small Space for Sale
Get Creative With Storage
To show a buyer how tiny spaces can be used, invest in some decorative storage baskets and bins for remote controls, magazines, children's toys and other knick-knacks. Floating shelves, storage ottomans and well-positioned baskets help keep things neat and organized while showing buyers that a smaller space is still functional.
When in Doubt, Store it
Before listing your house, go through it, room by room, and take out anything that doesn't belong or you don't need on a daily basis. Rent a storage unit or neatly put away items in a utility shed or garage (but don't overwhelm those spaces). Declutter kitchen and bathroom counters, closets, tabletops and other surfaces, and keep accents to a bare minimum.
Create the Illusion of Space
Make rooms appear bigger with light or neutral paint colors, ceiling-to-floor window treatments and mirrors. These quick, easy and low-cost fixes create depth, length and the illusion of a roomier space. Mirrors cost less than decorative art and reflect natural light to make a space appear larger.
Create Curb Appeal
Have a tiny yard or small-scale exterior? A thorough cleaning of outdoor spaces, along with removing recreational equipment and toys, is your first step. Then, pay attention to the grass. Buyers want to see green; re-sod your lawn if necessary. Adding window boxes with colorful flowers is an easy addition that adds charm and vibrancy; planters with flowers on the porch or front walkway also do the trick. Keep your driveway and garage clear of cars whenever possible to maximize those spaces.
If you have a home with small spaces, it could be challenging to convince buyers of its potential. That's where staging, organization and decluttering come into the picture.

Buyers can't envision your home as their own if the living room or bedrooms are overwhelmed with furniture that's too big for the space. Although you want to show the functionality of a room, keep decorations, furniture and personal effects to a minimum, says Chris White, a sales associate with RE/MAX, and a professional home stager.

"Less is always more," White says. "If there's a ton of stuff in a room, store it or get rid of it. Buyers need to picture a clean slate - a place they can call home, hang their photos in and grow with."

Here are some of Chris' tips for staging small spaces:

Use Furniture Sparingly


If you have a small family room or bedroom, pay attention to the scale of the furniture compared to the room. In a small living space, use a loveseat instead of a couch, two floating end tables instead of a massive coffee table. Remove oversized beds and bedroom furniture. You can use an inflatable full-sized aero bed with an egg carton pad in the meantime. 

Staging a Small Space for Sale


Get Creative With StorageTo show a buyer how tiny spaces can be used, invest in some decorative storage baskets and bins for remote controls, magazines, children's toys and other knick-knacks. Floating shelves, storage ottomans and well-positioned baskets help keep things neat and organized while showing buyers that a smaller space is still functional.

When in Doubt, Store It


Before listing your house, go through it, room by room, and take out anything that doesn't belong or you don't need on a daily basis. Rent a storage unit or neatly put away items in a utility shed or garage (but don't overwhelm those spaces). Declutter kitchen and bathroom counters, closets, tabletops and other surfaces, and keep accents to a bare minimum. Create the Illusion of SpaceMake rooms appear bigger with light or neutral paint colors, ceiling-to-floor window treatments and mirrors. These quick, easy and low-cost fixes create depth, length and the illusion of a roomier space. Mirrors cost less than decorative art and reflect natural light to make a space appear larger. 

Create Curb Appeal


Have a tiny yard or small-scale exterior? A thorough cleaning of outdoor spaces, along with removing recreational equipment and toys, is your first step. Then, pay attention to the grass. Buyers want to see green; re-sod your lawn if necessary. Adding window boxes with colorful flowers is an easy addition that adds charm and vibrancy; planters with flowers on the porch or front walkway also do the trick. Keep your driveway and garage clear of cars whenever possible to maximize those spaces.





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Estella said
"That is a beautiful shot with very good lighting ." about Women Consider Owning a Home to be a Vital Component of the American Dream
on Sunday, May 12, 2013 @ 9:57 AM

Chris White - Team Leader said
"Unfortunately you are not alone. It's more than an outcry. The powers that be really need to come down harder on Bofa than they already are. Working on these short sale for over 2 years now I've uncovered down right fraud happening on the lenders parts. If they cared more about moving this country forward than protecting their own wallets then they would cut the red tape and approve these short sales in a timely manner. Our team made the wise decision to get BofA loans which were FHA or Freddie Mac backed, approved prior to listing on the market. Then we can list the home as "Price Approved" and close in 30 days. In this instance BofA does a full appraisal, rather than an incompetent "Broker Price Opinion" (nothing against agents but they have no idea how to make adjustments on comparable homes) and then the bank issues an "Approval To Participate" letter which dictates what price we can go on the market and take anything north of 88%. I really do hope your situation improves. " about Congressional Bill to Speed Up Short Sales
on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:15 AM

Lisa Zeiner said
"We made an offer 4 months ago to BofA, and have heard nothing. It was a cash offer which is better than the zero money they are collecting now. And since the people don't care they are trashing the place, by the time BofA gets around to it our offer will be gone as the place is a mess!! Septic issues now, garbage being dumnped. All of this could have been avoided if BofA really wanted to correct their cash flow problem and sell these properties in a timely manner. They cry about cash but then do nothing intelligent to fix the problem" about Congressional Bill to Speed Up Short Sales
on Tuesday, August 30, 2011 @ 9:06 AM

Jones Ramirez said
"Thank you for the work you have done into this post, it helps clear up a few questions I had." about How do appraiser’s determine a homes value?
on Tuesday, April 19, 2011 @ 10:07 PM

HollyRobsonf said
"Hey - I am certainly happy to find this. great job!" about Bank of America to Offer Principal Reduction to Underwater Borrowers
on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 @ 6:45 PM