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Furniture Tips and Tricks for Styling a House for Sale

August 21, 2019
Styling a house for sale

How you arrange your furniture and the pieces you display can make a huge difference when styling a house for sale.

From creating balanced spaces to show-casing statement pieces, these nine proven furniture strategies can help to create a modern and inviting open home for potential buyers.

1. Clear the clutter 

Removing any extra furniture you love but don’t really use is vital to creating a modern, yet neutral space. You may love the vibrant ottomans you bought in Chiang Mai, but their crazy prints and slumped statures may not appeal to everyone.

Instead, clear the clutter and keep only a few focal pieces. A bedroom should include just a bed and side tables. A loungeroom should contain a modern couch and coffee table with statement lighting or bookshelves if space allows.

2. Store pieces you don’t want on display

Short term storage is an easy way to keep any unwanted furniture out of sight dur-ing open home events. Pieces like a La-Z-Boy chair may be comfortable for Satur-day nights at home, but they’re not attractive for potential buyers looking to imagine themselves in your home.

Store these pieces, along with any extra bookshelves, stools and clutter while your home is open to the public.

Showcase a few signature pieces conveying a homely atmosphere, such as a stylish coloured rug from Morocco or vibrant silk cushion covers. Potential buyers want to see a home appear personal and homely, but not crowded.

3. Create balance in each room

A balanced room is proven to be most attractive to potential buyers, and is affected by the height, width and weight of the objects in a room. The best way to balance a room with your furniture is to consider your room’s floor plan and divide it by four.

Ensure there’s an even amount of furniture and accessories in each section to cre-ate artful balance, particularly in your lounge room.

4. Move furniture away from walls

Pushing furniture against the wall can seem like a tactic to enlarge a space, but visually it will appear smaller. Instead, move furniture slightly away from the wall.

In your loungeroom, create multiple seating areas by positioning chairs and couches to face each other. This helps create a feeling of community and neatness in a room.

5. Invest in signature furniture pieces

If your budget allows, look at purchasing key pieces of furniture to modernise your home. If your bed frame is looking tired, invest in a modern headboard to revitalise the bedroom. If your dining room is looking cluttered, invest in a sideboard to store crockery and create order.

Buyers are likely to fall in love with unique pieces. A beautifully designed bookcase that appears to emerge from the wall in a half sphere may appeal to some but take care not to polarise potential buyers.

Investing in unique pieces creates a memorable aspect of your home, plus you can take it with you when you move, making it a clever investment.

6. Use mostly neutral and understated colours

Furniture in neutral shades are preferred by most potential buyers, as it allows them to visualise themselves living in your home. White and beige tones create a mod-ern, yet warm feel to your home, and can be highlighted by vibrant scatter cushions on couches and beds.

Try to maintain a consistent colour scheme throughout each room as it helps your home appear orderly and endearing.

7. Cater to your audience

If most buyers in your neighbourhood are young families, renting a crib or toddler bed for your spare bedroom is a great way to help families imagine their lives in your home.

Try adding a sofa bed to your home office to showcase a room’s versatility. Adding a coat rack or temporary shelving can also give potential buyers an idea of how to utilise difficult spaces.

8. Create clear traffic patterns

Where possible, arrange furniture allowing people to pass easily into and through-out rooms. Never block doorways and allow clear passage from one doorway to the next.

9. If you have modern mismatched furniture, proceed with caution

Some homes look great with mismatched chairs at the table or different coloured industrial stools at the kitchen bench, but some don’t.

Ensure any mismatched furniture looks stylish, not chaotic, as it’s not to everyone’s taste and can distract from the more important aspects of your home. If your taste is a bit quirky, think about putting your furniture into storage and rent or borrow neutral pieces during home inspection appointments.

Making a few alterations to the layout and composition of furniture within your home and adding a few key investment pieces through clever styling can greatly increase its appeal and its final sale price.

Created by Digital360

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