Home Staging Check List: Living Room

Living rooms function differently for everyone.  Some families spend time in their living room, watching TV.  For others, it is a formal entertaining space.  You don't know who is going to walk through the door to look at your listing.  You can guess, but you can't know in absolutes.  

So how do you style your living room so that it attracts the widest pool of buyers?  Those who want to lounge, play, read, watch or rest?  

1) Sizing.  Make sure that you have appropriately sized furniture.  So many of us (yes, I've made this mistake before too!) buy something they love, and bring it home only to discover it doesn't fit.  Make sure your couch fits.  Fits doesn't mean crammed in.  Fits means floating out from the wall, with room to spare on all sides.  Most standard (small!) Toronto homes can really only fit a 73-89" couch in the living room.  If you have a gloriously comfortable, overstuffed and gushy sectional, take an honest hard look at the space and ask yourself if it really fits. 

2) Layout.  Whenever possible, place one or two occasional chairs opposite the couch.  This showcases a nice sitting area for those who like to entertain or prefer a more formal living space

3) TV.  We never never stage with TVs.  They are big, heavy, ugly things on the wall.  However in homes that lack a separate media room, you should show that there is room for a TV in the main living space.   You can do this by showing a low or high console, with art hung in lieu of a TV.  

4) Accessorize.  I'll use this opportunity to say it again.  You are selling a lifestyle, not just a property.  Move away from thinking of the house as your home, and start thinking of it as a commodity.  The better it looks, the higher a price you can justify.   Work with your realtor on the details here, but it is worth your time to to accessorize your living room.  It should look showroom worthy, and all it takes is a couple of decorative pillows, vases, and some wall art.  

5) Style.  Your living room should look tidy and crisp.  There should be no wrinkles, crumbs, or other random objects. Stick to our formula for effective home staging, and your listing will shine.  

Low console shows room for a TV but keeps the space bright and beautiful by using art instead

Listing Realtor: Susan Murray at Property.ca

Photographer: James Burry