 |
||||
Old Home, New Welcome Two hours before hitting the market, this home needed a defined entry and a spacious-looking living room 
Many of the realtors I work with call me in to consult with their new listings, as they know their clients can benefit from staging and because they feel more comfortable having me deliver the home sale preparation instructions. Together with the homeowner, we walk through the house and come up with a plan for simplifying and updating the house to maximize the sale price. But in this case the homeowners weren’t there. The house was going on the market in a few days, so I met the realtor to see what we could do in two hours. We decided to rearrange as much as we could, and make a list of further changes for the homeowners to implement on their own. On entering the house you bumped into an overstuffed sofa, aimed at a super-sized TV. The sofa filled most of the room, making it seem smaller than it actually was. Our challenge was to define an entry area and make a spacious-looking living room. 
Before • There was no entry area – just a chubby sofa! • Not only was there too much furniture in the room, but it also was awkwardly placed. • The overall impression was sloppy and cluttered. After • When a potential buyer enters a house, it’s important to offer a welcoming first impression. This home didn’t have a front hall or formal entry area, so we needed to create a “welcoming zone”. We had to get that huge sofa out of the way! We moved it across the room and angled the chair toward it to create a simple conversation area. We found an unused end table to serve to anchor the entry area and scrounged up a few accessories to dress it up. • To make this small living room appear spacious we removed the bookcase and the coffee table. Tip: You don’t need a coffee table in front of your couch; one or two end tables are enough to create a seating area. • In just a few minutes we were able to box up the clutter, leaving the room tidy and uncluttered. When the homeowners came home from work that evening they were delighted with our quick changes. Potential buyers liked it too – the house sold right away with multiple offers
|
||||
|
||||
Kit Davey, an interior designer based in Redwood City, Calif., helps clients redecorate their homes through the creative use of their existing furnishings. E-mail Kit your questions: 
