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Speedy Selling: How To Do It Right From Living Room to Formal Entertaining Space 
The owners of this ranch-style home really lucked out on their purchase. They had been focusing on a certain upscale neighborhood so that their children could attend school in its nationally ranked system. They also wanted “a dog” that they could fix up and then sell at a profit in a few years. The prices of homes in the area were fairly volatile and bought just as housing values had hit a multi-year low. Although they were able to purchase a home in their desired neighborhood, they didn’t have too much money leftover for new furnishings. They had managed to sprinkle a few pieces throughout the house, but the furnishings didn’t enhance their million-dollar property. By the time they called me, prices were starting to climb again and they thought they should get the house ready to sell in case they decided to flip it. The living room was the activity center of the house – where they ate, watched TV and did office work. It’s OK to live that way, but it definitely wouldn’t make a good impression if potential buyers came to visit. Our goal was to transform the living room into a formal entertaining space without spending any money on new furniture. Before • It looked like a college kid had camped out in the corner! A folding chair is a definite no-no anywhere in a house on the market. The workspace had to go. • A very large, unattractive TV filled the corner (out of view on the left, next to a fireplace) and a huge chair was set up straight across from it. The chair and ottoman blocked entry into the room and made it difficult to step up into the dining room. • The typical house detritus was strewn here and there. Clutter is a staging no-no! 
After • Staging a home for sale is about making a winning impression on potential buyers, and buyers have certain expectations about how a living room should be set up. That means no exercise machines, desks, sewing machines or TVs in view! We moved the workspace into one of the kid’s room and freed up the wall for something better fit for a living room. We brought in a console table from elsewhere in the house to take its place. • We moved out the TV and put the big chair in its place. The couch and chair then created a simple conversation area and cleared the pathway to the dining room. • It took 5 minutes to put away the clutter. It’s best not to leave out magazines, remote controls and blankets when you’re showing a home for sale. We selected a few elegant accessories to dress the tables. The homeowners now had a more formal living room that could still work as a family gathering. It definitely made their house more sale-ready – without spending a dime on new furniture.
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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: 
