You can’t change when or where your house was built. And unless you want to spend a lot of money that you’ll never recoup in a sale, now’s not the time to knock down walls or build an addition. But there are ways to make your rooms look bigger, and I recommend that you try some before you put your house on the market.
You don’t have to be a professional home stager to accomplish this trick, and you don’t need a lot of money. There are plenty of decorating tricks that can have buyers feeling like your living room is spacious, not small.
Get rid of clutter
This step is the most basic but can be hard for some sellers. Removing clutter doesn’t mean putting your books and magazines in neat piles – it means getting rid of the books and magazines. Take all your knick knacks and put them in storage. You want tables and shelves with space on them, not clogged with photos and curios. Lose any area rugs and pare down your furniture, too. It’s better to have a few large pieces than several small ones.
Keep traffic patterns clear
Every house has natural paths that people take. Whether it’s from the kitchen to the dining room or from the living room to the bathroom, make sure these walkways are clear. You may not mind having to walk around a large sectional to get from the TV room to the kitchen, but buyers will think your TV room isn’t big enough.
Preserve your views
Related to clear walkways are clear views. Keep tall furniture like bookshelves away from doorways, and pull back the shower curtain to expose the entire bathroom. Don’t block any part of windows, sliding glass doors, or French doors.
Choose your colors wisely
You probably plan to repaint some rooms. Make sure you choose light colors that feel cool, such as light blue or light green. Not only will light colors create a sense of openness, actual light helps, too. Open curtains or blinds to let in sunlight, and consider adding a lamp to dark corners.
Get an objective opinion
When you’re “done” making these changes to your house, ask for feedback. Your Texas REALTOR® is a great source for such information – and she likely has other suggestions to make your house seem bigger – but also ask friends or colleagues who don’t often visit your house to give their impressions as if they were buyers.
These are just a few ways you can get buyers talking about the space you have, not the space your home is missing. No amount of interior decoration or home staging will alter your home’s size, but a few of these tips might get buyers double-checking your listed square footage.
For more tips on preparing your home for sale, visit TexasRealEstate.com or talk to a Texas REALTOR®.
For your real estate needs, please contact Waymond Lightfoot (RE/MAX Genesis) at 210-386-5201.
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