1. Paint the right way.
It's the last thing on many seller's minds when selling their house, but it's often the thing that helps the space the most. Painting the rooms in the house opens up the space and provides a nice backdrop to the elements of the room.
Avoid bold or dark colors that will make the place feel smaller rather than more open and airy. If you must do a bold color, try an accent wall which can help draw attention to your focal point without making the roof feel too small for potential buyers.
While you certainly don't have to paint the house hospital white, neutral paint colors such as a soft beige, light gray, or tan work best for all spaces.
If you have dark or outdated wood on your mantelpiece or trim, consider painting that a contrasting white to open the space up even more.
Make the Space Feel Welcoming
Real estate agents and home stagers agree: clutter has got to go when prepping a home for sale. Clutter makes the space feel like it's not large enough to house everything it needs to, so it's spilling on coffee tables and the sofa and chairs instead.
One of the best things you can do to sell your house is to declutter. While this may seem overwhelming, remember that it's all just part of the moving phase anyway—you're just doing it a bit early.
Cut back on anything that doesn't add to the space. This includes old mail and magazines, trinkets and miscellaneous items that don't really belong anywhere.
Take a look around the room as if you were a buyer or ask a friend or neighbor to come in and take a look around. We get used to our own clutter, so it helps to take a look at it through new eyes.
Choose the right furniture.
One of the best things we can do for living room designs everywhere is buy furniture that compliments the space rather than takes away. It seems as though many people try to cram in as much furniture into the living room as possible. While a sectional and bulky end table may be functional, they can dwarf a small space fast.
Rather than remove all of the furniture from the room completely (this can leave the buyer without a point of reference for the size of the room), create a conversation area with a small sofa, a few chairs, and a coffee table. Center the conversation area around the focal point, whether that's the fireplace, windows, or a piece of art.
One last note about furniture: Wooden tables and chairs look wonderful, but can really weigh down a space. Rather than bulky wood furniture, try those with elements of metal, glass, or wicker which adds an air of lightness.
