Luxury Home Staging: The 5 Most Important Rooms For Better Marketability

dark-hued living room wall with hanging cabinetry and blue couch
Property agents worldwide shares tips on how to make a home more marketable through staging.

Which room should get the most attention when staging a luxury home? If it’s based on research, then property owners must focus on the living room.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) surveyed agents to gather information on the most important rooms for staging properties. The poll highlighted responses from the perspective of buyers and sellers.

If you plan to buy a luxury home, find a broker with extensive experience in staging living rooms. From a buyer’s viewpoint, most of the respondents ranked the living room as the most important when staging a house.

cozy living room with brick walls and large windows

Almost half of the surveyed buyers’ agents revealed that clients wanted a staged living room before deciding on a purchase.

Liven Up The Living Room

Almost half of the surveyed buyers’ agents revealed that clients wanted a staged living room before deciding on a purchase.

Property experts such as Barry Cohen Homes, Hawai’i Life and OKAY.COM agree that a simple de-cluttering goes a long way for staging a living room. A few simple tricks include:

  • Deep-cleaning for a spotless room
  • Moving furniture away from pathways and windows
  • Putting away personal items (e.g. heirloom pieces)
  • Removing small furniture that occupies precious space

Light window treatments and minimizing obstructions from windows allow as much as natural light to enter the living room.

By following a minimalist approach, prospective buyers can imagine how they can spend time in the living room. A less-is-more strategy also ensures that you don’t overspend on staging a luxury house.

staged bedroom with wardrobes to the side

The primary bedroom or master suite ranks second among the most important rooms for staging luxury homes.

Keep It Neutral In The Bedroom

The primary bedroom or master suite ranks second among the most important rooms for staging luxury homes.

Brenna Harrington, a Hawai’i Life realtor, suggests neutral shades such as beige and gray for bedroom walls. You can even use greige if you can’t decide between the two colors.

Combine greige with white and you’ll have a wall color that “really pops,” according to Harrington.

OKAY.COM recommends brown and green as alternative neutral colors. While greige is popular, you don’t have to limit your choices by only choosing between beige, black, gray or white.

Property owners, however, should know the colors that work best for every room. For example, certain hues such as bright red may be a risky choice for bedrooms.

modern kitchen with white cabinetry and conemporary bar seats

While staging to impress is important, a consistent visualization of space in kitchens remains crucial. A modern kitchen, for example, must have up-to-date appliances.

In The Kitchen, Modern Is A Must

NAR’s survey cited staged kitchens as the third-most important room for buyers. As the heart of every home, a well-staged kitchen must impress buyers within minutes.

Most visitors only need three minutes to decide if your property passes their standards, according to French luxury property broker Groupe Mercure.

While staging to impress is important, a consistent visualization of space in kitchens remains crucial. A modern kitchen, for example, must have up-to-date appliances.

Harrington described updated kitchen appliances as “the jewelry of your home.” Next, ambient lighting sets the right mood. Fixtures must be free from dirt and rust.

Small details such as choosing the right faucet can spell a big difference when staging the kitchen as well, according to Barry Cohen. The Toronto-based luxury property broker said that people spend more time in the kitchen than in the living room.

For this reason, you shouldn’t neglect minor details to achieve a functionally yet stylishly staged kitchen.

luxury dining room with wood siding and white furniture

Make it easy for buyers to imagine a smooth transition from cooking food in the kitchen to enjoying it at the dinner table.

Don’t Forget The Dining Room

Make it easy for buyers to imagine a smooth transition from cooking food in the kitchen to enjoying it at the dinner table. OKAY.COM advises luxury property owners to choose the right furniture size.

The dining room may appear smaller if you choose bulky furniture pieces, according to the Hong Kong-based luxury property broker.

If the furniture is too small, the dining room may not seem cozy and warm. Learn how to maximize space by consulting your broker.

For example, OKAY.COM said that you can avoid “a stagnant look” by not “lining furniture along the perimeter of a room.”

You can stage the dining room with the biggest furniture placed against the wall. Smaller furniture such as chairs and the table should be placed in front of the biggest furniture to create a balanced look.

lounge chairs sit in the foreground of a swimming pool

Outdoor spaces are one of the top features requested by homebuyers in today’s luxury market.

Outdoor Areas Are The New Indoors

Make sure that your home-staging efforts inside the house become worthwhile by fixing problems in the outdoor areas. Outdoor spaces are one of the top features requested by homebuyers in today’s luxury market.

If there are trees within the vicinity, a landscaper should check if branches block natural light from entering the house.

A buyer may also ask about your garden or landscaping, so you should research which types of plants thrive in your backyard.

If you need a reputable broker to guide you throughout the home-staging process, click here to choose from a curated list of firms worldwide.

Author

Randolf Santos has covered different segments of the real estate industry since 2014. He worked at S&P Global Market Intelligence before joining Forbes Global Properties as a contributor.

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