Selling: Presenting A Living Room

living-room. 10 steps to presenting your living room

Cleaning & Clearing
Accessorise & Reinvent

Living rooms are where we feel able to relax and be comfortable. However, when selling your property, you may have to sacrifice some of your creature comforts to make it appealing to potential buyers. Plus, make the most of its look and you'll maximise your home's value.

By Daphne Leck

1 Declutter & Depersonalise

Now is a good time to pack away as much clutter as possible - dvds you don't watch regularly, piles of magazines and books, and all those odds and ends you have been meaning to sort out. You will have to pack these away to move, so do it sooner rather than later. There's no need to empty the shelves or cupboards - but you should give the impression that there's enough (rather than too little) storage space. And you should expect people to open cupboards, so don't cram things into them.

As reluctant as you might be to remove family photos, do this, too, particularly if you have lots of them. It's perfectly acceptable to leave out a couple here and there, but if you have walls full of them, take them down and put up something attractive to cover the area instead. Buyers have to imagine themselves living in your home and it's very difficult to do this if you and your family are plastered all over the room.

2 Clean Up

It goes without saying that you should clean the room thoroughly, from the ceiling down. Have soft furnishings and carpets professionally cleaned if necessary; wash windows, window dressings and cushion covers.

If any of you are smokers, avoid smoking indoors while you have your house up for sale - the smell of stale cigarettes puts off non-smokers in particular.

If you have smelly pets, specifically large dogs, keep them outside in a kennel if possible or, at the very least ensure they're not in the house when viewers arrive. You might not be able to smell them - or at least be used to their scent - but viewers will find it off-putting. Clear away any evidence of them - food, hair, dirt - and open windows to air the room.

3 Redecorate

If your living room is really scruffy, it's worth considering giving it a fresh lick of paint before putting the house on the market. Strong colours can alienate potential purchasers. If they do not like your choice, they will be counting the cost of redecoration, and that will undermine the value of your property. So instead, choose pale, warm neutral colours, such as cream or off-white to make the living room lighter and brighter.

4 Replace Floorcoverings

If your carpet is worn or badly stained, replace it. Do not choose expensive carpet, but make sure that it looks reasonable. If your wooden floors need a good clean or look shabby, have them refurbished, but employ a professional company unless you feel totally confident about your skills.

If you're after a quick fix, a new rug will cover a multitude of sins - but expect canny buyers to lift it to check what's beneath.

5 Improve The Lighting

Good lighting is essential in living rooms. Central pendants with lampshades that show the light bulb are ugly and dated. Replace with chandeliers or more modern fittings; at the very least replace the shade with an uplighter. Make sure that you have alternative lighting, such as standard or table lamps, which can be switched on to provide a flattering background light.