7 Living Room Tips To Help Sell Your Home

living room

By Lauren Sieben

The kitchen may be the heart of the home, but the living room is the hub. It’s where everyone convenes to relax and enjoy quality time with each other (or with the TV). If you’re preparing to list your house, you need to go the extra mile to help prospective new owners see your living room’s full potential.

Today’s buyers expect spaces that are equal parts inviting and updated. We spoke with real estate experts around the country to learn about the living room fixes that can help you attract top dollar in today’s housing market.

1. Let the light in

Forget moody color palettes and heavy window treatments in the living room.

“Buyers want to see homes that are bright, spacious, and inviting, with natural light,” says Tamara Moritz, a Realtor® at Coldwell Banker Realty in Austin, TX. “I always advise my clients to thin out these rooms, open all the blinds and remove darker solar screens, to invite more natural light into the home.”

One of the best living room upgrades to make before you list is new light fixtures, Moritz adds—you can’t go wrong with something bright and simple.

Donna Incorvaja, a Realtor associate and licensed broker at RelatedISG Realty in South Florida, agrees: “The living room should be balanced with a neutral, light, color palette, which will make it easier for the buyers to visualize themselves and their style in your home.”

2. Neutralize the wall colors

At this point, it should go without saying: A fresh coat of paint in a neutral color works wonders to freshen up a dated space and help buyers see its possibilities. White or off-white is a perennial safe bet, but it’s not your only option.

“Buyers in my area are still loving light gray,” says Tracy Jones, a real estate agent with Re/Max Platinum in Sarasota, FL, and Re/Max Oak Crest Realty in Elkhart, IN. “It’s a safe choice for sellers, as it appeals to almost everyone, and sellers can use bold colors to accent with.”

3. Open up the space

If it’s within your budget or skill set to create an open floor in the living room, this project is worth the effort.

“Sellers can remove walls if possible, and barriers such as pony walls,” says Suzi Dailey with Realty ONE Luxe in Dana Point, CA. “Sometimes, near the front door, you see false walls to create a foyer, but removing excess walls is a popular trend today, and it bears good fruit.”

Today’s buyers aren’t interested in their grandma’s stuffy living rooms, so don’t let old-school conventions limit your vision for an open space.

“Formal living rooms are more uncommon nowadays,” Incorvaja says. “It’s very important that the main living room is big and open enough for the whole family to gather together.”

4. Streamline and stage thoughtfully

Once you’ve opened up your space, don’t let a busy room full of furniture and tchotchkes detract from the appeal.

“One of the best tips to increase the living room’s appeal is to declutter furniture,” Incorvaja says. “Keeping the decoration simple and staged well helps buyers visualize their furniture in the home.”

If you’re not sure how to scale back, choose just a few focal pieces to anchor the room.

“I always recommend keeping it simple, with a great piece of art—it doesn’t have to be expensive. A nice plant, and just a few pieces of furniture,” Dailey says.

5. Remove dingy carpeting and replace with wood or tile flooring

Old carpeting is an instant turn-off to prospective buyers.

“Renovations that definitely add value to a home include tile or wood flooring,” Incorvaja says.

If you don’t have the budget for brand-new hardwoods, don’t despair.

“Wood-look vinyl is not only affordable but easy to maintain, and has become an appealing option in lots of price points,” Moritz says.

In some parts of the country, tile is even preferable to wood flooring.

“In Florida, tile is always a popular choice,” Jones says. “Homeowners have been opting for tile that looks like wood. It doesn’t scratch, and holds up well to kids, pets, and wet feet coming in from the pool.”

Whatever you choose, resist the temptation to replace old carpet with new carpet.

“Replacing carpet is not money well spent,” Dailey says. “Most buyers would prefer engineered wood.”

6. Show the room’s versatility

Pre-pandemic, a living room might primarily have served as a hangout spot. These days, it probably pulls double duty as a gym, office or classroom.

“These rooms have evolved into multipurpose rooms that are being furnished to accommodate offices or virtual classrooms during the day, and media rooms or game rooms in the evenings,” Moritz says.

You can set up a nook with a desk and laptop in the living room, or take advantage of extra living spaces like sunrooms or large foyers to stage different options for multipurpose spaces.

“If a rec room is in the basement, use the lack of windows to your advantage,” Dailey says.

She suggests creating “a media/theater/virtual reality type of room, or a hip gym.”

7. Incorporate extra shelving or storage

Storage is always a bonus for buyers, especially in a living room where they may want to hide away blankets, toys, or electronics.

“When there are interesting angles or niches, I recommend adding built-in shelving with lights and accent paint color, to add interest to a room,” Moritz says. “These touches don’t cost a lot, but add character and interest to buyers.”

Don’t overlook dead space around the house that could be transformed into storage.

“If there is an entry staircase, adding a cut-in under the stairs for shelves creates an appealing use of what would otherwise be a blank wall,” Moritz adds.

[divider_top]

7 Promising Signs the Home You’re Buying Will Have Good Resale Value

home buying good resale value

By Jamie Wiebe

While it might seem premature to think about selling a home before you even buy it, it’s important to remember that a house is an investment. And in an ideal world, investments make money—not lose it.

That’s why resale value should be an important consideration when house hunting. No, it shouldn’t supersede your must-have requirements (if you demand 20 acres and lakefront access, prioritize that). But if you do your best to predict how the house you’re buying—and the neighborhood it’s in—will appeal to future buyers, then future-you will be a whole lot happier. And possibly richer.

Considering resale value “also saves the buyers a lot of money, as they will not need to spend big on renovations or updates,” says real estate agent Lukasz Kukwa.

But one caveat: Good resale value is never a promise.

“It is almost impossible to guarantee that a home will retain its full resale value, as the local market and economic factors have a large effect on the housing market,” Kukwa says.

In short: Resale value is anybody’s guess if the economy tanks. But there are some indicators to watch for that could be the difference between barely squeaking by or coming out ahead. As you hit the house-hunting trail, look for these promising signs that suggest your investment will be a smart one.

1. The neighborhood’s hopping…

Pay attention to your surroundings when house hunting. Is the neighborhood walkable? Or is a trip to the grocery store so onerous it requires snacks for the road? Meanwhile, are there restaurants nearby for those nights you simply just can’t?

“If you buy in an area that is not well-developed and doesn’t have good infrastructure—like shopping close by—you will not have a high rate of return on the home,” says Realtor® Patricia Vosburgh.

“The more amenities, the higher chances the home will sell faster and for more money,” she explains.

Even if there are development plans in the works, don’t bank on that to prop up property values; construction can stall or be scrapped entirely. When calculating your home’s future worth, focus on what exists now.

2. … but the street itself is quiet

Buying a home is a study in contrasts: You want a gorgeous kitchen—and good delivery options, too. You need five bedrooms—and a decent hotel around the corner because no way is your mother-in-law staying with you. You want things to be hopping—but not in your backyard.

“We advise against buying on a busy street or purchasing a home surrounded by commercial properties nearby,” Vosburgh says.

Not that there aren’t buyers—possibly even you—who love living in the middle of the action. But before you buy the bungalow next to your favorite watering hole, consider that future buyers might not be so keen.

3. The home’s systems are in good shape

Many people consider return on investment to be the sum of a simple calculation: Will the home sell for more than you paid?

But it’s a little more complex than that. You have to factor in how much you’ll spend on the home while living there—even if the market becomes red-hot. And if the home’s vital components are falling apart, you’ll be spending a lot.

Your inspector can give you a rundown of your future home’s health, but keep a close eye on the roof, water heater, HVAC system, windows, and foundation. Pay attention to the plumbing and electrical, too. A problem with any one of these major systems can require a costly repair—and take a bite out of your payday.

“When these items are new or in good standing, that’s a great sign,” Kukwa says.

4. The schools are great

If you’re child-free, this one might seem entirely irrelevant. But a word to the wise: If you think you might someday sell your home, you’ll want to factor in the school district before you buy.

“Even if buyers personally don’t have children, for resale it is imperative that they buy in a great school zone,” Vosburgh says. (You can check school ratings at GreatSchools.org.)

Just make sure to do your research and determine where the home sits in relation to the school district boundaries.

“Often agents will advertise a property as being near such-and-such school area, but not necessarily specify the district, which can be very confusing,” explains Tina Maraj, a Realtor with Re/Max North Orange County in Fullerton, CA. “It can be a real eye-opener if a buyer closes and they’re on one side of a main street that is the dividing line between the top-rated and the lowest-rated high schools.”

5. The light is inspiring

“Any apartment in any neighborhood that has good light will sell—and will always sell,” says New York City broker Noemi Bitterman.

With good light, “there is always a good feeling—a feeling of embracing and belonging,” she continues. “When [a home] is dark, no matter how nice and new it is, it doesn’t feel inviting, it takes a much longer time to sell, and the price reflects the lack of light.”

Whether you’re shopping for a condo, apartment, or house, visit the property at different times of the day to see how the light affects the space.

6. The floor plan is family-friendly

Again? asks the child-free reader. Must all my housing decisions be dictated by families? No. But if you’re hoping to sell that home for a profit down the road, you should keep kid-friendliness in mind.

“Look for a home with a floor plan that will appeal to families,” says broker Kris Lindahl. That means at least three—if not four—bedrooms on the same level, an open concept kitchen, and at least one bathtub.

And always pay attention to the number of bathrooms. You want “enough to avoid fights in the morning,” Lindahl says.

On a related note: No matter how much you love that gloriously unique Frank Lloyd Wright spiral house, it’s often best to stick to a more traditional floor plan if you’re worried about selling later.

“Buying a home that is too quirky or has very untraditional features can result in a decreased ROI and smaller pool of potential buyers in the future,” Kukwa says.

7. The community is restrictive

Homeowners associations can be a pain in the butt—the irritating restrictions, the monotonous meetings, the monthly dues that you’re not always sure you can account for.

But an HOA can actually be helpful, at least when it comes to resale value. That’s because HOAs usually keep everyone in line, preventing your neighbors from letting weeds take over their lawn, painting their houses bright pink, or permanently parking an RV in the middle of your street—all things that could ding the value of your home.

Of course, purchasing an HOA-regulated home isn’t for everyone. But if you’re seriously concerned about the resale value of your new home, covenants and restrictions could keep you flush.

Wendy Helfenbaum contributed to this story.

[divider_top]