Making a potential buyer feel at home in a property is key when selling a house. It’s also why it’s encouraged to bake cookies in a home before a showing or open house.
The primary bedroom is often one of the main selling points of houses. Potential buyers want to be able to feel comfortable in the room. So, that’s why staging the main bedroom right is so crucial for real estate agents.
To help with staging and prepping the primary bedroom to be shown to prospective buyers, here are some quick tips that can make any room feel like home.
Why home staging is important
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently published a 2021 Home Staging Report that takes a look at the importance and effect that staging has on the result of a listing.
Some quick highlights include:
- Over 80% of real estate agents said that buyers were able to visualize themselves in a house better when it was properly staged
- The top three areas of the home for staging are the living room, the primary bedroom, and the kitchen
- Roughly 47% of agents said that the buyer’s view of the space was affected when in a staged space
How to stage a primary bedroom
Whether it’s a guest room, bathroom, kitchen, or bedroom that needs to be staged, there’s always a lot to think about as a real estate agent trying to sell a house. Preparing the most important room for bedroom staging can seem intimidating. If you have no idea where to start, here are some staging tips that can get your property ready for an open house.
Appeal to the clients
Because the main bedroom is a key area in the house, it’s important that you make the bedrooms appeal to all kinds of potential clients when prepping the house to sell.
Most buyers want to feel at home in the space, and having a staged bedroom helps them feel that way. You will want to think about the type of client you are trying to attract and make decisions based on that.
Stick with neutral colours, simple designs, and an inviting layout in all the bedrooms, but especially the main. If your bedroom walls need to be repainted, choose a neutral shade of grey, green, or beige.
You will also want to make sure that you have some natural sunlight shining in the bedroom. A neutral colour scheme also plays well with natural lighting and makes the area appear brighter.
Placing and prepping the bed
For a primary bedroom, it’s recommended that the bed and the headboard be placed in the middle of the wall opposite the door. This creates an inviting space and becomes the first thing buyers see as they enter the rooms.
If the client has a large bed and a small room, you might consider switching out the bed for a queen or full-size bed. This can make the room appear bigger and less cramped.
When preparing bedrooms to stage, you don’t want to show off an unmade bed. Having a nicely made bed with a clean set of bedding is a key task to remember as you stage any bedroom. Ideally, you’ll have a duvet cover and other bedding pieces that match well with the wall color.
While an obscure pattern on your pillow shams can add personality to the room, you might consider sticking with something a little more simple and classy.
Be sure to give the bedding and the pillows a good wash before making the bed. If your client has pets, make sure they run a lint roller over the bed to get rid of any pet hair.
Keep out the clutter
The primary bedroom in any home is usually very lived in. There will be personal items, framed family photos, gifts from friends, cards from the kids, and other pieces of furniture that fill up the space.
As you prepare to put the home on the market, have your clients declutter the space. Move excess furniture out of the room before showing it. You will also want the room to have had a good cleaning before you stage it. This might involve washing the walls, vacuuming the carpet or area rug, cleaning out the closet, and tidying up the walking space.
Furniture tips
The core pieces to keep in the rooms are the bed, a dresser, a chair, and a set of bedside tables. You may also consider adding or keeping a mirror in the room as well. These are key items that should be used when staging a main bedroom.
Some homeowners use part of the main bedroom as an office space. If this is the case, consider moving these pieces out of the area before you stage it.
While personal items and old stuffed animals are great, it’s recommended that you move them out of the area. For the bedside table and the dresser, you might consider keeping just a few small pieces on top to add some life to the space.
Make sure the closets and open spaces on the floor are free of mess and clutter. Doing so will make even a small bedroom look bigger and make the bed the focal point of the room.
Keep the light in
Natural light is a must-have for all rooms, but most importantly the bedroom. Open up the curtains and windows to let the sunlight in. The more natural light, the better.
It’s also recommended that you refrain from using too many window treatments in the room during the bedroom staging process. This can help make the area look brighter and more inviting to potential home buyers.
Even though natural light is preferred, adding some more light fixtures can’t hurt – as long as they don’t clutter up the bedroom. Add a small lamp with a warm lightbulb to each bedside table, or choose a more focal piece that ties the room together. Whatever the case, adding a bit more light can be huge when it comes to bedroom staging.
Include some accent pieces
To tie the bedroom together, you might consider adding some key pieces of decoration that will add to the style of the room.
This could be a patterned throw blanket or set of throw pillows placed strategically on the bed. It could also be a piece of wall art that grabs the attention when buyers walk in and matches your colour scheme. It may also mean a unique headboard or area rug that draws clients into the room.
Whatever it is, including one or two of these pieces can add some personality to the rooms without making it overwhelming for buyers.
Once all of these things are done, you’ll be surprised at just how much of a difference it makes!
