Dear Heather,

I am almost ready to put my house on the market for sale. I am a busy, working mother with two children. I know my house is looking a bit tired on the interior, have you any ideas on how to show it at its best?

Busy Seller

Dear Busy Seller,

I completely understand. It can be hard trying to keep all the balls in the air at once. However, as a general rule of thumb, space and light are two of the most important things buyers look for in a home. I will share some of the tricks of the trade that property stagers use to make spaces appear larger and brighter and therefore more welcoming to potential buyers. It all comes down to furniture and layout, using light colours, decluttering spaces and considering how mirrors, glass and artificial light can work to your advantage.

Limit the amount of furniture

Display only the minimum amount of furniture that is needed in each room to avoid overcrowding a space and making it look smaller. If you have two sofas that take up a lot of space, perhaps replace one with an armchair. The less solid the furniture; the less space it will take up in a room. If you have a small, combined kitchen and dining area, a good way to give the impression of more space is to push the table up against a wall and remove some chairs. This will make it easier for people to move around the space but you still demonstrate that you can fit a dining table in the room. Keep bedrooms simple. All you really need is a bed and bedside tables and lamps.

Contrary to popular belief, empty rooms look smaller than rooms with furniture in them so even in really small rooms it is better to have at least a single bed to give buyers a better sense of space and how they can use it.

Create a study area

A study or office area is a key selling point for many buyers. If you don’t have a dedicated room for a study, then think about how you might be able to convert other empty spaces, like a hallway or beneath stair space, into an attractive study nook.

Furnish and finish property styling

Keep colours light and neutral. Bold colours and patterns can make a space look smaller and might not appeal to all buyers. If that is the case in your home, you will benefit from keeping your wall colours and furniture simple with a neutral scheme.

Declutter

Kids rooms are often the worst offenders when it comes to cluttered spaces. You are going to be moving so you won’t want to move anything you no longer use anyway. Aim to clear away as much “stuff” as you can from every room. Only keep the bare minimum and display it nicely. If you have additional items, you can always make use of a storage facility in the short term.

Use mirrors

Mirrors help reflect both space and light and are one of the simplest ways to instantly make a space look bigger and brighter. Above the sofa is typically a good place to hang a large, horizontal mirror, as the living room is often the focus of a home.

As the smallest rooms in a house, bathrooms can do with all the help they can get to look larger. A large mirror is a must-have in here. If you don’t already have one, then install one.

Empty spaces like hallways can be styled simply with a mirror or picture and console table, perhaps with some fresh flowers or other accents. This creates interest in the space and looks nicer than a blank wall.

Make the most of natural light

It’s no secret that the first thing that real estate agents do at an open-for-inspection is open up all the blinds and window coverings. If there are areas of your home where privacy isn’t an issue, then it might pay to remove any window coverings that obstruct the amount of light that comes in. Especially in dark rooms, use table or floor lamps to provide more light in the room. Soft lamp light also helps add to the ambience of any room.

Once your home is ready to show, enlist the services of a good real-estate agent to maximise your showings and minimise your time on market so that you can prepare yourself to move on to your next exciting real estate adventure.

• Heather Chilvers is among Coldwell Banker Bermuda Realty’s leading sales representatives. She has been working in real estate for 27 years. If you have a question for Heather, please contact her at hchilvers@brcl.bm or 332-1793. All questions will be treated in confidence. Read this article on Facebook: Ask Heather Real Estate