If your living room is smaller, and you want to show the would-be buyers the full potential of the space, this article is for you. The living room, as we all know and are aware of, is the space where people spend quality time with their friends and family. Its size matters, and luckily there are a few things you can do even if you have a tad smaller one. And no, these tricks and advice do not include tearing down walls and spending a small fortune on rebuilding the room (or house) from scratch. Keep on reading for tricks of the trade on how to stage a small living room and make a faster sale.

1.  Don’t Show the Room While Empty

It may seem counterintuitive at first, but it is still worth thinking about it. Vacant rooms don’t give a truthful reference for size, and potential buyers may even think it is smaller than it actually is. An empty room may seem too small for their furniture pieces, and it may drive them away. On the other hand, if you do place the basic items and arrange them appropriately – they will get the idea of how much the room fits, and what it would look like if they lived there.

However, you are supposed to think about the items you will place in the living room. The furniture and décor arrangement should make sense, and since we are discussing smaller spaces – this arrangement should help with that too.

2.  Carefully Plan the Seating Scheme

If you want to learn how to stage a small living room, start from the seating area. First of all you need to choose the focal point of the room. It can be a fireplace, windows with a beautiful view, or an entertaining center. Once you have the perfect fit, it is recommended to place the seating arrangement around the focal point.

Besides finding the right position, you should also make sure that the entire area is functional too. We already established that the main purpose of the living room is socialization, so the seating corner of the room should encourage sitting, having a conversation and fun times.

3.  Scale Down the Furniture

This should be expected. Smaller living rooms have no need whatsoever of big chunky furniture pieces. The space will shrink down, and look small and crowded – a scenario you want to avoid at all costs. For instance, if you don’t have the space for a large sofa, go for a semicircular sofa, a love seat, or a wedge sofa. They do not take up a lot of space, and are entirely functional and practical for use. Smaller furniture means more white space, which as a result means a seemingly larger room.

4.  Build Around the Largest Piece in the Room

Small spaces are a challenge, since your goal is to make the most of it. And since it is for sale – you need to include both functionality and style. One way to use up the space the best way possible is to find the biggest piece in the room (probably the sofa) and “judge” the rest of the stuff against that piece.

Another detail that you should have in mind is the artwork. Smaller living rooms are rarely positively complemented with bold, busy décor. Instead, go for neutral pieces that will not seem intrusive. And of course – no personal photos and mementos, please. Potential buyers need to imagine themselves living there, so they don’t need to see your personal life in their future living room space. 

5.  Lighten the Room Up

Besides neutral colors, natural light is your biggest ally. An abundance of light always does the trick – makes each space larger and cleaner. So, when showing the living room make sure that the window treatments are lightweight enough to let as much sunlight in as possible. You can even include a mirror opposite the windows to maximize the effect.

6.  Virtual Staging to Ease the Process

All this planning can be tiring. And not everyone can afford replacing their furniture pieces with brand new ones. That is when virtual staging comes in handy. When planning and learning about the tricks of how to stage a small living room for a quicker sale, you need to know that there are experts there that can create the ideal room in just a few hours.

mirror-design

What you need to do is contact them, provide a photo of the living room, give a design idea if you have one, and let them work their magic. Once they are done, you will have the most optimal photo of your living room, arranged as you see fit, and ready to hit the market. And remember, your current living room will stay intact.