How to Make a Small Space Look LARGER
It seems as though our need for larger and larger homes has peaked as we multipurpose them as places of work, school, family time, entertainment, hobbies, and workouts. Finding space for all the things we do at home and storage for all our belongings can be an exercise in extreme creativity or result in a messy, cluttered home.
While older homes may occupy prime urban locations, they are usually smaller than the homes built in the past 20-30 years. The trend towards tear downs is changing the landscape of our cities and larger, 2 and 3 story homes are replacing the small ranch homes built in the 60s and 70s.
At the same time, builders are making the most of the cost of land by building larger homes to sell at a higher price.
But there is another trend towards minimalism, favored by many who crave the sense of calm we experience when our spaces are purposeful and uncluttered. That type of environment is also favored for staging, whether the home is large or small. The challenge is much greater in a small home.
Staging a Small Home
Whether you are team Big House or Small House, how we live in our homes is usually not how they should be staged for selling. And if you live in a small home, staging becomes particularly important as buyers will be looking to see if your home is big enough to be their home. Staging in a small home is especially important because space is at a premium. Maximizing the value of every square foot will maximize the ultimate sales price.
Staging Tips for Small Homes
Pay attention to what is on the floor.
Staging gives buyers perspective on what will fit into a space and helps them imagine their own furniture in your home. An empty room may leave a buyer wondering if their furniture will fit, but a properly sized piece of furniture gives them confidence.
Remove smaller pieces of furniture and décor on the floor, such as small chairs, accent tables, baskets, vases and rugs. These items break up the space and make them feel smaller. This tip almost never applies to the way people live in their homes, but for staging, it is a game changer.
Avoid bulky furniture. If the furniture does not fit properly, it makes a room feel small. Avoid a size mismatch in the furniture as well, such as a bulky sofa and a small chair or side table.
Keep walkways open, leaving about 3 feet of space for a comfortable flow. Do we live this way? Not in small homes, but it is a design principle applied to staging for good reason.
Assign a Purpose
Give a specific use for each room and avoid multi-purpose rooms in a small home. A large bonus room can be a great value to a buyer if they can see it has plenty of space to be used as an office, den, playroom, and/or work-out space, but that will not work in a small home. A bedroom is for sleeping and a dining space is for eating. If a bedroom is converted into an office, then show buyers a spacious office, not a dual-purpose room, and allow them to imagine the office space as a bedroom instead.
This tip applies to closets as well. I’ve never SEEN so many random things stored in coat closets! Here’s the clue…if it’s called a “coat closet” the buyers should find coats. Same goes with pantries for kitchen items and linen closets for linens. In the bedroom, the closet is for clothing and accessories, not photo albums and wrapping paper! When a seller has extra storage, I love to give a closet a special purpose for toys, appliances, cleaning supplies or office supplies.
Color
Choose lighter colors or even transparent furniture (no color) to make a space feel larger. Dark furniture feels both bigger and heavier than a light-colored piece. Glass tables take up less visual space than a solid piece.
Surfaces
Surfaces and shelving that are completely bare do not give a sense of purpose or evoke an emotional connection to a home, but too many items look cluttered, busy and distracting.
Style shelves with one to three items each, use symmetry and just enough color to keep eyes moving. A lamp with one or two other decorative items is all there should be on a table or nightstand. Kitchen counters should have no more than one appliance, decorative counter pieces and a plant. In a kitchen where counter space is at a premium, the buyer should see almost all of it!
Paint
Paint colors affect how large a space feels. While some of us love a dark room, buyers want to see the light and the square footage. Accent walls bring a wall towards you visually, making a space feel smaller. Lighter paint colors expand a space visually.
Lighting
Light, both natural and artificial, affects how large a space feels as well. Natural light is best, so remove curtains and open the blinds to add light to a space. A mixture of overhead, task and lamps highlight the features of the space, while making it feel larger.
Pay special attention to the color of the lighting as well. Avoid “blue” light with a high kelvin level of 5000 or above. Soft lighting with a kelvin of 3000 is most like natural light and is best for staging.
Pre-Packing
When it is time to sell, you may need to store the exercise equipment, an extra sofa or recliner, a TV, or even your work from home desk. Pack up holiday décor, out of season clothes, mementos and the stored items that are rarely used to create square footage in your home. The added benefit is you are better prepared for the move after you are under contract.
The better you stage the home, the quicker it is off the market and a semblance of normal life can resume until the final packing is completed before the move.
Mindset
When making plans to sell your home, homeowners need to change their mindset. Moving will require that you (or the movers) touch all of your belongings. You must put it in a box or make arrangements to give away, sell or discard every single thing you own. When those decisions are made in advance of marketing your home, the process is not just easier, but much more efficient once the house is under contract and a moving date is set.
And who wants to open a box in your new house, only to discover you didn’t really need that item anyway?