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- DerrickSakai
- Contributions:61
Yes, if the removal will give a better ambiance and space to the house or if it looks like an eye sore and does not complement the house.
- Sue Johnson, "suej4homes"
- Contributions:99
Depends on what furniture you have. It may be a good idea to put extra pieces into storage while your home is on the market. De-Clutter everywhere!
- Kristy McKay & Gary Matos, "Kristy and Gary"
- Contributions:5
What you place in a house will play it up they way you want buyers to see it.... vacant homes look vacated - sparsely furnished homes look sparse... so our advice is to show it furnished with some art on the walls (just leave the dogs playing poker in the garage!). Sometimes, though, it's a tough balance, especially for a smaller home, to put just the right amount of "suggestion" in it to demonstrate to buyers how they might use each room and that the house has the right spaces for them. Use well-chosen and well-matched furniture to play-up the home's bests features and to play-down its less great spaces. A small bedroom should have a twin bed or daybed... an eat-in sized kitchen should have a small table and two chairs...an outdoor patio should have some kind of seating. Keep things matching as much as possible - not like a completely matched dining set, but do keep the colors/tones/wood finishes similar within a room. That bright red sofa with the teal chair is most likely too eclectic... keep the red sofa but use a black or wooden chair instead! If you go with professional staging, just be sure they use furnishings that match the style of the house.
- Sergio Hernandez, "Sergio Hernandez"
- Contributions:619
Only if the amount of furniture makes the property look cluttered, or smaller.
- Shannon Thomas, "sthomasrealestate"
- Contributions:218
Removing clutter and certain items that don't fit can help to sell your home much faster. If you have a small master and you have a king bed that takes up most of your bedroom space, you might want to consider removing the king and putting in a full or queen bed. Removing clothing out of a stuffed closet can give the appearance of ample storage space. Staging definitely helps.
- AL McCaw, "Al McCaw"
- Contributions:286
Yes. It makes the small house look bigger.
- Bob Nacci, "Bob Nacci"
- Contributions:6
A few items can be left - a small table and chairs in the eating area - maybe a chair next to a lamp in the living area - most important is clean and shine - don't forget to reomove old shower curtains and replace with new along with one or two matching towels and deco items in the bathroom - next to the chair and lamp, place a book and a empty coffee cup - make sure your table is set for dinner in the eating area - this all helps - i like to put a new welcome mat at the front entrance, clean the entry door and any glass the door may have - polish the brass - this will make for a good first impression.
- Gwen Banta "Sherlock of Homes", "Gwen Banta"
- Contributions:107
Remove some furniture, Shelly, but leave some warmth and personality. Take away items that steal focus, such as personal photos, and remove signs of pets. Play music, make sure the house smells nice. Music and scent should always be considered part of the furnishings, as they help "describe" the home.
- Jody Townsend, "RedExpressRealty"
- Contributions:4
Leave some of the furniture. Buyers can better visualize how their own furniture will scale in a room if they have something to compare it to. But declutter declutter declutter. Also - CLEAN! Scrub it and make it shine. Nothing is worse than showing a home where your clients can't get past the clutter and dirt and see the house for the potential that it has.
- Sergio Hernandez, "Sergio Hernandez"
- Contributions:619
Only if the furniture adds no real value.
- Brandy Underberg, "BrandyUnderberg"
- Contributions:78
Yes, I think it's a great idea to remove some of the furniture. You have to remember that what you are selling is the space! As a part of my listing packet I even offer a list of local storage facilities and their prices.
- Toby & John T. Williams, "tjplace"
- Contributions:271
You want the house to look homey, inviting, spacious (even when it isn't) Remove oversized or excess furniture. Let the buyers eye see how nice it can be to live there.
- Joel Fletes, "JoelFletes"
- Contributions:171
Removing as much furniture as possible is the best way for the new buyers to see how their furniture will fit the area.
- Zeta Cross, "ZetaCross"
- Contributions:126
Absolutely. Well known stager Starr Osborne, author of Home Staging That Works, says any homeowner benefits by taking one third to one half of their possessions out before they put their house on the market. When you show a small house, take out as much furniture as you can. Don't worry that it is too "empty." Sparkling clean and almost empty will get you more money than "lived in." The way we live in our homes is not the way we put our homes on the market.
- Helen Edwards, "Helen Edwards"
- Contributions:478
Since smaller homes are easily cluttered, believe best to remove as much as can bear and still live there if you do. While doing this, Clean, clean, clean! Nothing is better to show than an exceptionally Clean home.
- Tom Smith, "Tom L. Smith"
- Contributions:14
you would want some furniture in the home. Just enough to create the "flow" from room to room. Staging gives potential buyers an idea of what the room/home will look like with their furniture in it. Too much staging will make it look small and cluttered.
- Dream Team Sean Cheryl Amanda, "cherylfinnegan"
- Contributions:97
I believe you should not remove all of the furniture in a small home. The rooms may actually look smaller and the buyer may have trouble visualizing how much furniture can fit into each room. I also believe though, that too much furniture will make it seem smaller. I would make sure you have the basic furniture in each room, and then take out all the extras.
- CulverCityRealtor
- Contributions:455
Hi Shelly,
Well I think my advice might be different, but in my opinion small homes actually look smaller without staging. It's amazing what a home stager can do to help the potential buyer imagine themselves in the home. If you can afford to do it, remove all your furniture, clean, paint and hire a stager.
Well I think my advice might be different, but in my opinion small homes actually look smaller without staging. It's amazing what a home stager can do to help the potential buyer imagine themselves in the home. If you can afford to do it, remove all your furniture, clean, paint and hire a stager.
- David Emili, "DavidEmiliJr"
- Contributions:1
Absolutely, I would store anything that makes the house look cluttered or remove anything that has the potential to open a room up. Simply removing a reclining chair or chest can make a huge difference.
- Marsha Andrews, "MarshaAndrews"
- Contributions:35
Many buyers don't have an imagination so it's better to have some furniture. If you can get a "stager" if you don't feel you have an eye to optimize the space and not have it looked cramped, that would be a good way to go. Stagers often have furniture and accent pieces they can bring in.
- Lee Oliver, "Lee Oliver"
- Contributions:130
You don't necessarily have to remove furniture from a small house, just make sure it is not cluttered or the furniture is not too large for the room. You want the prospective buyer to immediately begin to place "their" furniture in the home and "assume" ownership.
- Doug Murphy, "DougMurphySells"
- Contributions:71
No. Providing the proper experience with the appropriate ammount of furniture is what you should look for.
In addition to your agents advice, try asking a few friends over, and ask their objective opinion about how the space looks. How do they see it as a potential buyer?
- Angie Boggeman, "angie boggeman"
- Contributions:469
I would carefully choose which pieces to remove. You want it to look homey, but not cluttered and hard to move around in. If you remove too much, buyers might wonder if the normally furniture pieces would fit, since you don't have them.
- Susanne Brown, "Susanne Brown"
- Contributions:63
Having furniture that fits the house is so important for having successful showings. A room with too much or too big furniture only makes the room look cramped and unappealing.
You should de-clutter and empty out the closets too so that the property looks as "spacious" as possible.
This is a great time to sort out what you don't want to keep and what you want to bring to your new home. If you want to keep things that are making your house look small or cluttered, invest in a storage space until you can relocate to the new digs.
There is so much competition out there right now that every little thing you can do to make your property look its best is so worth while.
You should de-clutter and empty out the closets too so that the property looks as "spacious" as possible.
This is a great time to sort out what you don't want to keep and what you want to bring to your new home. If you want to keep things that are making your house look small or cluttered, invest in a storage space until you can relocate to the new digs.
There is so much competition out there right now that every little thing you can do to make your property look its best is so worth while.
- Nancy Lee, "An OrderLee Home"
- Contributions:1195
Like Sunny says, scale is key. I have staged many small (under 1K sf) houses using a love seat, a chair, a small cocktail table, and a floor lamp in the living room (along with art on the walls and accessories on the table). If you are living there, take it down as low as you can...find or create each room's focal point and group the furniture loosely around said point. Hint: whenever possible the focal point is architectural (fireplace, window) and sells with the house. Keep repeating, living in a house when it is for sale is not the same as living in a home".
Oh, another hint, in the bedroom even if there is a totally cool architectural focal point, the bed is vital. Keep it simple, clean, and made!
Oh, another hint, in the bedroom even if there is a totally cool architectural focal point, the bed is vital. Keep it simple, clean, and made!
- sunnyview
- Contributions:25139
I'd vote no. Small houses need a minimum of furnishings and they need to be small in scale to make the house look it's best. Overstuffed is out, vintage scale is in and for bedrooms no bed should be larger than a queen with a small 14" bedside table.
Trick is making it look functional with minimal furniture. Leaving nothing in it or pushing all furniture to the back of the walls screams to buyers this house is too small to live in comfortably. It is better to paint a mini picture of functional spaces even if they are sparsely decorated with key furniture.
Trick is making it look functional with minimal furniture. Leaving nothing in it or pushing all furniture to the back of the walls screams to buyers this house is too small to live in comfortably. It is better to paint a mini picture of functional spaces even if they are sparsely decorated with key furniture.
- Georgina OBryan, "GOBryan1"
- Contributions:483
I agree with Kevin. A home needs to appear pleasing to the eye & decluttered with no personal affects such as pictures, etc in view. Closets should be clean and decluttered as well.
When a prospective buyer is viewing your home, they need to be able to picture themselves as the homeowner. Also, pay attention to detail and address any issues like dirty baseboards or broken parts such as hinges, knobs, etc.. Most buyers will check out and notice those items. Don't give them an excuse to reduce their offer or bypass yours.
When a prospective buyer is viewing your home, they need to be able to picture themselves as the homeowner. Also, pay attention to detail and address any issues like dirty baseboards or broken parts such as hinges, knobs, etc.. Most buyers will check out and notice those items. Don't give them an excuse to reduce their offer or bypass yours.
- Kevin Kieffer, "Kevin Kieffer"
- Contributions:162
Regardless of home size, we recommend staging and/or leaving the appropriate amount of furniture relative to the home size. Your goal is to give potential buyers a warm feeling of home. A vacant home generally shows cold. The short answer is yes, stage or leave furniture to give the home a nice warm home feel. We recommend staging all of our vacant listings regardless of size.
- Sharon Lewis, "Sharon Lewis"
- Contributions:3917
Hi there. Great question, but it depends on how you have decorated. Is the home overstuffed with furniture? Then Yes, Yes, Yes. If it is a smaller home, it has a lot of charm that you want to showcase, too much 'stuff' distracts our buyers. So put the 'stuff' in the garage, someplace where it won't get wet or chewed through by critters :)
You want your home to sell quickly so you can move on, right? Then neutralize the paint, put away most personal items, clean off these kitchen counters, paint the outside if it needs painting and spruce up your landscaping and front walk...first impressions are so important.
god luck, I hope you have a speedy sale.If you are moving to NC, email me:)
You want your home to sell quickly so you can move on, right? Then neutralize the paint, put away most personal items, clean off these kitchen counters, paint the outside if it needs painting and spruce up your landscaping and front walk...first impressions are so important.
god luck, I hope you have a speedy sale.If you are moving to NC, email me:)
- Chris Pray, "Chris Pray"
- Contributions:103
I think homes show better when there are some furnishings in the home. But you definately want to remove all clutter, and large furniture from the home. Hang just one or two framed artworks that accent the furniture. Small bedrooms can appear even smaller when empty, so stage with a
bed, a side table and even a dresser if not overcrowded. Empty all closets of clutter and keep just minimal clothes or linens in there, and this will demonstrate extra storage for potential buyers. Good luck!
bed, a side table and even a dresser if not overcrowded. Empty all closets of clutter and keep just minimal clothes or linens in there, and this will demonstrate extra storage for potential buyers. Good luck!
Is it better to remove furniture in a small house when selling?
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