Sacramento Real Estate Blog

From looking at the real estate market statistics here day after day we are beginning to see that home buyers are able to afford themselves bigger homes lately. With prices going down, an average priced home of the past has now become pretty inexpensive. As a result, home buyers have begun to expect more from homes. This being a buyer’s market, home sellers and their houses are having to work extra hard to entice these buyers who have many homes to look at - a characteristic that does not help them make quick decisions or sometimes any decision at all.

So what are you as a home seller to do if your living room is especially small? Short of tearing down walls and spending thousands of dollars on a remodel which you may not likely recover in the sale of the home, is there anything you can do to make your home appear not just larger but have that feel Realtors® like to call “light and bright” - the magical characteristic that seems to sell homes?

Here are some time-tested ways to make a space in your house appear larger than it is.

Windows are your Friends

If you have a great view, be sure to show it off. When we live in a home we want privacy but when the home is on the market it is usually a good idea to go the opposite direction and take curtains down, especially if you live in an area with views. Even if you don’t want to take the curtains down - something a home stager will recommend in especially pretty areas - you can at least make the most of the view and the light by opening them. By drawing the eye outward into open space, the space can appear larger. Light also gives the impression of a bigger space. And without curtains, you have one less thing to vacuum - and we all can appreciate that!

Neutral Shades / Not White

There used to be a belief that painting the entire area or even the entire home white could make it seem bigger. Unfortunately what painting an entire area white does is it makes it seem less expensive. When the eye has no place to rest, it tends not to see the main features of the home and glosses over everything. There is no focal point, no interest to draw it. Instead, try painting the rooms in neutral shades. If you head over to the paint department you are sure to see shades of green, yellow, even the characteristically signature colors in neutrals. Try those on for size. You might be surprised with the difference!

Accent Walls

I have seen this used well, but you have to be careful. In the right setting and with the right shade, an accent wall can do wonders for a home in making it appear larger. If you have a living room / kitchen combination or an open kitchen, try painting the far wall of the kitchen an accent color. The accent color should still be compatible with the shade on the other walls (don’t try red unless you are sure it’s the right shade; I’ve seen many accent wall disasters and they’re almost always red!). I have said this and I should reiterate: if you’re unsure of this it’s best you don’t do it. The accent wall if done wrong can seem imposing and make the space appear even smaller. But do it right and it works wonders!

Glass Furniture / Proportionate Furniture

Even though the home buyers are going to buy the house and not the furniture, the sofa, dining table and other end tables and so on shouldn’t be imposing. The furniture should be in proportion to the size of the home. Which means that if you have a small home, you shouldn’t try to cram large furniture into it. Doing so will only make the space appear tinier. Make sure that the furniture in the home is the size the home can handle and store extra furniture in a storage facility until the home is sold. Remember we don’t live in our homes the way we sell them and sometimes that can be a difficult transition. But if the home is to be sold, it is an important one! Glass furniture as opposed to heavy wood furniture can also help make a space appear larger.

Bare Minimum Living

This is the part most home sellers can’t quite get used to: bare minimum living. I’ll admit it. My house isn’t clutter-free. But it’s not on the market for sale! When it comes time to sell the house, it’s very important that it be as clutter-free as possible. This means no more than a coffee pot on the kitchen counter, no more than one magazine on the coffee table and no extraneous anything. As a home seller you are trying to draw attention to the features of the house not your stuff.

If home buyers come in and begin to look at your stuff, your family photographs or other personal items that belong to you, you can be sure of one thing: they won’t remember anything but that. They will not remember your crown molding or your cathedral ceilings; they will remember your personal items and since that is not what they are buying, your home will eventually be forgotten. What a waste! Also clutter makes a home look much, much smaller than it really is and is counterproductive!

Hopefully, these tips help you in making you home appear larger and get it sold! Remember: keep it clean, keep it bright and airy and you will soon be on your way to a new house!