Don't Forget To Stage The Guestroom!

Bedrooms are one of my favourite rooms to stage in the home. This is because all bedrooms stick to the same guidelines, they need the same furniture and they are all similar size. This makes bedrooms relatively quick and easy to stage. It is important though, to give each room the attention it deserves. You would be forgiven for dedicating a large amount of time to staging the master bedroom and de-cluttering the kids’ rooms. But bedroom 3, is just important. It’s where Nan will sleep when she babysits, it’s where the ring-ins can bunk at Christmas or possibly, a couple of years down the track, it will be another nursery. Bedroom 3 is just as important in helping your potential buyers to imaging themselves living in your home, so don’t forget to give this room the staging attention it deserves!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, your extra rooms should be staged as bedrooms. Why? Because, when it comes to sale price, bedrooms equate to money. So, if your extra room is currently a play room, office or extra living room, revert it back to its’ original purpose. If the room is empty, it makes sense to stage it as functioning guest bedroom, as many home buyers will not see it that way unless you stage it that way.

When choosing wall colours, remember that bedrooms are havens that we all want to retreat to at the end of a busy day. Use soothing, restful colours, so potential buyers feel like they are entering a “retreat”. Think of using whites, neutrals, pale grays, blues, lavenders, or greens.

An upholstered headboard can add that touch of luxury. Matching bedside tables and lamps, coordinating bed linens, simple curtains, and a space-enlarging mirror make a room comfy and functional without personalising it. Remember to keep your decor, especially bed linens, neutral. You want as few negative distractions as possible and dated fabrics are a quick “turn-off” to everyone.

Add colour and warmth to the room using artwork and accessories. Just one painting on the wall and a couple of knick-knacks on the nightstand will do (have a read of “Staging your Bedside Table” for some inspiration). Remember not to personalise the space though. This means removing family photos, trophies and stuffed bear collections.

Lastly, don’t forget that buyers are looking for good storage in bedrooms. Try to use only one third of the wardrobe space and keep it nice and organised. Make sure that nothing is stored under the beds – buyers assume you are only storing here as you’ve run out of room.