Maximizing Space with Furniture Arranging

When staging a home, less furniture is better. This gives buyers an idea and reference point for size and amount of seating in a particular room. Below, we've come up with five tips on how to declutter a home:

• Foyers - Most buyers enter a home through the front door. Because of that, foyers need to make a great first impression. Normally, they are not very large, so the only furniture present should be a small table and possibly a chair or bench. There should be no shoes, boots, or jackets hanging or lying around. The foyer closet should only be half full.

• Living Rooms - Removing excess furniture makes rooms appear bigger. A living room may typically have a sofa, loveseat, and multiple chairs, but when staging a house, pare it down to a sofa and two chairs. Make sure not to block features such as a fireplace.

• Dining Rooms - Translate the same idea into the dining room. Although a table may be able to seat ten comfortably, only show seating for four or six, depending on the size of the room. Potential buyers should be able to easily walk around the entire table without feeling crowded or bumping into the furniture.

• Floor Space - It is important to clear the floor of various smaller items like occasional tables, magazine racks, planters, etc. Remove accessories or collections so buyers are not distracted from the property's features. Also take the time to clear the decorations and clutter off of any tabletops, coffee tables, or end tables. Leave just one or two items on each surface for interest.

• Accessories - Displaying coordinated brightly colored accessories in each room creates flow and unity in a property. However, too many items displayed in buffets, curios, or shelving units distract buyers and take the focus from the property. Displayed items should fade into the background. Use a modest amount of crystal pieces, glassware, and books on shelves to achieve this effect. Remember, sometimes less is more.