Sellers: Prioritize These Living Room Upgrades

Renovations, upgrades, and staging make a world of difference when it comes to listing your home on the market. While the kitchen and bathrooms are often top selling points for many buyers, you don't want to forget about the living room.

The quality of the living room is an important selling point, and as a seller, you'll want to create an environment that enables buyers to envision themselves relaxing and spending time with family in the room.  To help you achieve this, below are some important living room upgrades that you may want to prioritize before listing your home:

1. Add A Fresh Coat Of Neutral Paint
   A fresh coat of paint can make an outdated living room shine. It quite literally will help to reflect light, which in turn will make the room appear bigger, brighter, and more welcoming. A fresh coat of paint is a great way to impress buyers. When choosing a color, just be sure to stick to a neutral tone: off-white or light gray shades are probably your best bet.
   
   
2. Create An Open Space
   A cramped living room can appear stuffy and uncomfortable, so you'll really want to open things up if you can. Make sure there are clear, accessible paths so it's easy to walk around the room. Also, avoid any overly large furniture, as this will also make the room appear small than it actually is. If you have the ability to remove walls, an open floor living room is an increasingly popular feature for many buyers.
   
   
3. Update Your Floors
   If your living room has old carpet or dated wood or tile flooring, you'll want to address it before listing your home. Old carpet or tiles can give the room a "lived-in" look, which can be a major turn-off for buyers. After you remove your carpet, consider replacing it with some less-expensive wood-like vinyl flooring.
   
   
4. Try A New Coffee Table
   Coffee tables receive a lot of wear and tear over the years, so if yours is dented, scuffed, fading, or covered in watermarks, an upgrade may be in order. When choosing a new coffee table, be sure it matches the rest of the decor and comfortably fits in the space. Try to avoid any wild or overly trendy or artistic designs — aim for nice and neutral.
   
   
5. Add Some Extra Storage
   Storage is always a major selling point, so adding some additional shelving or drawers is almost always a good idea. Shelves and drawers in the living room make it easy to display family photos or pack away blankets and electronics. The best part is shelves and extra storage are fairly inexpensive.
   
   
6. Let There Be Light
   Maximizing light is so important when staging a home. Buyers are attracted to big bright rooms, and natural light really helps living rooms appear larger. If your living room could use some extra light, consider adding some new decorative fixtures to keep things bright.

The living room is often one of the first rooms buyers encounter, so it often sets the tone for the rest of the home. Making the proper upgrades are essential for creating an attractive listing and maximizing your sale price.

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