How to Stage a Foyer (With Photos)

When you’re selling a home in DC Ranch, your REALTOR® will talk to you about home staging – and how it can make a tremendous impact on how quickly you sell your home. Staging can even affect how much buyers are willing to pay, so it’s definitely a worthwhile investment. But if you’re like most people, you need to know how to stage a foyer, your living room, your master bedroom and each other space in your home.

Here’s what you need to know.

How to Stage a Foyer (With Photos)

Your foyer is the first place guests will go when they tour your home – and they’ll be carrying in the impression they picked up from your curb appeal. Prospective buyers will blend your home’s outdoor appearance with what they see in the foyer to form a first impression, and it really counts; you want to start your buyers’ tours off on the right foot. Use these tips to stage your foyer so buyers fall in love:

Simplify the space
Show off a lifestyle
Update your lighting

Here’s a closer look at each.

#1. Simplify the Space

Because the foyer or entryway is the first place people will experience your home, it has to be clean and clutter-free. Take out:

Coat racks. Coat racks take up space – but the exception is when you’re using a rack as a design element or it’s mounted to the wall. In that case, remove all but one simple item from it. (No hefty coats!)
Shoe racks. Put away all the shoes that gather in your foyer. Ensure they’re all tucked out of sight when people come to tour your home.
Dog leashes. Remove pet evidence from your home before you show it (and that includes food bowls, toys and pet beds, too). Some people don’t like animals, and nobody who’s touring your home should know that pets live there.
Rugs and mats. Rugs and mats make your floor space appear smaller. Put a welcome mat outside the front door and call it a day.
Personal items. Take out anything that could allow a buyer to profile you as a homeowner. That means family photos, religious decor, sports memorabilia and anything that could be considered risqué has to go.

#2. Show Off a Lifestyle

You want buyers to come into your home experience a lifestyle. That means buyers should be able to come in and feel like living in the home will give them the lifestyle they want. You can create that impression by ensuring your entryway is clean and uncluttered, and by:

Adding a simple, low-profile table beneath a sparklingly clean mirror so buyers envision what it’s like to come home from work
Placing a potted plant in the entryway (if you have space) so buyers feel the fresh environment

#3. Update Your Lighting

Buyers like bright spaces, so even if you have plenty of windows in your foyer, it’s a good idea to update your light fixtures (if necessary – talk to your REALTOR first) and make sure there’s a lamp on a table somewhere in the space. If your foyer is small or narrow, you can use mirrors and wall-mounted lights.