Oct 27 2008
Home Office: Stage it for yourself and to add value
You want to sell your home. On television they preach stage it, stage it and stage it. On the shows that I’ve seen the home office is the most disheveled room in the entire house. Why would any potential buyer pay extra for a space that to them is just a cluttered mess?
When a home office is first set up the initial thought is that no one else will see it. Sometimes it is in a corner of the master bedroom or in the guest room. For the lucky ones an entire room is designated for the home office. The problem comes in when you are not willing to invest in good-looking furniture and accessories.
Good-looking does not mean new and expensive. In fact, a desk can be an old refinished table and the printer could rest atop a unique side table made from a piece of glass and two wooden pillars. The most important thing is to match the home office furniture to the style of the rest of the house. Traditional appears to be the most accepted by the most people. If you are unsure how to make your home office look good while being functional visit a large furniture store in your area. Pay attention to how they display home office furniture and use their ideas to form your own.
For those that plan to live with a home office for any length of time, there are other improvements that would make life a lot easier and would bring a return on investment (ROI) of 70% or more. Add dedicated electric circuits and install networking and cable television cables in the walls. Potential buyers will be impressed and will realize what an asset the home office space is.
The bottom line is that there is very little in your home that others will never see. Family, friends and visitors are snoops and they will eventual know about your messy home office. Add value with your home office and increase the livability factor at the same time.
