A home office has always been a coveted space. With remote work on the rise, office space is a hot commodity sought by many potential home buyers.
In addition to being an ideal work-from-home space, a home office provides a dedicated area for managing household tasks, such as bills and homework. It can also be a space that motivates and inspires creativity.
This multi-functional space is a significant asset to any home on today’s market. Many times, it’s the first or second room buyers request to see during a walk-through of the property, which is why staging a home office requires careful thought and consideration. It’s exactly the kind of room where the techniques taught in a home staging certification program can make a real difference.
If your house doesn’t already have an office space, you can easily set one up in any spare or awkward area, such as a small room without a closet or a loft. You can make it work as long as there’s an electrical outlet and WiFi capability.
When you’re ready to stage your home office or that of a client, follow the tips below to create the perfect space.
De-Personalize and Declutter
The number-one rule for staging any room is to de-personalize and declutter the space, and there’s no exception when staging a home office.
If you’re staging an office that’s still in use, keep daily accumulation out of sight and be especially careful not to leave any calendars, confidential information, or valuable objects out.
You’ll also want to clear the space of personal items, such as certifications and family photos.
Hide electrical cords from view to make the room more aesthetically pleasing.
Focus on Furniture Essentials
Because the office is often one of the first rooms a potential buyer will enter, the furniture you choose sets the tone for the entire space.
The goal is to showcase the room’s functionality and square footage without making it feel like a corporate cubicle. Choose pieces that fit the style of the property – a sleek modern desk in a contemporary home, or a warm wooden writing desk in a more traditional one.
Less is more here. Strip the room back to the essentials: a desk, a comfortable chair, and an area rug to anchor the space. That’s really all you need to help a buyer see the room’s potential.
Keep it Organized
When staging a home office, it’s important to help potential buyers imagine using the space for their own work or hobbies.
You can do this by removing everything from the desk except a few key items, such as a cup, pens, a notebook, a laptop or computer, and a desk lamp.
Anyone who wants a home office is likely to want an organized home office. Keep this in mind when staging yours.
Without cluttering the space, use items like bulletin boards, baskets, racks, and holders to highlight the organizational potential of your home office.
Create a Neutral Color Palette
Another critical guideline for home staging is to create a neutral color scheme.
When you show your home, you never know who will be walking through to see it. The neutral color rule helps ensure your room appeals to the broadest possible range of personality types. It’s also easier for people to imagine their own décor in a neutral-colored room rather than one that’s boldly colored. If you’re unsure how far to take this, our guide to neutralization walks through the process room by room.
To make the room cohesive, choose a neutral primary accent color. This color will determine the other colors you’ll use in the room.
Choose an area rug in the primary accent color and add it to the room at least three times, such as on the desk, chair, and a piece of artwork, before deciding on a coordinating color for the rest of the room.
While the focus should be on neutral colors, bright colors do provide an injection of energy and inspiration in a home office. If you want to add some bright colors to the space, be sure to do so in small bursts with accessories throughout the room. Don’t use them on the walls or any large pieces of furniture or accessories.
Get the Lighting Right
Every office needs the proper lighting.
Overhead lights, lamps, and task lighting should be placed strategically throughout the room to supplement or replace natural lighting. Even if your home office has windows that let in plenty of natural light, be sure to turn on all the lights and open the curtains during walkthroughs.
A well-lit workspace looks cleaner, larger, more functional, and friendlier, which is especially important for office spaces without windows or for any office in winter.
When choosing the lighting for your home office, add some LEDs. There are many reasons why this type of lighting is the most popular today – they’re bright, quiet, energy-efficient, and don’t generate heat.
For a modern touch, consider adding LED strip lighting beneath a shelf or a row of cabinets.
Accessorize Wisely
When staging a home office, it’s important to accessorize wisely.
You’ll want to use accessories to fill in the blanks and bring the room to life without overdoing it. Do this by hanging some neutral-colored artwork on the walls, placing a plant on a shelf or bookcase – our guide to staging bookshelves covers how to get the balance right – and hanging some neutral-colored curtains over windows if your office has them.
Choose accessories that will help your office look and feel more comfortable than corporate. Some great additions to consider include:
- Wall art
- Sculptures
- Clocks
- Throw Pillows
- Books
- Plant Life
While all of these might be a little too much, especially in smaller rooms, strategically placing a few throughout the room can add the perfect amount of personality.
What Not to Do
Now that you know some of the best ways to stage your home office, keep the following rules of what not to do in mind as you set the space:
- Unless you live in a rare place where the air quality and temperature are comfortable and consistent year-round, don’t locate your office anywhere that doesn’t offer climate control year-round. For example, if you’re staging a home office in a room above the garage, ensure you add an auxiliary heat source or a window air conditioner.
- While many buyers are looking for a home office, most people would value additional storage space over an extra room to work. A well-staged closet can actually be a stronger selling point than a makeshift desk – see our home staging tips for closets for ideas. For that reason, don’t turn a closet into an office.
- If an office space will crowd a bedroom and detract from its appeal as a restful retreat, don’t try to squeeze a home office into a small bedroom.
- While it might be tempting to make something like a table or desk out of cheap materials like cardboard storage units topped with a piece of particle board, don’t give in to the temptation to skimp on furniture appearance to save money. The finished product will look shabby and will actually devalue your home.
- Don’t make the office gender specific. Stay neutral so it appeals to both male and female homebuyers.
