When it comes to selling your home, staging a kid’s bedroom can be quite tricky. Children tend to have a lot of stuff, and their precious toys can quickly look like a lot of clutter, which in turn may make the room appear smaller than it actually is and give the impression that your house just doesn’t have enough storage space.
Our first tip for staging any room in your home is generally to have a good clear-out and declutter, but this means getting the kids on board when you’re moving their belongings! Of course, it is a great time to get rid of toys they no longer play with, and clothes they have outgrown, but many children have their treasures they simply won’t part with, and you may get some resistance to your minimalist ideas.
The key to this is to get your kids on board with the concept of staging the room and reassure them that their toys are all going to be safe. They can help you pack things away, all ready for their amazing new bedroom in the new house. When you place the focus on the new bedroom, the excitement can grow as they help to choose color schemes and make plans for the layout of their new room.
Once the kids are happy with the process, it’s time to make the most of the space and stage it beautifully.
Create neutral rooms
All kids have different interests, and while a themed room can look amazing and fun, if the new owners don’t share the likes and dislikes of their predecessors, that stunning Marvel wallpaper or the hand-painted Frozen mural will simply be viewed as something that’s going to be a time-consuming pain to get rid of.
If you take the time to remove themes and bright colors from a room, you can present a neutral appearance, a blank canvas, so anyone can then add their own personal touches to it, and children can choose their own colors and themes.
Wall art can look good if it’s nicely framed and neutrally themed too. Now is the time to convince your teens to take down their floor-to-ceiling poster collection!
Keep furniture to a minimum
Is your kid’s bedroom packed full of furniture? If your kid is a bookworm you may have lots of shelves, if they adore dressing up the room may have several wardrobes, or perhaps there are craft items or large toys stored in cupboards and drawers. While this works for you and your kid’s own requirements, it’s not going to display the room in its best light, so keep it minimal. One shelf with a few books, a desk, a closet, and a set of drawers. It needs to look both functional and spacious.
Don’t make it personal
You’re allowing strangers to view your child’s bedroom, so it’s wise to remove any personal items from the room before viewings. From a safety point of view, anything that displays your child’s name, the name of their school or clubs they attend, or photos of them or their friends is best hidden away.
This also has the benefit of removing personality from the room, allowing potential buyers to more readily imagine their own children using the space.
Present the space as fun and functional
While you want the space to appear spacious and uncluttered, don’t go too far the other way and present a child’s bedroom that looks stark and uninviting. Add in a few colorful accessories, make the room look like a fun place to play, and hang out with friends. Display some choice items that are in a good state of repair. Place some books neatly on a shelf, a pot of pens on the desk, scatter cushions on the bed. These carefully chosen accessories will convey the impression of a comfortable, usable space for kids.
Make sure the space is clean and fresh
Cleanliness and hygiene are a high priority when it comes to kids’ rooms, so make sure you clean thoroughly. In rooms that are played in, walls can easily become scuffed and carpets stained. A quick repaint can really give a room a new lease of life, and getting tired-looking carpets cleaned can make them look like new.
Children, particularly teenagers can be rather averse to fresh air, so be sure to get the windows open and let the breeze in. Give the curtains a wash to freshen them up and open them as wide as possible to make the most of the light. If the room is lacking in natural light, then perhaps add in some lamps to create a cozy atmosphere.
Showcase your storage
Storage is a big deal in kids’ rooms. If your home has built-in storage, be sure to point this out to potential buyers. A place to hide the toys away after a day of playing is hugely appreciated, so make sure your storage spaces are tidy and well organized as you’ll want to open up that closet to show how spacious it is and lift up the window seat to reveal the deep space for a wealth of toys and games beneath.
Check rooms thoroughly before each visit
Kids will be kids, so it’s vital to check their rooms before you have viewings. It’s still their room after all, and they will be using it. But you don’t want your visitors coming into the room to see the floor covered in Legos or a pile of dirty clothes peeping out from under the bed! Get the rooms aired, make the beds, and ensure everything is perfectly presentable for your potential buyers.
The kids’ rooms can make or break a sale
We can often overlook the kids’ rooms, paying more attention to a beautiful and luxurious master bedroom, but rooms for children that look unappealing, feel too small, or that appear to need a lot of work, can put people off making an offer on a property. It is also the children’s rooms that can be the most in need of a refresh, so it’s always a good idea to pay close attention to the décor and the design when you’re staging your home. Paint over those bumps and scuffs accumulated over the years, downsize the toys on display, and present a neutral, spacious room that’s both welcoming and practical.
