How to Stage an Entryway

The entryway (foyer or entrance hall) is literally the first impression buyers will have of the interior of your home. Knowing how to stage the entryway is the first step in helping buyers establish a particular feeling about your house. As with all first impressions, buyers will form an opinion about your house within a matter of seconds — either positive or negative. If the first impression was a good one, they tend to look for attributes throughout the home tour that will support those initial feelings.

Entryway

So what’s the best way to stage the entryway when selling your home?

Be Objective

This can be hard to do on your own so you may want to enlist the help of a friend, real estate agent, or (ahem…) a professional home stager. Take a hard look at your entryway. Is it inviting and easily accessible? Are you tripping over shoes and looking at a tangle of keys and dog leashes hanging on the wall? Do you need to create an entryway? 

Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses

Do you have a soaring ceiling or beautiful hardwood floors? How about a crack in the tile or an outdated light fixture? Identify the pros and cons of this space. What are some ways you can help emphasize your positive features to make them stand out and downplay your negatives?

Simplify and Reduce

This area should be almost completely devoid of any untidiness. When in doubt, get rid of it.

  • Remove coat racks, shoe racks, key holders, leashes, etc. Basically get rid of any piece of furniture or decor designed to collect and organize the clutter of daily living.
  • Remove rugs and mats, at least for listing photos and showings. They are a visual distraction and break up the floor space, making it look smaller. The exception: if you’ve got really awful or damaged floors and need a distraction.
  • Remove any items that allow the buyer to profile who lives there (i.e., religious icons, family photos, etc.) They create a distraction for buyers. 
  • Replace or update old lighting and door hardware. Again, simply spray painting them will sometimes do the trick (this won’t work for all homes). We like the color “Oil-Rubbed Bronze” by Rustoleum.  

Create a Marketing “Hook”

Use a few props and decor to connect with your buyers on an emotional level. Create a space that says life would be “just right” if they bought this house — clean, welcoming, uncluttered, organized.

  • Create a welcoming spot for buyers to envision walking in from a long day at work. For example, have just the right spot to set down their keys and mail. Use a simple, low profile table with a large piece of art or a mirror over it to reflect light. Add a lamp for warmth. Alternatively, you could create the perfect spot to put on or take off shoes by adding a bench or chair.
  • A potted plant or a beautiful, fragrant bouquet of flowers smooths the transition for buyers by bringing the outdoors in. Maintaining a fresh/living flower arrangement is hard for most sellers when their home is on the market. It’s practically impossible to do in a vacant house. Instead, invest is beautiful realistic-looking faux plants.

How We Can Help

We love helping home sellers work with what they already have to transform their entryways (and the rest of their homes)! If you’re getting ready to put your home on the market, take a look below at some of the ways we can help…

online home staging consultation 60

Book an Online Consultation

We specialize in positive and empowering virtual home staging consultations! Our practical, no-nonsense advice helps homeowners sell more quickly and for more money.


course

Enroll in Our Online Courses

Our online courses are designed with you, the DIY homeowner, in mind. From home staging to paint color selection, we break down the process for you from start to finish!


Read Our Book

In this brand new third edition of her popular book, Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging, professional home stager Vannessa Rhoades walks you through the step-by-step process of staging your home for a faster, more profitable sale. Available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions!


About Vannessa Rhoades
About Vannessa Rhoades

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.


Published by Vannessa Rhoades, Three Bears Home Staging

Vannessa Rhoades is the author of "Just Right! Easy DIY Home Staging" and the founder of the award-winning firm, Three Bears Home Staging®. She specializes in providing positive and empowering consultations to help homeowners sell more quickly and for more money. Vannessa has staged and consulted on hundreds of properties, both in person throughout the Houston metro area and virtually across the country.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: