How to stage a house with a closed floor plan

Key insights

• Plenty of buyers are still looking for closed-off layouts. Appeal to them by brightening up your home and playing up its best assets
• You may want to consider replacing dark, wooden doors that swing out with modern, space-saving options
• If your home’s floor treatments change from room to room, it may be time to fix the choppy flow of your main floor

Open floor plans are all the rage, but not everyone has followed HGTV’s advice to take down their main floor’s interior walls. If you’re hoping to sell a home with a closed floor plan, follow these staging insights.

Brighten up everything

Closed floor plans can feel dark due to the extra walls, so it’s important to brighten up the main floor as much as possible. To help make each room look bigger, choose neutral, light paint colors and minimize bulky furniture.

If you’ll be showing the home during the day, open up the window treatments to let in as much natural light as possible. Invest in floor lamps and side table lamps that you can flip on if you’ll be showing the home at night. 

Open up the doorways

Some older homes may have narrow doorways leading from room to room, which can make the rooms on the main floor feel even more closed off. Consult a contractor to see if it’s possible to open up these doorways by just a few inches without affecting the stability of the home’s structure. In commonly trafficked rooms, like from the living room or dining room to the kitchen, these extra few inches can make a world of difference.

Reconsider the doors on your first floor as well. If your bathroom or office has a door that swings out, replace them with a pocket door or a barn door that slides across the door frame instead. If a room doesn’t require total privacy, you can also consider adding frosted glass doors so the space doesn’t seem entirely closed off.

Play up the rest of the home

Open floor plans have been trendy for over a decade, so homes with a closed floor plan may seem a bit dated as a result. To earn top dollar on a house with a closed-off layout, highlight the home’s best features and add a high-end, modern spin.

If the house has high ceilings, accentuate them with crown molding. If the dining room has antique built-ins, make sure they aren’t over-cluttered with every piece of china you own. If there’s a walk-in pantry off the kitchen, invest in matching storage containers so it looks worthy of a viral post on Pinterest.

Create better floor flow

Walk through your home’s main level and note the floor treatments. If each room has a different hardwood, laminate or carpet, you may be emphasizing the home’s closed-off layout. The easiest way to create better visual flow from one room to the next is to match your floor treatments.

Not sure where to start — or worried about the cost of replacing your flooring? Here are more insights on how to select between hardwood, laminate or carpet options.

Need professional help?

Our REALTORS® can help make low-cost recommendations before listing your home or can refer you to a professional stager. Need an agent? We can help. Call, chat or email now to get connected with a local selling specialist.

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