A Staged Foyer Helps Sell Your House

Clean lines make this foyer's mood easy to duplicate.
The red, black and white colors add drama,
and the ornate mirror adds detail. Photo: DecorPad

It's no wonder the foyer is the most overlooked room of a house. 

It's just the room we pass as we come and go. But when your home is for sale, every room is important.   Especially the foyer.

The foyer welcomes guests to your home and gives visitors a glimpse of what's to come. It lets buyers have their first chance to judge the home's interior.

This is no place for "good enough." This is a place for "wow." Do something impressive.

Hang a large piece of colorful art. Lay a gorgeous rug there. How about a beautiful new light fixture?

Since the room is usually small (if it exists at all) you can afford to add some luxury touches.       

If you have no foyer, you can create a sense of entrance by placing an interesting chair or small table near the front door.

If space is too tight for a table, a shelf functions just as well to hold a pretty lamp, a silk floral arrangement, a simple sculpture, or a dish of peppermints.

Remember that the foyer can be the last room a house hunter sees (and tastes) as he goes on with his tour of homes. 

Lighting is important.  If there are sidelights next to the door, be sure they let in all the natural light they can. Use sheer instead of heavy curtains, or none at all if privacy's not an issue.

The foyer is one place you could leave a light on all day even in your absence and not have it look like you were trying to make you home look brighter for a showing. It just makes sense, as in, "We'll leave on light on for you."  .

Furniture's a must in the large foyer, and what fun you can have there. A rustic bench... a mirrored cabinet... a large black table holding books and flowers... whatever suits your house. If you use a rug, make it generous, no matter what the size of the room.

Is there anything you can copy from this big and bright entry 
designed by Jonathan Adler? 
Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo for House Beautiful.

Rich woods and bold colors bring this foyer to life.  
It tells us the rest of the house will be exciting!  
Coastal Living photo by Deborah Whitlaw.

A mirror is perfect for the foyer, the bigger the better.  Ideally it will reflect from side to side, so no one is startled when he opens the door.

Of course you will make sure that everything is spotless -- the overhead light, the floor, any furniture, and of course, the door itself.

Don't forget scent.  A clever place to hide your scent mechanism in a small room is to lay an incense stick on the ledge over the door trim. You know, that little ledge you never dust.

The word foyer is derived from the French word for fire because in the late 1800's the foyer was the room to which theater audiences went for warmth between the acts.

Is your foyer staged to be warm and welcoming?

Ebook help. Download my eBook, DIY Tips to Sell Your Home Fast and for Top Dollar for more ways to impress buyers and convince them that your home should be their home.