Step-by-Step Guide for Staging a Home Office from Our Professional Staging Team

When most people think about home staging, rooms that are used often, such as the living room and kitchen, often come to mind first. But in the age of remote work, staging a home office is just as important for making a good first impression on buyers as some of a home’s more traditional “main” rooms.

Below, our team of staging professionals has rounded up some of our top ideas for creating a clean, neutral, and functional home office that will appeal to a wide range of buyers, allowing you to secure a quick sale and better offers on your home.

How should I stage my home office?

A modern home office needs to be clean, well-lit, and free of clutter. Start by removing clutter from all surfaces and placing personal paperwork and items in a filing cabinet or safe. When decorating the space, choose a neutral color palette, simple furniture (such as a desk, chair, and lamp), and both natural light and layered lighting (including task and ambient lighting) for a warm and inviting look.

Need a professional team who can quickly stage your office (and home!) for a successful sale in Texas or Florida? Get an instant quote from our team at The Staging Company.

Step-by-Step Guide for Staging a Home Office from Our Team of Staging Professionals

There are some definite “dos” and “don’ts” when it comes to staging a home office. Below, we’ll share our step-by-step process for staging office spaces and explain why you should hire a professional staging company to get the best bang for your buck.

Step #1: Remove Clutter

Creating a clutter-free home is a golden rule when staging any room. However, removing junk is especially important when staging a home office (and here’s why!).

Most people don’t want to think about working at their desk all day, and especially not if it’s cluttered with piles of paperwork and bills, office supplies, a million computer screens, and yesterday’s coffee mug. As a general rule, clear away all the clutter in your home office so your home stager can work with a blank slate. Get started right now with our must-do declutter checklist!

Step #2: Remove Personal Items

You might love having photos of your kids sitting on your desk while you’re working, but these personal touches prevent potential buyers from envisioning their own décor and families in the space. That said, remove family photos from your home office and replace them with wall art or neutral décor pieces.

You should also remove important paperwork (such as bank statements or tax documents) and confidential information (like passwords scribbled on sticky notes) from your office before showing your home. We recommend tucking valuable objects into filing cabinets or placing them in another secure location, such as a safe, to prevent your personal information from being exposed during home showings.

Step #3: Start with a Neutral Color Palette

Home offices should feel more like a restful retreat than a corporate setting, especially if the room could be used as a multi-functional space. Try using a neutral color palette to achieve this feeling, which can make the room feel larger and more versatile. Our decorating team recommends warm whites, creams, and greiges for home offices, as they create a clean, minimalist look while still feeling warm and inviting.

Bright colors should be used sparingly in home office decor, but you don’t need to shy away from color altogether. A potted plant in the corner or a small succulent on the desk can add a pop of green without adding clutter. Greenery photographs beautifully in listing photos and can make a home office feel more inviting and productive.

Step #4: Invest in Top-Quality Furniture Essentials

At the very least, your home office should include a small desk, a chair, a power source, a desk lamp, and something to fill out the desk, like a sleek computer. Appropriately scaled furniture can prevent a cramped feeling in a small space. However, in a larger office, you might also want to consider adding a textured rug, a bookshelf, or an accent chair with a cozy throw to fill out the floor space while also making the office feel comfortable and inviting.

Your home office should have clear walkways around the desk for comfortable movement, so if you’re working with a small room, you’ll want to take advantage of vertical space for storage (floating shelves for books and decor are a great choice!). A staged office doesn’t need a ton of devices, screens, and electrical cords. While this might be realistic for most remote workers, it will make your home office feel cluttered and small, and it won’t show well in listing photos (trust us!).

Step #5. Maximize Natural Light & Layer Lighting

Most people are more productive in spaces with plenty of natural light, so getting the lighting “right” in your home office is essential. A room with a large window is ideal for capturing natural light, but layered lighting is also important to improve the functionality of a home office. Consider floor lamps, task lighting, and overhead lights to supplement your home’s natural light and make your office usable at all times of the day. LED lights are energy-efficient and popular for home offices.

Many homeowners also forget that most buyers who work remotely are picturing more than just a place to sit down with their computers. They’re picturing the view behind the video call. Your desk should be placed across from the room’s largest window for the best lighting (if possible) and feature a simple backdrop (such as a single piece of art or a neatly styled bookshelf) that will look great on camera.

Pro Staging Advice: When you’re showing your home, remember to turn on all the lights (even if the showing is during the day!). A well-lit home always shows better and feels better to potential buyers.

Step #6: Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

If you’re tight on space and don’t have a home office, a staging professional can help you maximize your house’s square footage to create an office with otherwise unused space, like adding a desk corner on a landing at the top of the stairs.

As long as there is enough space for a desk, chair, and desk lamp, our home stagers can usually make something work!

Leave Home Staging to the Professionals at The Staging Company

Staging a home office is just part of the equation. When you think about also staging a kitchen, living room, master bedroom, guest bedrooms, and an outdoor space, hiring a home staging company to complete the job seems like a no-brainer! Staged homes sell a month faster than vacant homes and, on average, for 17% more. Just think about getting 17% more on the sale of your house. That could be $10,000, $50,000, or even $100,000 more in your pocket!

If staging sounds like the hassle-free investment you’ve been needing before listing your home, give us a call. We would love to stage your home in San Antonio, Austin, Tampa, and other cities across East Texas and Central Florida.

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