The Pool Table in the Living Room
Some time ago I went on a staging consultation that was quite unique. The home was small, but in good condition. As staging always begins with curb appeal, I noticed the house gave a pleasant first impression with a well-kept lawn and freshly painted front door. But then I entered the home.
As I walked through the front door I couldn’t help but notice a sturdy pool table in the living room. How could I help but notice, as I bumped right into it? As the homeowner and I got to know one another and began to discuss why her home had not sold, I said, “I think I’ve got a pretty good idea without even seeing the rest of the home. Have you thought about removing the pool table? It absolutely eats up the living room leaving no space for ‘living.’ You are definitely narrowing your market, as the only people who will walk through the front door and tell themselves ‘This is the house for me!’ are (bachelor) pool sharks.” She understood my comments and agreed with me, but said her husband plays pool on the table regularly and was not interested in moving it while they were still living there.
We continued the staging consultation as we walked throughout the house. In the kitchen we removed cereal boxes from the top of the fridge and created a “pantry” to the side that was not in the site line. In the bedroom we discussed putting away all personal photos and packing up clutter that was stacked on the dresser. In the office we packed away miscellaneous books and discussed turning the room into either an office or bedroom, but not both. But there was still the matter of the pool table in the living room.
As the consultation was coming to an end, the homeowner and I found that we shared a common faith and we had a glorious time sharing with one another. She was a precious woman whose company I enjoyed immensely. When it was all said and done, I couldn’t even bring myself to charge her for the consultation; but there was still the matter of the pool table in the living room.
As I departed that day I explained, “No matter what sort of staging we do in the rest of your home, if you can’t remove the pool table from the living room your chances of selling this house are very slim. Potential buyers will make their first impression of your home in 8 seconds as they walk through the front door. If they are not specifically looking for a home that would make a great pool hall, then they will go on to the next property. Please reconsider removing the pool table from the living room.”
I didn’t take a photo of that property, but do have a shot of a pool table properly placed in the basement of another staged home.
Pool Table Properly Placed
The moral of the story is this: when staging your home, don’t overlook the pool table in the living room. The potential buyers certainly won’t.
