I think it depends on how many bedrooms you have in your house. It's a pretty small room. You should have as many bedrooms as your local competition unless you are priced much lower.

If it can be an office, all the better. Some window treatments, a desk, spiff up your bookcase and of course...get rid of the kitty litter. :)

If you need it to be a bedroom, you can do what we did when we staged our house to sell. Just put in a single bed or a daybed with a small chest. Have a pretty spread with a few pillows and window treatments. Maybe a small rug depending what shape the floors are in.

It's a 3/2 which is what my comps are as well. Any ideas on placement of stuff? Decor is really not my forte, so details help. Thanks.

From your post it sounds like it's bedroom #3. I agree with parma - twin or daybed. Pretty drapes would definitely help. I love the color and your floors from what I can see. Everything cat - gone!!!
I also think a big round or oval mirror would be great to make the room look larger.

Good luck!

I would definitely set it up as a bedroom, as 2 bedroom homes generally don't sell as well. The bed should be the highlight of the room and be seen from the doorway.

If you're selling it as a bedroom, it must look like a bedroom.

So, first off, you need to get some sort of "bed object" in there. Seriously. Buyers have no imagination. If there is no "bed object" then they will ask, "But where's the third bedroom?"

I suggest a daybed. Daybeds are great because they are a bed but they also suggest a sitting room, and they can have lots of charm. Yes, you will have to get one. You can sell it before you move. Something like this:
{{!gwi}}

Second, get rid of EVERY bit of evidence that the room ever belonged to cats. Is there any odor at all? You have to get rid of every bit of odor.

What a lovely daybed, mclarke! Can you tell me where you saw it?

I looked at jcp.com and saw a few daybeds on sale. Here's one I like, although not as much as the one in the photo above (link below).

They have reasonably priced bedding and curtains, too.

Here is a link that might be useful: jcp.com daybed - $209

It would be a lovely nursery! And the small size of a crib would help the room feel more spacious. Especially without all of the clutter that goes with a real baby!

Do you have any friends who might let you borrow a crib for a few months?

The walls are a beautiful color and I would stage it as a young boy's room to highlight that. Very simple, not too cluttery. A twin bed, with a quilt, simple rug, one bureau, one nightstand, one lamp. You could even do a crib if that's cheaper. Go to a consignment store or rental store, maybe? Does your realtor have an opinion? She/he might be more knowleagable about the typical customer for your neighborhood (i.e. young family vs. retirees, etc.)
Lynn
Lynn

Another vote for a bedroom! :)

Twin or single bed placed where the cabinet now sits (in the first photo) Add fresh summer bedding and white sheers to the windows. Small table beside the bed with a lamp!

On TV "Designed to Sell" they even use blow-up camping mattress stacked on top of each other in place of an actual bed. Might work here!

Try adding black-and-white photos, matted in white and framed in simple black to the walls for a "pop"

Another vote for bedroom. Don't buy a bed and frame, go to Costco and get one of those raised mattress aero beds. They come with a bed skirt. Use a nice summer quilt or matelasse coverlet with some pretty pillows. Walmart, Target, Costco are all good options for inexpensive bedding. You're done for under $100.

And, as someone whose DH has terrible allergies, I second the posters who recommended getting rid of every itty bitty ounce of cat -- litter, food, smell, hair. Have that room CLEANED. Clean the walls, the windows, the curtains. We won't even finish going through a house tour if we notice any signs (toys, bowls, litter, hair, or odors) of a cat or large dog. Too difficult to get the place cleaned enough for us to live in.

Sorry, I've got nothing of substance to add but you've gotten some great suggestions.
Since you posted *the real thing* I just couldn't resist.
You need to make one of these to celebrate with when you sell the house.

Litter Box Cake
Yes! It's really a cake, recipe in link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kitty Litter Cake Recipe

Great ideas, everyone! So, I'm going for the bedroom look. A small, twin bed. For the furniture, would you go with black or white? I'm looking at some stuff at IKEA and Target.

The air mattress is a great idea too! The previous owner's actually did have a crib in that space - but they also had a baby! I think the daybeds I've looked at are too tall, and due to their length, they'd block part of the window, no matter where I placed it.

And for everyone who says "get rid of everything cat," well, I do appreciate it and I understand, but I have to be practical - the cats DO live here and I can't just kick them out to sell my house. Yes, bowls picked up and all, and I'll probably have to hide the litter boxes for showings.

Here is a link that might be useful: Black or White?

LOL! You know how they say to bake cookies for a showing? Well, how about I bake one of these and leave it on the dining room table? How's that for getting rid of everything cat?!

joanie, I think that might be more disgusting than the real thing... eew

Actually, I just looked at that photo again of the daybed above, and it looks like it's blocking a window too. Is that acceptable to block a window like that with furniture? I always thought it was a no-no. ??

jens, I found that daybed as an illustration for a comforter set on this site:

http://www.wise4living.com/bbcomforter/sets.htm

I hope this helps.

It is the third of three bedrooms. By the time the buyers reach that room, they will have made up their minds.

Twin Aero bed and a night table with a lamp, nice bedspread, and no other furniture. Empty the closet but for a couple things.

Jen, I doubt you even need furniture. The stuff you have in the room looks like it's the right size & as long as it's decent, I wouldn't worry about it.

I would not buy a bed unless you're planning to use it when you move. Otherwise the aerobed idea should work just fine. A white or print bedspread to match the blue walls, a bedside table with a lamp should be enough. Maybe the picture you have in the room would work over the bed, depending on the spread you choose.

No need to worry about the windows unless you do as suggested already and get sheers. The room will look larger and brighter this way.

I would pack up all the books and clutter and remove all or most other furnishings from the room. It will also make the room seem larger.

I love the blue color and think this will be a pretty room.

OMG, Joanie, I thought that was the real thing before I read it was a cake. How hilarious!

Laurie

i've staged many homes for sale and always had great success...so heres what i'd do if it were my project.

first, everything has to go....everything! the bookshelf is a huge no no (clutter) it must go.

i'd personally put in a crib or twin bed (it does not matter that you don;t have a baby dear...this isn't for you). whatever you buy, paint it white. blue and white as a combo are fresh and appeal to everyone. several cans of spray paint work wonders on anything!

also pick up a small dresser and table with open legs for a night stand, paint white.

put a small glass/acrylic or crystal lamp on the nightstand and three old books (encyclopedias are great) in a stack on the night stand tied with a pretty white rippon around them. next to this put an empty clear glass....nice old crystal works best and you only need one. these three things are the only items on the nightstand. the empty glass indicates the room is used, and should be clean and pretty.

on the dresser change the knobs to clear glass. on top, another stack of books and a couple of framed (silver color frames) pics if your ancestors from the early 30's or earlier. you can buy ancestors very cheaply at an antique store (couple bucks each) and spraypaint simple frames. three different sized (but not large) picks, the book stack, and a small airy fern in a white pot.

white panels hung to the ceiling on the windows, pulled bamk to the edge of the frame and going right next to the wall on the one side, evenly spaced to that on the other. SIMPLE PANELS!!! silver rod.

a small fluffy white bathmat or sheepskin rub by the bed.

blue, white, silver and crystal will sell the place...or at least that room.

no artificial plants and no flowery or lacy stuff. keep it gender neutral and crisp and clean.

i would highly advise switching from clay litter to the plastic looking stuff. it has no odor. don't keep it for a month as it says....change completely every two weeks per box. hide the boxes well for showings....NOT in a closet!

i forgot.... hang a mirror in a simple silver tone fram on the wall...thats your art :)

I took two old shutters,connected them, painted them white and the litter box is behind them. They act as a screen. A hooded litter box may look better if your cats will use them. Also make sure that you use baking soda in the box to absorb any odors. Someone who doesn't have cats will smell a cat room a mile away.

Now, THAT's what I'm talkin bout, igloochic! Details! :-)

I just printed that out to take with me and use as my starting point.

The main reason I wanted a real bed (as opposed to an airbed) is that I was thinking I could use it to hide the litter boxes underneath. With a bedskirt, I could just slide the whole thing under the bed for showings and it would disappear quickly. I have a plug-in with a lemony-fresh scent in that room, and I don't think the room smells (but then I live here). My REA is coming over today, and I'll ask her what she smells.

More ideas are still welcome. :-)

Hi Jenswren,
I thought of you this morning when I saw a quilt on Overstock, called "Baystripes". It's 69.99 for the set including sham, has lovely scallops at the edges, and is pretty shades of blue and a bit of pale kiwi green. Really pretty and fresh, And that sailboat picture in the room now would look great with it. Give the bookcase a fresh coat of white paint and you'll be good to go!
Lynn

I would not "stage" anything in the room, but would clean it out completely (except perhaps for that dresser or whatever it is in the corner). You are moving anyway, so I would pack up the books and get rid of the bookcase (or put it in the attic or basement). Many people looking at 3/2's don't want the third bedroom as a bedroom---they want it as a home office, nursery, "cat" room, child's playroom, etc. Having it empty and clean (and the closet cleaned out, too) will enable them to see themselves using it for their own purposes rather than the way you've "staged" it.

I have to admit that most staged houses I've seen have looked so obviously stage-y that it actually detracted from the looks of the house. Clean and uncluttered will sell your house, imo.

i forgot jen...make that bedding unpatterned and white. aagain, gender and age neutral. you can pick up simple white muslin from ikea foe nothing. three pillows on the bed...two large standing against the headboard and a smaller decor one leaning on those, again white. either use a fluffy comforter on the bed (white duvet, ikea) or fold an old one in half and slip it in a duvet. throw on the end....white, and to protect it all from the cats (who will think this is their bed) throw a sheet over the worksthat you can just whip off for showings. i like the idea of slipping the boxes under the bed...but do get te silica stuff. no matter what....clay carries odor. get a white bedskirt at ikea as well to hide them, and stick with the lemon scent....no flower scents anywhere in the house!!!

Totally agree with kswl above. My vote is to take everything out and leave it empty. If the rest of the house is 'staged' or at least un-cluttered an empty guest room/office/cribs room is not going to be a deal breaker.

I would not hassle with staging unless you have nothing better to do with your time.

It's a great boy-baby room as-is. I think if you want to make it more universally appealling you could paint it a nice neutral to contrast with the white trim.

What about the placement of the bed in the room? Where do you visualize it?

REA came by today with her friend and they both said that they couldn't smell anything cat - even in that room! When they first walked in the front door, they said, "oh, your house smells so nice - like you've been cleaning." (I hadn't.) They also said that they'd take the plug-in away, because they'd be afraid that buyers would think I'm trying to hide something if they smelled it. Hmmm.

So, where do you all "see" the bed?

I'll be darned. Your cat has a bigger room than my little girl does! :)

My three-year-old daughter's room dimensions are 9 x 8.5 feet, and we fit a crib, dresser, glider, and small bookcase. I tried to show as much floor space as possible when selling the house by taking the skirt off her crib and putting away the stuffed chair she usually sits in while in there. The last owner's teenage son had a twin bed (captain's bed, with drawers for more storage), a tall dresser, and a desk and chair in this same room.

So I second the suggestions for putting in a twin bed, for as cheaply as you can, and a little no-cost staging to make it look like a bedroom, so buyers can see yes, you can fit a twin bed in there. Good luck!

i'd put it opposite the radiator where that file chest is, with the headboard upagainst that window wall (so the foot isn't pointed at the register).

by the way...the register looks permanent....is it? if so, leave it be of course since they're probably all over the house...but if not, get rid of it because it indicates a problem (space heaters of any type do) with the heating system.

for those who think a house shouldn't be staged....remember this is the home dec forum...its what we do so we can see beyond an empty room or a cat box. 99% of america can't and staging your home appropriately can be the difference between a sale for prfit...or no sale at all.

We had 2 cats at one point when we had a home on the market. We took them to live temporarily with my brother so that there was no indication of the animals while our home was being shown. People with allergies or who have children with allergies will shy away from a place with animals. Are the cats in the house when the realtor shows people the place?

Right now we have 2 dogs. We have been living temorarily in a rental property and are getting ready to move. The house is for rent. The dogs are here when the place is shown, but frankly I don't care if people don't like it because it's not mine. If it were my own property, however, I would again find a place for our dogs until it was rented/sold.

The room you show is lovely. Perhaps you could borrow a single bed from someone. It seems wasteful to spend money just to stage the room. An empty room wouldn't bother me - but the room with the cat stuff would (and I like cats).

Radiators are not considered space heaters; they are the main heating source for many older homes.

No offense meant, igloochick or jenswrens, about the staging. I guess if a house looked horrible (black paint on the walls, strange furniture, etc.) it would need to be staged for sale. It's just that the sale of a reasonably nice home will not hinge on a single empty room, particularly if it is clean and bright, as the one above is. :)

I think you should stage it. Here's why: people linger in furnished rooms, but poke their heads into empty rooms. You want them to want to linger.

For example, when we were looking at houses last year, most were empty, some were furnished but the furnishings were weird, and some had obvious signs of pets. All the obvious pet houses were crossed off the list immediately. Although there were some strangely furnished houses that I considered, all of the empty houses seemed to get crossed off the list for one reason or another. Things that didn't show up in the furnished houses really stood out in the unfurnished houses.

The house we ultimately bought had 4 bedrooms. One was set up as an office (based on its location behind the family room, it's clearly supposed to be a guest room), and the other three were set up as a master and two junior bedrooms even though the couple lived in the house alone. My DD went from room to room trying out the beds like Goldilocks. She even left her favorite stuffed animal tucked in one of the beds, and we had to return to pick it up. She had picked out her room before we decided to buy the house. If those rooms had been empty, she would have played in the closets and been perfectly happy to leave at the end of the day. And we would not have bought the house.

The cats would be a deal breaker for me. Not having any, I really would smell the kitty room long before I got there. I am allergic to the fluffy lil' critters and if your home were not really clean, I would sneeze and itch myself to my next showing. Cat allergies are a very common condition (especially in my family--all five of us are allergic) and you will be cutting off a large population of potential buyers if it can be seen that yours is a "cat house." Same goes for smoking.

I know they are your furkids, but if you need to sell, my harsh advice is a reality for a fair number of people.

HTH
Brian

I have to echo Brian's and others comments about the cats. We have a cat, whose COVERED litterbox, food and water are all kept in the garage. I'm sorry but the sight of an uncovered litterbox gags me nearly--wouldn't do well with the cake above or your cat room. My DH empties it. But if we were selling, I'd send cat and supplies all somewhere else during this time. MANY people do not want a cat rubbing against their pants, or are allergic, or simply are turned off by seeing the mess that cats' areas entail, but they are often shy about saying so and actually pretend it doesn't bother them to your face, but express other feelings after leaving.

Good luck with your sale. The wall color is absolutely beautiful in your room and especially looks great with your white moldings!

Place the head of the twin bed on that short wall to the right of the window in the photo of the east wall.

Swing the chest of the drawers under the window to act as a "nightstand" and add a basic glass lamp with white shade.

IF the chest is simply too big for that space the bed is setup -- then take it out of the room. Move the tiny stand (where the printer is sitting) into the place beside the new bed. Or get a white nightstand from Target or simply add a metal summer table from Target. Check the garden department.

Some folks will say to take out the bookshelf too -- but I think its fine in that spot. Simply tidy up the books and place the little birdhouse on top. Remove the basket.

If stashing the cat's things is impossible (we have four cats -- and keep our litter box in the unused master bathtub -- so I do understand the problems!!) THEN simply do your very best to keep them VERY tidy. Can you add a lid or two? Can you make do with only one litter box? Wrap a clean fresh white towel around their cushion in their basket to make it look "clean" And stash the big box of litter somewhere ......

and you will be cutting off a large population of potential buyers if it can be seen that yours is a "cat house."

Well, to each his own, I have to say. That's the risk with selling houses. You're always going to lose someone based on something they don't like. I have to admit, while looking for our new house in Maryland last month, there were several properties that we eliminated on the drive-by because they were either right next to a high school or there was "evidence" of several children living in the house next door. (I have a DD of my own so don't anyone go calling me bad names or anything - I just don't like listening to screaming kids all day or looking at their toys strewn across the front lawn or having to ask them politely 15 times a day to please stop stomping on my roses/picking my flowers/playing football on my lawn - ditto for a high school full of that whole scene. That is something a new owner cannot change... my having cats doesn't mean the new owner is going to have to live with them!) And if they're that allergic, they really shouldn't buy this house anyway if they fear they won't ever get rid of the dander, and I'm not offended. Next contestant, please. So, like I said, to each his own.

I am trying to find the best way to minimize their presence. Otherwise, I never would have posted this thread.

:) I grew up in a victorian home...i do know what a radiator is for...but there are some lovely new space heaters available now that mimic the old radiators....so thats the only reason i mentioned it :) and why i added if it was the whole house's heat sorce...it wasn't an issue. "space heaters" of any design should be removed. its not much different than having a saucepan on the floor...people will assume a leak and start lookig for them everywhere....even though it really meant the cats had a warm breakfast :p