Pair Sale

It sounds a bit ridiculous but I actually purchased most of the upholstered chairs in my house for $29.99 or less.

Most of them were purchased either at garage sales or junk stores. I would stop by the bank on Friday and get 30 $1.00 bills and go shopping LATE on Saturday afternoon when all the stuff got cheaper.

And I wouldn't just buy any old piece of furniture. I would look for classic styles that were not too trendy.

When you need to stage your house, furniture that is 10 years out of date makes people think your house needs redecorating. People don't want to buy your house just because your furniture is "dated".

It's just so ridiculous because antique reproductions can work just fine when upholstered in a nice solid color fabric.

The other thing I do is the upholstery. I can do a professional looking job and paying someone else to do it will often cost more than buying a new chair.

If you don't want to reupholster, just look for things that are in acceptable fabrics.

Try to avoid garish or flower prints. There are some 1980s vintage sofas and chairs that are really awful and DEATH to resale.

The other thing you need to do is try to keep the scale of the furniture smaller.

Rooms that are too crowded with furniture and collectibles will hurt resale even when all the items in the room are beautiful. People get blinded by the stuff and can't see the house.

So what do you buy?

Look for classic styles like wing chairs, antique reproductions, or great club chairs. I always sneak in a bit of modern if I like something.

Look for hardwood frames. They will feel heavier than cheaper furniture. They will also stand up to the wear and tear of daily life.

1940s to 1960s reproductions are nice because they are usually constructed of hardwood, but not old enough to be antiques yet. I never wanted to pay for antiques because my stuff was always going into a moving van.

In the 1960s furniture companies started to use a lot of particleboard (MDF) in furniture. It feels heavy, but it falls to pieces if it gets damp or wet. In fact pieces made of it regularly fall apart. Lots of kitchens are constructed of it in spec houses and they fall apart, too.

And then think about how you can stage your rooms. A pair of chairs and a love seat or sofa can make a nice living room or den grouping. The styles can be different as long as the arms all line up close to the same height.

Buy pairs but not sets of furniture. A matched pair of chairs can work great, but a 3 or 4 or 10 piece "set" just looks unsophisticated.

A pair of club chairs can look great, too, placed around a round coffee table or ottoman.

A pair of chairs can make a quiet corner attractive for conversation.

And that's your goal.

If a prospective buyer sits down in your house, they are thinking of buying it.

But don't buy sets of furniture and make payments until it wears out. Buy good used furniture for 10 cents on the dollar.

Then you can move to your next place and remix it all and see it in a new light. It's SO much fun.

Paula and her husband Ron have several real estate businesses including a real estate selling and buying information business. Get real home selling and buying advice (not theory) from someone who has done it successfully many times. Their websites include, Sell House Quick and Sell House Yourself

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