How your sofa could increase the value of your home, according to a home stager

Experts reveal the best-kept secret to maximising your home's buyer appeal: understanding that size really does matter, for furniture, of course.

Investing in the best sofa is one thing, but knowing the correct scales and proportions for your living room (or any room for that matter) can do more than just look nice, but even so much as increase the value of your home.

If you're looking to sell your house, you know how important it is to make sure you're showing your home's best angles, demonstrating to potential buyers how best to utilise and fill your living space – and the last thing you want is for your sofa size and placement to be one of the things putting off buyers. That's why we've asked the experts how to make the most out of your sofa to ultimately boost your home's value.

Why sofa size matters for maximum buyer appeal

When choosing furniture to style your space, more often than not, it's done in a place external to your home – in an open-plan retail store or showroom with plenty of space and lighting.

Elaine Penhaul, director of home staging firm Lemon & Lime Interiors, is all too familiar with how this hinders homeowners’ judgement on furniture shape and size and says it could also impact any future house sale.

'Getting the right proportioned furniture can be crucial to enhancing buyer appeal. The envisaged square footage is important, whether that’s ceiling height, window size, floor space or wall space and will give the buyer an idea of how they may live within a space.'

'While carefully placed mirrors and additional lighting can help open up a smaller space, the right-sized coffee table or footstool should be long enough to balance the length of the sofa. Buyers will want to see themselves within the space, so comfortable extras like plush cushions and large rugs can help to create a 'feeling' within the space,' explains Elaine Penhaul.

Partnered with Lemon & Lime Interiors, Michelle White, brand, marketing and creative director at sofa brand Arlo & Jacob, says, 'A low-backed sofa pairs perfectly with low ceilings as it gives the illusion of height, but in high-ceilinged rooms, consumers should look for a longer statement piece with a high back to ensure it has presence and fills the space.'

'Buyers must also be conscious that in a more compact space, the sofa becomes the focal point, so ensuring it does not look too chunky for the area is important. The arms on a furniture piece can differ anywhere from a few inches wide to up to 10 inches or more, so narrower arms will take up less space and look more streamlined in a small space.'

Gisela Lancaster, buying manager at Sofology advises, 'A good tip, in an empty room, is to lay down newspapers to help you visualise the footprint the sofa will use. Don’t forget when considering sizing you'll need to allow for leg room and space to move around the sofa.'

'And of course, give some thought to how you plan to get a sofa into your house. Delivery is a key stage in the process so make sure hallways and doors are wide enough to accommodate any new purchase.'

Considering how your living room sofa ideas will look in the long run is always smart, especially if it'll get you in the graces of your home's next potential buyer. So in case, you're after a new sofa for your living space, make sure to take extra time to ponder your options, as it could make all the difference years on.