If you know me, you know I love the outdoors. So when I started reading about staging with plants, I wanted to know everything. As a real estate agent who specializes in listing homes, I take advantage of every staging class I can. I even have a small storage space filled with items to help clients stage their homes. When larger items are needed, I partner with fantastic local businesses to bring in the right pieces (but that’s another article altogether!).
Plants are one of the easiest and most effective ways to bring warmth into the home you are getting ready to list. However, not all of my clients are plant lovers or have the time to care for plants. If that’s you, don’t worry! There are plenty of low-maintenance options, like the snake plant or jade plant. Nowadays, you can even find artificial plants that look almost real. Still, my number one choice for staging with plants is always live plants. They literally enrich the environment and improve air quality!
So, how do you pick the perfect plants for staging? Here are a few things to consider:
1. Consider the Space
- Open rooms with lots of natural light: A decorative hanging plant or a potted plant on a stand can make a stunning statement.
- Shelves or bathrooms: Cacti or succulents are easy options. I love using woven baskets for added charm when staging with plants.
- Living rooms: In spaces where you need to add height, such as corners, a medium-sized plant like a money tree can be a great choice.
- Unique features: I once had a client with a beautiful exposed brick wall in a sitting area. We wanted to make it a focal point, so we used wire already hanging on the wall to display air plants. Air plants are perfect for staging — you can display them in glass globes, wood boxes, or even hand-shaped wire. Just keep in mind they need lots of light.
2. Consider Your Lifestyle
- If you’re not exactly a plant expert, no problem! Succulents, cacti, snake plants, rubber trees, spider plants, and African violets are all easy to maintain. Most of these have simple watering schedules.
- If you have pets, do some research to avoid plants that are toxic to animals (pets love to nibble on greenery!).
- For homes with little ones running around, consider keeping plants out of their reach, as dirt can be very tempting!
3. Consider the “Noise” of the Plants
- The goal is for the plants to complement your space, not overwhelm it.
- Use plants to highlight a space, but avoid overcrowding. Too many plants can make the room feel smaller.
- Large or bushy plants may take up too much room. A small shelf with a plant in front of a window is fine, but a tall tower of plants blocking the sunlight is a no-go!
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to staging with plants. You can get as creative as you’d like, with plants in every room or just one as a centerpiece. Plants are an incredibly simple way to bring in a variety of textures, colors, and life into your home. If you’d like more ideas on how to stage with plants and get your house ready to sell, don’t hesitate to give us a call today at 865-776-8147 and check out our Seller Resources page!