Home Staging with Houseplants: A Room-by-Room Guide

When staging your house for selling it’s important to help buyers envision a place they could call home. One element that will surely bring that feeling of hominess every buyer is looking for is the presence of plants.

If you’ve never staged a home before, you may be thinking that bringing live plants into the mix is just going to complicate things. Have no fear, we have put together a room-by-room guide on how to stage your home with houseplants.

And whether you have a glowing green thumb or would fall into the plant serial killer category we have the right suggestions for you.

Let’s get started!

Front porch

Yes, your porch or front step is not a room, but it is a crucial part of impressing a buyer. The front of a home can either feel inviting or make you feel like you’d rather walk straight back to the car and move on. Make your porch pop with these tips:

Beginners Tip: Install a hanging basket filled with lush ferns

Easy to maintain and just the right amount of green. Any type of outdoor fern will love a hanging basket. They drain on their own, will love the shade the porch provides and will last through every season.

Pro Move: Planter with a purpose

A big beautiful planter right by your door will make buyers want to see what’s behind that door even more. So, if you're willing to put in the extra effort, go to your local garden center to get help picking out a mix of plants that will look great together. Your planter will be sure to please!

Foyer

Entryways can often feel small or uninviting. Most of the time we leave our shoes and coats at the door and move on, but when you’re selling a house think twice about how your front hallway can leave people wanting more.

Beginners Tip: Make space for a potted plant

Leave a small potted plant on whatever surface lives in your hallway...you know the one where everyone leaves their keys. Having low-maintenance plants like a pothos or jade plant that don’t require a lot of water are perfect for any entryway.

Pro Move: Wow them with a terrarium

A glass terrarium on your sideboard will bring all the elegance your buyer didn’t know they wanted. Building a terrarium can be hard work, but once you’re done you have a self-sufficient statement piece that will be sure to inspire buyers. Learn how to make your own terrarium or purchase a pre-made piece.

Living space

The goal in this room is always to make it feel as spacious as possible. Pick out the loneliest corner of the room and fill it with a tall narrow plant, this will draw the eye upward and help give the allusion that your space is bigger than it is. Here are some plants we suggest:

Beginners Tip: Tall, dark, and indestructible

A snake plant, also known as a mother-in-law’s tongue, requires almost no attention. In fact, this plant thrives on neglect. That’s right, it’s a plant that you cannot kill, and it will give you that large room allusion.

Pro Move: The oh-so-trendy Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree

WARNING: Despite being the coolest plant on the block these trees are like babies and need attention. They require lots of light, don’t like air vents, and even like a milk bath every now and then. There is no doubt this tree will grab a buyer’s attention but know that it will require all of yours!

Kitchen

Your kitchen is likely the room in your home that gets the most sunlight so here is your time to shine! (Pun intended.) Get plants that love light to place in a window sill, on a kitchen island, or on the dining table.

Beginners Tip: Fill up that sill!

A window sill is a perfect plant hang out. This is a great place to put succulents or any other light-lover. If you want to feel like a real pro, fill that sill up with herbs, your buyer will feel like they are in a true cook’s kitchen.

Pro Move: The kitchen island orchid

Always a show stopper, these tropical blooms look expensive and exotic. An orchid requires a lot of sunlight, and a few ounces of warm water once a week. They can be hard to keep up with if they aren’t getting the light and love they need, but they will defiantly make a statement.

Bathroom

The number one place in your home that fresh air giving plants are welcome and wanted. Utilize space on the back of your toilet or any shelving to place small potted plants. Keep in mind you’ll need plants that can handle the humidity. The good news is there are some great options for a steamy environment.

Beginners Tip: Think tropical

All plants in the Philodendron family are truly tropical plants that love bathroom conditions. There are varieties that vine or trail and others that grow upright several feet. Both types are relatively easy growing.

Pro Move: Bathroom buddies

Aloe Vera is a handy plant to keep in your bathroom. The juice from the leaves can relieve pain from scrapes or burns. Keep an aloe plant near your sink and slice off a piece whenever you could use its medicinal powers. Filling these rooms with green will help your buyers feel right at home.

One last tip: be wary of your home turning into a jungle.

If your own personal style means more than one plant per room, that’s fantastic. Just remember buyers are there to view the home not browse through their local garden center. Let your plants give subtle impact to a space that is lacking in style and warmth.