It's probably the most popular challenge I come across as a home stager - Sellers who refuse to remove the TV from the master bedroom.
Ask any stager and they will tell you that the master bedroom should be a retreat, a relaxing spa-like room. The kitchen and the master suite are the two most important rooms when it comes to preparing a house for sale. These are the two money rooms...the make-or-break-the-deal rooms.
And yet...time and time again home stagers are faced with sellers who are not willing to give up their TV in order to make their bedroom more attractive and appealing to buyers.
It's not perfect, and it won't work in all circumstances, but I've recently discovered a compromise that could serve as a solution to the home staging master bedroom TV dilemma.
Replace the unsightly TV, and whatever nightstand or table it's sitting on, with a decorative chair.
I know this doesn't seem like such a brilliant idea, especially since the TV is gone and the whole idea was that the seller isn't willing to remove the TV. But this is just what the room will look like for showings.
On a daily basis, the homeowner can still have their TV. By placing a shelf or tray on the chair, the chair becomes a TV stand. The shelf, cable box and TV are easily unplugged, removed, and placed in a closet for showings.
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I grew up with a TV in the bedroom, I thought you placed the TV before you did the bed, lol. All kidding aside, what is the rule now that we have flat screens mounted on the wall, that is a little more difficult to move like that, I have a mount that allows the tv to come off quickly but it would leave the other half of the mount on the wall. Is it ok to leave a tv in that situation?
Sharon- interesting solution!! Some of my houses recently have had the wall mounted flat screens so removing them might create more of a distraction with the remaining hardware. It is a good solution, though, especially for bedrooms where the television or the piece of furniture it's sitting on is a glaring distraction.
Sharon, a very clever idea. Most of them will be too lazy to move it though!
That's a great idea Sharon. Now can you do something about that moose head on the wall?
Sharon, I find I never know how the TV situation will go. The flat screens on the wall seem to be easier to leave because of the hardware involved. Sometimes I have to be satisfied with just changing it for a smaller one they own. Sometimes I get complete cooperation and the TV and stand disappears till they're sold. Big TV's and upright pianos give me nightmares LOL. They tend to be the elephant in the room.
I like your solution.
Clever!
Tony: Each house and TV situation is different. As a general rule: no TV visible in master. An armoire used to be the best solution, but as you said, now there are flat screens on the wall. I've only come across flat screens mounted a couple of times and one of them we removed and patched the wall.
Kathy: The situation like I have pictured is what I see most often. Flat screen is a whole different animal!
Connie: That is certainly a big possibility. We can only make the suggestion - they are responsible to maintain!
Betty & John: I recently had a giant swordfish to contend with! Right as you walked in the door, the sword was aimed right at you...not good at all!
Janice: Ahhh, yes pianos! I've had a few of those too!
Karen: Thanks!
Tony: Each house and TV situation is different. As a general rule: no TV visible in master. An armoir used to be the best solution, but as you said, now there are flat screens on the wall. I've only come across flat screens mounted a couple of times and one of them we removed and patched the wall.
Kathy: The situation like I have pictured is what I see most often. Flat screen is a whole different animal!
Connie: That is certainly a big possibility. We can only make the suggestion - they are responsible to maintain!
Betty & John: I recently had a giant swordfish to contend with! Right as you walked in the door, the sword was aimed right at you...not good at all!
Janice: Ahhh, yes pianos! I've had a few of those too!
Karen: Thanks!
Sharon -- easy solution to the ever-present TV in the master bedroom problem! Today I did a consult where the master bedroom had a plasma screen attached to the wall ... I guess there's no fix for that other than removing it ....
I had to laugh as I thought was the only one who had the problem of clients who are attached their TV's in the bedroom. Love your solution-you are so clever.
I know I have to have a TV in the bedroom, luckily it's hidden, but I've had to have some of these new 50+ " plasma that take over the room removed while staged.
Creative solution Sharon and the sellers are happy too.
Sharon, some things are just non-negotiable, personally I don't have a TV in the bedroom, but I have run across this. thanks for the info interesting
Maureen: It just has to be worked around sometimes. I have been very lucky to actually have some sellers willing to remove them from the wall and repair the wall. I've also had sellers willing to remove a huge taking-up-most-of-the-room TV from the family room. But, for the most part, my experience has been that sellers are not willing to cooperative when it comes to removing a TV.
Cathy: You are not alone! It's a very common problem.
Cindy: My TV in the master is also hidden. I don't care if people have an entire recording studio in their master if their house isn't for sale. But when you are selling,..marketing should be your first priority.
Michele: Yes, the sellers are extremely happy. They love their "new" room.
Gerry: You are one of a kind, then Gerry! My experience has found that having a TV in the master is a very common thing...and not something they want to give up for any length of time.
Hi, Sharon. I never thought of what you have to contend with now that TVs aren't hidden away in armoires. I'll bet people don't want to give up their TV so the chair is a good solution.
Sharon, that's a really good idea! It is an issue and I have difficulty talking sellers into taking the ones down that are mounted on the wall, too. It's just not attractive when you're selling your house. It's a good example of living in a home one way, but selling in another.
Leslie: I can tell you from my firsthand experience that getting a TV removed from any room of the house is not an easy thing! I am so impressed with the seller who accepts the suggestion and is willing to do it...I know they are really serious about getting their house sold and are willing to do what it takes.
Cathy: One thing you can try is to tell your seller that buyers don't just see it as a TV mounted to the wall...they see it as damage to the wall that they will have to deal with after you have moved out.
Sharon, Good solution to a very common problem!
Debi
Debi: Thank you!
Very good solution. I bet that is one of the harder things you have to deal with!
What a good idea! I would think that having to move that thing for showings would get so cumbersome after a while that they would just leave it in the closet. Hoping for a quick sale.
Debra: One of the most frustrating, maybe!
Sheila: It isn't very heavy and wasn't a big deal to move. But, I love your idea of them tiring of the whole process and leaving it in the closet. I just hope the opposite doesn't happen and they leave it out on the chair!
Great idea...and true Sheila...hopefully they will realize they can live without it for a while!
Valerie: Thanks! Once they see that they can live without it, who knows!
I feel for you since you're talking about me. LOL
I solved the problem by buying an amoire that has room for the television behind closed doors.