3 Tips to Make Your Home Feel Bigger for the 2026 Housing Market

If you plan to sell your home in 2026, you’ll sell faster and for more money when you make the effort to prepare your home for today’s homebuyer preferences. Current market conditions are pricing many homebuyers out of the properties they truly want, leading them to compromise on smaller homes. Making your home appear larger and more spacious will help you sell faster and for more money.

The American consumer loves the concept “bigger is better” which has driven home sizes up over the decades, as seen in data for new construction single-family homes:

·         Mid-1960s: Median size of 1,500 sq. ft. today (older homes may have increased in size over the years due to additions and other renovation work)

·         2015: Reached a historical high of 2,467 sq. ft.

·         2024: Down slightly to 2,146 sq. ft.

Home sizes don’t go up and down only because of homebuyer whims, but also due to economic factors like interest rates, inflation, building supply costs, and skilled labor. Also, home interiors typically reflect the customs of the day. For example, in the gender-specific roles of the 1950s, the housewife did the cooking and cleaning, so kitchens were designed for one cook in a work triangle and weren’t the hubs they are today—they were closed off to dining and living areas. Meals were more formal, so a dining room was necessary. Rooms were smaller in general and children often shared bedrooms.

Today, spouses often work and help prepare meals together. Seating at kitchen islands allows kids to interact with their parents while they share the day’s events and do homework. Dining rooms and formal living rooms have given way to “open” great rooms overlooked by the kitchens. This is the casual lifestyle that today’s homebuyers grew up with and still want.

How to improve square footage perception

So how can you get the feel of greater space without demolishing and rebuilding your home?

You’ll have to do some prep work and maybe a little remodeling, but the return on your time and investment will be worth it.

Declutter

Decluttering is in every playbook on how to sell a home. Clutter is distracting, makes the home seem dirty, suggests there’s not enough storage, and makes it appear smaller. It also conveys an attitude from the homeowners that they just don’t care. If so, what else are they neglecting? The last thing you want is for homebuyers to distrust you as a home seller. For home sellers who don’t love to clean, organize, or declutter, now’s the time to pony up and do what needs to be done.

5 top decluttering tips:

1.      Try the 5 by 5 rule. Start by taking five rooms and spending five minutes per room decluttering. Use a timer that sounds every five minutes for 25 minutes. Beating the timer can be fun, and the more you do it daily, the cleaner and fresher your home will look.

2.      Review other decluttering techniques. Marie Condo recommends throwing out what doesn’t “spark joy.” Swedish death cleaning encourages those 65 and over to start passing along items before death to save those left behind from having to sort through their belongings after death.

3.      Hire a professional. Getting rid of stuff is painful for many. Just like those who won’t join a gym but respond well to a personal trainer, a decluttering or organizational specialist can work with you to make decluttering easier.

Hot Tip: Ask your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional for referrals.

4.      Pack, label and store collectibles and valuables. For self-motivated home sellers, packing, labeling and storing items that either won’t help the home sell or that could be easily damaged is well worth your time. These are the items you want to take with you to your next home, but they don’t need to take up space before your move—think next season’s clothes or holiday decorations. Move these boxed items to the garage or a storage unit.

5.      Keep, donate, give away, or trash? If any item isn’t moving to your next home with you, you have other options—donate, give away, sell, or trash it.

Stage your home to advantage

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, staging is about creating an updated, on-trend décor for your home with rented furniture and accessories. By removing outdated or worn furnishings, your home isn’t stuck in the way-back machine. Homebuyers will be more engaged and will pay more for the home if they can more easily imagine themselves living there.

3 top staging tips:

1.      Get good advice. Ask your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional for suggestions. Be willing to listen and to invest in staging so your home will stand out to homebuyers.

2.      Streamline your furnishings. Get rid of space-hogging or heavy furniture, pack away family portraits and replace with updated art. Take down old dusty curtains and replace them with lighter, airier treatments to let sunlight in.

3.      Update with color. Color makes a huge difference so repaint in soft, pleasing neutrals which will show better than cool gray paint which can feel cold and institutional.

Extras that pay off

Add storage: Older, smaller homes typically don’t have enough storage or shelving, so you can add some on appropriate walls or in nooks. Apartments, condominiums and high-rises don’t have a lot of space, so builders often put extra storage units with locks, waterproofing, etc. on balconies or in garages. You can do the same on your back patio or in your attic space, replete with cedar panels to repel bugs.

Change the floorplan: Open feels bigger, and taller ceilings make a floorplan feel bigger. Believe it or not, taking out a non-load-bearing wall and raising the ceiling a foot or so might look difficult, but it’s a manageable upgrade. It’s especially useful to raise the ceiling if you have popcorn or textured ceilings, which cost more to remove than replacing it with smooth texture.

Show the savings: Have copies of your utility bills, HOA fees, landscaping, security system and other monthly costs to show homebuyers how efficient your home is. Include new energy-efficiency steps you’ve taken, such as new windows, or fresh insulation.

The effort you invest in making your home look and feel bigger can deliver significant returns. With the right improvements and guidance from your Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices network professional, you’ll showcase your home at its best—and ensure it stands out in any competitive market.