Every home only has so much space, which is what every buyer is looking for - space. Therefore, you need to stage your home to make it seem that there is as much usable space as possible to make it attractive to prospective buyers. When a viewer enters a room, he needs to envision himself living there effortlessly without feeling cramped or stifled.

When you put the property for sale and children are in residence it can be a challenge because you need to maintain the comfortable home environment the children are accustomed to, while also keeping the rooms showroom-ready to show prospective buyers.

Most children's rooms permanently look like disaster areas, and getting them to understand that things must be put away is difficult.

Here are my top tips for staging a childs room:

Declutter

Like with other rooms in the house, decluttering is perhaps the most important issue when it comes to staging a child's bedroom. Don't be tempted to simply move some items outside, as the outdoor spaces need to be every bit as tidy as the inside, so don't make a collection of old bicycles, plastic toys and strollers. If you don't have garage space or a garden shed where you can put these neatly away, consider renting some storage space.

Gender specific

If your child's bedroom is currently a girly pink or boy blue you need to change this and redecorate in a way that would appeal to either gender and indeed all ages. The room needs to appeal to the masses, so go with a paint color that fits in well with the rest of the property. Your prospective buyer maybe doesn't even have children and will be using the room as an office or guest bedroom, so they need to be able to see themselves in the space as an adult.

The bed

Children love bunk beds, but if you but a fellow realtor once told me that bunks give a subconscious impression that space in the house is limited. Therefore you might want to replace existing bunk beds for a daybed with a trundle bed underneath to make the room look more spacious.

Study space

Include a desk if you don't already have one in the room. Make a small area that is dedicated to studying. This will be of interest to both buyers with children or those who intend to use the room for another purpose.

Spruce it up

Children's bedrooms usually need cosmetic repairs due to scuffed skirting boards and possibly stained carpets. This should be fixed before you show any potential buyers around.

Storage

A great way to get items out of the way is to invest in a bed with storage. These are available cheaply online, and as such are a good investment. Alternatively, put bins under the bed. Another good investment is large lidded baskets and low chests, which make it easy to quickly pick up toys and other items and throw them out of sight should the need arise.

It is also worth installing shelves. Shelving will liven up blank walls and also provide a home for your children's stuffed toys, books and knickknacks.

Make sure there are hooks in the room where the children can hang their backpacks and sports equipment when they get home from school.

To complete the bedroom staging, buy bedding in light accent colors rather than a bright Disney duvet set or your childs favorite football team. This will give the room a wide appeal rather than a customized look viewers may not be so keen on.

Staging a child's room is a lot of fun and make sure your child is included in the process. Children can feel unsettled during a move so be ready to listen to their ideas and thoughts.