The Genius Ways Real Estate Agents Hide Cords and Wires Before a Showing

When showing a property to potential buyers, the best real estate agents know that presentation is critical. Every detail matters, from the layout and cleanliness to the decor and lighting. One minor — but often overlooked — detail is the presence of cords and wires that can clutter a space and detract from its overall aesthetic. A few real estate agents and interior design experts have devised some genius ways to hide cords before a showing, and their methods are quickly gaining attention in the industry.

For a simple, low-cost way of hiding cords, Madison Cervo, a listing agent with Boulder, Colorado’s Bernardi Group, relies on the 3M Command suite of products, readily available from Amazon and other major retailers. “The cord clips and bundlers let you easily affix cords to the bottom side of furniture or along the base of a wall,” says Cervo. For more niche needs, she swears by Yamazaki Home, which offers an extensive line of cable management boxes and under-desk boxes for hiding clutter.

Meanwhile, if you need to hide a cable from a floor or table lamp, running that cable underneath an area rug is easy. Paige Garland, the owner of Chicago-based Paige Garland Interiors, recommends stitching a small slit in a rug to run a power cord through. “[It] hides an eyesore and lowers any risk of tripping,” Garland says. If a rug is a looser weave, you might even be able to run the cord or plug through without making a hole. 

The rug method is just one example of the innovative ways that design experts are finding to improve the appearance of their properties. In a competitive industry where every detail matters, designers and agents are constantly looking for new ways to stand out and impress potential clients. Whether through clever staging, high-quality photography, or creative marketing, agents and designers are willing to go above and beyond.

If you’re battling the giant mass of cords for the various devices we all need to charge these days, Laura Price, the owner of The Home Organisation, a U.K.-based home organizing company, relies on an easy fix that you can find somewhere like Home Goods: a thickly-woven basket set on a shelf. Rattan is ideal, explains Price, but any will work. “Just feed the loose cable ends through the gaps in the weave at the back of the basket, and your devices can be [charging] in the basket with the cables neatly contained and out of the way,” she says.

Of course, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. “When a cord cannot be hidden, it should be as attractive as possible,” says David Lee, interior designer at Neutypechic, a leading lights and mirror retailer. “If hiding it isn’t an option, celebrate it by having it wired with elegant, vintage cording rather than regular plastic.”

From simple cord-hiding methods to elaborate rewiring techniques, these pros will do whatever it takes to make a home look its best — and now you know their secrets.