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House selling - who is right?

10 replies

passmethewineplease · 19/04/2014 19:10

We currently rent from dps parents, but we need to move so they're selling this and buying another, we will then rent that one off them again.

Anyway skip to the issue, we are in the process of boxing all our stuff up to declutter and make it look more presentable for the pictures.

Now because the house has been repainted we can't put the mirrors/pictures back up as the little holes have been filled in and painted.

Now I think we should have at least something up on the wall, dp thinks otherwise. Who's right? Do bare houses sell better or the same as houses which are dressed so to speak?

He also doesn't know where we will store the stuff we are boxing?! Surely you can't have boxes of your stuff out on display when trying to sell?!

So who's right? I honestly don't know, this is all new to me.

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treaclesoda · 19/04/2014 19:14

I can't speak for everyone, only myself, but I know that when houses have totally bare walls they look so inhospitable as to make it hard for me to imagine it as a home. Although weirdly I can look past quite a lot of clutter Confused

No pictures = student house in my mind.

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minipie · 19/04/2014 19:21

boxes of stuff - if you don't have a cellar or attic (or friend) which can take them, you'd need to pay for self storage while viewings are going on. or your DP's parents would.

pictures - I think one or two would look better than none - maybe pick lightweight ones that can hang off a small picture tack and don't need big screws.

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YoniMitchell · 19/04/2014 19:21

I'd like to see a place look like a home if I was viewing, so put things up! Besides, few people will expect to buy somewhere with absolutely no pin holes or perfect 'to their taste' decor so I can't see it being a problem if they need to touch up or re-paint.

Boxes of stuff sitting around would put me off though, as I'd think the house offered no proper storage. Can you rent a storage unit or bung it in a garage/shed until the place is sold?

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specialsubject · 19/04/2014 20:04

a few large-ish pictures - not huge family photos, not ikea art, a mirror or two. Leave the hooks when you go, new owners can then put up something straight away. Think one or two per wall.

your stuff goes in the attic, in someone else's attic or in storage.

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passmethewineplease · 19/04/2014 20:16

Thanks for the replies, my dps mum agrees to putting them back and making it look more homely.

Seems it's just my dp that's wrong. Grin

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gonetotheotherside · 19/04/2014 20:39

I think it depends on the market for your property. DH and I don't have dc and were looking at young professional city flats rather than family homes - most flats didn't have pictures etc when viewing. I don't like pictures on walls, we don't have any up in our own home even now. But pictures and a homely look will appeal more to a family.

Storage units can be expensive, my friends have been putting their decluttered boxes into a spare room at their parents'.

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JumpingJackSprat · 19/04/2014 20:45

I sold mine in just over a week - no photos on the walls anywhere. I don't think it makes any difference, having viewed 20+ houses. Being clean, particularly around windrow frames and corners you don't think people will look is far more important. Buyers will look everywhere.

Re boxes can you stack them in wardrobes and in the loft?

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passmethewineplease · 19/04/2014 21:33

My sister has said we can store them in her outbuildings, they're secure so it's ideal, I am going to look at all the nooks and crannies Jumping.

Our property is definitely designed for a family, three bed, big garden, lovely area, close to schools etc.

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wonkylegs · 20/04/2014 10:59

I would say it definitely would depend on the house & target market.
We sold our house last year & our house hit a record selling price for the street (& has maintained it) we got loads of offers within hours of being on the market. All the houses are extremely similar Edwardian terraces & a few were up for sale at the same time however every person who saw it commented on the art & furniture & how well it was presented & that it felt like they could just live there. Obviously we were taking all this stuff with us but I think with lots of comparable houses on the market we just showed it off at its best & people were seduced by that.

Boxes should be out of sight, either in cupboards, lofts, garages, family/friends house or self storage.

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PenTheUltimate · 20/04/2014 15:18

Mirrors and pictures rather than photos of people and portraits.

However, no pictures at all is preferable to wonky badly hung pictures :)

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