Help me sell my house

[StopSearching]

I've made a new thread so that I can post updates for those that are interested.

Previous thread here

Brief outline is my house needs improvement and re-marketing so I've been asking for advice and going to start implementing it.

Staging is also not just about throwing soft furnishings around

Agree, its like putting lipstick on a rhinoceros (sorry op). It ain’t going to pretty it up any. The key here is to fix the obvious things wrong with the actual house, with minimal spend, and then reduce the price and back to market. The furniture is a bit done in, but if the op really wants to deal with it, she can pick up new stuff for next to nothing on face book market place, then give it away when she moves.

@sunflowersandbuttercups great minds!

I'm not sure if the sofa is too big for the room. There's loads of space in the living room, it's a reasonable width. We do need seats for 5 adults in that room. I agree it's too dark though. We moved our furniture around to see if it's a better use of the space (see photos).

Can’t tell the difference OP if I’m honest.

Do you work for Dunelm @Mummyoflittledragon??

This was before.

@TitusPullo

Do you work for Dunelm *@Mummyoflittledragon*??

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@TitusPullo

Do you work for Dunelm *@Mummyoflittledragon*??

Not gonna lie, I was thinking the same thing

@TitusPullo

Do you work for Dunelm *@Mummyoflittledragon*??

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@Wondermule

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Haha I know, it's ridiculous isn't it

It's just that someone said the TV looked huge and the chair looked like the command centre and I thought, they're right. So I changed it.

I agree with what posters are saying about sorting out the fundamentals like the damp patch, cleaning carpets etc. and not spending thousands on window dressing. If you want to do some staging could you borrow some bits from family and friends? There have been a couple of threads on here where posters staged nicely using bits they already owned and some borrowed bits. I can’t find either unfortunately but someone else might be able to, to give you some ideas.

@TitusPullo

Do you work for Dunelm *@Mummyoflittledragon*??

Lol no I’m far too ill to work. I’m a bored disabled woman and it’s just really easy to search the site because they have tons of different stuff at cheap prices and not obvious it’s all from the same place. I only have one pair of curtains from there and I bought them over a decade ago.

@Handsoffstrikesagain - I would be interested to know how much a service like this would cost for the OPs house. As you’ve said for the most basic package OP would get similar advice to on here so I am assuming she would need a more than basic package. I’ve just had a look online and from what I could see they involve some quite pricey renovations?

Those home staging companies are ridiculous. Like the OTT party planners in cities. It’s another unnecessary expense.

@OhCaptain - I agree, unless you have a multimillion pound house where buyers expect a house out of the pages of a glossy magazine, with Pinterest etc it’s easy to get ideas about staging for free.

I’m not convinced about the soft furnishings helping with the sale.

Our next move will be to a 3/4 bed detached with driveway so we have look at a lot of these houses (nowhere near this area however). I do not give a shit what curtains are up: I give a shit about the big jobs.

Structural integrity of the building, dampness, future value from developments (been stung by this myself), roof, future extension plans. I don’t see any value in what someone has in the property that someone can take with them, that’s not what I’m buying.

I definitely agree with the cleaning and making good of old jobs that haven’t been finished.

OP please don’t buy furniture or accessories. Contact a local home stager and ask about their packages. We offer very basic packaged (advice basically), all the way up to renting furniture and repainting for you. There will be someone out there to suit your needs. Don’t waste money when you can rent things and have someone else deal with it all.

Please please give this a go, don't buy half of Dunelm (honestly there are better shops anyway) get the house nicely painted with some new carpets and then back on the market at a reduced price. Absolutely add some plants outside - big planters so they soften that massive swathe of paving - it will make a huge difference as at the moment it doesn't look welcoming. You love that you can park three cars... I'd love some greenery so that when I looked out my living room window I saw some bushes, acers, some prettiness. Inside put flowers in vases, a few plants, get the back garden looking like you love it out there and bob's your uncle.

Don't paint any walls purple. I love dark colours and my home is an ode to hague blue, inchyra blue and pelt. BUT, I know that when I sell it, I will probably be painting everywhere white.

Someone will come to your house, see the potential and buy it. But it's always, always about the price. My own house had been on the market for a year at £40 grand more than I got it for. It was just out of my price range to even think about an offer. The day it was reduced I visited, made an offer pretty much on the spot and had moved in 4 weeks later.

I'd def avoid magnolia - we moved abroad for a while and the rental agency insisted on magnolia (it was mostly white FFS) and it seemed to suck the joy out of the house. And don't put coving up - I danced when our artex ceilings and coving got removed.

I think a stager is actually a good idea - you said you don't like extra home furnishings and better to have an expert eye than buy stuff that isn't to your taste anyway. Sounds like they aren't too expensive anyway.

Good luck - here's to a happy new home for you in the near future.