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Property/DIY

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Staging a house to sell

33 replies

SingingBabooshkaBadly · 29/01/2018 20:54

Hoping for some advice on a couple of issues before we go on the market. We’re in a dormer bungalow. Three bedrooms, two downstairs, one upstairs. All three bedrooms are doubles but the smallest is currently set up as DH’s study/ hobby room. The stuff he needs for his hobby isn’t especially attractive and he’s possibly on board with the idea of packing it away for the time we’re on the market so that we can show the room as a bedroom and make it look nicer. However, the previous owners installed fitted wardrobes right across one of the short walls. Due to layout (door position etc) this is the only wall you could actually fit a double bed. When we viewed the house they had a single bed on the other short wall and in my head it was a single room! Didn’t bother me as we were always going to use it as a study. But, for the purposes of selling, should we remove the wardrobes and put a double bed in? They’re a little dated but of course provide good storage, which can also be attractive to buyers. But would being seen as three doubles rather than two and a single be better? DH is open to clearing away his hobby stuff for the duration but balking at the idea of ripping out the wardrobes.

The other thing is that we have a large built in shelving unit in the sitting room that houses our large collection of books. We love it but this takes up the only wall where someone could place a second sofa if required. It also stands a foot and a half away from the wall so the room is effectively that much smaller. Again, wondering if we’re better off getting rid before selling, putting books into storage, adding a cheap second sofa and making the room seem a bit bigger, more versatile?

I worry about people not being able to see that there’s room if they’re not actually shown it!

Appreciate any insights. Thanks!

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Sengah · 29/01/2018 20:59

I genuinely wouldn't worry. I think serious buyers would take more than a cursory look. First impressions can be important but these are made before they will venture upstairs. TBH we are looking at the moment and I do not understand the efforts to spruce up a property before putting it on the market. Tidy, clean and beds made, sure, but we look past everything else.

OneEpisode · 29/01/2018 21:08

If you can clear some space eg on shelves so the dimensions of the room can be seen that’d help surely. And it will need to be done before moving day!

GU24Mum · 29/01/2018 21:21

Could you post photos of the two rooms? We can all give you our House Doctor view then!!

SingingBabooshkaBadly · 29/01/2018 21:40

Oh GU24! I probably should have name changed if I’d thought I needed to post photos. Wouldn’t want anyone who might recognise my house to link me to previous posts (nothing awful, no spats etc but some stuff about being on anti-depressants etc!)

To be honest I know the bedroom needs to be made over before viewings. If it was just a study I might leave it but it’s fully of hobby related stuff that’s just ugly so needs to go! So, we will probably show it as a bedroom, it’s just whether we need to remove or move wardrobes so it can be seen as a double rather than a single! Or, judging by the first two posts, maybe we’ll leave it as a study but just a rather more attractive one?

Thanks for the advice. Perhaps I’m worrying too much after years of property programmes!

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wowfudge · 29/01/2018 21:52

Put a bed in every bedroom and just make sure whoever does the viewings points out that with the rather old fashioned wardrobes removed it comfortably fits a double bed. You are right to clear away the hobby stuff. Declutter the book case - don't fill big boxes with books though. They are very heavy. Go for smaller boxes or mix books with lighter things.

KakunaRattata · 29/01/2018 22:21

NC and start a new thread for photos! I'm afraid I go against the other posters and would remove some of the wardrobe and stage the room as a double, it's not like the wardrobes mean anything to you and chances are a buyer would rip out old fashioned stuff anyway. As to the sitting room, it really depends how much the shelves encroach on the room and if a buyer could realistically picture another sofa there, either way a declutter will make the space look bigger.

FluffyWuffy100 · 29/01/2018 23:16

I’m another one for saying remove the old fitted wardrobes, out in a double bed and a cheap white Ikea wardrobe and chest of drawers to dress as a proper bedroom.

SingingBabooshkaBadly · 29/01/2018 23:44

thanks everyone. My instinct is to remove the wardrobes as kakuna and fluffy have suggested and put a cheap double bed in. Really because I saw it as a single when I viewed. In fact, I’m embarrassed to say we’d lived here a couple of years before I thought ‘hang on, this is a double room!’ Blush

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SingingBabooshkaBadly · 29/01/2018 23:46

I think DH will take some convincing though. When I mentioned it his response was ‘but why would someone buying this house want three double rooms anyway?’ Confused

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SingingBabooshkaBadly · 29/01/2018 23:48

kakuna the shelves are 18inches deep and run right across one of the short walls so effectively shaving a foot and a half off the length of the sitting room.

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GinnyBaker · 30/01/2018 00:01

We had a big cot attached to our kingsize bed on one side and a dog bed at the same height (don't ask) on the other, making the bed enormous so getting past the bed to the window was very tight indeed, and we asked the EA if we needed to remove.

They said they would just point out to all viewers how much bigger the room was than it seemed on viewing due to these things and there was no need to shift it. We sold no problem but it was London, where its easy to sell, so don't know if this made a difference?

TakingtheLeap · 30/01/2018 07:40

Personally I don't know if I'd bother - different buyers will want different things! For example one house we viewed has a bedroom we would turn into a study. Having a bed / wardrobe in there currently didn't stop us being able to think ooh ok, desk there, shelves there...

Will you be doing the viewings yourself? With the house above I thought the vendors were very good at highlighting multiple uses of rooms "we use this for x but you could do you". You could just say - an option is to remove the wardrobes and have a double here. Seems easier and cheaper than ripping out fittings and buying a new bed!

That said - it perhaps depends on the overall finish of your house and thus what kind of buyer you're attracting. We are looking at fixer uppers so don't mind the thought of an extra bit of work to repurpose one room. But if your house is otherwise in very shiny, move-in condition, your buyers might not want to worry about DIY. Does that make any sense?!

NapQueen · 30/01/2018 07:44

Put a single bed in the wardrobe room.

Keep the lounge shelves just reduce whats on them and make them look pretty rather than overfilled with books.

whiskyowl · 30/01/2018 07:53

My best piece of advice is: don't spend too much money! Everything you spend 'staging' a house is money lost on your sale.

I would declutter and depersonalise the space - definitely get rid of unattractive hobby apparatus, but also ornaments, photos, personal stuff that is making the room look smaller by making it look cluttered. Treat it as early packing and bung it in the loft! But larger jobs like taking out wardrobes and buying beds can get expensive, and most buyers will be able to see beyond a couple of issues if the rest of the house is nice.

another20 · 30/01/2018 09:58

My best piece of advice is: don't spend too much money! Everything you spend 'staging' a house is money lost on your sale.

Totally disagree - its about return on investment.

"Presentation, accommodation and location" are the 3 key elements when selling a house - the last two (space and location) you can't/aren't changing - so do your magic with presentation.

Many changes will up the value directly and others will get it sold quicker which is also a consideration.

You need to appeal to the widest market. Some people can see through stuff, will have looked at and understood the floor plan and room sizes. Others won't - and these are an important and arguably larger proportion of the market.

I would do both - you can but in a fake double (blow up bed etc) just to show the room. Would you put the second sofa in the lounge - or just leave the space?

Justanothernameonthepage · 30/01/2018 11:02

If it helps convince your DH, we're hunting for 3 double bedrooms (mainly as a lot of third bedrooms now would barely squeeze a single in) and we'd like our DC to have roughly the same space.
I also disagree about not staging. We want a quick sale and we're not going to extreme staging, but we want people to see the rooms and picture themselves living there- not get distracted by our stuff.

KakunaRattata · 30/01/2018 11:09

They are fairly large shelves, without seeing the room I couldn't say for sure but I wouldn't necessarily remove them, but hugely declutter and stage them so you can see how much space they offer or use. There's nothing to stop you saying 'a second sofa fits nicely here but we prefer to use the space for our books'. I'm pretty good at visualising space but a lot of people aren't and need it showing to them. As far as the bedroom goes, I think 3 doubles over 2 and a single is a big deal, we need 3 doubles and wouldn't have looked at a house that didn't have this. Showing even a family that only needs 2 that they have space for visitors is a selling point IMO. Lots of local fb groups sell stuff you can use such as a second hand bed (remember it's for staging only so not a big deal) and sofas, your investment doesn't need to be huge to make a better return.

Pinkbendyman · 30/01/2018 11:18
  1. Leave the built in wardrobes
  2. Declutter as much as possible
  3. Leave the bookshelves
  4. Make sure the outside of the property looks as clean, tidy and welcoming as possible (first impression)

The new buyers will want to put their own stamp on their new home anyway-you’ll just be making more work for yourselves by changing things.

SingingBabooshkaBadly · 30/01/2018 12:42

another20 if we were going to go to the trouble of removing the shelves then, yes, I think we’d actually put a second sofa in the room. Wherever we move to would, I hope, have room for two anyway or, as kakuna says, we could pick up a second hand one very cheaply.

It’s a real dilemma - so many varied opinions -reflecting those in this household!

Appreciate everyone’s advice, many thanks!

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Sprig1 · 30/01/2018 13:42

I would remove both shelves and wardrobes. You will find that most people commenting on a property forum have imagination and therefore think it will not be a problem but actually lots of real buyers don't and will assume that you can only fit a single bed in and one sofa in the lounge. I don't think you can rely on your agents to point out how much space removing these would make either, agents don't always do as they are asked! They are easy DIY jobs and making good the rooms will cost very little. I don't see why you wouldn't.

specialsubject · 30/01/2018 13:52

Fix things. Declutter. Tidy up outside.

Things I remember making me run away - piles of cat baskets outside, wrecked furniture down side return, screwdriver jammed in diverter valve, sagging roofline, enormous amounts of clutter indicating reluctance to move.

another20 · 30/01/2018 13:54

They are easy DIY jobs and making good the rooms will cost very little. I don't see why you wouldn't

Agree.....but also that others who cannot "see beyond" will worry that it is a big, messy, disruptive job and worry what is behind - will it need replastering etc.

Can you up load a floor plan of your lounge and bedroom with rough measurements.

Also agree with PP that kerb appeal, total declutter and any minor flaky paint/damp patches are addressed first.

FluffyWuffy100 · 30/01/2018 14:08

For example one house we viewed has a bedroom we would turn into a study. Having a bed / wardrobe in there currently didn't stop us being able to think ooh ok, desk there, shelves there...

It’s easy to think ‘double bedroom > study’ it is a lot harder to think ‘study (small) > double bedroom’

SingingBabooshkaBadly · 30/01/2018 14:42

Hmmm...the tide seems to be turning very much in favour of getting rid of the wardrobes and shelving after all!

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shakemysilliesout · 30/01/2018 18:42

I don't think you will regret doing either job