Opinions needed from the MN collective re staging of house.

[Gordonsgrin]

Afternoon MNetters. We are in the position where we will be selling my in-laws property and I would like to find out what you think...
It is a four bed former detached bungalow. Currently two beds downstairs both, one with an en-suite one without but there is a family bathroom downstairs. The bedroom with no en-suite has fitted wardrobes and is smart.
Upstairs there is a v large double Bedroom and a smaller room currently used as a study. There is a large toilet, no bathroom but with space and plans I place to turn this into a shower room.
My question, would you swap the study and upstairs bedroom round to have the study downstairs? The rooms are of similar, double bedroom (not huge) size.
Sorry that was long

If I was doing it for myself I'd have the upstairs as a bedroom, bathroom and walk-in dressing room, and lose the study altogether.

I think considering you’re staging, a study is quite a good way to phrase a space and wouldn’t lose it per @StartingGridGo suggestion.

I don’t think you should swap the rooms - to get people in the house and looking you just want to make sure the pictures are appealing, the space shows off its potential, and that you mention the potential for conversion prominently in any particulars.

It's a bungalow with an upstairs?

And assuming you are just talking about moving furniture and not doing any actual work, I don't think it'll make a huge difference but it does make more sense to have a study downstairs and a spare/childs bedroom upstairs so yes, swap the rooms - or possibly if the house is not in active use currently and you can borrow a bed, dress both rooms as bedrooms so it is shown as a 'true' 4 bed rather than 3 bed + study (assuming that plans still allow 4 beds once work on the shower room is complete)?

As PP says someone might not end up using that upstairs room (or the downstairs room for that matter) as a bedroom, but where you are marketing a house as 4 bedrooms I think most people do expect to see it presented as 4 bedrooms not as 4 rooms which are big enough for a bed but being used differently (remember a lot of people struggle to envision how a space would work with different furniture in it)...

Yes, I would - or preferably put beds in each to indicate size.

You could market as 'flexible accommodation' & bedroom/study: if you have a desk in there, it might not be clear if it would work as a bedroom, but the other way round its easier to see there is space (this is also what agents said on my own recent sale. My buyers have seen it both ways, & were unable to visualise the study as a bedroom)

I'd also brief your agents re your plans re shower room & how much it would cost. Buyers can think its way more expensive/difficult than it actually is

Good luck with the sale :)

I would have two bedrooms upstairs.

I instinctively feel uneasy at sleeping arrangements that put the dc between me and the exit. It took me a long time to figure out what exactly I was reacting to, but I would probably have rejected your house without knowing why.

Obviously, if I were aware of it, I would just mentally reconfigure the rooms but the Mama Bear instinct, for me, wasn’t a conscious thing, just a gut level prickle.

I’m undecided about whether to have a study instead of a bedroom. Before covid I’d have staged all rooms as bedrooms but now working from home is probably something a lot of buyers have to think about.

@maxelly sorry for confusion, dormer bungalow, as a more precise definition

Thanks all for the advice. Perhaps we could stage the downstairs room as a study and put a daybed, or sofa bed in to demonstrate the scope for dual use?

Almost all houses I have seen recently online have a room staged as a study. So many people need the space currently. Is there room for a sofa bed and desk without overwhelming the space? So people can imagine as a bedroom but see flexibility for study?

@skylarkdescending, I think there should be room for both, I will take a look.
The consensus is to make sure the upstairs is a bedroom so I will def do that. Hopefully the dimensions are similar enough that we can dismantle and reuse the fitted furniture upstairs for that purpose. The furniture really is too good to skip.

Depends who your target market is - if its elderly until end of life then its better if they can live completely on ground floor so bedroom, bathroom on ground floor.

If its more a family market I would prefer bedrooms and bathroom upstairs. Then I would have study downstairs.

I wouldn't bother moving furniture around too much, just concentrate on making everything look clean, smart and lived in. People can work out for themselves how they would use the house, they just need to like it when they look round. It sounds really big, so it's not a huge stretch for folk to see potential. A study is a must for most people these days I think and it makes sense for it to be in the smaller room (if I've understood your description correctly). I also wouldn't go spending too much on the place, just make it look as good as possible, warm and fresh smelling.

One bedroom with bathroom downstairs is sufficient for downsizers. Second bedroom downstairs can double up as study if large enough to incorporate sofa bed and desk. I would agree with you that upstairs needs a shower room in place of existing study and if you don't want the cost of doing that yourself then have plans and costing drawn up for prospective buyers.

I think many people looking at this type of property will know it’s limitations regarding rooms and placement of bedrooms and bathrooms. People can have their own plans drawn up. They might even demolish it and build something new if it’s in a great area. That’s what happens around here. Often these dormer bungalows do not have much living space compared to a 4 bed house and often have pokey kitchens. So not necessarily great family homes. Let buyers decide what they want to do. They might want to extend and if they do your plans will be meaningless. Make a virtue of space to extend if there is. Have similar properties done this? Would it be straightforward to get pp?

However, keep the garden neat. Clear away clutter inside and out and make sure any obvious repairs are done. That makes buyers think it’s cared for. Don’t over price either.

Thanks again, all useful and valid comments. The property is actually pretty sizeable. The two smaller rooms in question approx 3m x 3m. The kitchen and other rooms quite a bit larger. We are lucky that there is plenty to work with, and again fortunate that for the most part in good decorative order.
At this time I am thinking that we will remove the wall to wall shelving from the study, stage that as a bedroom with daybed and desk. The shower for the installation in the upstairs toilet was purchased but never fitted, we may just get that room completed before we market.
I will update you all, may even link to the sale details when we get around to putting up for sale. This is not likely to be for a few months though. At least we are in the countryside so hopefully lots folk will want it.

We've bought 2 completely empty houses having any furniture in either of them would have made no difference to us .
Surly people look at the layout , room size , condition of the the house , location . Rather than if your using a room as a bedroom , office , store room or whatever .

Who uses a daybed? Just have it as a study. Who would look to see if a seetee is a bed setee or not when viewing?

Make sure the details day bedroom/study. Have it as a study or bedroom. Not both. No one will care. Its size and usability that matters. Not enough bathrooms is the killer for families in a house of a decent size. I do not think 3m x 3m is very big myself. People are always willing to overlook idiosyncracies if the pkiot is good, the location is good and its been well cared for. What you put in regarding furniture is a bit of a side issue as long as the measurements are accurate.

Dont forget people might want to extend, pull down internal walls and all sorts of things. Make it open plan even.

Excuse my spelling of settee!

I've made amess of this: make sure the details say bedroom/study. If they do't want a study, they will assume bedroom as long as its big enough. If they want a study, they will think great. No one will look at it if its not priced right though.

Ta v much, all noted and will be sure to take on the advice, out with the daybed. Will be careful over details. My home is a cottage so th room do look big as third and fourth bedrooms to me! It’s all relative I suppose. The other bedrooms are 11.00 x 11.00m and the living room and kitchen even larger; looks huge to me.

What @Guymere said. When I look at properties, I wouldn't mind if the current owners had a cot in a room I was thinking of using as a study or a room set up as a music room that I was going to use as a bedroom or whatever - you are buying the building not the furniture.