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Original poster

Is it ok to market our house without it being completely bare/decluttered?

36 replies

SwimmingInToys · 11/03/2021 13:30

We are thinking of trying to get on the market in the next few months. We've been on a program of decluttering over lockdown and we have made a lot of progress, but with 20 years of stuff and 2 young kids (plus our personalities Blush) it's not going to be sleek and minimalist without a LOT more effort.

I'm pg with DC3 and between work and the kids there's limited scope for how much effort I can really put into preparing the house for sale. Tidy and clean, yes, but every house coming on the market seems to be totally bare these days with no signs of human life Confused

Any thoughts? Are we going to have to suck it up and just radically declutter in order to compete? Or is it ok to look like we have toys, cats, and a lived-in home? Would it put you off?

OP posts:
Zoomzoomroundtheroom · 11/03/2021 13:35

of course you don’t need to declutter.......but just be aware it will put some people off. Depends how much of a sellers market area you live in. Where we are you could keep rats roaming free in every room and it would get snapped up before hitting rightmove.
Beware that once the stamp duty holiday ends at the end of June the housing market is likely to drop off a cliff for a while, so if you are looking to sell this year I’d get your house on the market ASAP.

ComtesseDeSpair · 11/03/2021 13:36

Evidence of cats in photos would put some people off because of worries about litter tray smells, peed-on carpets or allergies. Hide cat paraphernalia for photos and viewings. Evidence of children and life isn’t a problem, but when people have a lot of “stuff” on show, it suggests they don’t have enough storage in the house, so making sure it’s all away when people view is important. Beyond that, signs that you are still living in the house is fine.

Brownlongearedbat · 11/03/2021 13:38

No, it wouldn't put me off, but if the rooms are very full it's difficult to judge them fairly in a photo. Also it would say to me that you have storage problems. When you come to sell it can't you just move stuff out of the way into another room as each room is photographed? Or could you rent a storage unit for a while? When I sold my last house I took out a lot of furniture and stuck it in my friends garage. It was a small house, so this made it look a lot bigger.

Original poster
SwimmingInToys · 11/03/2021 13:39

Ok thank you. I think it should sell quickly due to location but it's not guaranteed.

Good point about the cats.

It is a big house but storage is actually quite limited for the size of it so I'll bear that in mind and try not to make that obvious.

OP posts:
Original poster
SwimmingInToys · 11/03/2021 13:41

You've all made me feel a lot better though! So many properties seem to come on the market looking half-empty, I find it really odd.

We have a massive loft as well so perhaps a few boxes up there might help and not be too difficult to do.

OP posts:
idontlikealdi · 11/03/2021 13:41

Cats would irk me, the rest is just general life.

There's a difference between general clutter and a pile of shite though.

Starlive23 · 11/03/2021 13:44

Wouldn't put me off at all OP as long as it was clean and tidy, lived in is perfectly fine I would have thought!

noscoobydoodle · 11/03/2021 13:44

Our estate agent who did the pictures told us what to move out of the way for the best photos and we hired a storage container and put everything else away (except the dogs but they weren't there when viewings took place). It wasn't bare, but wasn't as homely (i.e. cluttered!) as I like and I agree the tend does seem to be quite a sterile look (although we were selling a newish house which I think has a bearing). The house sold within a week. However The house we bought had a room piled high with junk and clutter and too much oversize furniture everywhere as well. I do think we paid less for the house in part because of that - it did take a bit of imagination to see past it all but ultimately it all went with the owner (except for all the stuff she left because she thought we might like it!). It definitely didn't put me off, but I can't speak for others!

TheVolturi · 11/03/2021 13:47

My friend has just sold hers quickly. She has a 6 year old and a baby and a dog, she told me that before the photos and viewings she stuffed loads of stuff in the car and in the cupboard under stairs, and her dh took the kids and dog out. I think hide as much as you can, and maybe bin or put in storage the rest? If you're hoping to move anyway it will only have to be packed then anyway!

emmathedilemma · 11/03/2021 13:49

I think so long as you can tell how big the rooms are then it wouldn't put me off i.e. there's space for a single / double bed, bedside table(s), drawers / wardrobe etc. For a family home I'd expect there to be kid's toys around and a cat bowl wouldn't bother me at all. I often wonder if a lot of the people selling houses have ever even owned a book!!

CyberdyneSystems · 11/03/2021 13:51

Personally I would and did de clutter as much as possible as some ppl won't be able to see past that. Rooms with less clutter in look more spacious

Einszwei · 11/03/2021 13:52

Don't go overboard with the decluttering - some houses are oddly bare!

When we had the photos taken, we would strategically move stuff out of view of the camera ... it seemed to work.

Original poster
SwimmingInToys · 11/03/2021 13:54

We have hundreds of books, I quite like how they look but they probably do need a tidy up.

I definitely need to pay more attention to the cat stuff. I hadn't given that any thought.

Our garage is totally full of junk but this weekend's plan is to sort that as much as possible and perhaps I could move a few bits and bobs out there. I do need to have a plan for viewings when it comes to the kids bikes, buggy, wellies etc. I'm used to tripping over them every day, but they will all need to be out of the way for people coming over.

Thanks again everyone

OP posts:
AliceMcK · 11/03/2021 14:01

Cats would completely put me off, 2 asthmatics & 3 cat allergy sufferers in the family I would scroll past. The same with viewing any house, my allergies would kick in as soon as I stepped in the front door so I’d turn around and leave.

Clutter can be off putting to an extent. I have 3 small children who I swear have the entire Smyths catalogue in toys, I’m a hoarder too so can totally sympathise.

If your doing the photos yourself could you move clutter from one room to the next while taking photos? I had a few photos of rooms I’d taken just after they had been decorated before the kids crap got returned that looked really good, unfortunately the EA wanted to do their own photos though.

Could you get a cleaner in to help keep on top of the housework. I had a cleaner briefly in between lockdowns and it was amazing the difference in my house. She was like a machine cleaning and tidying, it gave me a chance to do jobs like decluttering without having to worry about doing other housework. I have health issues and was struggling and getting overwhelmed trying to do it all by myself.

I think lived in homes look fine on photos, I even prefer some, as long as the house looks well kept and tidy (ish) it wouldn’t put me off. I’d be more put off with big bold colours especially tiles or kitchens that can’t be easily changed.

I agree with others though, hurry up to get it sold while the stamp duty holiday is on.

Twickerhun · 11/03/2021 14:08

I kept our wellies pram etc in the car for viewings .... and the hoover

2021hwg · 11/03/2021 14:12

I have just bought a house and honestly I got it at an amazing price as the people selling it had it really cluttered, and in need of some basic decoration. Honestly even if they had done a few hours cleaning tidying and a bit of decorating, they could have gotten a lot more money.

They where a divorcing couple so maybe that had something to do with it.

HollowTalk · 11/03/2021 14:24

@Twickerhun

I kept our wellies pram etc in the car for viewings .... and the hoover
But I'd want to know where I'd keep the hoover. My sister bought a house and didn't realise until she moved in that there was actually nowhere for the mop, hoover etc to go.
user1471538283 · 11/03/2021 15:08

I think to get the best price you need to get as much stuff put away or gone as you can.

I prefer minimalism living so it wasn't too bad for us but I still got rid of alot of stuff. I completely emptied the garage even though it was huge so people could see how big it was.

RevolutionRadio · 11/03/2021 15:25

Could you take a couple of photos now and then people can advise what they would move.

I'd hide cat items in photos but it'll be obvious when the people view anyway!

I think there's a difference between clutter being left on the sides than tote being laid around.

readytosell · 11/03/2021 15:39

It wouldn't bother me personally. I've viewed many houses before and seen all kinds of states, but I'm able to see past things. Many people just can't and I can understand why. As long as it's not a complete state I wouldn't go completely overboard if it's a family type of home and you show it as being a family type of home.

Remember you aren't trying to appeal to everyone because you just can't.

NotMeNoNo · 11/03/2021 15:44

Of course it's fine but you may want to stand back a bit and see if there are any obviously distracting or offputting bits. Piles of stuff with no particular home, rooms so full of furniture they look tiny, no obvious dining table, that kind of thing. It will soon become obvious if you get viewings/offers. A good estate agent description and photos will be able to make the most of the good points.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 11/03/2021 15:50

We sold our house quickly and it was in a right state!

People are interested in the space, layout, garden, location and whether it meets their criteria.

Some people would prefer to do their own decorating and bathroom re-furb, some want it all done up, even to someone else's taste.

MN is very fixated on interior decor - but back in RL you need photos that show off the size and potential of the rooms, so not stuffed with far too much ill-fitting furniture, maybe, and an Estate Agent that does good photos. Preferably by employing an actual photographer, not one of their own with his iPhone or ridiculously wide-angled lens.

Sell unwanted books on WeBuyBooks or Ziffit . It is a doddle and you drop off at a parcel drop shop at no cost to you. Non-fiction, refernce, revision books do well. Novels - not so well, and cookery books don't sell.

But a box-load can earn you £20 - 30 or so.

FurierTransform · 11/03/2021 15:50

Just move the piles of rubbish between rooms in order to get good pictures - that's the main thing really.

It unfortunately does matter to some people. Personally I don't get it & am more interested in the floorplan than what the current occupant has chosen to fill the house with.

RainingBatsAndFrogs · 11/03/2021 15:52

In mu numerous viewings I looked at:

Where is the kitchen and / or dining room table
Where would book cases go?
How many sofas / easy chairs can I fit facing the TV

Caspianberg · 11/03/2021 15:57

I think it would majorly declutter or store stuff elsewhere.

It’s ok saying you have kids so lots of stuff, but so might the potential buyers. And as a buyer myself with a child, I would want to see there is space to store all that crap easily without falling over it.