Staging a property- worth it?

[ChillinwiththeVillains]

We are thinking of selling our beautiful but chilly and impractical Edwardian terrace close to the centre of town (on street parking etc.). We would buy a larger modern house on the outskirts (but still walkable).
We have been very much living in our house for the five years since we bought it. Full of toys and books and all our stuff. Ikea wardrobes unattractively stuck to the walk. Have made fabric better (roof, security system, and electrics fixed) . But it was newly (badly) done up when we bought it for the most any house has gone for on our street. We planned to extend but now it looks like better value to pay for the space than to do thwork. Particularly if we compromise somewhat on location.
We will repaint and declutter by boxing as much stuff up as we can but debating the value of paying someone to style it for us. Or would we be better paying a carpentry to box in wardrobes etc.. Also need to hide dog but that is another story...
Do home stylers work on a % made basis or a flat fee. What kind of flat fee if so? Warwickshire. Property is almost south-east pricing (but more Kent than Surrey ball park if that helps give an idea of value)

Estate agents would know your area better but generally I would say as long as it's clean and decluttered

I wouldn't spend cash myself doing it up - yiu have no idea what the buyers would like

I hate staged properties it looks fake, clean and tidy and decluttered to me is enough

Just tidy up! Make sure tots are not strewn everywhere! No. Don’t build in wardrobes. Other people would prefer to start again to their taste. Or indeed not to have to rip them out! Declutter. Let people see the space and features.

But: repair obvious faults. Don’t think surveyors won’t notice or buyers will be happy with a house with obvious faults and the owner didn’t care. If houses sell quickly it’s possibly less of an issue but people really prefer to think owners care for their houses.

I meant a to say: show a dining area with a table. A sitting area with a sofa. Bedrooms with beds. Take out excess crap. Show off a lovely fireplace or windows!!

I hate staged properties as well, it makes me suspect that the owner is hiding something rather then just trying to sell the house they live in. Clean and tidy, decluttered enough for moving around and seeing all essential features.
E.g. I don’t want to move your boxes to see if there a socket near the bed. However if there was a socket I would forget about the necessity to move the box straight away.

So you would leave in slightly clunky wardrobes and amateur bookshelves (had proper wooden put in front room but DC room are just shelves her dad put up). But we should return the kids’ playroom to a dining room. as part of painting we will regrout shower etc.. . We can show we have maintained house in terms of improving fabric but we definitely don’t look very aspirational in terms of furniture etc.

and thank you. This is helpful. I am always shocked how little I am able to look past a house’s owners to its bones so wondered if others the same or better than me. Sounds like you are better!

I think staging to show how the house could be used can be helpful. Eg, show that an area can fit a dining table, show that a terrace could be a nice place to sit out by putting a chair there. But you can do that yourself. Staging in the sense of setting the table etc looks a bit desperate.

Ah okay, that makes sense. Yes I wasn’t thinking of national trust type tableaux, but it sounds like we should show that a table would fit or two side tables by bed etc.. thank you.

Yes, agree with PP. Show the rooms intended purpose.
Have. A dining table in the dining room , a bed in the bedroom etc but
Don't lay the table with all of your best crockery or buy /rent furniture just fir show.

I bought a couple of really nice tea towels and hand towels and a nice throw for each bed. We kept the house clean and tidy but when we had a viewing, I covered each bed with a throw and hung up the lovely hand towels and tea towels. We didn’t use them at the time but used them in our new home. I also kept the fruit bowl topped up and popped it on the dining table each time. We sold within a few viewings.

Personally I prefer to view an empty house. I know that is not possible if you live there but I'd declutter and pack up boxes and put into garage. The emptier a house is the more easy a potential purchaser can imagine their own things in house.

@ChillinwiththeVillains
Its perfectly ok to have ordinary furniture. Just don’t have stuff all over the floors and clutter with no obvious home. A bit worn around the edges is fine. Make rooms look as big as possible and make sure permanent fixtures are sound. No doors hanging off, wonky lights or door handles missing (for example!) Check every room but remember you won’t be wow and you’re not a show house. You are a lovely family house in a great location.

Thank you! Right, this all sounds very doable. I like the idea of nice throws. Have a few tucked away (in the piles of STUFF) so can easily keep one in each room and just throw over kids’ bedding. Also remembered that good friend’s actual job is to style hotels so will ask her if anything stands out as really annoying or toe stubby for a fresh pair of eyes. And thank you for reassurance about ordinary furniture. Was feeling a bit worried we’d make the hosue look not very aspirational but I guess if clean and uncluttered they can just think they would replace our wardrobes etc. with nicer ones!

Estate agent came today and pretty much agreed with what you had all said.
Sounds like there is a dearth of properties coming on so might go to market and sell but then be stuck waiting for a good house to buy. Hey ho.

Personally I wouldn’t spend money staging a property. Most people can see beyond others’ belongings and the house is a home so will reflect that.
Most important thing is that a house is clean, tidy and relatively clutter free. These are all things you can do yourself easily without spending a. Fortune!