Do you prefer to view a house furnished or empty?

[LearnerEarner]

I’m after some advice here, while preparing FIL’s house to sell.

DH and siblings have cleared the house completely, but I am wondering if it would be better with some furniture in, to give an idea of room sizes in the photographs.
Or does it not matter at all?

I prefer a furnished house as I struggle to visualise space. The rooms look much smaller in empty houses and I tend to underestimate what will fit in them. It doesn't need to be lots, but beds, sofas, dining set etc really help.

Basic furniture- a sofa and a bed - help people visualise the space much better on average so will make a sale easier

I prefer empty. But apparently some people just cannot connect to an empty house, whereas usually the people who prefer to see an empty house are able to imagine a furnished house with different furniture.

empty is fine but make sure it is clean and fresh smelling. I had to sell my late MILs house and my Parents house. Both times we cleared them and then got cleaners in and also put a couple of reed diffusers in. Open windows when ever you visit. An empty house very quickly gets musty and that is the thing that will put people off , marks on the paint work or dated wallpaper is ok

I agree with this view.

I personally think empty houses feel sad/gloomy and I'd prefer to see furnished houses.

isthismenopausalrage

That’s interesting, that staged sales get more viewings, and less reductions in price.

Wonder where the figures are for that?

I find empty spaces cold and unfriendly and struggle to visualise. But I’d rather an empty house than one that’s messy or decorated in a really horrid, dated, cluttered way.

I used to the love the TV programme House Doctor as she did this really well. Paint any crazy walls more neutral, declutter and show how spaces can be used instead of leaving the third bedroom filled with junk etc.

I am one of those idiots who struggles to figure out furniture if it’s empty. Anyway, EAs can digitally put furniture in these days. We were going to view one but it got sold inside a week. Personally I think it looks a bit naff but I was too stupid to tell! If you want to PM me I could see if I can find a link. The ad said some images had been digitally enhanced. So the furniture in them didn’t exist. Maybe that’s the best of both worlds? ‘Staged’ on the ad, empty in person.

All I could find was this, which is US.

https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/research-reports/profile-of-home-staging

Im not sure it really translates to UK housing. The responding US estate agents said they staged 25% of properties, so clearly more culturally normal? I would see staging in the UK or Ireland as indicative of a difficult property and/or a very expensive one.

Prefer to see it furnished to see where things fit, how previous owners arranged furniture etc to give a better idea of how the space works.

Empty

Yes, a friend just sold an empty house with digital furniture added in the photos. I found it hilarious, because the digital additions were high-end ‘tasteful grey’ horrors he’d have died rather than own himself, the EA was clearly aiming it at ‘professional family’, but it actually sold (incredibly, given the price) on location alone, to a family who are going to use it as an investment/student house for their children because it’s close to campus.

No idea how much variety there is in ‘styles’ of digital furniture. In fairness, it was actually interesting to see the space I’d known as a messy teenage bedroom full of dumbbells and death metal posters re-imagined as a ‘master bedroom’ with voiles and a four-poster.😀

Similar. The house had been blandwashed refurbed from head to toe, the furniture was generic guff you see on every American style DIY show from about ten years ago. Don't think it make the pics look any better, but it's somewhat helpful for idiots like me who can't figure out how big a room really is unless it's got a bed in it.