Presenting a house for sale; are these deal breakers?

[KatyMac]

We have a bog standard 3 bed terrace

If we were to out it on the market would these be a deal breaker for the average purchaser?

1. currently using the through lounge as a bedroom (disability)
2. there for the kitchen diner is a little full of sofa and table & chairs
3. the conservatory is a workroom
4. caravan on one half of the drive

I could move upstairs short-term & turn the rooms back to 'normal' use, it would be annoying/somewhat painful but doable

I could rent a space for the caravan

I could put the workroom back upstairs

And I could also pay for storage to make everything more streamlined

How do I prioritise? And which would be worth doing?

I think that all of those are worth doing. Do them all. Can’t you just leave the caravan on a friend’s drive while the EA photos are being taken and for viewings, rather than renting it a space, if money is an issue?

Hmm i don't have a friend with a drive locally, let me think

I do think putting crap in storage is worth it, the alternative is putting it in the attic which means getting it out again, which is tricky with my disability

I have thinning it all out & decluttering extensively but there is so much

Yep do all that! You have to pack eventually and this is a good opportunity to get rid of crap - don’t just shove it into storage.
People are bad at envisioning rooms - a living room should be a living room. And using your conservatory as a workroom and having a crowded kitchen just shows how short of space you are!

If I rented a garage I could use the spare space for boxes/excess furniture maybe?

We aren't short of space really - I have 3 unused rooms upstairs which I struggle to access because of the stairs

Do you mean your home is something like this ?
https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/170598149#/?channel=RES_BUY

i.e. unable to tell which room is the bedroom, which room is the living room etc. as according to the floor plan it's a one bedroom property...

it sticks in my mind as it's been up for sale before, different agents etc.

Don't waste money on renting a garage for storage, get rid. get a house clearance company in if necessary.

Having just been through this, and seen what the property market is like, I would definitely do all of those things.

We were told to think that the person looking around had no imagination at all and that we had to make each room’s function really obvious. Even if you don’t keep it like that the whole time, make sure it looks as clear as possible for the photos.

In the age of Right Move scroll selling, the photos are key. Good luck.

All of it if possible?

Difficult to perhaps achieve due to disability though.

For pictures for sure remove the caravan and the bedroom down stairs- could it be tidied to look more like a day bed/sofa?

Ditto for the conservatory- some half decent de cluttering and storage so it looks like a calm work space or a second living space?

It has 3 bedrooms upstairs, only one of which has a bed! & a bathroom

Downstairs it has a large knocked through lounge which is our bedroom & a large extended kitchen which is our lounge & a conservatory

Can you put all the crap in the caravan at least?

I tend to look at floor plans more than photos, but I guess your photos would be a bit off putting.

We don't use all of our rooms as intended and I absolutely would set them up as well as possible for viewings and definitely for the photos.

For the bedrooms without a bed I would absolutely get something bed shaped in there - boxes with a large duvet over them, really cheap folding beds, etc.

It seems a bit much but it's a difficult market here. Have you seen what is selling around you?

the last house of this size to go on the market in this road was this house in 2017

So the market is a bit all over the place

renting if we sell is an option

Im only getting rid of things I dont use, I am not a minimalist!!

Caravan is my working vehicle so it goes out most weekend Mar-Oct so I cant really store things in it - I'm totally a floor plan person but I get so cross when they get it wrong

Good idea about boxes with a bedspread!

Is it ok to have the 3rd bedroom set up as a hobby room?

God lifes a bugger

I can make 2 bedrooms Kingsize and double easily enough, 3rd room is my workspace (DH is devastated his gym is becoming dual purpose with a bed!!)

then downstairs I have a huge lounge with 3 seater, 2 seater, dresser - no TV
corner unit shelves and a small decorative desk

The kitchen has 2 armchairs, tv small round table & 3 chairs

Conservatory is a bit of a futility room - washing machine, spare freezer, maybe another table?

Attic is fully boarded out, carpeted with an actual staircase from the cupboard in the workroom (like Narnia without the coats) - can that be described as a hobby room?

Thanks for all everyone's suggestions I'm starting to feel a plan coming on

If you want to achieve the best price for your property then you have to present it as best you can. Make it somewhere 'aspirational', it sounds a great sized family home. But still on the whole 'kitchens and bathrooms' sell houses, so make sure they at least look very clean and very functional.

DH is less than pleased but agrees with you all!!😂🙄 I've suggested he does the deep cleaning - its his arra of expertise, while I do loads of minor diy to do as well - good job we are starting to think about it early

Bathroom is sleek and fairly minimal - kitchen is quirky and niche!

But being disabled I just need too much stuff easily accessible - so the ground floor is full & upstairs less so

Reason for move is to make all rooms on the same level - so flat/bungalow & more accessible - such a shame as we have only been here 8ish years but things change

Also making lists of furniture we don't use anymore - like filing cabinets & do we really need DVDs and CDs?

Yes definitely do everything suggested. You have to present as if buyers have no imagination whatsoever because quite often they don't.

I’d get rid of the CDS and DVDs but then I have moved so many times over ten years I am good at parting with things.

It’s a good opportunity to pare everything down. Fresh start.

We had a really challenging market (competing with other houses). We did all you suggest: stuff and furniture into storage, made rooms clearer and v uncluttered, basically it was like living in an Airbnb. Am so glad we did: we sold at full asking price within ten days. We really needed to sell urgently and didn’t mess around.

Yes ours isn't urgent but control is good

The more time I spend upfront/before the easier the move as well

I will struggle sleeping upstairs but I have a sofa bed so that might work

Realistically you are going to need to pack up everything when you sell anyway, so pack it once and move it out to storage. Don’t under estimate how off putting clutter is to people. Less stuff will help your sale.

Caravan needs to be out of sight for photos at least and ideally for viewings. Good luck with the sale, it will be tough but press on!

None of those things would bother me. Clean and without clutter is good though.