Money latest: £1 lottery ticket promise in doubt; hint that UK rental market is about to change; is it cheaper to wash up or use a dishwasher? | UK News

By Bhvishya Patel, from the Money team

It started as an American trend but it’s now gaining a following. In a struggling housing market, a growing number of sellers are calling in home stagers to help impress buyers and speed up their sale.

Home staging involves redecorating, rearranging, cleaning and other strategies to present the home in the best light – but it doesn’t come cheap.

We spoke to five home stagers across the country, all of who charge at least £2,000 for a one-bed flat – and this could multiply several times depending on how bare the place is and how long the contract lasts.

For a three-bed, no one we spoke to quoted less than £3,000 – and often far more if a house is empty. At the higher end of the market, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect an invoice for between £15,000 and £25,000.

Elaine Penhaul, founder of the award-winning home staging company Lemon and Lime Interiors and author of Sell High Sell Fast, told the Money blog that estate agents and developers are beginning to understand they need to get all three elements in marketing correct – pricing, presentation and promotion.

“It is something that has been regarded as unnecessary or thought of as an American fad. We have a bizarre relationship with properties in this country where we think people can just see past the clutter,” Ms Penhaul says.

“And if people can see past somebody else’s clutter, the clutter gives a very strong message that the seller doesn’t care about the house. It gives that very strong message on a subliminal level, it’s very off-putting.”

Ms Penhaul says staging could have a “significant financial impact”. Which, of course, she would say – so we spoke to leading estate agents to get their views on whether it’s worth the cost.

Sarah Bennett, an associate in Knight Frank’s Battersea and Riverside office, says she now recommends her clients look at home staging if they can afford it.

“We tend to find that many buyers lack imagination when it comes to layout and interior design. If a property is completely bare or conversely, very cluttered, buyers struggle to picture themselves living there,” she says.

Buyers were increasingly looking at Instagram and Pinterest: “They are used to seeing beautifully staged properties and want to be wowed when they walk through the door.”

Steve Brown, from Winkworth’s Blackheath office, has a similar view.

He says: “We have seen very strong selling prices from properties that have been staged and having offers from competing buyers can generate a price 2-5% above an asking price, which at average price levels locally is £10,000-£25,000, but can easily be six figures at the higher end of the market.”

Friends Jane Cooper and Sharon Johnston, who started their business Dressed2Sell together in 2003, say that as a guide, they quote under 1% of the asking price – meaning there are potentially big gains.

Ms Cooper says: “I think other countries have been a few steps ahead of us. In the States and Australia the home staging thing is much more a part of the culture.”

Now, though, they’re seeing an uptick – especially among sellers who want to “get the best price in the quickest time”.

One question all this poses is why people can’t just stage their own homes?

“We know what works,” says Ms Cooper. “We know what will make a good photograph online, the colours that will pop and the layout that will look right.”

“We want all the dash with less of the cash. We’ll buy something that looks like it has come from Hales but really it will come from Matalan.”

Stager Emma Deterding, founder of Kelling Designs, based in London, says people probably could stage a home themselves, but “bringing in a professional is better because they walk in and they know exactly how a house should work”.

The industry has been boosted by TV shows such as the LA-based real estate drama Selling Sunset.

Natalie Fernbach, who runs the home staging company Cullum Design, says she has never been busier: “I do wonder if shows like Selling Sunset help – it makes the concept more familiar. For estate agents it’s hugely beneficial if clients do it.”

We also spoke to Lucy McLaren, who set up her London-based business Staging By Lucy in 2019. Again, she stresses that staging could have quick results.

“I just did a project for a client, she is an investor. I put the furniture in there and she sold the cottage to the first viewer – they offered the full asking price so it’s definitely worth it. That was with it being on the market for just over a week.”

For those concerned about the cost, recent years have seen technology develop a cheaper, less time-consuming alternative to home staging.

Mr Brown, from Winkworth, explains: “For vacant properties, virtual staging is a great way of helping potential buyers visualise the space and also get a far better response in generating viewings.

“CGIs of furniture and interior accessories can be used to give buyers inspiration on how their home could look.”

If CGI isn’t available, and home staging is out of a seller’s budget, he has five tips:

• Tidy up and get rid of that clutter for both photos and viewings, and prioritise repairs to your property;
• Have your property photographed in the best possible weather and light, even if it means photographing it a few months early;
• Try to make the rooms look lived in but spacious and tidy; 
• Ensure that before each viewing, curtains are open and that natural light in the rooms is maximised. Anything blocking windows should be move;
• Mirrors are a great way of getting light into the property. 

Ms Bennett, from Knight Frank, says very personal items or anything too quirky should be removed – and things like fresh flowers, mood lighting and scented candles can help.