Curtain rises on stage fever

STAGING houses is now all the rage, especially at the upper ends of house sales. You’ve seen in on the telly, you see it in some bigger house sales, and it is going to become more common.

Simply put, you pay someone to come in, declutter your home, strip out the tat and the sentiment, lash in some posh furniture, swirls of creamy paint and large floral displays. Throw in a few glossy house mags, coffee table books and a few lifestyle extras.

It often works: the house looks great, viewers get to imagine themselves living shiny magazine lives, the stager gets a fat fee and the vendor reaps the profit.