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.

Something a bit akin to staging has taken place at 1 The Village, in Cork’s Frankfield suburb.

Home furnishings store Meadows & Byrne recently used the house for a catalogue photo shoot, and so the place has been left full to the brim (or as brimful as a sleekly modern, clutter-free home should be) of the outlet’s furniture and accessories.

The place hit the market in February, unfurnished, at a price of €950,000. Now, with a second sales agent Ann O’Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald added to PropertyChoice and a sprucing up, the guide is €1 million, minimum, and you won’t be getting the furniture thrown in at that figure either.

There’s 2,800 sq ft of space over three levels, and up to six bedrooms, on a site of 0.2 of an acre in what is in effect a gated scheme of just four detached houses in the Parkgate development. The back garden is well-positioned for sun, and there’s an extensive deck area for al fresco dining.

Interior finishes include maple floors in the family room and dining room, an ash kitchen, built-in wardrobes in the bedrooms, tiled bathrooms, a dressing room off the master bedroom and a white marble fireplace in the lounge.

The dining room overlooks the back garden and opens to it via french doors.

Arches link in to the family room (with stone fireplace) to the front of the property, and to the kitchen/breakfast room to the rear.

On the plumbing front, there’s a utility room, guest toilet, main bathroom, second en suite bedroom at first floor level, plus another en suite shower room at second floor level. Heating is by gas, and Meadows & Byrne might even flog the furniture to you.