How to stage your home to sell it: 'Approach getting a house ready for sale like a Tinder date'

We consult Cork estate agent Maeve McCarthy to find out the best ways to stage a property to sell it 

This living room is characterful without blocking the proportions and beauty of this space. Remember where you do replace truly jaded furniture it is more than likely coming with you. Roxie two-four-seater, €1229, dfs.ie.

PROPERTY prices nationwide are in flux, and with that comes increasing pressure to make your home stand out in a slowing market. Could similar homes have the edge, keeping your greatest asset lingering on the books of your agent for an uncomfortable length of time? A bridging loan nipping at your heels? What we don’t want is to offer a house or apartment that shouts out “wiggle room” to the viewer with poorly presented spaces and clearly neglected maintenance issues.

Estate agent Maeve McCarthy is part of a thriving generational business in Skibbereen at Charles McCarthy Estate Agents, Auctioneers & Valuers. Managing the aspirations of buyers and expectations of sellers, I asked her about staging, that promise of a lifestyle often shrouded by many years of settling into these rooms and grounds. Is deliberate, theatrical preparation a lot of puff or can careful staging really influence and hasten a sale?