Having problems selling your house? It's time to call in the home stagers - Mortgages, Money - The Independent

Having problems selling your house? It's time to call in the home stagers - Mortgages, Money - The Independent

The property market is yet to show signs of a spring in its step, at a time when sales usually pick up.

Although most homeowners will be reluctant to admit their properties are in need of a makeover, for anyone struggling to sell, a few cosmetic changes could make all the difference.

"Every single home – and type of home – in the UK has potential," says TV architect and home improvements expert George Clarke. "You may question this statement, looking around your existing home, wondering how it could be transformed but it is true. It is not the size that matters but the way you use your space."

Times are tough for sellers with house prices falling by 2.9 per cent over the past year, according to the latest figures from the Halifax, but a new breed of home-staging companies could be the answer. Home staging is an American phenomenon, as anyone who remembers House Doctor's Ann Maurice will know, but its premise is simple: you present your home in the best possible light to reel in the buyers.