Struggling to sell your home? Perhaps you’re just not showing if off to its best potential. One Shropshire couple think they may be able to offer some help. Cathy Stanworth learns some tricks of the trade.

We’re all aware that the property market is in the doldrums, with falling prices and a shortage of buyers making it a nightmare for sellers.

Yet people still have to move, whether it’s to relocate for work or to get a bigger home for their growing family. And they have to be prepared to do much more than normal with ‘home sweet home’ to clinch that ever-elusive sale.

Shropshire property experts Michael and Belinda Palfrey, of Property Staging UK, believe buyers are no longer looking for homes to renovate, as the mortgages to fund them are simply no longer there.

People who are buying want immaculately maintained and decorated properties that offer a lifestyle choice that they can simply move into, they say.

But people are often too polite to tell you that you should really tidy up that pile of laundry in the corner, pack away your mountain of china figurines and get rid of Fido’s doggy smells.

And this is where “home stagers” Belinda and Michael come in.

They set up their business two years in Gloucestershire, and relaunched it when they moved into their new home in Willey, near Broseley, at the start of the year.

Belinda, 48, is a trained home stager and interior designer who has a background in estate agency, and 38-year-old Michael is an expert in property maintenance who runs his own business.

Having 30 years of experience in the property market, they decided to join forces into formidable team, helping homeowners by coming in and telling them straight what they can simply and cheaply do to show their biggest asset off at its best and get a quicker sale.

Belinda says: “Homes not presented properly will command considerably less than other properties in the area. Savvy home sellers have now realised that by creating the right impression, it will not only entice more buyers through the door, but will achieve a faster sale, with the potential to secure a significant financial return.”

Belinda claims home staging is not a pricey option. She and Michael don’t expect their customers to spend thousands, arguing that a few hundreds can make all the difference between getting that sale or not.

She says: “You don’t need to replace existing furniture, we re-style using the furniture you already have, giving it a refreshing new look and style. People purchase with logic, but buy with emotion. Staging your property to sell will create that special place buyers want to call home.”

However, if your sofa is so old and tatty that it’s got springs popping out of it, Belinda and Michael can sort things through their furniture rental system. They have accessories in storage that people can use in the house while the For Sale board is up.

Property Staging UK also co-ordinates associated trades that might be needed, such as cleaning, house clearances, general maintenance, flooring and decorating through its membership with Business Network International.

Belinda says homeowners can think their home is fantastic just as it is, but outsiders, especially would-be buyers, might have a different opinion. And she says if you have two identical houses next to each other for sale at the same price, and one needs work doing to it, while the other does not, it’s common sense that the one in the best condition will be chosen.

“I know how embarrassing it can be, from my estate agency days, to show people round a house that’s dirty and untidy. It’s about making sure that everything looks neat and tidy and clean, and, as you’re moving, you want to pack up anyway.”

Belinda says she would rather help sellers before they put their house up for sale, rather than having to relaunch it: “That tells people there’s a problem.”

An initial consultation with the Property Staging pair lasts around two hours. “There are two sorts,” she says. “They can come with a verbal report at £75 or a written one at £195, which I can normally turn around in 24 hours. The written report doesn’t just tell them what needs doing, but how to do it.”

Home owners can use the information to go ahead and get the work done themselves, or employ Belinda and Michael to do it for them. Every report also contains a personalised guide called “Essential things you need to know to sell your home in 30 minutes or less” which contains tips for presenting the property and conducting viewings.

Belinda then liaises with the estate agent to get new photographs taken, and hosts an open day.

“We do believe we are the estate agent’s secret weapon,” she adds.

“And we have been recommended to clients by estate agents. In the current market if you want to sell then your house has got to look fantastic, and, for a small investment you can maximise the potential of your property. We know it works.”

* More details are available at www.propertystaginguk.com