Selling a home now demands erasing all signs of human habitation

Estate agents require sellers to hide toiletries, toilet paper, and teenagers to create a hotel-like appearance for viewings.

• Zoe Williams wrote that agents now require homes to appear as if nobody lives there, with bookshelves arranged by size rather than reader preference.
• An estate agent reportedly told Williams that visible coffee stains on a house suggest unaddressed issues like subsidence or electrical hazards.
• Williams stated that agents expect sellers to hide toilet rolls and dog beds, and to remove teenagers from the home during viewings.
• Williams noted she must bring a friend to tidy before appointments, as she cannot create the "air of calm elegance" buyers desire.