Now it's beginning to work! Luv the rug! A few more red showstoppers, and I luv the post about matting your family pic, and larger frame for it. Looks like you might be a bit uncomfortable with the great post idea of moving your sofa out into the room away from wall. If so, could you accept putting it diagonally from the entrance doorway, across that corner where it is, stopping at the edge of your window? That's a bit of a move outward, still can see the fp and tv, and show off your new rug, which could go diagonally in front of the sofa. Then, if you like that, after a while you could move it on out as Deb K suggests. Sometimes intermediate steps are more doable for us than those big changes.Same with painting; if you could first paint just the fp wall, then later paint other walls...seems some color would really make it more homey. Would you cosider a quite contemporary fixture for the light in the center ceiling? Maybe a bit of red could go there!

Hi everyone, we have moved in! We didn't manage to paint before we moved and think we will go for a staged approach - above the wood panels first in a warm white then decide on the panels. I'm having a bit of trouble working out what kind of sofa to buy and how at arrange the lounge. All furniture except coffee table temporary in photos and would love some ideas!

Low ceilings = flush lights. Before you purchase carpet get 5 or 6 agents round to value. Ask each for their opinion on what they think will appeal best. Ask them if you could get away with just laying underlay. For the wow factor make sure your budget is spent on items that you can take with you - think a huge 6fx3ft mirror, a bright modern art print, a mirrored console table etc. No need to splash out much just one item in a room or two to indicate wow. A patio table and chairs in the garden are also needed for the selling photos as they will help the buyer to see scale and the garden will appear more homely. A bowl of fruit in a chrome wire bowl in the kitchen will also add wow - stage with green apples and yellow lemons for example. So, to sum up the spend on 'wow' should be limited and only to what you take with you. As for the estate agents some of them do try very hard to give good sales advice so when you book them to value explain that the property is being flipped and you would welcome any ideas on how to present it. You may be surprised at what they suggest.

This made me laugh: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/09/seagull-turns-orange-after-falling-into-vat-of-chicken-tikka-masala I couldn't copy the picture, but it's hilarious.