Selling houses

Since I've been living at home, I've had access to Sky. Mostly, I've been watching the Living Channel & Food TV, with a little bit of CI & Discovery thrown in. One common Living Channel style program is to help out someone who is trying to sell a house but hasn't been able to.

Usually, the host merely needs to wander around and point out blindingly obvious things like the fact that the kitchen ceiling has a huge hole in it might be putting buyers off, and maybe they should fix it? And maybe they should consider updating the hideous psychedelic 70s brightly coloured patterned wallpaper that covers every wall and ceiling? Or that perhaps buyers would be more able to see themselves living in the house if the current owners didn't have tons of tacky crap pouring off every surface.

Seriously, isn't tidying up your house the absolutely fundamental first step you take before you take the photos to list your house for sale?

Apparently not.

This house is being sold privately. Perhaps telling people to tidy up stuff like this is how real estate agents earn their $10k+?