When estate agents tell sellers not to over-personalise their property, what do they mean? Here’s a real-life tale that explains all.

In the past decade, millions of Brits have snapped up home tech gadgets to monitor their kids, cats, dogs and deliveries. About one in five homes has a doorbell camera, while thousands more have pet CCTV or video baby monitors. With all this kit installed, it’s probably no surprise that some people have taken to using it for another purpose.

Property experts often advise sellers to style their home before they put it on the market. Go the extra mile with presentation, and buyers will be impressed by what they see and smell, or so the theory goes. But do the same styling rules apply to landlords hoping to attract top tenants to their buy-to-let?

The Bank of England meets tomorrow (Thursday 7 November) to set the official Bank Rate or base rate as it is also known. This is the rate that banks and building societies use to set the interest rates they charge borrowers.