We went through a house move recently and, if you can afford it and has no kids (or at least they are not too young), PaulAm's suggestion of living in an apartment and renting storage is the best. We did that before having kids and it was an excellent transition, as we were able to relieve the pressure over choosing a new house while worrying about selling the older one. If you have little children like us (and other compounding issues such as allergies, etc.) and you can afford it, you might want to explore the option of buying your destination place before actually moving - this reduces the pressure to find a place as well and avoids the double move.
Empty/staged houses tend to have more appeal, but they may also show imperfections that are usually hidden behind your own furniture, appliances, rugs, etc., so keep in mind that some painting or wall cleaning might be in order.
Regarding the office/lab space, if you are able to keep it moderately populated with test gear and/or tools, that might help someone envision the whole space as a work or office space. Uncluttering the space (no wall-to-wall test gear and boxes, for example) usually does not prevent someone from having the perspective of using the room for an actual living area.
However, IME at the end of the day (and depending on how hot is your area or market), the price and the infatuation of the prospect buyers will count much more than any first impressions.
Good luck in your transition!