Whenever I’m talking with a client about getting their home ready for listing and showings, I often hear the question “Do I really need to take down all my family pictures?” Or a similar question related to their favorite collection of things. The answer is YES and here’s why.

When you’re selling your house, you have to remember who you are catering to: THE BUYER. And we (seller/home) are trying to make a very good first impression with THE BUYER. It’s just like when you go to buy a car. The dealership will clean every nook and cranny of the car, make it smell good, touch up the paint, and then put it in a clean and shiny showroom with bright, crisp lights. The end result is a car that looks amazing to the BUYER. Or you go shopping at your favorite store, and everything inside is beautifully displayed. The visual cues in that store appeal to all your senses (and of course you buy something). LOL!

The same principles apply to selling your home. Just like you wouldn’t want to test drive a car with someone else’s stuff in the cup holder or stuff in the passenger seat, home BUYERS also don’t want to see your “things” (especially personal items like photographs and collections) when they tour a home. They want the “showroom” wow factor.

Is it hard to live like your home is a model home? Yes, but is it worth it!! We can’t change a buyer’s psychological response to personal items and extra “stuff” in our homes, but we can control how buyers will view our homes by temporarily removing our personal items and de-cluttering. So grab some boxes and start packing. You’re moving anyway, so why not start now and make buyers fall in love with your home.