Your realtor has just told you that you need to take down the family portrait that hangs over the fireplace. The stager wants you to remove all the wedding photos in silver frames that you have arranged on the table in the family room, and by the way, that collection of masks and embroidered wall hangings that you’ve collected on your travels also must go.
“But why?” you wail, “I love all those things. It’s what makes the house our home!” Exactly – it’s what makes the house YOUR home, not the next owner’s. Buyers need to be able to envision THEIR lives in the house, not yours.
Your home is likely filled with many very personal items that are unique, special and important to you and your family. To prepare your home for selling, you want to remove your personality so that potential buyers can visualize how their own personality will look in your house. To make it easy for them to do this, you need to go through your home and pack up or put away all your personal items. This is the process of de-personalizing your home.
Here are 7 tips to get started on the process.
1. Prepare yourself emotionally.
This is often the most difficult step for home sellers. For most people, putting away personal items such as family photos and collectables in preparation for selling is a very emotional process. This is why the first step in de-personalizing is to prepare yourself emotionally.
2. Remove personal photos and family portraits.
Go all through your home and take down photos, paintings or images hanging on walls or set on counter tops. This includes and especially applies to large framed portraits so don’t be selective. If needed, [ Read More]
