When you're getting ready to list your home for sale, you may be eager to not only declutter it, but to also remove many personal effects. Many real estate agents advocate doing so in order to make the home look less like yours. The premise behind this idea is that if a prospective buyer looks around the house and can't picture himself or herself in it due to a surplus of personal effects, the buyer may decide not to make an order. Conversely, you don't want to remove every personal element to the point that the house looks cold or inhospitable. Here are some tips for juggling these two concepts.
Remove Excessive Family Photos
One effective way to make the real estate for sale look less like "yours" and more like a home that anyone might be able to buy and live in is to remove the bulk of your family photos. This is especially the case if you have a family room or hallway in which much of a wall is covered in framed photos. Removing these pieces will also help to make the area look bigger and tidier, which is helpful. Don't remove all the photos, though — a few family photos in areas such as the master bedroom are suitable.
Take Down Items That Are Uniquely Personal
You want any prospective buyers who visit your home to picture themselves living there, so it's important that the home isn't filled with items of a uniquely personal nature. For example, if you have a unique taste in art and have several pieces hanging around the house, these may get in the way of the buyer picturing himself or herself living in your home. Similarly, children's artwork on the fridge or even framed and hung on the wall is best to remove before people start to visit your home.
Decorate In More Of A Universally Acceptable Manner
When a house is decorated to suit the owner but not necessarily the masses, it can be hard for buyers to overlook such details. This is the time to consider whether the overall look inside your home is widely suitable. If not, it's time to make some changes. For example, you might like lavender, this color of paint on the living room walls won't likely be the taste of many of the prospective buyers who consider your home. In such a scenario, repainting the living room to more of a neutral shade will help people imagine themselves in the space.
