Converting from Living Condition to Selling Condition

If you've ever been on the market for a home, what caused you to say "No, not this one." There may be clear reasons such as the size or layout of the home, but it's also quite possible that other factors contributed to your negative view: hidden factors not readily apparent.
Let's say a buyer walks into a home and spots a collection of soccer trophies on the mantel, a large assortment of family photographs, ranging from formal to playful group shots, souvenirs from your last family vacation, pictures of the family dog, and other personal items. What happens to buyers when they spot these items?
They're distracted. They focus on the clutter and not on the layout of the home and its architectural advantages. If they've viewed several homes that day, they have trouble remembering which house is which.
More importantly, buyers may have trouble imagining their personal items in the same setting because the home is so obviously an expression of its present owners.
But of course personal items are there, you say. The owners still live there, why not?
The catch is that when you place your home on the market, it's no longer your home; it's a property to be sold. The result is that you've got to take out the emotion content -- the ties to you and you memories.
Why depersonalize? So buyers can "see" the home as it will look with their possessions.
You may have to rent storage space -- and it may be discomforting -- to depersonalize, but remember that your goal is to sell quickly and with the best possible price and terms.

Article by Courtney Ronan for realtytimes.com

Shannon White, allied member ASID of Shannon White Interior Design, St. Louis, MO, 314-315-0768, swhiteid@yahoo.com.