Selling a home can be an emotional rollercoaster. For homeowners, the house often represents memories, family life, and personal style. But when it comes to putting your property on the market, emotions take a backseat. Professional home stagers understand that the goal is to help potential buyers envision themselves living in the space. This often means stripping away personal touches and clutter to create a neutral, inviting environment. Here are eight things home stagers always remove before a house goes on the market, and why doing so can dramatically improve your chances of a successful sale.
1. Personal Photographs and Family Memorabilia
It’s natural to want to display family photos, kids’ artwork, or vacation snapshots. However, these items are deeply personal and can subconsciously make buyers feel like they’re intruding on someone else’s life. Stagers remove:
- Framed family photos from living rooms, bedrooms, and hallways.
- Children’s drawings and crafts from refrigerators or walls.
- Memorabilia like trophies, awards, or collections that dominate the space.
Why it matters: Neutral spaces allow buyers to project themselves and their own belongings into the home. By removing personal artifacts, you transform the property into a blank canvas, making it easier for buyers to imagine calling it their own.
2. Excess Furniture and Overcrowded Rooms
While it might be tempting to keep every piece of furniture you own, overcrowding can make rooms appear smaller and less functional. Home stagers typically remove:
- Bulky or unnecessary furniture pieces.
- Duplicate seating like extra chairs in a living room.
- Oversized bedroom sets that dominate space.
Why it matters: Removing excess furniture opens up the floor plan, highlights the room’s dimensions, and improves traffic flow. Buyers often struggle to visualize the potential of a space when it’s cluttered, so less really is more.
3. Personal Toiletries and Bathroom Clutter
Bathrooms are one of the most scrutinized rooms in a home. Buyers will notice whether your bathroom is clean and well-maintained. Stagers always remove:
- Toothbrushes, toothpaste, and personal hygiene products.
- Razors, loofahs, and other daily-use items.
- Bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash cluttering counters.
Why it matters: A clean, minimalist bathroom feels like a spa retreat rather than a lived-in space. By removing personal items, you create a fresh, inviting environment that appeals to a wider audience.
4. Knick-Knacks and Over-Decorated Surfaces
While decorative items can add personality, too many small items on surfaces can overwhelm a room. Home stagers often clear away:
- Excessive decorative objects like figurines, vases, or trinkets.
- Seasonal or holiday decorations not relevant to the current season.
- Busy wall art or overly themed decor that distracts from the space.
Why it matters: Simplifying decor helps highlight architectural features, natural light, and room layout. A clutter-free home feels more spacious, allowing buyers to focus on the property rather than the objects in it.
5. Bold or Personalized Wall Colors
Paint is a powerful way to personalize a home, but bright or unusual colors can be off-putting to buyers. Stagers often recommend removing:
- Neon, dark, or highly saturated wall colors.
- Murals or themed walls (e.g., superhero, jungle, or sports motifs).
- Personalized stickers or decals, especially in children’s rooms.
Why it matters: Neutral colors like soft grays, beiges, and off-whites provide a calm backdrop that appeals to more people. Buyers are more likely to picture their own furniture and art against a neutral palette, which increases your chances of a sale.
6. Overgrown or Personal Garden Decor
First impressions start at the curb, and outdoor spaces are just as important as the interior. Stagers often remove:
- Overly personalized garden ornaments, statues, or religious symbols.
- Excessive furniture that clutters patios or decks.
- Unkempt planters or garden tools left visible.
Why it matters: A well-maintained and neutral outdoor space signals that the home is move-in ready. Buyers want to see potential for entertaining, gardening, or relaxing without feeling distracted by the current owner’s personal style.
7. Pets and Pet Items
While pets are part of the family, pet-related items can create concerns for potential buyers. Stagers recommend removing:
- Food bowls, litter boxes, and pet beds from common areas.
- Toys, cages, or tanks that dominate living spaces.
- Strong pet odors, which may be off-putting.
Why it matters: Some buyers have allergies, fear of animals, or simply want a home free of pet reminders. Minimizing evidence of pets makes the home more universally appealing and avoids turning off certain buyers.
8. Cluttered Closets and Storage Spaces
Closets are more than just storage—they reflect the capacity of the home to accommodate belongings. Stagers always declutter closets by removing:
- Excessive personal clothing, shoes, and accessories.
- Boxes, bags, or storage bins that spill into hallways.
- Seasonal items that crowd shelves and hanging space.
Why it matters: Organized, spacious closets signal ample storage, which is a major selling point. Buyers are drawn to homes where everything feels functional and well-planned, including the often-overlooked storage areas.
Bonus Tip: The Emotional Edge
Removing these items isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about creating an emotional connection. Buyers make decisions based on feeling as much as logic. A clean, neutral, uncluttered home allows them to envision their life unfolding in the space rather than feeling like they’re stepping into someone else’s story.
Many homeowners resist removing personal touches because it feels like erasing their identity, but temporary removal is an investment in selling success. Professional stagers know that strategic decluttering and depersonalization can shorten the time a home spends on the market and even increase its final sale price.
How to Implement These Changes
If you can’t hire a professional stager, you can still apply these principles yourself. Start by:
- Creating a staging checklist based on the eight categories above.
- Packing personal items into storage boxes or offsite locations.
- Neutralizing spaces with light-colored paint and minimal decor.
- Reorganizing furniture to create open floor plans.
- Deep cleaning every room, focusing on kitchens and bathrooms.
- Maintaining outdoor areas, trimming hedges, and tidying patios.
- Eliminating pet items and neutralizing odors.
Even small changes can make a huge difference in how buyers perceive your home. By carefully curating the environment, you’re not just selling a house—you’re selling a lifestyle.
Conclusion
Selling a home is as much about creating a vision as it is about showcasing a property. By removing personal photographs, excess furniture, bathroom clutter, knick-knacks, bold wall colors, personalized garden decor, pet items, and cluttered closets, you allow buyers to fully imagine themselves in your space. These subtle changes can increase the perceived value of your home, attract more potential buyers, and ultimately lead to a faster, more profitable sale.
Remember, the goal is to make the home feel inviting, spacious, and neutral enough for anyone to see themselves living there. Implement these staging tips, and you’ll transform your home from lived-in to market-ready, giving it the best possible chance to sell quickly and for top dollar.