When you put your home on the market it is important to stage your home to attract potential buyers.  However, it can be quite difficult to make your home look like a model home while you are still living in it.  One way to do this is to declutter your home and store away items in order to make your home as appealing as possible.  You have to remember that potential buyers want to walk in and envision their things in your home, so too many personal touches or too much clutter can make it difficult for buyers to see themselves in the home.  The idea is to make your home clean, simple, and attractive so buyers feel like its cozy but can still imagine their own décor. Here are nine items that you should consider putting in storage while selling your home. 

1. Family Photos

   Buyers want to picture themselves in the house, so having your home adorned with family photos can make that difficult.  If around every corner they see pictures of you and your family, they won’t be able to easily imagine their own family in the home.  This also includes your gallery of kids’ paintings and artwork. 

2. Kitchen Appliances

   The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house for buyers so you want to have it in tip top shape.  Decluttering your kitchen counters and storing away all of the extra appliances such as blenders, mixers, and toaster ovens can make your kitchen appear much larger.  Clean counters are much more attractive and will make a huge difference when staging your home.

3. Knick-Knacks

   You should remove most items from shelves, bookcases, and on top of dressers.  It is acceptable to leave about 3 items per shelf for staging purposes but everything else should be stored away.  This includes books, frames, figurines, vases, etc.  Again, you don’t want to have too many personal touches in the home and you want the home to appear clean and clutter free.

4. Toys

   No one wants to walk into a home that is filled with toys.  It is perfectly acceptable to have a few toys neatly stowed away in a child’s bedroom, but certainly get rid of any toys in the living room, sitting room, and even the playroom.  You want potential buyers to see how versatile the home can be and cluttering a playroom with toys can make it difficult for buyers who might not have children.

5. Pet Toys

   It might seem insignificant but leaving Fido’s toys in the home can be a real turn-off for some buyers.  Old tennis balls, partially chewed bones, and squeaky toys are less than desirable for some people.  You don’t want to give the impression that you home is dirty or messy because of pets.

6. Furniture

   Go through each room in the house and examine the way the furniture is arranged.  Store away any pieces that wouldn’t be useful to other buyers or that take away from the features in the home.  You want your rooms to appear clean, open, and large so getting rid of excess furniture can really make a statement. 

7. Extra Clothes

   Spacious closets are a huge selling point so give your home an advantage by cleaning out those closets.  Store away any clothes or shoes that are not in season so your closets will appear larger and more organized. 

8. Exercise Equipment

   So your guest bedroom doubles as an exercise room?  While versatility can be a good thing, an exercise room will only appeal to a small window of buyers.   Instead, trade out the treadmill and weight bench for a nice guest bed.  Extra bedroom are more of a selling point than an exercise room.

9. Junk and Clutter

Don’t forget about hall closets, bathroom counters, drawers, the pantry, and the garage.  All of these areas are susceptible to gathering junk and clutter.  Remember that clean, organized, and spacious homes sell so you will want to pack up all of the junk before putting your home on the market. 

While it may seem like a bit of an inconvenience, decluttering your home and storing away these items will have a significant impact on how quickly your home will sell.  It is to your advantage to temporarily store these items in a storage unit until you move.  Once everything is clean, organized, and stored away you will be able to relax knowing that your home is showplace ready!