Realtor/homeowner Patricia Hanly has a collection of 350 teapots, most of them English and nearly all bought from the potters who crafted them in various villages all over Great Britain. She’s reluctantly packed away all but about a dozen in preparation for the sale of her cottage-style home on Bougainvillea Street in Sarasota. She and husband/Realtor Tom Hanly did the same with family photos, paintings, 150 pieces of vintage Louis Vuitton luggage and many of the European antiques that characterize the home’s interior design.
They’ve banished clutter, even though they personally don’t view their treasured home accessories as clutter.“People coming in to view a home for sale want to be able to project themselves into the space and see how they might live in it,” said Patricia Hanly. “They have trouble doing that if there is too much of the current owners’ personality and possessions in the way. Clear out more than you think is necessary.”Her husband Tom adds to the advice he gives to clients preparing a home to go onto the market. “Fix every single thing in your house big and small before the for-sale sign goes up,” he cautioned.
Source: Take it from the pros