Surround
Yourself
with the things you love…
until it’s time to sell
It’s not that your things aren’t beautiful.
By Lisa Hannah-Leff
When I meet with sellers, there’s one conversation I know can sting a little. It’s the moment I say the house needs to be neutralized. Edited. Most of what’s on the shelves, the counters and the walls packed away.
Sometimes people hear that as “your stuff isn’t good enough.” It’s not that at all. Your things are beautiful. They’re the reason your house feels like yours.
Surround yourself with the things you love. That’s what a home is for. But the day your house goes on the market, it starts doing a different job. It has to let someone else walk in and picture their life there: their favorite things, their own pieces on the walls, their people around the table.
That’s hard to do in a room that’s already full of someone else’s story.
When a room is packed, people don’t think, “What a great collection.” They think, “Where would our things go?” An overstuffed home reads as a home without enough space, even when the square footage is generous. A pared-down room feels bigger, brighter and ready to move into.
Clear the surfaces. Kitchen counters, coffee tables, nightstands and dressers. A lamp and one beautiful thing is plenty.
Put away the personal. Family photos, collections, kids’ artwork, diplomas. You’ll unpack them in your next home.
Edit the furniture, and pull it off the walls. If needed, taking one or two pieces out of a room can open it up more than you’d expect. Want to know a secret? Most people think pushing furniture against the walls makes a room look bigger. It actually does the opposite, and it interrupts the flow and the warmth of the space. Float your sofa and chairs into a cozy grouping instead. (Part of my services includes helping you present your home in the best light, so if you need help with furniture placement, I’ve got you!)
Potential buyers open everything. They want to make sure their things will fit. Half-empty closets say “there’s space for you here.”
Here’s the good news: you’re moving. Everything you box up now is one less thing to pack later, so you’re simply getting a head start.
And if you’d like a second set of eyes, I’m happy to walk through your home with you and help decide what stays out and what gets a box.
Your favorite things aren’t going anywhere. They’re coming with you, to a home where they’ll look beautiful all over again.
Lisa