CHAPTER 7 The Three Ds
DEPERSONALIZE
Staging prepares the home for potential buyers; you should encourage them to visualize living in the house itself, rather than perceiving it as YOUR space. Depersonalizing the home involves removing personal items such as
family photos, trophies, and collectibles. Knick-knacks and wall decor are also taste-specific items that may distract buyers from seeing the home as theirs. Most potential buyers won't appreciate your beer can collection, antique kitchen accessories, overstuffed closets, VHS/CD/DVD/record collection, or general clutter. Simplify and neutralize your home as if it were a model home because that’s exactly what it is while it’s on the market. Pack and store your treasured items out of sight. Keep personal information and valuable items in inaccessible locations. Consider renting a monthly storage unit until your home sells. Investigate the price of "pod" or other portable storage units in your area. The moving company delivers the storage units, you fill them, and they pick them up and move them to your new location when the time comes. If renting storage is cost- prohibitive or impractical, confine the boxed items to one room. Sometimes sellers load up their garage, but that can make the garage space look pretty limited to potential buyers. Make your home a clean, welcoming, blank canvas upon which any buyer can visually paint their dreams. It should NOT feel 44
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