According to Troy Beasley, of Beasley & Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla. "People want the less cluttered look people see in magazines." as reported in by Jean Patteson in RISMEDIA June 25th, 2010. Even in rural Storm Lake Iowa we are seeing this reducing trend, people have always had problems seeing their things or themselves in someones space if the space wasn't pared down.
As a REALTOR I usually recommend sellers remove at least 30% of their things and sometimes 50% depending on the home. Homes are much easier to sell if they are sparsely furnished and staged prior to any pictures and any showings. Personally, I always feel 10 pounds lighter after purging closets of items I have never worn or will never wear again. I try to go through books, Christmas decorations, linens, cooking items, furniture, you name it at least annually. We almost all have too much stuff, and my mind set is if I haven't used it, worn it, looked at it, or read it within the last 12 months, someone else probably needs it more than I do. Go on my website www.weaverrealtors.com to find more information on how to get a property ready to sell.