Okay, I know we've all been horrified to see a picture of ourselves, taken unawares, that makes us look, well, not as fit and trim as we see ourselves. We think, "Do I really look that chubby?" It's not as if we don't see ourselves in the mirror everyday. But still, we can turn to get a better angle, hand on hip, and minimize our flaws in the mirror. That unposed shot exposes all our flaws.
My home sellers have the same problem. They see their house every day. They tend to see it in its best light. Those family photos evoke great memories. The lego mansion on the end table is their child's masterpiece. The formal dining table with all three leaves in fits the entire extended family at Thanksgiving, even if it fills the entire formal dining area so that you can't walk around it.
Lately, I've learned to have my sellers take pictures of the rooms of their house well before we plan to list. Then, as objectively as possible, I have them see if there is any clutter they can eliminate. Maybe they can take out the a leaf or two of the formal dining table so that the room looks spacious. Maybe those black-out curtains should have come down 10 years ago. Or twenty. Please, let's take them down!
I have them look at pictures of the homes they'll be competing against. No clutter. No toys. Lots of light through the undraped windows. If the pictures tell the story, it makes my job easier!
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