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Home Staging…THIS is Why You’re Asked to Remove Personal Photos

Reblogger Roy Kelley
Industry Observer with Retired

You want buyers to spend time looking at your space and NOT your pictures.

 

Original content by Kathy Streib

Home Staging…THIS is Why You’re Asked to Remove Personal Photos

 

Most agents now understand and embrace the idea of staging a home for sale. Some have taken staging courses…often offered for CE credit. The general public is also aware of the concept of making a good first impression via home staging.

One of the first tasks agents and stagers give their sellers is this…remove all personal photos! 

This is true, but do you know why? Can you tell your clients why you’re asking them to do this?  Let me show you…



~You want buyers to look at your space and see themselves in it.

 With your family photos and pictures of Rover all around, your buyers are “visitors” or guests. It becomes hard for them to picture your house as their home. So, instead of seeing the home as a possibility…they are being a polite “guest.”

 

~You want buyers to spend time looking at your space and NOT your pictures.

True story…we were viewing a home to buy when we moved to Northern VA. In one home, my agent and I found ourselves forgetting about looking at the house because we were on the staircase staring at the large family picture as we tried to determine who everyone was…and “oh how cute!”  

 

Another home belonged to a former NFL assistant coach. Well… you know how I am about football. All of his photos and certificates were on the wall in the study. Can you imagine how long I was in that room!

~Too many can break the “rule” of staging. 

In staging a home, you don’t want your buyers doing the eye dance. That means that instead of focusing on a focal point in the room and drawing the buyer in, they don’t know where to look. 

 

~If you have children living at home, remove their pictures and anything with their names on it. 

You have no idea who will be viewing your home, so do not give them your child’s name and photo!

 

 

And THAT is why!

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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Posted by

Roy Kelley, Retired, Former Associate Broker, RE/MAX Realty Group

Gaithersburg, Maryland  

Show All Comments Sort:
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Please be sure to leave comments at the original blog post by Kathy Streib

Feb 15, 2025 05:47 AM
Ed Silva, 203-206-0754
Mapleridge Realty, CT 203-206-0754 - Waterbury, CT
Associate Real Estate Broker

Well worthy of a re-blog  

Sellers are so hesitant to remove personal info but when explained properly it hits home, and they agree. Especially when they have children.

Feb 15, 2025 07:42 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Back when I was an agent, I had people searching photos for people they knew. Since this is a small town, one of them actually found himself in a group photo.

They were not paying attention to the house! 

Feb 15, 2025 10:36 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Roy Kelley Kathy always has great advice to share, and this all makes sense, but I bet it is a major battle with some Sellers.

Feb 15, 2025 11:56 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Retired Home Stager/Redesign

Thank you, Roy for the reblog. 

Feb 15, 2025 01:07 PM
Gloria Todor
Premier Property Sales & Rentals - Springfield, PA
& Doug Durren (484) 431-3686 in SE PA

Roy, A very good re-blog.  Such import points for sellers to understand.

Feb 15, 2025 06:19 PM