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Selling a House? THIS is Why IT Matters.

By
Home Stager

Selling a House? THIS is Why IT Matters.

 

Ask any agent and they’ll tell you the Number One concern they see when listing a house is that there’s too much stuff!

 

More often than not, when an agent refers a client to me, they add this phrase: "They need to declutter. There’s too much!"

When the concept of home staging was introduced, homeowners feared the D word (Declutter). To some, it was a personal affront to their decorating style. Or like a child who spilled their milk and was now being confronted by a parent, they were ashamed or embarrassed. 

 

On a few staging consultations, the agent accompanied me, and the first words out of their mouths were “You need to get rid of everything.” 

 

It may be true, but what helped me ease clients into the editing process was taking the time to explain why editing is so important.

~Too much of anything can be a distraction. 

It’s not what you have but how much. You want to avoid making your buyers do the eye bounce.  

 

What is that? When there’s so much to see, they can’t focus on anything and end up seeing nothing.

 

~Buyers expect it now.

After years of cable staging shows that turned occupied homes into model homes, buyers have higher expectations. 

And…most agents use a professional photographer for their MLS photos. Gone (hopefully) are the days of grainy pictures of a full garbage can in the kitchen!

~A well-edited space is calming

When we walk into our homes, we want to feel calm. Our home is our oasis. Buyers can sense this, and it adds to the emotional connection they’ll have with the property. 

 

Telling someone “why” is often all you need to get them to do what you want.

 

Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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for Houston & Harris Counties
and
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Comments(27)

Show All Comments Sort:
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

So many little things add to NOT leaving money on the table. De-Clutter, fresh touch up or paint, pulling all the weeds and making the first impression last, taking down what makes the home personal to YOU, not the buyer. I HATE leaving money on the table.

May 08, 2025 06:07 AM
Kathy Streib

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty I'll bet you do. A neighbor made a last minute decision to sell her home. She had already gone up north for the summer so she had her agent sell it just as it was. While she always kept it updated, etc, there's a lot she could have done. We always felt she left money on the table. 

May 08, 2025 05:14 PM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Kathy,

There is so much written today about when you sell you must edit your things that many sellers get it! The big take away from your post, is your are right "A well edited space is calming" and buyers are attracted to this feeling!

May 08, 2025 06:19 AM
Kathy Streib

Dorie Dillard Austin TX Your stager does an excellent job on your properties. They are always picture perfect. 

May 08, 2025 05:15 PM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Kathy - as I have often repeated, how we live in our homes is quite different than when that property goes on the market.  In the eyes of many buyers, it's a house for sale - competing against other houses.  That mental move in thinking is an important first step in moving forward.  

May 08, 2025 06:44 AM
Kathy Streib

You are spot on Michael Jacobs Sellers need to learn to think of their home as a house to be marketed. 

May 08, 2025 05:16 PM
Hannah Williams
HomeStarr Realty - Philadelphia, PA
Expertise NE Philadelphia & Bucks 215-820-3376

Kathy Streib This is so true decluttering makes all the difference 

May 08, 2025 10:11 AM
Kathy Streib

Hannah Williams exactly and it's one of the least expensive things a seller can do. 

May 08, 2025 05:16 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Kathy it is so easy to accumulate stuff, BUT oh so difficult to part from it.

May 08, 2025 01:07 PM
Kathy Streib

George Souto you're not kidding. And, wouldn't you know, after our moves, when we think we've gotten rid of a lot of "stuff" we end up getting more. 

May 08, 2025 05:17 PM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
Retired Broker/Owner - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Right on the mark Kathy!  I used to find it interesting when I'd run into a seller that clearly needed to 'git rid of stuff'!  I learned early on to address them in a couple of ways........Is your wish to get the best ROI possible in this market or do you just want to be on the market in the condition it's currently in?  Or.....think of it this way.....this is no longer your house  so let's take out the personality (junk) and get the home  ready for the new owners.   Worked every time!

May 08, 2025 04:14 PM
Kathy Streib

I agree with you Anna "Banana" Kruchten When you spell it out for sellers, they get it.  When sellers understand that it can cost them money, they see the light. 

May 08, 2025 05:19 PM
Lew Corcoran
Better Living Real Estate, LLC - East Bridgewater, MA
Expert guidance. Exceptional results.

Thanks for sharing these valuable tips, Kathy Streib. Your insights really hit home—especially how a little 'editing' can make such a big difference in creating that calming, inviting space. Grateful for your share and the reminder to focus on what matters most! 😊🏡

May 08, 2025 05:00 PM
Kathy Streib

Lew Corcoran your posts on the importance of staging as well as professional photos are excellent. 

May 08, 2025 05:20 PM
Joan Cox
House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO
Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Kathy, I often need to suggest removing some things, but still want the property to look warm, lived in, and a place where the buyer can see themselves living.

May 08, 2025 05:10 PM
Kathy Streib

Joan Cox there's a happy balance, isn't there. 

May 08, 2025 05:21 PM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

I so agree with you about a calming atmosphere. Clutter creates chaos. Less is truly much better.

May 08, 2025 05:17 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

To put it one way, everything has a vibe to it, and Home stage is no different in this respect .

May 08, 2025 11:38 PM
Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573
MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME
Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

Couches, new one bought and old one should be hauled out, heave hoed but no. Just push it deeper into the room corner. And ten years later, another couch gets purchased, this one leather. Move it on over to another room corner opposite the orange velour one. The living room or den has only so much furniture capacity but some busy home owners fill it to the brim Kathy Streib.

May 09, 2025 04:13 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Decluttering a home is one of the most important things to do before putting a home on the market.

May 09, 2025 05:34 AM
Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!
Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT
Southern Utah's Preferred Real Estate Agent.

My clients and I walked into a home where every space in every room had furniture, small gaps in between. It made the spaces appear small and closed in. The seller sure could have used your advice and services to bring out the personality and beauty, Kathy!

May 09, 2025 08:21 AM
Scott Schulte
Scott Schulte LLC - Phoenix, AZ

Cluttered Garages kill me...  I'm a bit of a garage snob myself.   If anything should be clean, painted, epoxied, and clutter-free... it's the garage.. 

May 09, 2025 11:50 AM
John Henry, Florida Architect
John Henry Masterworks Design International, Inc. - Orlando, FL
Residential Architect, Luxury Custom Home Design

Kathy, you are absolutely correct.  When this house gets up for sale, I will need a magic vacuum cleaner to suck out all the clutter!!

May 09, 2025 04:19 PM
John Juarez
The Medford Real Estate Team - Fremont, CA
ePRO, SRES, GRI, PMN

Our Team believes in the value of staging as a tool to make a house sell faster and for more. In fact, we believe so strongly in the value of staging that we started our own staging company years ago.

May 10, 2025 08:43 PM
Paddy Deighan MBA JD PhD
http://www.medicalandspaconsulting.com - Vail, CO
Paddy Deighan J.D. Ph.D

Kathy....my sister is finally selling her home...after 47 years in it....she refuses to stage it AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH

May 11, 2025 01:46 AM
Kathy Streib

That’s tough to get someone to stage after 47 years in one house!!

May 11, 2025 04:28 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

Amen Kathy!  So very true. I see it with buyers all the time.  They can't imagine themselves in a home that is filled with stuff, or one that is not updated.  If a home was clean and staged with neutral paint, they might overlook an outdated kitchen!

May 12, 2025 04:42 PM
Dennis Neal
Exp Realty of Southern California, Inc. - Big Bear Lake, CA
Your Home Sold in 21 Days or We Sell It For Free

Kathy, your explanation of why decluttering matters when selling a house is spot on. The "eye bounce" analogy perfectly illustrates how too much stuff prevents buyers from truly seeing the home. Emphasizing the calming effect of a well-edited space and the influence of staging shows makes a compelling case for sellers to embrace the process.

May 13, 2025 07:23 AM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

What a great post Kathy Streib and yes, I agree letting a client understand why may be the best way forward. I have a client who just cleared out her house then said, we probably need to stage it. YES! 

May 14, 2025 08:20 AM