Over the past couple years, several of those close to me have had the opportunity to see the homes that we have staged for sale. They love the clutter free, perfectly arranged furniture and stress free environment a home that is staged for sale conveys. But there are some major differences between staging a house for sale and staging for everyday life. So I thought I would do a short series covering some of the differences.
I recently visited someone and became concerned when I saw their prized collection lined up on the garage floor waiting to be sold at a garage sale. They then took me on a tour of their home asking me what they should get rid of. I was hearing my own words coming back at me and realized they thought that all homes should be as impersonal as a model home.
My answer then as it is now, when it comes to your collection, if you love it, keep it. If you have grown past it and no longer feel the same about it, let it go.
Your home should reflect your personality. Your collection reflects you. If you find that it has taken over your home, or taken over your time by requiring lots of time to keep clean and maintain, then pack some of it up. Display just the pieces that are feeling good to you now. Resist the temptation to fill the shelves up. One to three items per shelf, depending upon the size of the shelf and the size of the collectible is plenty.
When you get ready to put your home on the real estate market, that is the time to depersonalize your home and pack up your collection. Until then, if you love your collection, choose the pieces that fit right now, pack up the rest and enjoy.
Comments(3)