Selling houses - photos on walls yes/no?

beccad

Hubby and I are just about to put our flat on the market, and we currently have photos adorning our walls, mainly of the two of us in various places, couple of wedding photos and so on. It's not haphazard or messy - all the photos are in those mounted display frames where you have three or four photos separated, like this sort of thing http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.204-8871.aspx

Now we really like having the photos up, but I keep seeing people saying not to have any photographs displayed. I could take them all down, but we'd then either have very bare looking walls or I'd have to go out and buy something to put up, but I wouldn't want to spend a lot, and I don't want to spend my money on any of that generic art you can get.

So should I take the photos down?

Sammy85_2

I would just have a few tasteful pictures or artwork, nothing too personal. Walls not too cluttered.

I found it difficult to think of it as our future home when there were pictures of another family all the over place, and at the end of the day, thats what you need them to be imagining if they're going to fall in love and snap it up!

PasturesNew

When you're selling your house, you have to remember it's not your home any more. It's a product, a commodity - and your new job is as sales person. If it could put just one person off ... what if that one person would have been the one that bought it...

googler

No personal photos whatsoever.

You want to let people imagine where their own photos are going to go, rather than showing them where you like yours.

You're moving on. As previous poster said, try to imagine it's not your house anymore; it's a PRODUCT, to be sold in competition with other PRODUCT in the marketplace. You, and possibly your agent, are charged with selling that product.

Also, if your viewers are local people, it WILL interrupt the viewings when they see someone's picture, stop at the picture, see if they recognise who's in it, see if they can place any family connection to the people in the photo.... when you want them to be looking at the house!

Catblue

I don't like photographs personally, particularly those big Venture-style things that have a family tickling each other or a six foot photograph of a toddler. I find it quite creepy, actually - but that is probably just me.

Why don't you box up at least half of the photographs? It'll save you a job when you do eventually move.

Can you ask friends/family to lend you a couple of generic art type things just for the period of selling the house?

telfordwhite

When I look at houses (and i've done a lot of it over the past 3 years) I look for things such as How big are the bedrooms? Does it have a consevatory/utility/study/en-suite? Is the garden big enough etc.

The photographs on the wall are not something that would sway me either way to be honest.

frafferty

telfordwhite wrote: »

When I look at houses (and i've done a lot of it over the past 3 years) I look for things such as How big are the bedrooms? Does it have a consevatory/utility/study/en-suite? Is the garden big enough etc.

The photographs on the wall are not something that would sway me either way to be honest.

Yes, I agree. Houses are usually peoples homes. Personal items would not put me off and I expect any serious viewer would think the same way

shane42

i would not mind your photos if there were a few naked ones

lincroft1710

I would not be interested in whatever pictures/photos are/are not on the walls as I would be buying the house not the contents.

lottie176

It wouldnt bother me at all. Infact I think itd possibly make me think of it being a happy house and me wanting the same thing. The house im in the process of buying had a few photos dotted around and it just made the place feel even more homely. I think this is a very personal thing and this is probably going to split people 50/50.

beccad

lottie176 wrote: »

It wouldnt bother me at all. Infact I think itd possibly make me think of it being a happy house and me wanting the same thing. The house im in the process of buying had a few photos dotted around and it just made the place feel even more homely. I think this is a very personal thing and this is probably going to split people 50/50.

As this thread has shown :rotfl:

I don't have any problem thinking of the flat as a product - I don't like living here :mad: but obviously won't tell prospective buyers that

It is just DH and I in the photos, nothing bigger than a 6x4, and 21 photos in total in five multi-aperture frames, nothing taken anywhere local either. I might see if anyone has anything we can borrow :think: I definitely don't want to buy anything...