Selling houses - photos on walls yes/no?

telfordwhite

googler wrote: »

It's not a question of whether or not the buyer is 'put off'; it's more a matter of the seller (and possibly agent) ensuring that the viewer/buyer remains focused on the house, and removing anything that might distract them from it.

I'm afraid this seems like Psychobabble to me. What happened to the deciding it's the house for you within the first few seconds, theory. Is that now out of fashion?

dander

googler wrote: »

Baking bread, coffee etc aren't a distraction in the way that photos are.

I find them more of a distraction personally, because they are deliberately manipulative. When I walk around a house (or even just look at pictures) and I spot things that are about styling it for sale, it gets my hackles up, it makes me look harder for flaws because, as much as anything, else I wonder what they're trying to hide. I also immediately think that the price has probably gone up to pay for the titivations.

When I walk into a house which has a feeling of being a happy home, personal touches, then I'm much more likely to buy into that vibe.

Fire_Fox

I hate family photos they are a stark reminder I am invading someone's personal space on a viewing, instead of relaxing and imagining myself living there. Can you fill your existing frames with samples of wallpaper or stuff you have printed off the internet yourself onto photo quality paper? Or buy some nice postcards or greetings cards from IKEA and then afterwards use them as cards?

Catblue

dander wrote: »

But surely anything can be a distraction. If you go in a house with carefully arranged glasses and freshly baked bread aromas you can play "house doctor" bingo as you go round and be just as put off - sorry, distracted.

But glasses and bread are not going to follow you around the room with their eyes. Shudder.

Hate the "dressed for showing" thing also. Guffawed the last time I went into a vendor's dining room and it was fully laid for a dinner service that you just knew would never actually happen. Makes the vendors look really desperate, I reckon.

telfordwhite

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I hate family photos they are a stark reminder I am invading someone's personal space on a viewing, instead of relaxing and imagining myself living there.

Would it stop you buying the house?

dander

Catblue wrote: »

But glasses and bread are not going to follow you around the room with their eyes. Shudder.

Now THAT really would be offputting! :rotfl:

Fire_Fox

telfordwhite wrote: »

Would it stop you buying the house?

The photos wouldn't put me off buying a given house, but being unable to relax and imagine myself in the property might. At the very least think less with my heart and more with my head which means I might bargain harder.

telfordwhite

Fire_Fox wrote: »

The photos wouldn't put me off buying a given house, but being unable to relax and imagine myself in the property might. At the very least think less with my heart and more with my head which means I might bargain harder.

So having photo's on the wall would make you bargain harder?

This house selling lark is so subtle, no wonder it took me 9 months to sell mine.

DVardysShadow

Photos up, photos down, no big deal to me. But you are probably better leaving them up if you could see where they had been ...

MandyMcG

dander wrote: »

I find them more of a distraction personally, because they are deliberately manipulative. When I walk around a house (or even just look at pictures) and I spot things that are about styling it for sale, it gets my hackles up, it makes me look harder for flaws because, as much as anything, else I wonder what they're trying to hide. I also immediately think that the price has probably gone up to pay for the titivations.

When I walk into a house which has a feeling of being a happy home, personal touches, then I'm much more likely to buy into that vibe.

Agree completely about the comment on baking and coffee smells.

Last flat I went to view - the lady had coffee brewing and the Corrs softly playing. I couldn't wait to get out - she really gave across the impression of someone overkeen to sell