Selling houses - photos on walls yes/no?

beccad

Ok, so those of you who would take down photos, what other personal items would you remove? Can I leave my make up out (it's arranged tidily!) Books?

Ok, so my solution is to replace the photos with ones of places we've been, rather than photos of us in the aforementioned places. So it still feels personal to us but no eyes following buyers around the room :rotfl:

hermum

telfordwhite wrote: »

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?

I was just about to ask the same thing.
The house I'm in now, I went to look at purely as the one I was interested in had just accepted an offer, I was booked to see another house around the corner.
I wanted an old house, def not a downstairs bathroom, not on a busy road, it had to have a bit of front garden, & a lrgeish back garden for my dogs.
I didn't like the first house that fulfilled all the above & had a garage & was £5K cheaper.
Instead I walked into the garden & liked very much, got in the door & loved it, I couldn't have told you what pictures, curtains or furniture there was. It felt right.
So I'm in a house with a downstairs bathroom, through the kitchen & utility room, a long walk at night. Right on the pavement on one of the busiest roads in the city. I love it as much now almost 3 years on as I did the day I viewed it, on a grey wet drizzly, cold December afternoon.
I think that certainly for women, it's the feel of a place, that buys a home. Not what's on the walls.

googler

DVardysShadow wrote: »

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 ...

That's the spirit, take down the photos but don't repair the nail holes or vacuum the dust bunnies away from the wall ......

Seriously, would anyone take them down and NOT clean up behind them?

googler

beccad wrote: »

Ok, so those of you who would take down photos, what other personal items would you remove? Can I leave my make up out (it's arranged tidily!) Books?

Ok, so my solution is to replace the photos with ones of places we've been, rather than photos of us in the aforementioned places. So it still feels personal to us but no eyes following buyers around the room :rotfl:

I refer again to last para of #4, and I don't think local viewers will inspect your make-up or book collection in the same way that they'll look for links to your family......

I'd also suggest that your make-up should be tucked out of sight for photos and when you're viewing, as should items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, sponges, loofahs, shower gels, cleaning fluids, etc in the bathroom.

beccad

googler wrote: »

I refer again to last para of #4, and I don't think local viewers will inspect your make-up or book collection in the same way that they'll look for links to your family......

I'd also suggest that your make-up should be tucked out of sight for photos and when you're viewing, as should items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, sponges, loofahs, shower gels, cleaning fluids, etc in the bathroom.

Will do

I'd be really surprised if anyone saw anyone they knew in photos - we live in north London, DH grew up in Berkshire and I grew up on the south coast. We're definitely not local :rotfl:But you never know I suppose!

googler

Yes, it will depend on your community, whether or not you grew up there, etc etc....

Ladybird20

i wouldnt display that u have plasma tvs ect u never know some low life may enter ur property an steal it,,just something my LA told me when i took pictures for marketing...

Fire_Fox

beccad wrote: »

Ok, so those of you who would take down photos, what other personal items would you remove? Can I leave my make up out (it's arranged tidily!) Books?

Ok, so my solution is to replace the photos with ones of places we've been, rather than photos of us in the aforementioned places. So it still feels personal to us but no eyes following buyers around the room :rotfl:

Decluttering and depersonalising is about only leaving out items that actually add something to the look of the property - photos of you are there because they hold memories, artistic photos of places can be attractive to anyone. Sorry to be blunt but your make-up is not interesting to anyone but you!

As many surfaces as possible should be clear of clutter so make-up, toiletries, washing up liquid, cooking oil and condiments put away. Lots of bits and bobs out is a subtle signal to a prospective buyer that there isn't enough storage space, that you are growing out of the place. Books should be in their designated home on a bookshelf, they are only clutter if they are on surfaces.

MoneyBags

Leave the photos where they are ... just make sure your house is tidy and doesn't smell.

beccad

Ladybird20 wrote: »

i wouldnt display that u have plasma tvs ect u never know some low life may enter ur property an steal it,,just something my LA told me when i took pictures for marketing...

Been there done that - we were burgled just before christmas (and they didn't take anything big like the TV - small, expensive electrical items) so we've got as many locks as physically possible on the doors and if they still get in then I'll be giving them a medal :rotfl: