Poor Home Staging – Too Much Stuff, Too Much “You”

Home staging is absolutely crucial because buyers aren’t buying your home—they’re buying their future home. Your job is to help them imagine living there, which is really hard when the space is full of your furniture, family photos, sports trophies, and personal collections. Too much furniture makes rooms feel smaller, crowded closets and garages suggest insufficient storage, personal photos and knick-knacks remind buyers they’re in your space (not theirs), and clutter distracts from your home’s actual value and features. You want buyers thinking “This could be my home,” not “Wow, these people really love lighthouses.” The solution is to declutter everything: clear out closets leaving open space (buyers always peek inside), remove excess furniture to make rooms feel bigger, thin out pantry and garage contents, and yes—take down personal photos, collections, and memorabilia. This isn’t about making your home feel empty, it’s about making it feel like possibility. A clean, neutral space sells faster and for more money because buyers can actually see themselves living there. Think of it as creating a canvas where potential buyers can paint their own future.