Clutter? What do you mean, clutter?

A realtor friend of mine recently went on a listing appointment. The home was spacious, but stacks of magazines were on every counter, photographs filled every side table, and artwork covered the walls. My friend tried to gently counsel the owner, who had had her home on the market for several months but hadn’t yet gotten any offers, that perhaps she should think about packing up some of the….she struggled for a word, finally settling on “clutter.” The owner winced. The appointment ended soon afterward, and later that week my friend received a note from the owner, thanking her for her time, and suggesting that perhaps she come up with a different term to use other than clutter. Dictionary.com defines clutter as “a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter,” so maybe it was the garbage connotation that so troubled her! Weren’t we all taught that the worse thing in the world is to be a litterbug?

The world of vintage homes is one of lovely architectural details—cornices, crown molding, stained glass, archways, inlaid floors, wainscoting, and, maybe because of that detail, it attracts what might politely be called…. collectors. I was at a party recently and overhead a woman talking about the experience of putting her home on the market. It was the home that she had raised her family in, and she and her husband were downsizing to a spacious condo. “The realtor told me to take everything down off the walls and paint a boring beige over all of my beautiful colors,” she moaned. “I hate it now. The house has none of our things out; it doesn’t even feel like ours anymore. It has no soul.” She went on to say that her friends had always complimented her decorating; she clearly felt insulted that she was being asked to change so many things in order to put her house on the market.

There are many reasons that collections, as we will call them, can detract from a home’s natural beauty. Part of selling the home is spotlighting some of its most beautiful features. It is difficult to focus on the lovely woodwork if you are busy looking at the collection of clown paintings on the wall. Another reason is that it is difficult for a buyer to envision themselves living in a home that isn’t “their style.” Often, it isn’t the home that is not their style, it is the decorating. Buyers will often say, “This house reminds me of my grandma’s house.” While we all love our grannies, we don’t often try to replicate their style in our homes. Maybe most importantly, older homes tend to be a lot smaller than many of the modern homes. Collections make the spaces look smaller. You might love your cookie jar collection, but if it’s crowding your countertop, your kitchen can read to a buyer as cramped. You never want a buyer to look around and think,” Boy, I know why these people are moving! They’re running out of space!”

One of the questions I get asked more often is about family photographs: do we really have to take them all down? My answer is no, but you may have to pare them down. Have you ever walked into someone’s house and come face to face with an almost life sized wedding photo? Yuk! Or seen the refrigerator covered in photos of their pet wearing crazy outfits? Sheesh! You certainly can leave some of your photos around, but try to limit them in size and number. A good rule might be four or less to a room, and nothing bigger than 5 by 7.

You may like your home a lot less once you remove those beloved items from your coffee tables and bookcases, but I can guarantee you that it is an effective strategy. Your home will look fresher, larger, and the neutral (I know, boring) décor will help a buyer to appreciate your home, and most importantly, to envision himself in your home.