Don’t put your personal pictures away!

I am well aware of the popular belief that you should remove all personal photos from your home when it is on the market, so that buyers can picture themselves living in your home, instead of looking at your photos.

However, I am on the side that is bucking that trend and letting the personal photos stay when listing a home. If you’ve visited a model home lately you’ll notice that they often include several (fake) personal photos. Nate Berkus, Oprah’s designer, also recommends allowing the personal photos to stay. A handful of personal photos can make a home seem a little less sterile and give it a warmer feeling.

Of course as with anything else there is an optimal level of photos. A piano with dozens of photos sitting on top is cluttered (plus a lot of extra dusting). A piano with 3 photos is just about right.

By the way, the photos of you posing naked with a giant snake are not acceptable. (Don’t laugh, I’ve seen it.)

If you’re extremely concerned about your privacy you may not want to leave out your personal photos, it depends on your level of comfort.

I’ve had some sellers tell me that having at least a few personal photos out, where they can see them, is very comforting, during the stressful home selling time, and I figure leaving out a few photos is not going to kill any sale.

photo credit: gbaku

photo credit: Dia™

photo credit: speakeasy(X)