Would it put you off

I think it depends who ius viewing the house. A couple or family or whatever who are looking for a home will prefer to see it with as little personal clutter as possible. A developer or landlord or the like will not be bothered they are mainly interested in the size and potential of the house. I have sold houses to both kinds if buyer.

Fairly neutral and decluttered - yes.
Remove all traces of family life - no!
Light shades not to my taste ? Not an issue.
A few appliances on kitchen worktops - yes.
Surfaces and tops of cupboards overflowing means lack of storage space.
Bakelite switches shout rewiring needed!
Why not ask a trusted friend to be brutally honest and tell you what appeals and what doesn't?

We had a photo of our son and his bride on the wall. when the surveyor for the buyers came round, he asked if they were related ( quite a large photo), and we said yes, and he said he lived next door to them. There was a favourable report and the buyers proceeded, not that I think he was influenced at all.

Petra it was brand new but basic white however it was a perfectly acceptable and usable bathroom put in by a qualified plumber it wasn't just something botched in and it was an awful waste but hey ho nothing I could do ( they were quite strange as the neighbour told me they buried it in the garden ?) I d have sold it Bath toilet and washbasin

There are people who can see past the personal possessions and tastes of the seller, but unfortunately some can't. Therefore if you want more prospective buyers it is a good idea to do everything you can to make it appeal to anybody and everybody.

On the other hand, as a buyer - I would be very happy to maybe get a house at a lower price simply because nobody else did see through the clutter !

Grannyknot
Bluebelle said that she put in the cheapest bathroom she could find.
If you were buying a house that you planned to spend a lot of years in, wouldn't you put in a quality one, and one you liked.

All I can say is: thank god there are a lot of people who can't see through other peoples'stuff', that's how we made our money.

Yes would agree..when we had our house up for sale I took all the photos down, I don't have clutter about.

I suppose if you yourself to view a home...are you interest in strangers family photos....although I suppose it can give an air oh homeliness sort of, but I would rather see a blank canvas other than nice ornaments around, just a couple ..but not knick knacks///yes they can be sentimental but if you really want to sell your house then..perhaps clutter free is the way to go..

bluebelle shocking to just discard a whole new bathroom, let alone disregard the labour that went into it. It makes me shudder, what a waste.

We bought a house some years ago, left a lot of the old finishes in place e.g. Bakelite light switches and those funny pink floral curly-edged light fittings and when we were showing it to prospective tenants (young professionals) they would ooh and ah about the "original features" "cool vintage appeal" and so on.

You are paying for the agent's service so use his advice. I agree that potential buyers should be able to look beyond personal nick nacks and decorating taste, but sadly some cannot. There were two houses for sale here, both on the same development, both same size, both around same price. The one that was smart, neutral and clean with little personal stuff sold in days, the other one, which had obviously (going by the photos) been lived in by an older couple took months and had to be reduced considerably. The house was full of antimacassers, shelves full of twee ornaments, crinoline ladies on top of the cistern, you know the type of thing....it made the house look cluttered and the rooms small. Not suggesting your house is like this, but take the agent's advice, de-personalise, and at the same time start to disassociate and distance yourself from what was once your home but is now a house to be sold. Good luck!

I have just looked on line, at the photos of a bungalow for sale, in the bathroom, a towel rail was full of towels and a large pair of knickers!

My daughter and SIL bought a house that was full of personal clutter when they viewed it (floral wallpapers, photos of kittens, cheap leopard-pattern throws, chintzy pelmets, every surface littered with fussy ornaments etc). They could see past the decor to a sound, roomy family home, but the thing is this: they got it for a very good price, possibly because other buyers were put off by the way it was presented. So I agree - take the agent's advice and depersonalise if you can. Some people have no imagination, and there's no point in excluding them.

I totally agree with the agent crucifixes whilst meaning something to you could put a lot of people who don't see beyond their own tastes/ needs off likewise the pictures and photos they are yours and others see what they see as they walk in not everyone has the ability to see it as they would make it
The agent knows what he's talking about
When I sold my mum and dad house we were advised to paint everything in magnolia to freshen it up and give a blank picture we were also told it would never sell with a 70 s avacado bathroom in I had a new bathroom in white put in luckily the cheapest on the market, it did sell and for the price we asked for, but I know they chucked my new bathroom straight out ( so glad I didn't bother to update the kitchen )

When someone made a comment to my. other about what the house she was selling "looked like" with her and her family living in it she said: "It wouldn't look like this if you were living in it." That house got sold no prob as well.

Apparently people cannot see beyond a few personal items around a home so maybe the estate agent is right. (Think that is plain daft but each to their own). If you are selling a property where they are selling like hot cakes I would be inclined to ignore the estate agent and simply advertise it as you see fit. If there are buyers out there who can see beyond a few picture hooks and want the house they will put an offer in. Good luck with the sale.

It wouldn't put atheistical me off. We never tried to depersonalise houses we were selling (not sure we could have, actually) in order to move and it didn't seem to cause a problem.

I agree with the agent too. But it baffles me that it is necessary! No imagination some people.

Sadly, I agree with the agent, and as we have spent the last year trying to finalise the sale of our house I think they have a point.

The number of people who couldn't visualise the rooms with their things in amazed me.

We left a painting or two on the walls but took down everything else. Just remember if you're selling then its not your house any more -- so store your things to display again in your new home .

Well, I guess you would be paying the agent for his professional advice and expertise, so it would be a good idea to listen to what he says.

I think it's about balance. We have always removed about 50% of the photos and 'bits' when we have been selling and it's seemed fine Hasn't deterred anyone. We can see past contents, sadly many others can't. Good luck with your move.

Go with the agents advice. Just store your precious mementos away safely, you would have to anyway if moving.

Yes, oldwoman a good idea to impersonalise your house and also declutter.So that buyers can imagine living there.
Today it seems that buyers cannot look past clutter or decor.
So worth having carpets cleaned if needed, a few new cushions and duvet cover etc as well as fresh flowers.
So many look on the internet at photos inside the house that anything you can do to maximise your selling points is worth it.

I think I agree with the agent. We have stayed in several holiday homes recently where they had personal photos and momentoes on view. The first thing we did was to put them in a drawer.
Buyers are probably the same, they like to think of their potential purchase as theirs from the minute they walk in the door, and too many personal belongings might put them off.
I'd have no problem with a smelly dog stretched on the carpet though, so each to his own, maybe!

Yes I agree to. As ridiculous as it sounds you need to make the place look as though no one lives there more like a show home.

I believe that anyone who likes a house would see past most personal touches, decorating dislikes, paint or wallpaper colours etcetera and buy a house because they see potential, know they could live in it, and make it their own. We do that anyway.

My "enhancement tricks" as the seller are fresh flowers and no cooking smells...