Some of the very things that make a house a home are the very things that have to be cleared away to make that home ready for sale. Family photos, souvenir magnets on the refrigerator, and stacks of books next to your favorite cozy chair all tell a story of who you are. A garage full of Christmas decorations, children's bikes, and hobby projects are all part of your unique life. Turning the house you live in into your home is a beautiful process, and I can tell you from personal experience that it can be really tough to take all that down while you're still living in that home! As a home staging expert, I know this and yet putting it into practice when my husband and I sold our previous home was painful to say the least. The first things I unpacked when we got into our new home were the family photos and books that I had missed dreadfully. I was actually unpacking books and putting them on shelves while the movers were still bringing in furniture!
Although taking personal items down and packing away many of your belongings can be emotionally trying, it is truly necessary to get the best outcome from selling your home. Clearing out as many furnishings, wall hangings and knick-knacks possible is your best strategy for staging a home that is still being lived in. A garage filled with boxes can be really off-putting to potential buyers, so I recommend getting a storage unit (or a really good friend's garage) and packing away as much as you can do without. You're going to have to pack it to move anyways, so think of it as getting a jump start on that process.
Office space and children's rooms can be the most challenging areas to keep staged. One way to manage that is to have a plastic storage box ready for each room so that you can quickly remove deskwork, toys and laundry to take with you when you leave for an open house or showing. It isn't necessarily fun, but my motto for staging lived-in homes is that "If you do it right, you won't have to do it for as long".
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