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One of the terms we professional stagers use often is “neutralize.” It means to stage the home in a way which will appeal to the greatest number of buyers. One of the easiest ways to do this is to eliminate themed rooms and collections.

Themed rooms are easy to recognize. A few of the more popular themes are Sports, Beach, Tuscany, Zen and Wildlife. Done in moderation, there is nothing wrong with these themes or styles. This is directed towards those who get a little carried away. Every piece of furniture, all the artwork, and all the accessories, have been chosen around the theme. The drawback to this excess is that buyers find it very difficult to imagine their own belongings in the room.

I have a friend whose family room has a “cowboy” theme. I think it is safe to assume that most buyers do not have spurs, pistols, and saddles in their homes, and would have a hard time getting past this theme and imagining their own furnishings there. This doesn’t mean you have to get a whole new room. The trick is to edit. For example, my friend could remove the aforementioned items, but a leather sofa and paintings with cowboys as the subject is perfectly acceptable.

There is only one exception to the themed room rule, and that is children’s bedrooms. It applies mostly to the shared living spaces in the home. I usually link themed rooms with collections, because quite often I will find collections spread throughout a themed room. But, sometimes they are off by themselves, or a collection becomes the theme. Almost all homeowners have some kind of collection. Whether it is a common one like books or framed photos, or something more unusual like Victorian birdcages or bobble-head dolls, these collections can be very distracting to buyers. The best bet is to pack these collections up, making them safe and sound, and more importantly, out of sight!

The bottom line is your home will sell faster, and you can create whatever theme, or collect whatever you want, in your new home that much sooner.