A covey of stuffed quail, 4 deerheads and a suit of armor.

Hi sloppy, dirty and smelly brother along with all hs belongings!

I really cannot understand the overwhelming amount of folks that are concerned about animal trophy mounts in homes. I really see that as no different as artwork that is hanging on the wall. 

I agree that firearms and prescription meds should be secured and that homes most certainly be clutter free and made as spacious as possible.  One of my pet peeves (pun intended) is the number of sellers that do not concern themselves with picking up dog waste or "cookie piles" in the yard.

Nothing really unique other than ordinary junk.  

I had to ask one seller to put the topless photo of his wife in a drawer.

Actually, I had the proverbial crystal chandelier that all the teachers talk about in real estate school. It was a spectacular piece in her dining room which was actually too much for the house. She had every intention of taking it with her so I had them swap it out for one less expensive, but nice.

Other times is has mainly been upscale appliances that the owners wanted to keep. I asked them to swap them out before the house went on the market and put theirs in storage. You can write such conditions all day long, but for items that are fixtures, it can get dicey when buyers see the nice stuff.

Mirror from the ceiling...

Large openly religious and political items are a must. I tell clients I am not judging your politics or beliefs, I just don't want to turn off any potential buyers. 

 A great big, wall sized symbol of the old south, suggestive of plantation owners and reminiscent of a way of life that no longer exists.

"This is Uncle Bill's room. I didn't know that flag was there!" 

First of all: remove all family pictures and expensive small accessories!

2.Clear all unnecessary objects from the kitchen and bathroom counter-tops ( don't forget to clear refrigerator inside and out!)

3. Rearrange or remove some of the furniture in your home( all ugly broken or damaged items should be gone);

Pack up and store. The house will look lighter, bigger, cleaner.

p.s. don't forget outside of the house! Everything should be cleaned and fixed there too.

Look at your house through the eyes of the fussiest buyer! And do trust your real estate adviser. They are there to help you to sell it fast and for the top $$$!

Larry and Sheila, we have asked sellers to remove furniture as rooms were way too crowded.

We make suggestions, decluttering is sometimes one of those.

Yes. Clutter.

Actually my client beat me to the punch. They had various "nudes" in the home to celebrate the human body and they knew that I would ask and took the lead on it for me.   LOL

I have asked sellers to remove personal photo and medications, including jewelry boxes that are typically on bedroom dressers.

Whenever Sellers tell me they want to keep something attached, and it is usually a lighting fixture, I tell them go and buy the replacement now and install it before we start the showings on the home.

Sellers sometimes make the mistake of thinking Buyers don't remember the type of appliances like washer and dryers to be left in the home.  Please, never ever make this assumption.  The problems created by a switch just after final inspection, just before closing, or just prior to the Buyers moving in is just not worth it.

I've asked Sellers to remove taxidermy. And declutter countertops in kitchen and bathrooms.

The best was a hookah pipe even though it was very decorative. 

Once I had to tell a seller to remove the place settings at the dining table.  Turned out they used it every day and she was spending over an hour taking it apart and putting it back together.

Most times it is the wall of history in the hallway that buyers spend 20 minutes viewing.

Too many animal trophies does not fly well in this county. Go 30 miles in any direction and most homes have them. It's the demographic and we need to attract the buyers.

Animal head, religious items, personal pictures, guns, etc.

Great question - for me it was the usual personal stuff, valuables, medications, but I've sure enjoyed reading everyone's answers!   Especially fun to see how many of us have had to ask the sellers to remove themselves!     So many sellers just can't understand that they are getting in the way of a successful buyer visit.

YES! lots of things, but what immediately came to mind was dog pee stained curtains....eewww.

I wasn't listing the house but consulting on an occupied listing.  It was half mannequin outside the master bedroom, with fishnet stockings on it. There were also several nude statues around as well. 

There ae certain pictures and posters that must not be for buyers to see, such as a beautiful woman in less than a bikini, sitting on a motorcycle.  Even when they are on the wall of the garage, they need to be removed.

You name it!  It's been amazing what items some of our sellers "could not part with".  I must say it is dfar better to have it gone before you even list the home.  If it isn't there it can't be requested!

Any dead animals on the walls. It creeps women out, in fact it creeps me out. Not quite up there with Dali or Monet.

A car and some building materials in the yard.

I had to ask a seller to remove clothes from the floor, and hang them up in the closet.  My broker got a good laugh when I came back with pictures of the master bedroom tray ceiling and fan.

Animal trophies, prescriptions, guns

Mostly expensive light fixtures, crystal chandeliers and mirrors.

Valuables are the most obvious items that need to be put away at the least. But I agree with most of the comments when asking to remove dead animals, trinkets, pictures, collectibles that others might not appreciate, nude art, etc... 

Prescription pain meds in a night stand or even in the medicine cabinet can often disapear.  I also advise sellers to protect things such as jewelry, guns, etc. while the house is listed.

I always tell my sellers if you don't want to leave it, remove it.  Buyers can focus on the darnest things and those things can make or break a sale.  I particularly point out things like light fixtures, decorator items, and that sort of thing.  I had a sale almost go sideways once over a wooden chicken someone left on top of a refrigerator.  The buyers got so focused on the chicken that they weren't going to buy the house unless the sellers left that chicken behind.  Also anything of value, guns, jewelry and items of value need to be removed or locked away out of sight. 

Just after I started in real estate I had sellers with a beautiful stained glass window in the front door.  They had received it as a wedding gift but refused to remove it before showing.  I asked my broker for some support and he sided with the sellers.  Of course, it became a problem.  The buyers fell in love with it.  The final result was that the sellers had to pay for a new stained glass window plus a credit to the buyers.

I have asked sellers to remove clothes & shoes out of their closets.  The closets were over stuffed with clothes.   Also photos & trinkets.

All photos of family and kids and or grandkids just never know who is looking at the kids and or family members for whatever reason. As realtors we do not know everything about our buyers

Reptiles and questionable artwork.

The Seller.  They wanted to "help" or at least watch everyone who went into the house.  "Please take this Starbucks card and have a latte on me. Let me know when you need another." 

Yes. Religious items and an old mattress the seller's sister was sleeping on.

Client had a piece of art that was worth quite a lot.  The item was fairly portable and could easily be stolen during a showing, so I asked the owner to remove it and put it someplace safe.

some good answers here, thanks for the post

Prior to listing and photographing remove trophies and displayed certificates in addition to personal photos and collections. Having too many plants looks messy so many of them should go too. Pets should be removed during showings for their safety as well as that of the prospective buyers.  

I certainly ask sellers to de-clutter and clean. If there is an abundance of personal photos, I will ask them to take some down. I also ask sellers to lock up jewelry, private papers, and prescription drugs. 

Yes, I have. The items that stand out most clearly are moose heads on the wall!

Besides himself....antlers and other "stuffed animals" are a no no