08/11/2026
Corbett's Tips for Selling your Castle - Armadillo Collection
I suspect it’s part of human nature to collect mementos that mark one’s experiences through their life’s journey. I’ll admit it can be hard to resist. For some, the collections may have a theme and be unobtrusive – like a stack of souvenir shot glasses tucked away in a cabinet. For others, their collection may become a monumental shrine proudly displayed in the corner of a home or even throughout. Over the years of touring homes with Clients, your fearless Realtor has witnessed some pretty amazing model train collections, kaleidoscope collections worthy of a museum, antique musical instruments, antique cameras, and sculptures of animals from Armadillos to Zebras. (I mean, what transplanted-Texan can’t appreciate a finely crafted crystal armadillo?) I can appreciate the time and effort taken to accumulate these treasures and when a guest at a friend’s home, share in the joy as a they enthusiastically recount the story behind each displayed piece.
However, ...that masterfully curated assemblage of artifacts may be a detriment to selling your home. How you ask? As the Realtor researching and scheduling the tour of 5-10 homes for home-buying Clients, I can confidently anticipate how each home will rank at the end of the day. It’s not mystical insight, it’s the natural progression of mental fatigue that comes with scrutinizing a series of homes in one day. I always encourage ‘My’ Buyers to make notes on each home as we view them. The first home may generate several paragraphs. These notes may include decorating ideas, furniture placement, maybe some minor architectural changes, “do you think this wall is load bearing?”
The 2nd home generates a couple paragraphs, with a few key observations, “big master (primary) bedroom but only one walk-in closet,” and “backyard has large trees but the shade keeps the grass from growing.”
Somewhere in the tour, a home gets a one-liner, “busy street” or “too many cars at house next door – rental home or shade-tree mechanic?”
As the tour progresses, it’s natural for the note-taking to diminish and observations take precedent, relying on the Buyers impressions with maybe a check mark or “X’’ next to the home in their notes.
At the end of the day’s tour, I generally ask which might be the top three prospects? “Oh, I really liked Big Master Bedroom house” and ‘’which one was the Country Kitchen with Large Deck?’’
In that conversation, I may ask, what about 123 Hillside St with the sunny walkout basement to the tiered patio? “Which one?” Uh..the armadillo house. “Oh…I remember the ceramic armadillos. Did it have a patio?” Yes, the basement had lots of above-ground windows and French doors to a 2-level paver patio with outdoor kitchen. “Hmmm…I just remember the armadillos.”
Note to Seller: Don’t be the Armadillo House! You want Buyers to envision themselves living in the home and noting the best features of that home. When it comes time to market your home, it’s a good idea to put away the larger distractions so that Buyers are focused on the home. Additional potential distractions may include; family photos, work-related accreditation/awards, faith/religious items, academic and sports regalia. You don’t necessarily need to remove all of the items, but how many armadillos do you display before it’s excessive?
