A little vanilla sprinkled on a warm stove burner is one of her favorite tricks. Dirty clothes should go in the washer or dryer. Buyers seldom look there, agents say. She also is an advocate of hiding things in bureau drawers. Attics might provide a safe temporary hiding place, as well, assuming you can get stuff up there in time.
People tend to look in garages.
Still, you may be forgiven for putting that sorted laundry out there, providing you put it in neat piles. Messy piles of things that look like they have been that way for a long time are turnoffs. Home shoppers frequently look in all those places, agents say. If all of this seems a bother, keep in mind that serious buyers often are the most ardent about checking out every nook and cranny of a house. If it is a disaster scene, they are going to assume that you are slovenly about keeping up the rest of your house as well, she said, even if their own closets at home are a mess.