Tact is important.

I was just watching a rerun of an old Dick Van Dyke show which was shown in memory Carl Reiner.  In it Laura accidentally discloses on national TV that Rob's boss wore a toupee.  It's a very funny episode but what got my attention was the row of five styrofoam heads wearing toupees sitting on Alan's desk.  In all my years selling real estate there were more than a few times when I had to tactfully tell potential sellers that there was something about their house that needed changing before I could list it.  Usually it was something pretty simple like clean the carpets or pack away half their stuff so the rooms would look larger.  One particular incident is one I will always remember.  The owner was my sister-in-law's step-father, just to make things more complicated. As he proudly showed me through his house he led me to the master bedroom suite.  There, in the master bath, lined up along the edge of the Jacuzzi, were five styrofoam heads wearing toupees.  I had always suspected that he wore a toupee but this was proof positive.  He wasn't the least bit embarrassed. In fact he seemed rather proud of his collection.  He was not pleased when I told him that he would have to pack them away because they would be a distraction to potential buyers.  They certainly were to me.  He suggested that he would just put them on a shelf in the walk-in closet but I didn't want to think of buyers opening the closet door and seeing those heads lined up.  He finally did agree to pack them away.  No, I didn't sell the house but that's another story.