It's not easy for most people to do, but the moment you decide to sell your home, it becomes something else -- it becomes a product, to be sold like any other product. It can be a sobering thought, but it's a necessary mental step to take if you're going to sell your home quickly, and for as much money as possible.
The first step in that process is to look at your home with a new set of eyes: the eyes of a buyer. They don't have the emotional attachment to all of your knickknacks and family photos that you do. To them, a shelf filled with various trinkets and souvenirs is merely a collection of clutter; something that prevents them from seeing the real house underneath all your stuff.