No matter how adorable and well-behaved your children and pets are, get them out of your home during the open house.
"You don't want to be in a situation where your dog is barking all the time while you are trying to show the house," Saatchi says.
Even if your dog doesn't bark, you should take away any and all distractions, including children. You want the seller to focus on your house -- not at how adorable your children look, she says.
And on your way out, get rid of the litter box or anything else that would hint to buyers a pet lives there.