Q. I have a turntable and a large collection of records. Do I need to remove them before showing my home to buyers?

A. “When you’re preparing an apartment for sale, the goal is to create an inviting and clean environment as much as possible,” said Udi Eliasi, a senior vice president at Citi Habitats in Manhattan. “Part of my job is explaining to owners that they have to part from some personal items while the apartment is being shown.”

In general, he said, that’s because “fewer items will create the impression of more space.”

But when it comes to stereos and music collections, “it really depends on the situation,” he said. “If you have a 1980s standard Sony from your teenage years, it’s just a dust collector.” It should probably be moved out along with the record collection.

If you have attractive high-end stereo components from a company like McIntosh, however, they project a kind of status that could be desirable, he said. Your stereo and record collection could probably remain, but care should be taken to minimize cord clutter and to organize the records as neatly as possible.