I sold my house while living in it (2 kids, large dog, 2 cats)
Everything in closets got packed into boxes and stored. Empty closets look larger.
I packed up 3/4 of kitchen stuff and stored. This was a royal pain but worth it.
Knicknacks, books, etc all got boxed up.
Got rid of some excess furniture I was not planning on keeping.
My house was so empty (in boxes) that people thought we had already moved out.
Luckily it sold in one day :)