I mean EVERYTHING; clothes in the closet still with new tags, unused kitchen items, tons of childrens clothes, furniture, etc. etc. etc..  

Don't think of the musty, damp block basements of old. 

Is the electrical cloth-insulated?

What you smelled may have been odor absorbed by the tenant's clothing and carried into the unit.

I have floor to ceiling windows in my bedroom and recently discovered that my carpet was damp near the window after a storm.

The places getting crushed are clothing only type stores where people touch and look around but then buy online cheaper. 

As I looked at the people who were advocates for buying a new car, I saw many similaritiesThese were the people who probably had mountains of debt, and come to work with fancy clothes that definitely make a statement, while i wear a t shirt and jeans. 

There are 2 pans that had rotten food in them, a couple of mattresses that have seen better days, and a few clothing items but rest is literally just trash.

I would also add removing old,broken,warn out,or enormous furniture that is clearly unattractive and makes the living room and bedrooms appear smaller and less comfortable than they really are.The house should be staged with modern and appropriate furniture to show buyers what they're new furniture will look like in their new home.Excess clothing that is not normally worn should removed from overstuffed closets and dressers and donated to charity,thrown away,or boxed up and stored off site from the home.If your toilets are old or have unremovable stains that look terrible,replace the entire toilet.Bathtubs should be reglazed to look shiny and new again.

I'm going to keep my personal things pretty limited... record player, clothes, pictures....