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How to Decorate for Halloween When Selling Your House.

By
Home Stager

How to Decorate for Halloween When Selling Your House.

Halloween is a favorite holiday of mine...there are very few family pressures and no religious toes to step on.  And I love decorating for it!
 

However (and you knew that was coming) if your house is on the Halloween decorationsmarket, it is best to keep your decorating to a minimum.  Yes, you can still celebrate, especially if you have young children at home.

What is helpful is if you keep the basics of home staging in mind…

-Don’t make your buyers do the eye bounce.

Lots of little things scattered around the house or Halloween characters on windows can be distracting.
 

-Make sure that your buyers will be able to see the front of your house.

Buyers begin to form their opinion as they pull up to your front door.  Make sure they’ll be able to see your house.  Save the blow-up pumpkins for your new home.

-Make sure there are no obstacles to your buyers getting in the front door.

Between ghosts and goblins and spider webs and ghouls, don’t make your buyers have to duck, side- step and hop over pumpkins just to get through the front door.

-Resist the temptation to “holiday” every room in your home.

The Halloween-inspired shower curtain should be saved for your new home. The same could be said for Halloween inspired bedding and towels.

-Don’t fill the house with the scents of the fall, such as pumpkin, spice, or spiced apple.

Love the scents, but they may be overwhelming for your buyers, especially those with allergies.

halloween decorations for your homeWhat can you do?

*Keep it simple.  Think one large pumpkin rather than 10 mini-pumpkins scattered on a table.

 

*Use the colors of the season to make your home festive.

You can do this with a floral arrangement or pillar candles.

Fill an apothecary jar with colors of the season votive candles.

*Outside

Add large pots with colors of the season flowers.

Arrange a small stack of pumpkins of varied sizes on one side of the door. (if you live in Florida, better use fake ones or wait until Halloween to put them out)

Just because you’re selling your home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on holidays.  




Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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Comments (31)

Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Good morning, Kathy - there's nothing quite like a grave yard, cobwebs hiding the front door and creepy crawlers making noises to create that magical first impression that greets potential buyers.   Oh yeah, take down those Christmas lights too.  

Oct 13, 2016 11:19 PM
Donald Urschalitz
Lubeck Realty Group - Jupiter, FL
P.A. Realtor ABR RSPS North Palm Beach County

Excellent information for those sellers.

Oct 13, 2016 11:23 PM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Hmm, I guess I won't be purchasing large spiders to hang above the doors at my listings, haha.

Oct 13, 2016 11:50 PM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Kathy,

I love your reference to "religious toes!"  Decorating tastefully is key whether it is Halloween or any other holiday. and whether you are selling or not selling.  You gave so many great suggestions.  A

Oct 14, 2016 12:02 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

For me it's all about keeping it simple....or even better limit your decorating to season rather than holiday. If you must have all the ghouls, ghosts and skeletons then limit them to just a few days. 

Oct 14, 2016 05:04 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Gita Bantwal Thank you.  Hope you're ready for a great weekend. 

Dorie Dillard we don't want to look at homes that have no feeling or emotion and a little holiday decoration helps with that. 

Thank you James Dray Ready for the little round balls. 

Oct 14, 2016 05:16 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Barbara Todaro You would not like one of the streets in my neighborhood...spiders and webs everywhere. 

I agree with you Joe Pryor When there's that much scent around, you have to wonder what they're covering up. 

Oct 14, 2016 06:19 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Gloria Valvasori  it's the same thing whether it's a holiday or not.  

Wayne Martin that's what we're here for. 

Sheri Sperry - MCNE it's the same thing if we walked into FAO Schwarz!

Oct 14, 2016 06:22 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Maria Sapio too much just takes away from viewing the house. 

Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Realtor (503)755-2905 LOL, I should have said you need to wait to put them out if they're carved.  Our warm and humid weather would make them look like distressed pumpkins! 

Oct 14, 2016 06:24 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Scott Godzyk it's especially difficult when there are young children living at home. 

Michael Jacobs my neighborhood goes all out with decorations, a parade and several haunted houses.  I love it but not when you're selling your home. 

 

Oct 14, 2016 06:27 AM
Gayle Rich-Boxman Fishhawk Lake Real Estate

Oh, right--then they become pruny faced pumpkins pretty darned quickly!

Oct 14, 2016 06:50 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Thanks Donald Urschalitz Hope to see you at the MeetUp!

Brian England not a good idea!

Ron and Alexandra Seigel thank you.  One look I'm not fond of is seeing deflated decorations during the day in the yards. 

Oct 14, 2016 06:29 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Sharon Tara Simple is so much better.  Plus it's a lot less work when you have to take it down. 

Oct 14, 2016 06:30 AM
Debb Janes
Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA
Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Ah yes, you give us great advice again. Imagine walking through a cobweb decorated door to view a home. No thanks. Hahaha. Less is always more IMHO.  

Oct 14, 2016 06:33 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Excellent advice Kathy!  I've seen a few homes on the market lately and it's like - oh my - this is over the top Halloween. The buyers were not impressed and moved onto other homes.  It does make a difference when selling ones home.

Oct 14, 2016 07:53 AM
Dick Greenberg
New Paradigm Partners LLC - Fort Collins, CO
Northern Colorado Residential Real Estate

Hi Kathy - Very timely advice. Our home goes on the market on Monday, and as hard as it is for Mary, she has agreed to minimize the Halloween decor this year. But next year, she's going all out. Have a great weekend!

Oct 14, 2016 07:59 AM
Myrl Jeffcoat
Sacramento, CA
Greater Sacramento Realtor - Retired

Excellent suggestions, Kathy!  I love the picture you have as anillustration.  My grandkids would love it, but it's probably best to minimize if you are marketing a home.

Oct 14, 2016 09:24 AM
Donald Urschalitz
Lubeck Realty Group - Jupiter, FL
P.A. Realtor ABR RSPS North Palm Beach County

When is the next meet up sorry was on vacation and did not see the date.

Oct 14, 2016 10:01 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Kathy

Great tips on decorating a home for Halloween when it's for sale.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Oct 14, 2016 11:41 AM
Sybil Campbell
Fernandina Beach, FL
Referral Agent Amelia Island Florida

Hi Kathy, these are great tips for a seller decorating for most any holiday, thanks for sharing.

Oct 14, 2016 03:02 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

MMMM...mums the word outside....a tasteful centerpiece...a guest towel...not tripping over ghostly remains !

Oct 14, 2016 07:37 PM