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Holiday Decorations and Selling Your Home.

By
Home Stager

Holiday Decorations and Selling Your Home.

 

It wasn’t hard to notice that holiday decorations have already announced the holiday season. In fact, I saw Christmas trees and outdoor decorations out on the floor at the Big Box Home Improvement home staging and curb appeal for the holidaysStore Before Thanksgiving (and shortly after Halloween!)

This is such a fun time of the year...unless you have your home on the market!

 

But just because you are selling your home doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate or give your home some festive spirit.

 

Below are 6 tips to remember when your home is for sale during the holidays.

 

1.Don’t block your buyers’ view

Your buyers are there to “try your house on for size” not look at your decorations.  Don’t block one of your largest selling features (your patio door out to the pool or deck) with a giant Christmas tree.

The same is true for your fireplace if you have one. This too can be a key selling point so you’ll want to keep decorations here to a minimum. If you like hanging stockings then wait to put them up on Christmas Eve, then remove them.



2.Don’t overwhelm them with the scents of the holidays

Hard as it may seem, not everyone loves the scent of Vanilla Bean Noel or Spiced Apple Toddy. Some may even be allergic to these scents. As always, the best scent for a home on the market is the scent of CLEAN!  

If your home has taken on the scent of last night’s dinner or a wet Rover, vinegar is excellent at removing unwanted odors.

Bowls of fresh lemons or a few cinnamon sticks tucked away don’t overwhelm the senses.



curb appeal for your house during the holidays3.Don’t forget that curb appeal is still important even during the holidays

Consider saving the giant blown up Santa or Snowman for your new home. Many distract buyers from seeing what your home really looks like. And, deflated Santas do nothing for curb appeal when buyers drive by during the day.



4.Don’t throw common sense out the door.

Much as we’d like to say that buyers will have been vetted by their agent, you still have no idea who will be entering your home. Leaving wrapped gifts under the tree can be tempting.

 

5. Don’t make your buyers have take detours to see your house.

Wreaths can make lovely decorations on the front door but not when a buyer has to navigate around them just to get through the front door.

The same goes for your Christmas tree. Don’t make your buyer have to go through hoops just to get through a room or out the patio door to see the backyard area.

 

6.Don’t forget the basic principles of staging...keep it simple, with a minimum of distractions.

Keep in mind that your buyers want to see the possibilities of your property. They need to see the space. They want to see how their furnishings and their lives will fit into this space.

Let them see it!

Keep decorations simple.

Opt for one size appropriate decoration rather than lots of little reindeer and angels on every flat space.

 

 

keep it simple

 

And one more thing...

Religious decorations-consult your agent first, however, my personal opinion (and what I tell my clients) is that this is 2017. We live in South Florida and are blessed to live with many different religions and faiths.

Unless what you have falls into the above 6 categories, that is to say it is distracting or just too much, then don’t worry.

 

This is the time of year when we all want to enjoy our homes with friends and family. Just because you might be selling yours shouldn’t put a huge damper on it.

Keep staging principles in mind (don’t distract or detract) and enjoy your holidays.

 

Posted by

Kathy Streib
Retired Home Stager
and Interior Redesign

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Comments (49)

Chris Lima
Turtle Reef Realty - Port St Lucie, FL
Local or Global-Allow me to open doors for you.

Kathy, this is a great post with helpful information. I wish that every seller, no matter the season, would read this post. While we are not trying playing the Grinch, there has to be a happy medium.  Moderation is the key and remembering that the house is on the market for sale.  

Dec 02, 2017 05:49 AM
Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty
Front Gate Real Estate - Brandon, MS
601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell

Thanks for these practical tips about how to decorate your home if it's on the market during the holidays. Sellers shouldn't block views or pathways with their trees or decorations, and no-one should have a deflated Santa on the lawn!

Dec 02, 2017 07:50 AM
Francine Viola
Coldwell Banker Evergreen Olympic Realty, Olympia WA - Olympia, WA
REALTOR®, In Tune with your Real Estate Needs

Good points.  And I totally wasn't even thinking about the presents under the tree - that's a really good point!

Dec 02, 2017 10:20 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Scott Godzyk I saw a home with two huge blow-up decorations...a Santa and Frosty. They aren't selling their home which is a good thing because they're so big you can't see the house. 

Sheila Anderson one year I was asked to stage a vacant home. The seller asked me to include Christmas decorations because she was coming in with her children for a final Christmas in the home. At my suggestion, she opted to forget about the decorations. 

Dec 02, 2017 04:20 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Gabe Sanders and thank you. 

Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty It's a good thing your sellers chose you!

 

Dec 02, 2017 04:36 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Anna Banana Kruchten CRS,CRB I consulted on a house a few years ago and every inch was covered in Christmas stuff..a Santa shower curtain, Christmas rugs, towels and every inch was in red and green.

Brian England I saw Christmas trees in  Home Depot the day after Halloween.

 

Dec 02, 2017 05:04 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Joe Pryor not for long!!!!

Ron and Alexandra Seigel Sellers don't have to forego the holidays, but they do need to keep staging principles in mind. 

you're not kidding about the scents Barbara Altieri 

Dec 02, 2017 05:09 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Barbara Todaro I don't mind the size but all of the "stuff" in them makes me go nuts. I'm on a roll now wanting to get rid of stuff. 

Nina Hollander you make a good point. I remember the big snow globes in our friend's yard. 

Dec 02, 2017 05:11 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Myrl Jeffcoat and thank you!!!!

Thanks Sharon Tara we drove by the first house at night and they have very simple lights up. 

Thank you Debe Maxwell, CRS I love decorations but I'd rather the owners left the blow ups on during the day than seeing them limp all over the yard. 

 

Dec 02, 2017 05:19 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Laura Cerrano and thank you.  I know there are some sellers who take their homes off the market at this time of year too. 

Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers Thank you so much for the reblog. 

That's it Chris Lima use moderation and save all of the rest for the new home. 

Dec 02, 2017 05:23 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Pat Starnes, Brandon, MS sellers can still celebrate, just tone everything down. 

Dec 02, 2017 05:25 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Francine Viola it's best not to tempt anyone!  

Dec 02, 2017 05:45 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Perfect timing for this  featured post Kathy Streib 

..."But just because you are selling your home doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate or give your home some festive spirit."

Dec 02, 2017 07:46 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Kathy... fortunately our next door neighbors who always had these blow ups moved. The rest of the block is just pretty lights now, except for one home across the street, but their blow ups are on the second story porch, so when they deflate we don't see the mess!

Dec 03, 2017 04:01 AM
Golden1 Agents
San Mateo, CA

Excellent tips :) Thanks for sharing

Dec 03, 2017 07:31 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Kathy

These are great tips to help those selling during the holidays have their home look its best. The deflatables are so sad looking and certainly do nothing to enhance curb appeal.

Jeff

Dec 03, 2017 07:39 AM
Corey Martin
Martin Presence Group - Ruston, LA
Real Estate and Management Solutions

Great advice for the holiday season. It is sometimes difficult to get the right balance when showing for sellers. Thank you for sharing!

Dec 03, 2017 06:10 PM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Excellent suggestions for those showing their homes during the Holidays, Kathy Streib ... you provide sound solutions for decorating during a celebbratory time.

Gene

Dec 04, 2017 09:52 AM
David Wright
Benchmark Realty, LLC - Brentwood, TN
Real Estate Refined

Wonderful information Kathy Streib! Great professional suggestions from a professional home stager.

Dec 04, 2017 08:19 PM
Zurple Marketing Team
Zurple - San Diego, CA
Zurple, Client Generation Software for Agents

This is fantastic advice!

Dec 06, 2017 03:00 PM