Should You Decorate for the Holidays When You're Selling Your Home?
We have reached that point in December where if you’re planning to decorate for Christmas it’s time to do it! What do you do if you are selling your home, however? Here are my thoughts…
If your house is on the market, this is likely going to be the last holiday that you spend in your home. With that in mind, I would embrace this beautiful time of year and bring out some decorations… SOME being the keyword.
You have already removed family photos, collections, and memorabilia to get ready for your showings so, you should already have a little more space than usual. Therefore, we don’t want to fill in all those nice open empty spaces completely. As a stager, I am trained to declutter but we will make an exception for the holidays! Speaking of clutter, the truth is that decorations can make our home look cluttered. This problem can be avoided by following this simple rule… For every item you want to display remove something…just put the bowl, frame, or vase away in a cabinet. Pulling it back out after you remove your holiday decor will be fun. Whether you are selling your home or not, I recommend doing this anyway!
As much as red is the color of Christmas, I would recommend putting out Christmas decor using gold, white, and/or silver. These colors still look festive and beautiful but are more subtle than red and green. These neutral tones will work with any color scheme and still add some sparkle. Speaking of green… fresh greenery on a mantle, stair railing, or tabletop looks beautiful! White poinsettias are a favorite and look great inside or outside your home.
White Christmas lights on your tree are classic and will look much better than multicolored lights. That line of thinking goes for outside, too. And remember, this is not the year to put huge blowup Santas and Frosty in your yard.
Wreaths are ok! Again, I would stick with something simple. If you have a dark door, use a white wreath, if you have a lighter-colored door a traditional green wreath with gold, white, or silver ribbon will look great!
For families with little children, some of these suggestions may be hard to employ. Do not stress, people understand it is the holiday season and will likely overlook the 20 Santas in your house. But, maybe consider just putting out 10! Remember, the less cluttered your home looks, the more open and spacious it will look and buyers are looking for square footage!
I hope this tips help! Merry Christmas!
