So, you’re selling your home and as if it wasn’t already a stressful time, now the holidays are here! Don’t worry! Selling your home during the holidays just means that you need a short crash course in decorating without turning off potential buyers.
Unless your name is Scrooge, it’s hard to argue that glitter, lights, and colorful decorations make a home look more cheerful and inviting. But you also want buyers to have an easy time imagining themselves and their families, not to mention their own holiday traditions, in your home. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t decorate for the holidays, but you shouldn’t deck out the halls with boughs of holly, Christmas lights, Hanukkah menorahs, and every holiday card you receive, either.
So, how do you walk the line of letting the holiday spirit flow, while still letting your home appeal to the masses? We have some tips, an early Secret Santa gift from us to you.
DEPERSONALIZE YOUR DECOR!
Just like with your “normal” home decor, while selling your home, you want any decor to appeal to the masses. You want buyers to be able to imagine themselves and their family in the space, not yours. Don’t hang your personalized stockings on the mantle, and keep cherished family heirloom decorations packed in a box. Also, don’t display your cherished religious tokens or every holiday card you’ve received.
KEEP THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN MIND!
When decorating a home for sale, you need to be aware of what the neighbors are doing also. If everyone in the neighborhood is decorated for the holidays, you don’t want your house to stand out as the ONLY home without decor. Don’t be the neighborhood Scrooge, but at the same time, don’t be the house in the photo above either! You want your home to sparkle and be festive without being over the top!
Here are those tips we promised:
Avoid the kitsch:
While you may enjoy a yard full of inflatable snowmen and elves, many potential buyers may not. Try to stick to classic outdoor decor, such as simple clear or colored lights around the home’s roofline and windows. Hang a simple wreath on the door, rather than a “Santa Stops Here” sign.
Skip the Tree:
Trees can be difficult when selling a home! If it’s too big, it can make the room look crowded and small. If it’s too small, it can look sad and depressing. It’s best to skip the tree all together, unless you have a great room and want to show off a feature such as high ceilings.
Choose a scent over a scene:
The smell of simmering hot apple cider or fresh baked sugar cookies will delight a potential buyer more than hanging lights and garland over every surface that doesn’t move.
Celebrate your traditions with color:
This may not be the year you display the religious symbols of your holidays, but you don’t have to forsake them altogether. If you celebrate Hanukkah, hang a wreath with shades of blue. For Christmas, your wreath can be made of evergreen boughs and pine cones. For Kwanzaa, add red berries to a green wreath.
The holiday season is almost always a slower time in the real estate business. You will have fewer potential buyers, but they will be highly motivated buyers! Follow these simple tips to appeal to as many of them as possible. And as always, call or contact us today to schedule your Home Inspection