If you’re selling your home during the winter holiday months, you may wonder just how far you should go with your holiday decorating. There are some things you definitely want to do and not do to stage your home during this time of year.
Keep in mind that décor should not be overly personal. So, keep the kids’ homemade ornaments off the tree for this year only and don’t hang the family photos you usually place all over the house. You want the family looking at your house to picture their family living there and that’s hard to do if your personal stamp is on everything.
1. No tacky or non-traditional outdoor decorations
Your family may adore the enormous Santa figure that you place on the lawn each year, but everyone has different taste and it could turn off a potential home buyer. Instead, stick with very traditional outdoor decorations to stage your home during the holidays and keep them limited. A beautiful wreath on the door adds warmth without distracting from your home.
2. Add splashes of color
White and red poinsettias add a festive touch to the front porch or around the hearth of a fireplace. However, if you have pets that might get into these plants, use the artificial variety as poinsettias are poisonous to pets.
3. Keep the tree small and non-personal
Tone down the size of your tree. First, a large tree can make the room look smaller and second you want the focus to be on the home and not your decorating. Leave off the family heirlooms and stick with very basic, simple decorations.
4. Add a festive centerpiece
Use a tall glass vase with fake cranberries lining the bottom and a white candle nestled on top of the faux cranberries. Surround with pinecones or greenery. Do not leave the candle burning unattended.
5. Add holiday hand towels to the bathrooms
Add holiday themed hand towels in the bathrooms to give an air of festivity and stage your home during the holidays. Choose simple and elegant towels, such as a soft cream with a single evergreen tree in the center or a dark blue towel with a snowflake.
6. Bring in the scent of winter
About an hour before the showing, simmer cider with anise and cinnamon or an orange with nutmeg and cloves. Be sure to turn off the burner before you leave the home to avoid a fire hazard. You can also bake sugar cookies to add a homey smell.
7. Keep it non-denominational
Even if your family is a particular religion, it is best to keep the decorations neutral from the standpoint of selling your home. Those looking at your home could be from any religious background. Since you want them to picture themselves in your home, keeping things neutral is best.
8. Don’t cover beautiful features
Perhaps it’s a family tradition to hang holiday greeting cards all around that beautiful French door that sits between your open concept kitchen and your dining room. Resist the urge this year. You want the focus to be on the beauty of the door and covering it up with cards won’t help the buyer picture how the door will look every other time of year.
9. Light the fireplace
In a survey on Realtor.com, realtors revealed that around 80% of them encourage sellers to light the fireplace during winter showings. A lit fireplace serves as a focal point and adds warmth to the home.
10. Draw attention to special features
Use decorations to grab the buyer’s attention and shift it where you want it to go. If your home has a beautiful arched doorway, hang mistletoe in the center of it. A gorgeous fireplace can be accentuated and not hidden with some greenery.
Remember to keep the decorations simple, non-personal and warm, and buyers will see your house as a respite from the cold, dreary day outside.