Real estate

How to Decorate your Home for a Holiday like a Pro

Many homeowners completely overlook the holiday season as a time to sell their home. While home sales are lower during the winter months, there are also fewer homes for sale, which means your have less competition. In addition, buyers during the holidays tend to be more motivated to make an offer due to changes in career, life, or to take advantage of tax breaks.

With all of the above in mind its time to start considering how to decorate for the holidays while selling your home. Though it may seem counterproductive, decorating can actually increase your chances of selling. In fact, 65% of top real estate agents agree that implementing some holiday decor will attract buyers. But just how much decor is too much? And what kind of decor will make the best impression? Before you pull out the tinsel and blow up that giant snowman in your front lawn take a moment to consider these holiday decor ideas that light up your home without distracting from its beauty or marketability.

Skip the over-the-top decorations

Giant snowglobe inflatables, flashing multicolored lights, and six-foot tall Santa Clauses are fun but they aren’t great if you’re trying to sell a home. In fact, excessive decorations or overly ornate decor will detract from your home and possibly turn off buyers. Skip over-the-top decorations and choose classic decor that won’t overtake the rooms of your home. For example, while you may still want to add a tree to your holiday decor, it is best to choose a smaller tree. Don’t overflow the tree with flashing lights or cover the entire base of the tree with presents. Instead, keep the tree simple and the ground clear especially if your floors are a selling point. Finally, don’t let your decorations block windows and doors. Natural light is essential for creating an inviting and appealing space. If you hang thick red curtains or prop decorations up so that they block natural light you will be creating a dark enclosed area that won’t appeal to many buyers.

Appeal to more than one sense

You’ve staged your home and drawn in buyers with beautiful decor and subtle glistening lights. But have you considered incorporating the other five senses? You can truly immerse home buyers by adding fragrance to your home. Consider a cinnamon or mulled wine diffuser for instance. Add in a bit of the outdoors with fresh evergreen garland around your entryway. Entice a buyer’s sense of taste with a small plate of gingerbread cookies or bowl of mints. Finally, make sure your home doesn’t just appear warm and inviting. Keep your house at a cozy temperature and lay out a few extra soft throw blankets across the back of your chairs.

Curb appeal still matters

It’s clear that curb appeal is one of the most important factors to sell a home. That’s why over 90% of real estate agents suggest upping your curb appeal when you are preparing to sell. Not only will stunning curb appeal attract buyers, it has the potential to increase your home’s value. Generally this consists of tidying up the lawn, refreshing landscaping, and trimming away overgrown tree limbs. But even if your yard is covered in fresh snow, you can still up your curb appeal and add a bit of the holiday spirit to your home’s exterior. Add a few strands of white outdoor lights around your front porch first. Next, hang a wreath on your front door or add a holiday themed welcome mat. Finally, add a couple of small outdoor illuminations such as garden orbs.

Depersonalize and declutter

Two of the most important tasks to undertake when selling a home are depersonalizing and decluttering. Follow the same methods of depersonalizing and decluttering with your holiday decor. Leave out decor such as your collection of holiday greeting cards and stockings with names on them. Keep your home free of clutter by limiting small holiday trinkets to just one or two per shelf. Limit wall decor and home accessories such as pillows and throw blankets. Remember, a little goes a long way when decorating for the holidays so be selective in the decor you use.

The holidays can be stressful and selling your home around the holidays can add to that stress. Don’t let your holiday decorating make selling your home more difficult. Keep your holiday decor depersonalized, limited to classic colors and styles, and simple so that you can add a touch of the holiday spirit and still sell your home quickly and for a great price.

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