Can I Decorate for the Holidays When Selling My Home?
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We get asked this question all the time… “I am selling my home, can I still decorate for the holidays?”
Unfortunately the answer is no.
We always recommend not decorating with holiday specific decor when selling your home. Here are our top 3 reasons why we suggest keeping the holiday decor packed away.
Dated listing photos.
MLS photos are a vital part of selling your home and something you really need to invest in. Most potential buyers are searching online first. Make sure to deep clean you home and declutter (we suggest staging prior to photos :). It is those photos that are going to get buyers through the door. However with the changing market there is a chance that it may take a few months to sell your home and you don’t want to have holiday specific decor in the photos. If potential buyers are viewing your listing online in February and they see Christmas trees and/or other holiday items everywhere they will immediately wonder what is wrong with the property… why didn’t it sell in December?
Not everyone has the same beliefs.
Not everyone celebrates holidays the same way or even celebrates the same holidays. You don’t want to inadvertently alienate a potential buyer who may have different beliefs. Holiday decor is the same as family specific decor (family photos, religious artifacts….etc). When you are selling your home you want to appeal to the largest amount of potential buyers as possible. In order to do that you need to neutralize your home so the buyers can envision themselves living there… not be distracted by how you live in the home.
Distracts from the features of the house.
Buyers need to be able to focus on the features of the house… the gorgeous mantel and fireplace (not the garland on top) or the spacious family room. Many people tend to change things up in their home to accommodate holiday decor… you may move the furniture around in a particular room to accommodate a Christmas tree. This may make the room feel smaller and potential buyers may have a hard time really envisioning how large the space it. Holiday decor, while pretty and festive can make a space seem more cluttered which ultimately leads to rooms feeling smaller.
So what do we recommend?
Ok, so you are on board with keeping your holiday specific decor packed away… but you still want your home to have a festive feel… after all you are still living here during the holidays. We have got you covered. Think about decorating with a neutral, winter vibe. Bring in cozy textures, whites, tans and even a little sparkle.
Change your throw pillows to a cozy palette of winter whites, tans and maybe even a few black ones. Drape a soft and luxurious throw over your sofa and light a candle that has a a little sparkle, We are loving mercury glass candles right now and you can get some great deals on cozy throws at West Elm and Crate and Barrel.
Add a simple green wreath to your front door to still get a festive look without being to holiday specific. It is also easy to remove the wreath for listing photos.
White pedestal bowls filled with simple greenery make a wonderful centerpiece that can take you from Thanksgiving all the way through winter!
We have rounded up some of our favorite decor to bring a neutral, cozy and festive feeling to your home for the holidays.
