SELLING YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS
Having your home on the market is stressful at any time of year but nothing compares to what it’s like having a parade of agents and buyers disrupting your routine during the holiday season. The most common question I’m asked about how to deal with this is whether your home can be decorated for the holidays. There’s no easy answer to that but it’s worth exploring.
SELLING YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS – PROS & CONS OF DECORATING
PROS
1/ CREATE A DREAM - As a stager, I’m always trying to create an environment where the buyers can see themselves living in your space. That’s why staged homes sell so much quicker than others. A stager can create a dream or a vision of what could be.
Most of us love the holidays and seeing someone’s home beautifully decorated could be a win. A tastefully decorated home can create an impression that sticks with the buyer. It not only looks great but it can evoke all the warm and fuzzy feelings that could be the difference between a sale and a pass.
2/ CREATES NORMALCY FOR YOUR FAMILY – the biggest and most important reason is that it’s your home and you should be able to celebrate your holidays even with a home for sale. There’s no question that it’s tough to be displaced from your home during showings and open houses. That’s just part of the journey but you can make it feel like your “normal” family home by carrying on with your normal activities – like holiday decorating.
CONS
1/ IT CAN BE DISTRACTING – One of the biggest reasons people decide not to decorate is that they don’t want potential buyers to miss features of the home because the holiday decorating has overshadowed everything else. When we walk into a home for the first time as a buyer, we want to see the glory of that home. If the decorating isn’t tasteful, you could be damaging your opportunity.
2/ IT’S TOO PERSONAL – If you celebrate Hanukkah and walk into a home decked out for Christmas it can feel like you’re invading someone’s privacy. You may feel that it’s just too personal and you may not be able to see yourself reflected in the home.
5 RULES FOR DECORATING FOR THE HOLIDAYS WHEN YOUR HOME IS FOR SALE
My best advice is to analyze your family’s needs. If you have little kids you will be making a different choice than if you’re an empty nester or a young, single person. Here are my best tips for selling your home during the holiday WITH some holiday decorating included:
1/ KEEP IT SIMPLE – if you’re going to go for it, keep it simple and elegant. Most people will appreciate a bit of festivity if it’s tastefully done.
2/ BE LESS PERSONAL – As a mom I know how important it can be to include your children’s artwork and crafts into the season. This year, while your house is for sale, you may need to hold off or tone down the number of pieces you include.
Maybe let the kids keep their special crafts in their bedrooms. Your buyers will likely find it endearing if they’re kept in the appropriate space.
Another thing to avoid is hanging up holiday artwork on the fridge. This is the most common place that we all hang our kids’ art but appliances are important to buyers. Always keep those clean but particularly during the holidays where our temptation to fill it up is strong.
3/ CENTRALIZE YOUR DÉCOR – if you like to hang up artwork or Christmas cards think about getting a cork board or a fabric covered board. Keep all the kids’ artwork there or display all your holiday cards. Truth be told, it’s a nice look even when you’re not selling your home. It keeps everything neat and tidy and as a group it presents better than pieces hung throughout the house.
4/ TONE DOWN THE COLOUR – Kids love coloured lights and every colour under the rainbow when it comes to decorating. This year you might have to take a pass on the rainbow and instead opt for a couple of more classic colours. If you love red, use it but don’t also add yellow and blue and orange. One bold colour is enough of a statement. If you use red, the rest of the palette should be neutral. Gold, silver, white are all great options and will keep the festivities from taking over the whole house.
5/ BE NATURAL – The most elegant holiday decorating incorporates lots of natural elements. Lose the faux garland and instead just buy some beautiful Paper Whites or a wreath made of living materials. Branches, greenery and pine cones can make a beautiful display and elevate your decorating.
A little of this goes a long way. Decorate your mantel using lush greenery, add some candles and a pinch of glitter and you have yourself a tastefully decorated home. No buyer will begrudge you this. And you may find that the simplicity is exactly what you’re craving as well.
If you’re selling your home this holiday season I hope you sell quickly and with ease.
Happy holidays,
Kristina
