If your home is for sale during the Christmas holidays, it can be difficult to find the right balance between decorating it for the season and keeping it show-ready at all times. But it is a balance that can be achieved with a little bit of planning and creativity.
Here are some ideas to help you keep the Christmas spirit alive in your home while it is listed.
Don’t Overdo it Outside
For a lot of people, the outside decorations at Christmas are the best part of decorating. They string up thousands of lights and put out hundreds of decorations to draw visitors to see their Christmas displays. While this is a fun and festive way to celebrate the season, it is too overwhelming for home showings.
Instead, try to keep it simple. White lights and natural decorations, such as wreaths, pinecones and seasonal flowers, can add a touch of festive elegance without detracting from the curb appeal of the house.
Choose the Right Tree for Inside
“The bigger, the better” isn’t the right mindset to be in when putting up your Christmas tree if you are trying to sell your home. A too-big tree that takes up too much space makes it impossible for potential buyers to appreciate the size and space of a room.
Instead, choose a tree that fits into the background and flows with the space. When staging at this time of year, it is always better to think a little bit smaller than a little bit bigger.
Accentuate the Key Features
When decorating, try to accentuate the focal points or key selling features in the rooms. The right accessories can actually draw attention to these features.
For example, hang mistletoe in arched doorways, use garland across a fireplace or place a tall, narrow tree in a room with high ceilings. Let your decorations guide the eyes of potential buyers to the key features while still creating the joy of Christmas.
Don’t try to decorate every room in the house, and be careful that you don’t block any of the selling points with decorations. House hunters need to be able to see and appreciate the spaces for what they are and visualize the spaces as their own. Too many decorations can hinder their ability to do so.
Use Complementary Colors
While red and green are the traditional Christmas colors, don’t try to force them into rooms that have clashing colors. For example, if your color palette includes pinks, oranges or blues, you won’t want to decorate with reds and greens.
Where possible, incorporate holiday decorations that complement the colors of a room. Christmas decorations come in just about every color, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find the colors that make a decorated room pleasing to look at.
The most important thing to remember when decorating a house that is listed during Christmas is too keep it tasteful. Since everyone has a different idea of what tasteful decorations are, your best bet is to play it safe using muted decorations that blend into the home’s current decor. That way, potential buyers can still appreciate your house and you can still get into the spirit of Christmas.
