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How to Stage your Home During the Holidays
By Erin | December 7, 2008
To decorate or not to decorate? That is the question facing homeowners whose properties are on the market during the month of December. The simple answer is yes, you can deck the halls - but with certain guidelines to keep your house buyer-friendly.
In whatever month you list your house, the most important thing you can do is to make your home as appealing to the widest number of potential buyers as possible. You follow proven staging techniques to achieve this. When it’s time to decorate for the holidays, these techniques should continue to guide you.
Here are some things to keep in mind this holiday season:
Religious items
A typical staging guideline is to remove from sight all religious items, such as crosses, statues and pictures. You want your house to be as neutral as possible when potential buyers walk through. If the buyers aren’t religious or if they identify with a different faith, they may feel uncomfortable in the house - even of it’s on a subconscious level - and they will move on to another property.
By definition, Christmas and Hannukah are religious holidays, so any decorating associated with them poses an inherent challenge. The truth is, though, life is short and you and your kids may not want to give up decorations even for one year. If so, the best advice is to keep decorations simple and elegant. One menorah or one Christmas tree on display should be it. That’s not to say you can’t have many more “neutral” decorations, such as lights, candles, greenery, a wreath, snowflakes, pine cones or other pretty accessories associated with winter.
About the Christmas tree
Well-decorated trees are beautiful and can look stunning inside a home. Because an estimated 76% of the U.S. population report themselves as Christian, there’s a good chance a Cheristmas tree can strike a positive emotional connection with potential buyers. However, keep in mind that trees are big. Visually speaking, you can think of them as another piece of furniture. Since an important staging guideline is to keep rooms free of too much furniture, ask yourself: Will adding a tree make the room look smaller? Do you have to move lots of furniture around to fit it in your living room, thereby creating a less-than-ideal furniture arrangement? If you answered yes to either of these questions, you may want to reconsider getting a tree.
Keep clutter in check
When you are decorating, keep this staging principle in mind: cut the clutter! Lots of small decorative items can quickly clutter a room. It doesn’t matter how cute you think those snowmen are, or the family of porcelain deer, or the Department 56 village - save it all for next year in your new house! To keep it simple, stick to decorating only the fireplace mantle and the dining room table, for example. I can’t stress it enough: less is more! You don’t need garland adorning the archways or lights hanging from the window frame in the bedroom.
Other tips:
*When choosing what to display, think “elegent” versus “cutesy.” You want items to complement your decor, not clash with it.
*Stick to fresh greenery versus artificial. Fresh garland smells great and is easy to use. Most tree lots sell it.
Outside decorations
If you don’t want to bother with decorating the front of your house, don’t feel you need to. It’s fine to skip it this year. But if you do, follow the “less is more” principle here, too! You want potential buyers to notice your house, and not be distracted by your decorations.
*String lights, but don’t overdo it! A strand of lights along the roofline is good. Take care in stringing the lights so they are “pulled tight” and don’t look messy.
*Avoid inflatable decorations on the lawn (or anywhere).
*Hang a fresh wreath on the front door
*Place flowers, such as pointsettias, in attractive pots on the doorstep
*Add a new, festive doormat ($15-$30 at Target)
Dining table for a party
If your dining table is not set, now would be a good time to ’stage’ it for a party! By creating a festive table top, you invite potential buyers to imagine themselves entertaining in your home.
After the New Year
Be sure to take down all holiday decorations prompltly after the holidays are over. Decorations will look out of place and buyers may think you are “not on top of it.” Remember, you always want to put your best foot forward when marketing your house!
Topics: Home Design/Staging Ideas |
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