When your home is on the market, you expect anyone who walks through to offer an opinion on things like layout, kitchen space and number of powder rooms. But when your home is on the market during November and December, your holiday decorations will solicit plenty of comments too, which could prove counterproductive to your selling mission.
To help sellers find the ideal way to display holiday cheer, the realtors at Dave Perry-Miller & Associates share their holiday decorating dos and don’ts.
Go simple
As soon as candle in the jack-o-lantern burns down, we pull out our boxes and bins of holiday cheer. But if you’re trying to sell your home, it’s best to keep most of those special items packed.
“Simplify! Don’t use all 423 pieces of Lemax Christmas Village displays and angel hair for snow in your living and dining room,” Michelle Blackburn advises. “Show your favorite two or three pieces. Less is more. Buyers will find themselves looking at the houses you displayed and not the house you want to sell.”
Although some homeowners like a different holiday theme or scene in each room, Blackburn advises sellers to pick one color or one theme and carry it through the entire home.
“Having a different theme in every room becomes overwhelming and more like a circus,” she says. “Buyers still need to be able to see the home and not be distracted or overwhelmed by the decor.”
Picture perfect
When your home is on the market, Realtors recommend decluttering, which includes displaying only a few framed photographs. If your pictures are from the holidays, Cindy Bruner recommends you put them away once the season is over.
“As pretty as they may be during the holidays, those same decorations will look tired and outdated in January if the house hasn’t sold,” she explains.
Bruner agrees with Blackburn on the concept of less is more when it comes to decorations, adding, “This is the year to keep some of your treasures in the box. You will appreciate them all the more when you get them out the next year in your new home. Use fresh greenery, seasonal flowers, candles and a few of your prettiest pieces.”
Ashley Akin adds, “Simple elegance versus over-the-top is much better — and a lot less distracting,”
Religious imagery
Religious artifacts and décor are part of the holiday season, but like anything you showcase in your home, it’s best to minimize their presence when you’re trying to sell. After all, you want people to focus on your home, not whether or not they share your beliefs.
As McKamy Tiner explains, “Avoid displaying overtly religious icons or scenes, as they may unintentionally cause a distraction.”
One more thing to consider: Lawn art and holiday lights look festive in the night, but because your showings take place during the day, the presentation is dramatically different. Consider this fact when you adorn your yard and façade, and be aware of extension cords or other materials that could prove to be a nuisance or hazard.
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Dave Perry Miller & Associates, an Ebby Halliday Company, is a premier residential real estate firm with five locations that specialize in marketing the key areas of the Park Cities, Preston Hollow, Uptown, Lakewood, East Dallas and Kessler Park. Dave Perry-Miller & Associates is a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World and Luxury Portfolio International. For more information on luxury living, please contact an associate today at 214-369-6000. Also visit daveperrymiller.com/blog for the latest news in Dallas real estate.
These simple potted trees on a console table won't distract buyers from the house.
