Should You Decorate if You’re Trying to Sell?
Christmas /Holiday Decorations – Should You Decorate if You’re Trying to Sell?
When your home is on the market during the holidays, you have a decision to make. Do you decorate your dwelling as usual, or skip the trimmings this year? There are pros and cons to putting up holiday decorations when you’re trying to make a sale, but you don’t have to give up seasonal decorations entirely.
Don’t Make It Personal
Just as your real estate agent advises you to pack away most of the family photos and other personal items when you’re getting ready to show your house, the same holds true when it comes to decorations. When potential buyers who celebrate Christmas come to your home, they should imagine it as their next home, and that’s hard when you have stockings hung with family members’ names on them, holidays cards on display, your kid’s handmade ornaments on the tree, and the like. Instead, display attractive but generic decorations.
Moderation is Key
If you usually put on a holiday lighting extravaganza, this is definitely not the year to do it. Over the top decorations prevent buyers from really seeing your house as it is, and such ornamentation is very much geared to personal taste. That doesn’t mean you can’t decorate outside and inside, but stick with the classics and keep decorations to a minimum. That means a wreath on the door, perhaps candles in the window and maybe some simple white lights on a tree or around a doorframe. Inside, keep it simple. While some realtors advise against putting up a tree, that’s a real sacrifice for your family, especially if you have kids. If the tree is normally the centerpiece of a room, opt this year for a moderate size tree that doesn’t overwhelm the space. Poinsettias and Christmas cactuses provide nice touches, but avoid anything kitschy. This year, less is more.
Stay Away from the Overtly Religious
People of all faith traditions, or no faith traditions, are possible buyers. Christmas and Hanukkah are both religious holidays, but there are more secular aspects to both. For Christmas, go with wreaths rather than displays of the Holy Family. For Hanukkah, some blue and white themes, such as individual candles, may work better than a menorah. Again, the point is not to downplay the importance of religious traditions during the holidays, but to make your home as appealing to buyers as possible. No matter the faith or lack of faith of a buyer, a lack of religious holiday symbols is not going to affect them emotionally. Overt religious symbolism may have that effect, either positively or negatively. Since you don’t know who your potential buyers are, don’t do anything that may turn a buyer off.
Don’t Hide Home Features
When decorating, take care not to hide any of your home’s features. Keep decorations away from windows, staircases, fireplace mantels and other visual points of interest, and never place a holiday banner on a wall. A few small decorations displayed on a table are fine.
Contact Us
If you’re looking to buy or sell a home or find a rental property, you need a knowledgeable, experienced realtor familiar with all aspects of the Hawaiian real estate market. Contact Island Realty Group LLC at 808-689-7407 or IslandRealtyGroup@irghi.com.
