Holiday Decor - Positive or Negative?

While approaching the holidays, most businesses begin to slow up their production as families begin visiting each other, having holiday parties, and preparing for the new year. Most assume that the housing market comes to a halt during these times, but that is not always true. On a regular basis, most who shop for a home during the holidays will be more motivated to buy a home. Buyers and sellers both are more aggressive during this time of year due to the thought of a “deadline.” Most will try to buy before the actual celebrated holiday which brings us to a question; should we decorate for the holidays while selling?

PROS

There are many pros to decorating your home while trying to sell during the holiday season! During the selling process, it is already hard enough to plan accordingly, but why do you have to pretend the holidays do not exist? Decorating your home will allow you and your family to celebrate while offering any potential buyers a festive experience. This will also help them view the home ‘dressed up’ for any occasion. However, if you are planning to decorate your home while pursuing to sell your home, keep the following tips in mind: 

- Keep it secular. You could potentially off-put buyers of a different religion.

- Stick to neutral colors and decorate to accent your current decor.

- Keep it simple - too many decorations may give your home a cluttered appearance.

- Avoid decorations that hide important features of your home.

- Do not leave gifts under your tree. 

CONS

Depending on your decor choice, it could possibly negatively impact your home’s appeal. Too many decorations will also make your home look cluttered, small, and may cause too much of a distraction for potential buyers. Some experts caution sellers to consider the implications of decorating before they do so. Without knowing what may be considered offensive to a person’s faith, experts explain that it may benefit to just decorate simple, neutral decorations as religious decor may alienate potential buyers. You also want to protect your security as well. By hanging cards on the wall, people may gain access to your personal information. 

Decorations for the holidays are always a nice touch to make your home feel more “homey.” However, adding too many can distract potential buyers from what your home has to offer.