Selling your home and the holiday season is approaching? Wondering if you should decorate and if so, how much? Follow these tips to assure a festive look that you and potential buyers will love.
1. Highlight your home’s exterior. For a classy look stick with single colored lights on the house or featured shrubs and trees. Don’t have the yard full of displays and blinking lights. The focus is on the home’s architecture – not the decorations.
2. Make sure your front door says welcome. Add a festive wreath. A classic holly, cedar or pine wreath or swag with a fancy bow make a beautiful addition. We also love the large berry wreaths. Make sure the wreath is high quality as it is one of the first impressions people see upon entering your home. In the entry a few red poinsettias plants are a cheery greeting – make sure you keep plants watered and in good condition. If using silk or artificial plants use only top quality – and be sure they aren’t dusty!
3. Think from a global perspective. If you are a different religion or nationality entering your home does it feel welcoming or odd? While this is a season for many diverse religious celebrations, make sure your personal décor is inviting to all potential buyers. Limit religious displays to a small portion of your décor. While decorating focus on “festive” rather than specific beliefs or traditions.
4 Before you decorate inside – remove more décor! You already have decluttered until it looks nearly bare to you – but before bringing out any holiday décor, take away more décor items. Everyday items can be exchanged for ones that look more seasonal as well. Replace centerpieces with seasonal bouquets, change the beige throw to a cranberry one – little changes will give a more festive look. Your home may look bare to you, however it doesn’t look that way to buyers or to the camera when photos are taken.
5. Create a simple and classic holiday look. By choosing a color scheme for your decorations your home will look more coordinated and sophisticated. We love homemade ornaments and all the ones with the kid’s pictures too – but having a hodge podge of decorations can look like clutter. Limit colors to two or three and have them repeated though each area of holiday decorating. Choose a few larger decorations which are more restful to the eye than a bunch of small decorations.
6. Is it Christmas without a tree? Not for most families. Does it block the flow of the room or a view window? Is it size appropriate for the room? Here are some other ideas to keep in mind when decorating with a Christmas tree.
7. As you decorate, concentrate on a few areas. Decorations should not adorn every window sill and room. Do you have beautiful vaulted ceilings? How about a tall slender Christmas tree with large ornaments? Have a beautiful dining room? Create a fantastic centerpiece and display on the buffet. A classic fireplace? Decorate the mantle with boughs, tall bold candle holders and beautiful glass balls.
Serious buyers are the ones making time to view homes in December. Enjoy the season with a home that displays holiday cheer AND buyers will be focused on your home’s features – not just décor.
Margaret Oscilia
Creative Concepts and Contracting
503-881-0886
Professional Home Staging – Reliable Contractor Repairs – Beautiful Results!
