While many sellers prefer not to list their home in November and December because of the family events and travel that the holiday season often brings, it’s a perfectly valid time to get your home on the market. For some, relocation needs early in the new year force this timing, but others simply prefer to get their home out there at a time when not many listings exist for browsing.
Regardless of your reasoning, the success of your listing will depend largely on the effectiveness of your listing photos and your staging. In today’s market, sellers need to lean into strategic staging in order to move their listing as quickly as possible, and at a desired price.
At the same time, especially if you’re still living in the home, you may want to get into the holiday spirit even while showing your home! Use these tips to determine how to decorate and celebrate the holidays while also showing off your home’s maximum beauty.
1. Stage first, then decorate
If you’re planning to list your home during the holidays (spooky season included!), approach your decorating with a staging lens first. Most people need to move furniture and pare down existing decorations in order to prepare their home to stage.
Our main goal here is to get each room looking as bright and large as possible. Most of the time, the furniture required for this will be quite different from the furniture you require to use the room to its best potential. That’s okay! We don’t stage the same way we live.
2. Less is more
Think about how you can incorporate small splashes of the holiday season. More than likely, you won’t be using each and every holiday decoration in your attic this year, but you can still celebrate and display small reminders for yourself and your family. The year you list your home might not be the year for oversized skeletons, 12-foot Christmas trees, or inflatable yard decor.
Keeping decorations minimal helps us to avoid a confusing or cluttered look in the final staged home. As fun as they are, holiday decorations can make a space feel smaller because they can occupy every surface and spot.
3. Cater to the senses
One fun way to embrace the holiday season while staging a home is to lean into seasonal scents! When we stage, we want to consider how each space will look, sound, feel, and smell. During this season, we can lean on holiday inspiration and fill the home with the smell of cider, evergreen trees, or cinnamon.
4. Go light on the lights
Exterior decorations like lights are a hallmark of the holiday season. However, covering your home in lights can easily distract viewers from the actual look and feel of your home. Keep lights minimal so that anyone interested in your listing can still see the true qualities of your home’s exterior.
You can use lights and decorations outside to draw focus to attractive architectural points like the peak of your house or any unique shapes, or you can decorate the trees in your yard to add a splash of festivity.
5. Accentuate unique features
Inside, you can use the same strategy to accentuate unique features of your home. Hang mistletoe in arched doorways, or decorate your mantle to draw the eye. Use the decorations to your benefit by being strategic with their placement.
6. Keep it general
When an interested buyer sees photos of our listing or comes for a showing, we want them to easily be able to picture themselves living there someday soon. That’s why part of the staging process involves removing personal items like family photos from prominent walls or surfaces. Although there’s nothing wrong with them, they can take viewers out of the experience and make it more difficult for them to connect with the home.
We generally remove religious items or messages as well, and this applies to holiday decorations too. Whichever December holidays you celebrate, do your best to keep things general and secular as you stage your home to sell.
The holidays are an exciting and joyful time, and listing your home for sale should be the same! With the right strategy, you can decorate to enjoy the holiday season while still positioning your home to sell quickly and see the maximum earnings from your investment. We’re here to help every step of the way. If we can answer any questions, please reach out!
