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Topic: Holiday Decorations and Home Sales |
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RE: Holiday Decorations and Home Sales |
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| Topic Review |  | |
Sandy Gardner
Veteran Member
Posts:32
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| 07-09-2009 08:25 PM |
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It's that time of year again- from Halloween to New Years it's time to deck the porch with pumpkins, the halls with boughs of holly, and the windows with candlelight. But when your home is for sale, what should you do? Do you forsake your holiday decorating to sell your home?
This can be a delicate subject between realtors, stagers, and home owners. Sellers don't want to disappoint their children and visiting family members or they are convinced everyone will love their bountiful holiday displays. Some people feel that to give up their holiday decorating would be to deny their faith. Because of this, realtors hesitate to alienate their clients by suggesting toning the celebration down in favor of selling the house. It can be an extremely sensitive subject. The problem is focusing on the holidays and selling your home at the same time.
My suggestion is moderation and control. You want buyers to be comfortable and feel welcome entering your home. An overabundance of holiday decorations is distracting and can be intensely personal. Buyers can feel like they are intruding on a private celebration and make a hasty exit. I'm not saying you have to be Scrooge- just lean away from the Chevy Chase style celebrations. A beautifully decorated home can be very attractive and welcoming. Strike a balance with moderation.
Here are some tips to keep fun in the holidays and put visions of a purchase dancing in buyer's heads:
Keep It Simple. Department stores are a good example of how to focus on the holidays and sell a product too. They usually stick to one color that compliments their décor. This allows the eye to travel easily and not get tired from a riot of color. Choose one color and work with that. Try one color of lights, candles, table runners, etc. for a simple elegant display.
Keep It Small. If you are putting up a Christmas tree for example and you always have the largest tree in the neighborhood, consider a smaller version. A "space saver" tree, one that is taller but smaller around, would be a wise investment towards selling your home. It will make the room look larger and your furniture will not be crowded. Edit your collection. Whatever holiday you celebrate, put out a few favorite decorations and save the rest for next year.
Keep It Classy. I know I'm in dangerous territory here but selling your home is my goal. I have those lovely macaroni ornaments too and every decoration my daughters ever made. It's our tradition to place the one truly awful decoration my oldest made when she was 3 smack dab in the front of the tree. It makes us smile. But if I was selling my home, I would not want visitors to pause and look at that lovely creation. Not because I'm ashamed of it- we're not. I would want them to spend time looking at our windows, the new carpet, the easy to live with paint selection. Make it easy for buyers to concentrate on why they are there.
Keep It Short. Take down the decorations immediately following the holiday. Return the focus to selling your home so the next holiday you celebrate will be in your new home.
Keep It Friendly. If you love decorating for Halloween, be sure to keep it the Happy Halloween version of decorating. Smiling jack-o-lanterns and the like are fine but don't literally scare buyers off with a frightening Halloween display. Many people are truly turned off by bloody, spooky decorations.
I hope you found these suggestions helpful. It is possible to enjoy the holidays with all of the festivities and decorations. Just remember: simple, small, classy, short, and friendly!
If you or your client would like help balancing decorating for the holidays and preparing your home for sale, call me. I'd love to help.
Sandy Gardner
Commonwealth Staging
703-436-4662
www.commonwealthstaging.com |
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Sandy Gardner
http://www.commonwealthstaging.com
sgardner@commonwealthstaging.com
703-436-4662 |
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