Listing Your Home Over the Holidays: How to Decorate

As the holidays approach, the lights go up, Santa and Rudolph come in every shape and size, and nativity scenes are everywhere. But as much as you might love to show off your holiday joy, if your home is listed over the holidays, most of your decorations may have to sit out this year.

While the holidays aren’t the most popular time of year to sell a home, it does happen. Sometimes you need to be closer to a family member, or you get a new job. Life happens, and that means adjusting to the circumstances.

There are several reasons why decorating your Port Perry real estate for the holidays while listing it is a bad idea.

First, decorations tend to be personal, and it’s always advised to reduce personal items in your home to give buyers a blank slate to work with. Second, decorations take up space and can make a room feel busy and cluttered. Third, Decorations could actually hide star features of your home that you should be highlighting.

But even if you can’t cover your home in silver, gold, red and green, there are plenty of ways to still embrace the holiday season, even if it looks a little different than years past.

Here are several tips for striking a balance between holiday decorating and showing off your home.

Minimize Decorations

Even if you can’t decorate as before, that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate at all. In fact, playing into the season a little bit can make your home more appealing.

But before you start hauling boxes up from the basement, just remember to keep it light. You don’t want to clutter up your hopefully decluttered space.

Keep your decorations to light, sparse touches. It’s important not to overpower any room and let your home speak for itself.

Don’t Cover What You Should Be Highlighting

If you have a long banister that you usually wrap with garland or a beautiful fireplace mantle that is the perfect space for baubles and candles, and hanging stockings, skip these and save them for next year.

These are features you should be showing off to potential buyers, not covering up. That means avoiding decorations near windows, so you don’t block the natural light, too. Anything that is considered a highlight of your home should be free from decorations.

Opt for More Seasonal Rather than Holiday Decorations

Holiday decorations can often have a statement or come with religious overtones, which are things you want to avoid when creating a blank space. But if you want to decorate, you can do so effectively by playing into the season. If you want to add some plants or greenery, choose winter plants like a Christmas cactus, or fill a vase with evergreen branches and cranberries.

If you want to put out a vase with colorful baubles, choose something elegant like blue and silver.

Light on the Outdoors

Decorating your home’s exterior can serve to play up your curb appeal, as long as it’s done minimally, so skip the inflatable Santa this year. A wreath never feels out of place as long as it doesn’t take up your whole front door. Some simple fairy lights along your roof, porch or trees will give your home a cozy vibe.