Should Home Sellers Decorate for the Holidays?

by Karen Briscoe
November 15, 2017

The holiday season for many people begins at Thanksgiving and extends through December until after the first of the year. Many Sellers that have their home on the market wonder if they should decorate their home for the holidays.

Holiday decorations can contribute to a home feeling warm and friendly. Further special decorating can show different uses for spaces and features of the home. Lights can accent areas that may be “lost” to darkness and cheer up the front of a home in the bleak mid-winter season.

What has been found best is that the client should proceed with what the family normally does and wants to do. If the homeowner normally strings exterior lights, then by all means use it as an opportunity to showcase the property. If a tree is a centerpiece to the living room, then continue with that tradition. Stagers frequently urge owners to “depersonalize” their home when it is on the market to sell, and that still is a valid recommendation. However, some character and personal touches keep a home from feeling too cold and uninviting.

In some situations, putting up holiday decorations is an additional burden to keeping a home in show condition that Sellers opt out for a season. If the Sellers are also packing and making plans to move, then including the burden of decorating for a holiday is just enough to send them over the edge. In those cases, perhaps it is a good idea to take a rest from decorating for this particular holiday season.

Some Sellers select a happy medium approach. Placing a wreath on the front door and some greenery around the mantle conveys the holiday spirit with minimal effort. The home conveys a warm and inviting atmosphere and keeps the focus on keeping the home in show condition for Buyer visitors and open houses.

Karen Briscoe and Lizzy Conroy are experienced Realtors® in the Northern Virginia, Washington DC, suburban Maryland market place. They along with their team would be delighted to assist whether for home buying or selling. Please contact via the means most convenient for you: www.HBCGroupKW.com, 703-734- 0192, Homes@HBCGroupKW.com.

Karen Briscoe is Principal of the Huckaby Briscoe Conroy Group (HBC) and author of "Real Estate Success in 5 Minutes a Day". She is an Associate Broker in Virginia, a Certified Luxury Home Market Specialist, and a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors. Karen began her real estate career developing residential lots with the Trammel Crow Company in Dallas, and in commercial real estate with The Staubach Company in the Washington, DC Metro area. Karen has a Masters Degree from Southern Methodist University and her BA from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri – her hometown.
Like
Favorites
Log Out
Log In