Holiday Home Staging

Tue, 12/13/2016 - 12:00am

As a home seller during the holidays, home staging can be challenging. Part of home staging is having just the right amount of décor displayed without taking the focus away from the best features of the home. 

Too much can make the home look cluttered and too little can make the home look drab and uninviting.

Below are some helpful ideas and tips to stage your home for the holiday season!

Keep It Moderate

The holidays tend to come with quite a deal of seasonal décor. From lights to wreaths, it can be easy for a home seller to add a bit too much. 

This in turn can put home buyers off. One of the keys to home staging is to make a home feel spacious The more items put on display, the less space the home will appear to have.

Small holiday accents here and there work perfectly. Pinecones, ribbons, snowflakes, and evergreens are all good examples of items to use for décor.

Reds, greens, creams, browns and whites are beautiful color shades to work with.

Focal Points

Your fireplace mantle, kitchen counters, bay windows, built-in shelves, and foyers are great places to add a little extra holiday spirit.

Not only do they accentuate the look but they also bring buyers’ focus to those areas you want to highlight in your home.

For example: If your home has high ceilings, you can show them off with a taller Christmas tree.

Talk with your realtor on areas of your home that would really appeal to buyers. Those are the areas to focus on!

Bonus! Anita Clark (Ga Realtor) does a great job explaining the pros and cons of selling a home during the holidays in her article “Is Selling Your Home During the Holidays A Good Idea?”

Keep The Personalized Holiday Décor In Storage

Stockings, ornaments, photos, figures and similar décor are often personalized with names and pictures. Though these items may be beautiful and sentimental, they can make it hard for buyers to envision themselves living in your home.

They can also make rooms appear to be more cluttered. Keep those items stored away until next year in your new home!

Bonus! Paul Sian (OH Realtor) has provided a nice article discussing how the holidays may affect home sales.

Liven Up The Exterior

All home sellers should try to maintain curb appeal no matter what season. Make sure your landscaping is trimmed and cared for. Keep strings of lights to a moderate level.

No need to compete with the neighbors for the brightest house when selling your home!

Decorate a few outdoor trees and shrubs with simple white or yellow lights. If you have a front porch, try adding a small entryway Christmas tree, or a display of evergreen branches and pinecones.

Finally, adding a tasteful wreath to the front door will be a great way to entice buyers’ to continue on the tour of your home.

Bonus! Kevin Vitali (Southern NH Realtor) shares the different circumstances of when to take your home off the market for the holidays in his article.

Create A Warm Atmosphere

If you have a fireplace be sure to add a few logs and light it. If not, turn the heat up just a tad to make your home comfortable during the colder weather.

Another idea to improve your home atmosphere is to break out your family’s favorite cookie recipe. Bake up a batch of fresh cookies for buyers to sample as they tour through your home.

Warming some cinnamon, orange and clove potpourri on the stove can also add a nice holiday fragrance. The goal is to make buyers feel at home and to give them the ability to picture themselves living there.

Note: It is always good to have a home smelling and feeling warm in the winter but don’t go overboard with scents and heat!

Bonus! What Do Holiday Baking And Home Selling Have In Common? Find out in Lynn Pineda’s (FL Realtor) helpful article!

More Resources for Preparing a Home for Sale During the Holidays

More Articles for Home Buyers
More Articles for Home Sellers

Thanks for reading my blog! It is my goal as your full service real estate Realtor specializing in the Richmond Hill, Savannah, Pooler, and Hinesville – Georgia areas, to provide you with exceptional service at all times. My promise to you is to openly and honestly answer all your questions, help you navigate through the process and to make myself available to you day and night. I work for you and you are my priority. My local expertise and extensive real estate training and experience will benefit you whether you are serious about buying or selling a home at this time, or are a returning client checking out the many homeowner resources I offer. I am a “real” person and my reputation depends on every client, every deal, every day. I LOVE my job and it shows! You can also connect with me on my Facebook Page and/or Google Plus for area info and events, things to do, real estate news, home ownership tips, tips for both buyers and sellers, and so much more! I’m also on Pinterest!

Written by Client Care Marianne McGinnity on December 13, 2016.