Our House
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, but as you can imagine this is not our busiest time in the real estate world. Although the holiday season, in and of itself, is stressful, combined with selling your home during the Christmas chaos sounds like a recipe waiting for a disaster. But do not be afraid, we come bearing gifts- a good plan to calm your nerves which will bring you good tidings of comfort and joy and… a sale in return. The good news during this time of year is the birth of Jesus Christ, and the comforting fact in our real estate market is the buyers who are looking are not just window shopping. They are serious, ready to find a house and ring in the New Year at a place they can call home. So, is it a good idea to decorate your home for Christmas while trying to sell? The answer is yes but keep these few things in mind before you start pulling out all your Christmas décor.
1. De-clutter and Stage: The house needs to be show ready before and after the decorations appear and disappear.
2. Put up the Christmas tree, but do not overdo it: If it overpowers the room or makes it feel crowded, consider getting a smaller tree or removing furniture. If your ceilings are high, show them off with a tall Christmas tree. If you have a large home, consider additional trees in various rooms to show how much space your home has to offer.
3. Take advantage of the holiday scents: Consider using candles of pine or balsam, bake warm cookies or have simmering cider. Try to avoid heavy scents like cinnamon and vanilla.
4. Don’t dismiss first impressions: Do not take someone’s “Merry” away from their “Christmas” by having them drive up to your home full of inflatables or the Clark Griswold spectacular. We want to encourage buyers to focus on the exteriors and not be distracted by any yard décor that takes away from the architecture.
5. Accentuate the home with neutrals: Use fresh garland and white lights to add more holiday cheer. Make sure your Christmas collection compliments your home décor. Do not use lime green and red ribbon on your mantel in a room of soothing, pale blues. Compliment colors and spaces or leave it in the box. Remember white lights or not lights. Colored lights do not show well in photographs. Focus on a neutral color palette.
6. Don’t fill every corner with decorations: Do not block important areas of your home with decorations. We want buyers to see all your home has to offer.
Remember, we don’t live the same way when we try to sell our homes so we shouldn’t decorate our homes for Christmas the same either. Very few buyers are turned off by Christmas decorations so embrace it. Have fun and enjoy holiday cheer. Just keep in mind, you are trying to sell your home so focus on accentuating its features, not your Christmas decorations. We hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas and remember the Reason for the Season!
-Tom and Julie Douglass
[email protected], [email protected]
205-999-2780, 205-999-4153
December Tip: Decorating your mailbox for Christmas, follow us on Instagram @theDouglassDuo to watch Julie demonstrate a fun tutorial.
