The holidays are an exciting time of year. Ordinary, everyday surroundings get dazzled up in sparkling lights and festive decor to lift everyone’s mood. Though there isn’t truly any wrong way to jazz up your space for the season, too much extravagance can be distracting- sometimes less is more when it comes to decorations. Especially if you ’re selling your home, you’ll want to know how to decorate for the holidays the right way.
Stage Your Home First
Before getting to the fun stuff, if you’re selling your home during the holiday season, you should make sure it’s appropriately staged and presentable. Just like you wouldn’t paint a wall without priming it first, you don’t want to put tinsel on a total mess. Instead, assure your home is in top selling shape before giving the green light on the evergreen decor.
Keep a Neutral Color Palette
It’s great to decorate your home for the holidays to brighten the mood and add seasonal cheer. However, keep in mind that you are selling the house and not what’s inside it. A concoction of Christmas colors ultimately drowns out the rest of the room.
Instead, opt for a color-coordinated theme of white, gold or silver. The shiny, classic colors add to the space without stealing the spotlight. If you prefer a more colorful style, there’s no problem adding little accents in the form of poinsettias or holly, for example. Or go with a monochromatic look of all the same color. But if you decide to go with the latter, make sure the colors mesh well with the existing furnishings and decor of the room.
Avoid Kitschy Christmas Decorations
Elegant and minimal is the name of the game. When selling your home, you don’t want to turn away any potential buyers. But if you decorate your home for the holidays with inflatable Santas and candy canes, it will be more of a spectacle than a showcase. People naturally gravitate towards a simple, clutter-free design. For you, this means skipping out on the playful decorations this year for a more moderate look.
Play Up Your Features
While decorating for the holidays, you should seize the opportunity to play up your home’s assets. Draw attention to attractive features with simple but charming decor. For example, wrap a garland around the stairwell, or hang stockings on the fireplace mantle.
Respect the Dimensions
The motive behind decorating your home for the holidays is to enhance the appeal of your house- not to show off the decorations themselves. So don’t hide your front door with an oversized wreath, or put up a billowing tree that makes your living room seem smaller than it actually is.
Keep the Lights Simple
To achieve the elegant holiday look that will help you sell your home, you should opt for simple all-white lights. They’re pretty and invoke the warm feeling of holiday cheer. Multi-colored or flashing lights risk distracting potential buyers from the real target- your house.
Light the Fireplace
If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Not only will a burning fire add to the holiday mood, but it will help viewers to imagine themselves living in the space. When selling your home you might as well showcase it in all its glory.
Appeal to All the Senses
Finally, don’t forget to decorate your home for the holidays with some festive scents. Light a gingerbread, cinnamon, or pine candle before a home tour. Keep one in the kitchen or living room, but don’t forget to liven up the bathrooms with their own holiday cheer, too.
Conclusion
All the tips above will help you sell your home this holiday season, but don’t get too caught up in the details. The holidays are about having fun! Your passion and good spirits are what will ultimately lead you to your goal.
