Home Staging During the Holidays

When listing your home during the winter holiday season, it can be especially challenging when you have children who want to decorate with their homemade crafts, Santa Claus, snowmen, etc. but it's advisable to leave the "fun" decor in storage and keep the holiday decor more "tasteful", meaning minimal, simple, and non-denominational.

You don't want the buyers to be distracted by all of the holiday decor so that it's more difficult for them to focus on the wonderful selling features of your house. If anything, you want to emphasize those features which you can certainly do with strategic holiday decorating. Use natural decor such as winter greenery, poinsettias, large pinecones, cranberries, clove-studded oranges, etc. If you prefer a more elegant look, then use white, silver, and/or gold decor. Keep the theme and colours consistent throughout the house.

Since the goal when selling your home is to appeal to everyone, it's best to keep the holiday decor non-denominational, so leave the Nativity Scene and angels in storage and decorate with more "neutral" items such as candles, snowflakes, reindeer, and nutcrackers.....decorate for "winter" while your home is on the market.

Make a welcoming first impression by placing a simple wreath on the door and 1 or 2 large urns with winter greenery and accentuating them with twinkling white lights. If you have an entry table, perhaps place a lovely poinsettia and a couple of chunky battery candles in silver or gold candle holders. If you have a fireplace with mantle, play it up with some greenery, white lights, and some elegant decor such as gold and/or silver balls in some glass jars, candles, or some elegant reindeer figurines. Keep the personalized Christmas stockings in storage and hang some neutral ones. If you have tall ceilings, then accentuate them with a tall Christmas tree decorated minimally with gold or silver and maybe 1 other colour that compliments your home's colour scheme. (Be sure not to block the windows as you want as much natural light to flood the room as possible.) If you have a small living room and space is an issue, use a skinny or table-top tree. If you have a lovely stairway and banister, call attention to it with a simple garland. Dress up your formal dining room table with an elegant holiday arrangement.

As always when selling your home, no matter the season, LESS IS MORE. Happy Holidays!