Selling your home during the holidays? Don’t worry – you can still decorate and bring in plenty of holiday cheer. This guide explains seven great ways to decorate for the holidays when your house is on the market.
7 Great Ways to Decorate for the Holidays When Your House is On the Market
Though you definitely don’t want to go overboard with holiday decor while your house is for sale, you can still decorate and celebrate the season. Check out these seven tips you can use:
- Use accents, not all-out decor
- Put a little spice in the air
- Dress up your front door
- Add poinsettias to special spaces
- Keep tree decorations (and gifts) to a minimum
- Leave goodies for guests
- Put a potted plant on the patio
Here’s a closer look at each.
Tip #1 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Use accents, not all-out decor
Rather than decking your halls with every holiday-themed piece of decor you have, consider going lighter than usual this year. Try holiday-themed accent pillows on the sofa, a cozy Christmas throw at the foot of your bed, and beautiful (and unlit) holiday candles on the mantel.
Tip #2 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Put a little spice in the air
Simmer a pot of cider on the stove, bake some cookies and set up a to-go station when prospective buyers are coming to see your home. That way, they’ll leave your house remembering that they had great snacks – and that your space smelled like the holidays.
Pro Tip: Avoid scented candles, wax warmers and plug-ins. Some people who come to see your home won’t like them – or worse, they could have breathing difficulties, and artificial scents could aggravate them.
Tip #3 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Dress up your front door
Put a cheerful holiday wreath on your front door. Curb appeal is just as important during the holidays as it is during the rest of the year.
Tip #4 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Add poinsettias to special spaces
Invest in a few poinsettia plants and place them around your home. Put one on the floor near your fireplace, one on the kitchen counter (as long as it’s the only thing there) and even one in your bathroom. Buyers love to see plants inside the homes they tour – they make spaces feel more “homey.”
Tip #5 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Keep tree decorations (and gifts) to a minimum
The last thing you want to do is distract prospective buyers from your home’s great features – but if you over-decorate your Christmas tree, that’s what’s going to happen. Keep your tree simple this year, and remember, you can go all-out next year when you’re in your new home.
Tip #6 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Leave goodies for guests
If you’re simmering cider on the stove or baking cookies, leave some out for the people who tour your home. You can place a small placard near a plate and paper cups that says “Please take me with you” or something to that effect.
Tip #7 for Holiday Decorating While Your House is for Sale: Put a potted plant on the patio
Your outdoor living space is just as important during winter as it is during summer, so put a healthy (and easy to care for) potted plant on your patio. You can bring it in at night if temperatures dip too low.
