If you’re like many people selling a home in October, you’re wondering whether you should decorate for Halloween or keep things the same as they are during the rest of the year – and this guide explains.
How Much Halloween Decor is Okay When You’re Selling Your Home?
Whether you normally go all-out for Halloween or you put up a few pieces of fall decor and call it a day, you need to know how much decor is too much when your house is on the market. Generally speaking, you should keep your Halloween decor to a minimum – and you should absolutely keep it cute rather than scary.
If you really want to decorate for Halloween, put all your over-the-top decor up the day of Halloween and take it down the next morning. Though it’s a bit of a pain (and it might make the lead-up to this holiday feel a little less festive), you don’t want to scare off prospective buyers.
Having Halloween decor up in your home while people are coming for tours may not be likely to offend many people, but it can make your space appear a little more cluttered. Worse, though, it can distract prospective buyers from your home’s best features – and that’s what they’re really there to see. You don’t want to wow them with your Halloween decor and let them leave without appreciating the beautiful views from your living room window, wondering about the size of your primary bedroom’s closet, or scratching their heads trying to remember if your staircase had carpet on it. The key to decorating for Halloween while your house is on the market is to keep things subtle.
Remember, too, that some buyers will be offended by Halloween decor – and if they’re touring your home with small children, blood and gore can be off-putting.
Pro Tip: Wait until after your listing photos are taken before decorating for Halloween. If your home stays on the market past Halloween, your photos will be dated. That can be bad news as people are scrolling through listings online.
What Should You Do Instead of Decorating for Halloween?
Rather than going all-out with Halloween decorations, consider using a fall theme and placing a few pumpkins on your porch. Cornstalks, gourds, and other fall-themed items are always a nice touch on the porch, too.
Pro Tip: Don’t put pumpkins on your steps. Buyers could trip on them, and that’s the last thing you want.
A few special decorations, such as a leaf garland on the mantel or orange candles on the dining table, should be enough to keep you in the Halloween spirit without overwhelming prospective buyers.
Indoors vs. Outdoors
If possible, keep the vast majority of your Halloween decor outside. Too much inside and buyers will feel like they’re going through a haunted house – not a home you want them to buy. And remember, the decor outside should have more of a fall theme than a specific Halloween theme; you don’t want to scare people off (especially people who may be touring homes with sensitive children or those who don’t celebrate Halloween).
