When are Holiday Decorations too much?
by: Ines.Hegedus-Garcia on October 28, 2007 06:00:00 10 comments »
There is no one who loves holiday decorations more than I do. It doesn't matter the holiday, but I love when people go out of their way to decorate and show their holiday spirit. There is a time when these decorations may not be appropriate, and that's when your house is for sale. When you are selling your home it's important to follow certain guidelines that will help you sell quicker, especially when there's a lot of inventory and a lot of competing homes also for sale.
Your house needs to stand out from the rest and it's up to you to make that happen.......distracting attention from the sale with a few decorations may not be a good strategy.
Chicago stager extraordinaire Craig Schiller is one of my all time favorite interior designers and stagers was kind enough to reiterate the importance of "destaging" for the holidays in his article HAPPY NEUTRAL DAY… Home Sellers are your Decorations Up? Here is what he has to say:
"Typically, I advise sellers to use VERY little or NO decorations for ANY holiday. WHY? Well, for the simple reason I have said time and time again... when selling a property the house is to be the "star” not the stuff."
I actually visited a Miami Shores home with buyer customers this past week that was decked out with Halloween Decorations. From skulls and skeletons to tomb-stones, witches, vampires, spider webs, you name it! My customers were so horrified that they did not even look at the house. When I suggested that they come back after the decorations were down, they refused and told me they had seen enough.
To think that the seller scared those customers away and lost an opportunity to showcase their home to willing and able buyers should be enough proof that it is not a good idea. Remember that you will not get a second chance to make a good first impression.
Related Posts
Making the SwitchTop 5 Tips for Selling Your Home in a Down Market
Road Construction Nightmare - will it ever end?
Green designer finishes for your kitchen
Five Green conscious moves for your home
· http://monikamcgillicuddy.com/wordpress/Oh my!
I have to admit that I have seen homes that make me cringe...just way over done and very tasteless. Makes me wonder why their agent does not set them straight!!
Permalink October 28, 2007 20:54:34 · http://www.miamism.com/
Moni - sometimes people don't realize the effect of some holiday decorations, even if they are just for fun, they can divert attention and even offend.Permalink October 28, 2007 21:03:51 · http://www.ColoradoSpringsRealEstateConnection.comYou know ... I never thought about that... I DO rememeber going low-key when we sold our home, but talking to Home Sellers about that is an excellent idea, Ines.
Permalink October 29, 2007 09:32:49 · http://www.miamism.com/Mariana - that scary incident with our buyer costumers was an eye opener - talk about "scaring the pants off" those buyers! : )Permalink October 29, 2007 10:09:08 · http://liveinlosgatos.realtownblogs.comHi Ines,
I can see how that could easily happen with Halloween decorations - which are intended to scare and horrify.
Do you think it's the same with other. more upbeat holidays, though? I rather think not - as long as it's not so overdone as to make it impossible for buyers to envision themselves in the home. (You can always overdo it.) A lot of homes really look their best with Thanksgiving, Christmas, or other holiday decorations - warm and inviting (as opposed to skulls, tombstones etc.)
Good food for thought here. Shame about your buyers!
Permalink October 29, 2007 10:46:20 · http://www.miamism.com/Hi Mary - I do think this applies to other holidays as well. My rule is always to decorate, if you have to, in moderation. You know how it can be easily over done. We are always recommending staging and declutering to our seller costumers, and to add even another "non-staging" element to the equation, may not be a good idea.
Craig has other tips for Christmas decorations - where it may be ok to put up a tree and a wreath at the door, but it may not be a good idea to fill your lawn with light-up Santa and reindeer.
Neutral is always best!
Permalink October 29, 2007 12:30:48 · http://focusonfrederick.comHalloween, I can agree...scary and usually the decorations are messy.
I think some homes decked out for Thanksgiving and Christmas can make the home look much better than the current home furnishings at this time of year. I think most homes have a much better curb appeal if decorated outside for these two...I don't mean a six foot blow up Turkey in the front yard. Usually there's no color (North of Miami) in the yards.
Definitely don't want to go over board
There are plenty of classy decorations out there.
Permalink October 29, 2007 19:47:35 · http://www.miamism.com/Bob - not that I want to pick a fight with you - but how do you draw the line? Remember that what you consider "classy" someone else may consider "cheesy". It's about making it neutral and the whole holiday decorations with a religious theme may have a negative impact to someone of a different religion.Permalink October 29, 2007 22:11:01 · http://focusonfrederick.comPost Bully :p
You have to draw that line in the sand. You can use PC decorations.
Permalink October 30, 2007 23:45:13 · http://www.miamism.com/Hey! I'm allowed to bully you in my own blog, no? : P back to you! : )Permalink October 31, 2007 09:59:33This post has no comments awaiting moderation.
