Tasteful Holiday Decorations While Your Home is on the Market

If your home is on the market this holiday season it might be a stressful time because you want to decorate but don’t want to overwhelm buyers. And that’s a good mindset to have. You certainly don’t want to cover up all the amazing features that your home can offer, but you may still want some holiday decorations. And that’s okay. Buyers understand that this is the holiday season so minimal decorations are perfectly fine. So, what are some of the best tasteful holiday decorations while your home is on the market?

Mantle ideas.

If you have a fireplace with a mantle, it almost begs for being decorated. However, you don’t want to cover up the mantle if it’s a beautiful piece and really emphasizes the fireplace. Simple decorations, a garland, a couple of holiday items strategically placed on either side or even a wreath above the mantle is about as dramatic as you should go. But, on the other hand, if you’re mantle really isn’t that special, covering it up with hanging stockings, draped garland, or holiday items across the top, might be more appropriate.

Christmas trees.

A Christmas tree is perfectly fine while your home is on the market but you may want to leave off those homey decorations from your two-year-old. I’m not saying that they aren’t precious, but, you also don’t want those precious items to be broken or stolen. A simple 5 to 7 foot Christmas tree with plastic but tasteful ornaments and a simple topper is really all the tree may need. Also, a couple of packages underneath is fine, however, if you have a plethora of boxes and packages, keep them tucked away in a closet. You don’t want the living room or wherever the tree is to feel crowded and cluttered and you don’t want one of those packages accidentally going missing during an open house or showing. The more you have, the more you might not even notice if one is gone.

Front porch.

Remember that homebuyers will have their real estate agent with them and maybe friends or family members. So you don’t want to clutter up the front porch with too many holiday decorations that they have nowhere to stand. Often times a simple wreath or bow on the front door is all the home needs to make it feel decorated and tasteful.

Tabletops.

A simple runner down a rectangular table or an oval-shaped centerpiece with natural colors, items from nature like pinecones and greenery, and a couple of candles with candlesticks is really all a tabletop needs. You don’t need to go to dramatic or over-the-top. Even though this isn’t something that will be going along with the buyers (the table) you don’t want to beat so distracting that buyers forget to look at the house itself.

Outside.

Christmas lights on the outside of the house are beautiful at night but can tend to look messy during the day. It may be time to nix the holiday lights while your home is on the market.

You can absolutely decorate for the holidays while your home is on the market but scale it back just a bit, especially if you are the type that likes to hang garland, ribbon, and bows on anything that will stand still. Trust me, I love that too, but the goal this season is to get your home sold.