Don’t Let Listing Your House Affect Your Holiday Spirit

While you might not want to go full Fall frenzy or total Griswold Christmas there are plenty of ways to deck the halls while keeping your Charleston, SC home market worthy.

Here are the top things to remember when decorating your listed house during the holiday season:
– Stage first
– Mind your space
– Keep it neutral
– Make it match (or at least blend)
– Don’t over personalize

Let’s delve a little deeper, shall we?

Whether your house is already listed or soon to be hitting the market in the Lowcountry make sure you stage before your holiday decorating. Do all of your organizing, de-cluttering and rearranging before you pull out that first bin of holiday décor. I know the urge to decorate is strong, but this will help make the appeal more festive than overwhelming to potential buyers. This is also a great time to do any outside touch ups – pressure wash cement, touch up front door paint, etc.

Once your home is set to sell the decorating can commence BUT please mind your space. We tend to overcrowd and fill any extra shelves, counters and walls with holiday décor that will only make your home seem smaller to those on the hunt. Keep in mind the size of each room and what decorations will add to its value. For example, a slim, tall tree can draw attention to a room’s height where as a full tree can make rooms look smaller than they are. A tree adorned with matching ornaments can add a sense of flow where a tree crammed with family heirlooms and crafted décor can come off as cluttered.  Small details can go a long way.

While you may love all your crazy scarecrows and blow up snowmen I suggest (just for this year) keeping your decorations toned down. You want potential buyers to see themselves in your home, and while the right touches of holiday spirit can do just that others can come off as tacky and take away from your curb appeal. We also suggest trying to blend your decorations to your home’s décor. Try to stay away from mismatched decorations or styles. You may not need to empty EVERY bin this year.

One of our top suggestions to our Staging Charleston clients is to depersonalize the home; same is true for your decorations. Handmade items by little kids, family photos, stockings with names- they all can make the house seem too much “your home” to potential home buyers. I understand traditions are important so I suggest saving these items in their own bin/box until showings are on pause at the holiday then embellish, as you desire.

The holiday season, from Halloween to New Years, is a chaotic time and having the stress of selling a house on top can make it even more so. Don’t get your tinsel in a tangle- I am here to help! Whether it’s getting more eyes on your Charleston home, sprucing up your details to attract the right buyer or full on staging (including direction with the decorations) I would love to assist you.