I love to decorate for Halloween. There are so many fun and playful decorations available for this holiday that it makes it easy to go all out! But even though I’m all for celebrating holidays and being festive, I encourage my clients to take a slightly different approach when their home is on the market. If you’ve recently listed your home, this might not be the year to set up a haunted house and graveyard on the lawn. Here are my tips for Halloween decorating when you’re selling your home.
Stay Neutral
When you think Halloween, it’s inevitable that you think of black and orange. But when it comes to home decorating, think outside of those two staple colors. Home décor and craft stores are overflowing with neutral-colored decorations these days. Think pumpkins in white or black with embellishments in gold and silver. Or consider festive prints on neutral colored papers. A neutral color scheme allows you to pile on the classy chic look without sacrificing your Halloween spirit. You want to wow prospective buyers, not spook them this season!
Minimize for a Better Effect
When your house is on the market, you don’t want to go overboard with your holiday decorations. Though you might normally decorate every room of your house, scaling it back while your home is listed is smart. You don’t want prospective buyers to focus more on the decorations than your home. As buyers come through, they should be able to picture themselves and their possession in the home. If they are overwhelmed and distracted by an abundance of decorations, you won’t achieve that ideal effect. Pare your decorating down this year.
Choose a Focal Point
If you’re trying to determine how to pare down those favorite decorations, focus on one spot. Pick a focal point in your home and make that your main area of Halloween festivity. Mantles are usually a great choice. You can swap out the bulk of your everyday decorations and really do it up. Focusing on one spot allows you to be festive without overwhelming prospective buyers with your Halloween spirit. A tasteful Halloween banner draped from the mantle, faux pumpkins on the hearth and a set of gothic candlesticks lets you celebrate the season tastefully.
Work the Small Touches
If you just can’t bear to cut out so many decorations, go smaller and add tiny touches throughout your home. Little touches that don’t immediately jump out at buyers can be fun. Add wispy fake cobwebs to the edges of artwork in your children’s rooms. Tack tiny silver spiders to curtains, or add black paper doilies around candle holders for a light Gothic effect. Simply adding candy corn or autumn colored Hershey Kisses to dishes or containers around your house is simple, yet fun, too.
For more tips on decorating throughout the holiday seasons, contact me! I’ll offer decorating advice in addition to free staging using your furniture when you list with me. Contact me today to start the conversation.
Warmly,
Marcia
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