I ran into this situation this week while doing a Home Staging Consultation. The home owner had filled every room with Fall decor. Table tops, baskets of pumpkins on the floor, little scarecrows hanging here and there, towels with leaves hanging in the bath.
There is a right and wrong way to enjoy the seasons while selling your home.
Wrong Way:
Having Your Seasonal Decor Overwhelm The Features of Your Home:
This can happen even without seasonal decor, it’s called clutter. You don’t want buyers looking at your ‘things’ as they are not buying your things. You want them looking at the architectural features of the home. The high ceilings, the built-ins, the fireplace and so forth. An abundance of things takes away from the house.
This goes for all areas of your home…..the yard included. Halloween may be a fun day for you but creating a scary or creepy setting isn’t the way to go when selling your home. Those decorations need to stay packed away until you are in your new home.
The other reason this is the ‘wrong’ way is that your home is photographed for MLS. If your home remains on the market longer than you hope, those images are an instant advertisement when a potential buyer opens your listing that your house has been on the market way too long.
Right Way:
Small Display of Pumpkins and Gourds:
This can be inside or out. Fun, festive, simple and easy.
These small vignettes are a great way to enjoy the season without going overboard. One or two pieces outside and the same goes for the inside. Less is more is a very true statement. The nice thing about this type of seasonal decorating is it works all the way through Thanksgiving.
No matter the season or time of year, there is a right and wrong way to enjoy your home when it is on the market without overwhelming the buyer.