Staging Your Home for the Holidays
Staging is an important step in the home selling process. It helps display the space to a potential buyer as one that could easily become his or her new home. During the holidays, staging can be tricky.
Realtor Magazine online and HGTV’s Frontdoor have several tips for staging your home during the holidays. The one rule that seems to hold true — don’t overdo it.
If your holiday season is reflective of your religious beliefs, as it is for many, it’s not necessary to hide your nativity scene or Hanukkah menorah. Simply be tasteful and courteous when displaying them. If you typically erect a Christmas tree during the holidays, continue to do so in your staged home — you do still live there, after all. Yet, consider simple, white, non-blinking lights, and pare down your ornaments to give the tree a cleaner, timeless look.
Another rule to follow when staging, no matter the season, is never detract from the house’s permanent fixtures. During the holidays, this means no hanging of long stockings across the mantle, and don’t fill every shelf of the built-in bookcase with holiday trinkets.
Realtor Magazine says color coordination and decorating for the senses are important staging rules during the holidays. You can add pops of green and red with fresh greenery in centerpieces or bright ribbons tied around candles. Be diligent about coordinating with your room’s current color. If the room is a bright blue, for example, red is a poor choice—stick with silver and gold during holiday decorating.
Appeal to homebuyers’ senses with soft holiday music, the scent of mulled cider and warm, rich lighting schemes. “Christmas music — mixed with holiday scents — has been shown to boost people’s attitudes in retail stores and increase their likelihood of wanting to visit them, according to research conducted in 2005 by Eric R. Spangenberg, Blanca Grohmann and David E. Sprott Journal of Business Research,” cites Realtor Magazine.
Curb appeal during the holidays is key. Winter months are harsh on the outdoor aesthetics of your home. Be sure decks, porches and patios are clean during showings. Fill planters with seasonal appropriate flora; poinsettias give off the holiday vibe and add color to an entryway. Hang a clean, fresh wreath on the door, or bring warmth to the house by placing battery-operated candles in windowsills that buyers can see from the road.
If you’re planning to show your home during the holiday season and want further staging advice, get in touch with Todd Taylor at email hidden; JavaScript is required.
