Ro Troia

Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly

Yes, Boulder Colorado, decorating your home for the holidays is fun, spiritual, and festive.  We love to put out those icicle lights, wreaths, and huge figurines.  However, if you are listing your home during the holidays, be cautious to not go overboard.  Sellers, you don’t need to keep all the trimmings in storage just because your home is on the market.  But you should decorate in such a way that buyers won’t be turned off.  Will they be able to picture themselves spending the holidays in your home someday?  Read more to find out. 

In Boulder, you know it’s the season to be jolly when you see the huge star lighting up Flagstaff Mountain.  The poinsettias and singing Santa adorn our office lobby.  Pearl Street Mall looks dazzling and homes sparkle with their holiday light.  Sellers want to continue with their particular family tradition and decorate accordingly but homes that are on the market should not ever be overly personalized or cluttered. 

Honestly, it’s not a good time to put the blow-up snowman that is as tall as your roof out on the lawn.  So where do you start and what is appropriate.  Asking your Realtor is a good place to begin as they should be able to help you strike that balance between enjoying tradition and showing restraint. 

Too many novelties end up hiding what’s most important about your home such as architectural style as well as its’ location, price, and condition.  It goes along with the curb appeal of the home and that the first impression to buyers is the most critical element in capturing them to want to see more.  You want them to say, ” I wish this was MY home for the holidays.

There is one huge advantage to listing your home during the holidays – buyers during this season are serious.  Don’t blow your chances.  Do the following:

Keep it simple, tasteful, and quiet.  David Lannuccilli, an agent in RI, says to keep it minimal.  One wreath, one tree, and one table centerpiece.  How about a tall narrow tree to emphasize a room’s height and conserve floor space?  No cute wreaths with gingerbread men and steer clear of personalized objects such as monogrammed stockings. “When decorations get too personal, people have a hard time picturing themselves in the home.”  Pat Heydlauff, a feng shui expert in Palm Beach County, Fla., recommends no or few religious symbols, whether it be crèches or menorahs.

Decorations picked or cut from the garden tend to look as good as anything you can buy. Obviously, holly is the best known plant for this. Christmas without holly is like Easter without daffodils, and that combination of green leaves and red berries will add the simple elegance you’re looking for to sell your home.

When deciding which decorations go where, also decide which nonseasonal items you’ll be removing.  For every seasonal item, trade it with a nonseasonal item and put that in storage.  This will help keep your home from looking cluttered. 

If your home is still on the market when the holidays are over, don’t procrastinate to take them down as soon as possible.  I’d say not more than a couple of days after New Year’s.

One more tidbit of advice:  In the winter in Boulder, you need to keep the walk shovelled and approachable.  You don’t want potential buyers slipping on your sidewalk or tracking in snow for that matter. 

Sellers need not refrain from family traditions when listing during the holidays.  Just remember, you want to show off your house – not your holiday decorations.  Keep it simple, decluttered, and flattering.

Tags: Tags: boulder colorado, buyers, curb appeal, Flagstaff, holiday decorating, Pearl Street, realtor, sellers, staging

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 7th, 2008 at 8:48 pm and is filed under Focus on Boulder, Market Conditions, Selling Thoughts. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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