When putting your home on the market, there are things to consider when you are home staging during the holidays, and any holiday for that matter. With Christmas approaching, here are some home staging tips to capture the attention of potential Buyers from professional photos to viewings of your home:
- Ensure that you are working with a Real Estate agent that is reliable and will not disappear from Christmas to the New Year.
- Do not bring out the Christmas décor until you have had professional photos done. You do not know when your home may sell so hold off on putting up the tree. Buyers view homes on-line first and may question why your home has been on the market for such a period of time if they can date your photos. I’ve often wondered how someone can have golf-green grass in the middle of January, unless of course it’s artificial turf.
- Create a warm and cozy vibe. Don’t overcrowd your home with décor. Apothecary jars filled with Christmas ornaments or a bowl of pinecones on a coffee table may be all that is needed. Always stick to the “less is more” mantra and ensure decorations are not overpowering. You want potential Buyers looking at your home, not your nutcracker collection.
- Ensure your Christmas tree is placed in a location that will not impede traffic flow. We tend to place the tree in front of a window or backdoor. You may not use that window or door during the cold months but it may block the view of an oasis in the backyard. This image of the tree is incorrectly placed directly in front of a window. As a Certified Staging Professional, we can assist you in properly staging your home. As for fireplaces which are focal points in any room, hold off on hanging those stockings. As a rule of thumb, aside from your tree and depending on how much you like to decorate for Christmas, it may be wise to keep 95% of your decorations in storage.
- Match your Christmas décor with the colours of your room for a cohesive look. If you have a blue couch in your living room, hold off on the reds and simply decorate your tree with soft blues and whites so the colours do not clash.
- Religious items should always be put away when staging your home, whether it be Christmas or any other time so as not to offend anyone.
- Valuables should never to be placed under a tree in gifts and should be removed completely from your property during showings.
- Ensure the heat is higher than you would normally keep it at and play some soft music. This would not be a good time to blast Run Run Rudolph.
- With the evenings getting darker much earlier than the summer months, place timers on all lights if possible, even outdoor lights.
- Don’t forget about curb appeal-if you have an outdoor chair, place a wool blanket over top, add some planters and a mat. The coziness will draw Buyers in.
- Ensure walkways are free of snow and ice. We all know what can happen here in Canada.
- We all want to be the Clark Griswold of Christmas lights but this year you may need to pair down the holiday lights, blow-ups and music boxes.
When all is said and done, and after you have decorated, take a walk away and see if anything catches your eye or impedes the flow of traffic to certain rooms. Home Staging during the holidays can be an opportunity to de-clutter and donate items you will not have space for or no use for in your new home.
Feel free to contact us for your Home Staging during the holidays at 905.912.2683 or e-mail us at info@360homestaging.ca