Decorate For Halloween While Selling Your Home
Fall is here! Along with the beautiful fall foliage, pumpkin spice everything, and crisp autumn air, one of our favorite holidays is quickly approaching. That’s right, Halloween is coming up soon. With stay at home orders in place across the US Halloween home decor items are outselling costumes this year. If you are looking to sell your home right now you can still decorate for the holiday. However, there is definitely a proper way to do it.
Timing Your Decorations
Before you begin decorating your home for Halloween be sure to consult your real estate agent. Your agent needs to take photos of your home for MLS prior to adding Halloween home decor. If you don’t photograph your home prior to adding decorations the Halloween decorations can be distracting to the potential buyer. Plus, even though homes are selling fast this year, the holiday decor will date your listing. Fall and Halloween home decor should only be put out after photos for your listing have been taken.
Outdoor Decorations
When putting fall or Halloween decorations up while selling your home keep it simple. You don’t want the potential buyers eyes bouncing around looking at all the decorations rather than looking at your home. Pumpkins, gourds, and cornstalks are great season-based halloween decorations while selling your home. However, it is important to make sure these decorations stay fresh. You don't want your potential buyers turning their nose up to the smell of rotting pumpkin on your front porch. Be sure to keep all walkways clear and make sure the decorations don’t distract from home features. No one wants to step over pumpkins to get to your front door.
Furthermore, you will need to refrain from putting up decorations that are too spooky. Avoid spiderwebs, skeletons or any decorations with gore. Anyone looking at your home is looking for their future home not touring a haunted house. You want them to buy, not be filled with terror and run in fear. Keep your decorations minimal and classy. Inflatable decorations should also be avoided as they will hide your home and be more of a distraction than an embellishment.
Indoor Decorations
While not entirely off limits, Halloween decorations inside the home should definitely be kept at a minimum. Again you want to avoid anything spooky or that distracts from your home’s features. Spiderwebs are not a good idea. The last thing you want is potential buyers associating your home with creepy crawlies.
Adding touches of the seasons colors may be all that is needed to add some festive flair to your home. Items like throw pillows, candles, or decorative soaps can make for great little holiday touches. Candles can fit nicely on mantels, shelves, and countertops while emphasizing those specific features. Warm holiday scents can get potential buyers dreaming of how cozy they will be in your home. However, make sure your candles or soaps are not too heavily scented. You don’t want buyers overwhelmed by the holiday smells or give the impression you're covering up bad odors.
If your countertops are small avoid putting anything big or too many items on them. You want to create the illusion of more space, not less. Simply adding a small bowl of candy corn may be all that is necessary. You could also emphasize the season with fall colored towels in the bathroom or kitchen.
Halloween Home Decor Cleanup
Any Halloween specific decorations should be taken down immediately after Halloween is over. Leaving the holiday specific items up too long may make potential buyers question whether other household maintenance tasks are neglected. If your decorations are more fall oriented they can be left up through Thanksgiving. However, if you decorate your home with real pumpkins, keep a close eye on them. You don't want rotting pumpkins bringing foul odors or critters to your home.
Final Thoughts
Fall is a beautiful time of year in Massachusetts. There is no reason why you can’t decorate and enjoy the festivities of the holiday season. If you're selling your home this season just keep decorations simple and minimal. If you’re ready to sell your home contact Streamline Realty today. Lets get those MLS pictures taken so you can get to decorating your home for this Halloween season.