Should You Decorate for Christmas While Your Home is on the Market?

Are you like me? As soon as I start to feel the cooler temps, the leaves start to change and the beautiful pots of mums displayed, I can almost smell my pumpkin spice candles burning throughout our home. I even start to plan the upcoming holiday dinners and can almost smell the turkey roasting in the oven.

The mere thought of holiday traditions fills my heart with such joy. Our holiday rituals mark some of the most important moments in our lives and the memories we create with our loved ones.

Everyday life can be stressful and full of uncertainty. Having a special time of the year when we know exactly what to do, the way we have always done it, provides a comfortable sense of structure, control, and stability which we all need more than ever right now.

If anyone has listened to our weekly radio shows over the last ten years or read our magazine, you know that I am truly married to Santa Claus. In September Rick had already started listening to his Tony Bennett Christmas music and we are already planning our Christmas theme since he has now added an additional ten nutcrackers to be displayed through out our home. We enjoy decorating our home for the holidays and making it a special time for our boys, while they do not look forward to the week, we must start bringing it all upstairs, it would not feel like Christmas to them if they did not feel like they had arrived at the North Pole.

As you will see in the photos displayed of our home decorated last Christmas, it is a lot of work! So, when my clients ask me what they

should do about decorating their home while it is on the market it is always hard to tell them to not go overboard, after all Christmas only comes once a year. Obviously, we do have to scale it back a bit because you want people looking at your home and not your Holiday decorations, but we still want to make sure it feels like Christmas for our clients.

So later I’ll be giving you some tips on how to make your home still feel like Christmas while you are on the market trying to get it sold. The fall/winter is one of the best times to have your home on the market because most of the buyers’ touring homes during the holiday are ready to make a purchase. Let’s face it, the holidays are a busy time of year for all of us. Buyers are not going to waste their time going out to look at homes if they are not serious, not to mention as a seller you have even less competition.

This holiday season I plan to soak up and enjoy every moment with my family and make even more wonderful memories. Rick and I are forever grateful for each client that has trusted us to come into their home and help them with their largest investment. It is not only an investment, but also the place that you hold dear and make special holiday memories with your family year after year. We do not take that lightly. To every radio listener that reaches out to us with your kind remarks, thank you so much. You have no idea how much it means to us that you take the time to not only listen, but then reach out to us as well. To all our advertisers on our radio stations we cannot thank you enough for your support and we look forward to having you as a part of our “Freedom Fighters” at Real Talk. To each one of you that picks up our magazine and takes the time to read it, we appreciate you so much.

We hope all of you enjoy the holiday photos of our home and we wish each one of you a wonderful holiday season full of love, happiness, health, freedom, and cherished memories made with your loved ones.

FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS, MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE RICK & TRACY ELLIS REAL ESTATE TEAM AND REAL TALK RADIO NETWORK, THE VOICE OF FREEDOM.

TIPS ON DECORATING YOUR HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS WHILE YOUR HOME IS ON THE MARKET

It is important the design theme appeals to as many different home buyers as possible. The seller’s personal life should not be prominently featured throughout the home. So, you know what that means, all those ornaments we love so much need to stay packed for the move. As hard as it may be not to bring out the “Best Mom” tree ornaments your kids made in school, the personalized Christmas stockings, all the holiday cards and photos of your kids with Santa through the years, please do not.

Do you live in a neighborhood that looks like a scene straight out of “Christmas with the Kranks”? If so, most buyers are probably aware of your neighborhoods holiday traditions and that could attract like-minded buyers. So, you do not want to be the only house on the block without Christmas decorations, not only will you be your block’s resident Grinch, but a buyer could also get the impression you have an issue with your neighbors. If your neighborhood is festive during the holidays, then a buyer would expect decorations at your home as well.

There are some decorations you really should avoid while your home is on the market such as Inflatable snowmen or reindeer on the roof. It is best to stay neutral with the lights, simple clear lights add an elegant touch without overwhelming buyers with a lot of different colors if their taste is different than yours.

You are always safe with an elegant wreath on the front door, rather than a “Santa stops here!” sign.

This would be a great year to have a real Christmas tree to put the winter pine smell through out your home, but do not go overboard on the size unless you have soaring ceilings and are able to go tall instead of wide.

Holiday cards all over your refrigerator or taped to doors and walls in not the look you want when your home is on the market. I would suggest having a basket that all your holiday cards go in after you read them and put them away during showings. I keep all my holiday cards in a basket my grandma gave me many years ago, and it sits on the bottom step of our staircase every holiday. That makes it easy for me to pick up the basket and look through all the years Christmas cards we have received any time I want. When I am finished the basket goes back on the stair and it is an easy drop off spot after I open my mail and read them all.

I would not suggest having your Christmas presents under the tree while your home is on the market. You never know when a child may be present with a parent not paying attention and decide it is time to open gifts or unfortunately when one of your presents could walk away. Rick and I have never put presents under our tree in the thirty-four years we have been together. We always felt it was more exciting for our boys to wake up Christmas morning and see that Santa had finally arrived.

The holidays are the perfect time to fill your home with wonderful aromas but be careful to choose neutral scents such as the smell of simmering cider or home baked cookies. You will delight the senses with fresh garlands strung over everything that doesn’t move. I really love a fresh wreath on the front door so that people are feeling like they our entering a home from the moment they walk up to the door.

Who does not love a fire? If you can safely light a fire during your showing, a roaring fireplace during a showing always makes a buyer relax and feel invited.

Add some simple festive items to your powder rooms: Place winter pine scented soaps and candles in the bathrooms along with a few tasteful, holiday-themed towels. They give the rooms some spirit and interest.

Whatever your religious holiday traditions are, celebrate your traditions with color: If you do not want to display your religious symbols throughout your home while it is on the market during the holidays, you should not forsake them altogether. If you celebrate Hanukkah, hang a wreath with shades of blue or decorate with blue. For Christmas, your wreath can be made of evergreen boughs and pinecones. For Kwanzaa, add red berries to a green wreath.

I hope some of these suggestions helped all of you to have a little less stress about having your home on the market during the holidays. If you are thinking of buying, selling, investing, or building a home I hope you will give The Rick and Tracy Real Estate Team a call at 636.299.3702.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Kwanza!