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Décor Dos and Don’ts for a Christmas Sale

  • 5 years ago

Most of us love putting up our Christmas decorations and the time is nigh to bring in the tree and bust out the tinsel. Spending an evening untangling the fairy lights and unwrapping baubles is a sure-fire way to get into the Yuletide swing.

If you’re planning to move and your property is either on the market or about to go on, however, you need to go easy on that seasonal spirit this year.

Less is more when it comes to a seasonal sale

It’s not about presenting your house as a sterile, fun-free zone for December, it’s more about seeing things from buyers’ perspectives.

Don’t put any decorations up until your photos are done

Not even a single bauble or speck of fake snow should be visible in your photos. If you’re still on the market in January and February, it’ll be obvious that you’ve been on the market for a while and this may put off buyers or encourage them to make lower offers.

Do keep the place clean and clutter-free

This minimalism extends to real-life as well. Just because the photos are up on the estate agent’ website, it doesn’t mean that you can go mad with your wreaths, tinsel, your amusing inflatable reindeer and your flashing “Santa stop here!” sign. If your rooms are full of decorations from ceiling to floor, then they’ll look a lot smaller and crowded.

Do aim for a pared-down “magazine shoot” look

Just leave the boxes of baubles in the loft this year and invest in some low-key, subtle decorations instead. Browse a few interiors magazines for ideas, and under no circumstances put up any flashing lights! You need to keep your interior spaces open and clutter-free, with clearly visible walls, ceilings and doorways. Make sure that important features like your mantelpiece or stained glass windows are on show.

Don’t think that you can hide patches of damp with tinsel

If you use too many decorations, viewers will simply wonder what you’re trying to hide. At the very least they won’t get a proper feel for your property and won’t make any sort of connection to it. The biggest no-no is probably plastering your windows in fake snow. Not only did it go out of style sometime around 1986 (and this was too late…), but it blocks natural light. Any potential buyers will also be worried they’ll still be scraping it off in June!

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