If you’re selling your house over the Christmas period then you might be wondering how you should decorate it, or if you should decorate it at all.
The good news is that you can bring a little seasonal spirit to the proceedings, but only a little. Less is definitely more when you’re on the market. Here’s Elliot Oliver’s special tips for decking the halls when you’re also packing to move.
Save the inflatables for the new place
You love your LED reindeer and inflatable Santa, but they might put off potential buyers, or at least distract them from really seeing your garden and roof in all their glory.
The same applies to lots of flashing lights and tinsel indoors. Having a huge and gaudy tree that dominates the room will prevent people from feeling the space properly and might even make more suspicious buyers wonder what you’re hiding.
Keep things subtle this year – you can’t go wrong with soft white lights on your tree and maybe even outside, if you have hedges and bushes to highlight.
Don’t plant lots of illuminated candy canes on your lawn, either. Instead, opt for a natural-looking wreath on your front door and a sprinkling of holly here and there.
Ban Christmas altogether…
…from your estate agent photos, that is! Of course, your toned-down monochrome Christmas 2022 look is worth photographing, but only for your family album. If your agent photos show Christmas decorations and you’re still looking for a buyer in February, your listing will look out of season and house hunters might ask why you’re still on the market.
Use your common scents
Sorry, not sorry (well, maybe a bit). Our sense of smell is a surprisingly big part of our decision making process and if you can make viewers feel warm, cosy and Christmassy in your home, then they’ll feel more inclined to make it their home.
Invest in some good-quality scented candles or diffusers with pine, cinnamon and spiced orange notes and then – you guessed it – go easy with them. You’re aiming for a gentle whiff of Yuletide every now and then, not a full-on olfactory assault.
If you have a burner or open fire, use it
Nothing says Christmas like a glowing log burner or fireplace, so make the most of it. Keep the decorations around the mantelpiece to a minimum and, if necessary, re-black the fireplace and buy a new fireside set to add some extra oomph.
