Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Decorate for Sale? Or for Christmas? BOTH!

If your house is on the market today, there's still plenty of things you can do to bring the holidays in without overdoing the Christmas theme and distracting your potential buyers from the selling points of the house. And in an economic upheaval, it's more important than ever to bring the Christmas cheer in! Just some simple touches will go a long, long way:
In all decor, think "department store" styling rather than "grandma's house" - the goal is to add well placed and neutral appeal to everybody.
If you put up a Christmas tree, use only white lights and minimize any handmade or personalized ornaments. Silver & gold decorations go a long way in place of the children's artwork this year.
Gifts should be arranged attractively under the tree. If you have too many and they spill out from the base of the tree, place the excess in a closet. Too many will make the room look smaller and will distract the potential buyer.
Use no more than 3 styles of coordinating wrapping paper to cut down on the distraction.
Consider moving a piece of furniture or two out of the room where the tree is this year in order to keep the room from feeling too cramped.
Add glass vases for sparkle. I love the popular antiqued / mercury glass - no matter what style your home!
Swap out your throw pillows for Christmas themed ones.
Refrain from putting out your winter "village" - use only one or two pieces if you must.
Shampoo carpets and polish the floors to really make the house sparkle.
Depending on what type of chandelier you have...you can hang silver and gold ornaments from it to add festivity to your dining room.
If your dining area is staged with place settings, switch them out with holiday themed china.
Hang a new (or well preserved) wreath on the front door.
Avoid any decor in the front yard, especially inflatable type!
Spray paint pine cones with a light coating of silver and / or gold fleck and place a few in the exterior walkway.
If you hang Christmas lights outside - use white only. Potential buyers WILL be driving the neighborhood during different times of the day.
Hang Christmas themed towels in your bathrooms or tie your hand-towels with silver or gold ribbon.
Place mini poinsettia flowers in your guest rooms to add some holiday cheer without over-decorating.
Don't feel like you need to "skip" the holidays or not fully enjoy them just because your house is on the market. And you don't need to break the bank to get some or all new decorations! Garden Ridge, Target, Home Goods, Pier 1 Imports, and Wal-Mart are a few places I would suggest for some inexpensive but good looking neutral decor if you are in the DFW area. Click here for a reminder of what to look for when you're shopping for decorations this year (you'll need speakers!).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

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