Keep it simple, but festive and welcoming
If your home is the market, I give you permission to simplify your holiday decorating. Buyers want to see your house, not your decorations, but they also want to see that you’re enjoying the season. Finding that balance can be a bit tricky, but here are a few tips:
First impressions
- Make sure the driveway and walks are shoveled and de-iced.
- With shorter daylight hours, be sure that outside lights are working for safety purposes.
- Set out a welcome mat for friendly, welcoming interest, but also to grab the snow, mud and dirt from winter boots.
Interior touches
- Make sure your house is properly heated. A warm house is a welcoming house.
- Turn on the fireplace for ambiance (safety tip: ask the showing agent to turn it off, or plan to return home immediately after the showing).
- Make sure you have an entry rug for snowy boots. Prop up a nice, framed note that says, "Kindly Remove Shoes and Boots."
- We usually suggest turning off any music for showings. Music that doesn’t fit buyers’ taste can detract from their overall impression of your home.
Holiday decorating
- Keep religious decorations to a minimum to allow prospective buyers to imagine continuing their own traditions in your home.
- Be sure your holiday decorations match well with your home’s overall look and feel.
- Resist humorous or silly decorations that might be off-putting to buyers (like that Santa Claus toilet seat cover or the Star Wars menorah you won in last year’s white elephant exchange)
- Tastefully trim the tree. Skip the joke ornaments or pink flamingo lights and opt for simple, solid colors.
Finally, while cookies won’t sell your house, they are a nice touch. Leave out a plate with a note that reads, “Thanks for taking the time to look at our home. Have a wonderful holiday season!"
If you are looking for an experienced real estate agent to buy or sell a home in the Steamboat Springs area, contact us.