Christmas Staging for Sellers

The Holidays are a great time to sell your home. We often see a "bump" in sales and houses under-contract this time of year. Curb appeal is less important than it is in spring and summer months as many buyers first impression of a home is in the dark. Christmas decor and warmth from the cold can all be used to help make your home sell before the new year!

As the clocks have changed and the days are shorter many buyers are looking at houses after work and in the dark. If you home doesn't have the curb appeal to compete in the spring and summer the Christmas season is a great time to make an awesome first impression. You can always accentuate the exterior with landscape lighting to give your home curb appeal even in the dark. Since buyers are hurrying out of the cold and into your home you can focus on staging the interior.

Pro Realty Group always encourages our sellers to declutter and minimize decor when selling a house. During the holidays there's a little more leeway and a tasteful amount of holiday decor can go along way as buyers decide if they want to spend future holidays in your house. A tree by a fireplace with stockings hung from the mantle is a great start. In the dining room the table can be decorated and ready for christmas dinner. Swap the old staging trick of brownies or chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven for gingerbread, but be careful that any aromas are suttle. Strong scents can backfire even if they are pleasant. We don't want buyers to wonder if a seller is covering up an unpleasant odor in the house. Spread the cheer with some small item of decor in each room for continuity throughout the house!

It's important to take care of your house and empty homes should never have the heat turned off to protect plumbing. Heat in a home can also avoid cracks in walls and ceilings from expansion and contraction in winter. It's well worth the extra change to run your house at a normal temperature even if it's empty so buyers subconsciously relax and enjoy the space. Heat set up too high can make a home feel dry and close, setting your thermostat at 68 degrees can help sell your house and protect your investment.