To Decorate or Not Decorate?

Photo from The Cottage Journal 2021

The holidays are a GREAT time to sell… go back and read that again… amid the hustle and bustle, the serious buyers and sellers are still participating in the market, leading to deals that close with less drama and negotiating.

That said, if you’re thinking of selling during a holiday season should you still decorate? In my opinion, homes are best dressed during the holidays, and typically offer a cozy feeling when done well… but having the most decorated trees in your home is not the goal of selling.

The goal when listing your home is to have a buyer walk through your home and be able to easily envision themselves living there, hosting their own holidays in the space, and making the home their own.

When I meet with sellers, one of my first pieces of advice is “less is more” and to depersonalize the space. This doesn’t mean remove all personal belongings, but remove any pictures with faces (furry family members included), as well as passion projects or hobbies. You want the buyer to walk into the room and not be distracted by art or personal decor. The first thing most people (myself included) notice is pictures with faces.

While those wedding pictures and annual school photos were expensive and important for you to keep on display, may people get caught up in “Do I know any of these people?” This takes away from “Wow, this room would definitely be able to fit my 12 person dining room set!” or “I can totally see our 12′ Christmas tree in this foyer!” You’re planning to move, so why not start packing and plan ahead to make things easier.

It’s important to keep in mind that while you’re packing up, decluttering and depersonalizing, you also don’t want to the space to be TOO spartan… there’s a fine balance between “Do people even live here?” and “Do they know they are moving?” I love talking with sellers about their decor, what the purpose is, and how we can make their valuable pieces shine while also not taking center stage of the buyer’s experience during the visit.

If you’re considering selling, and want to talk more about this, give me a call or email me anytime- I am always happy to be a resource, share some examples of what lightly staged looks like and offer some personal suggestions. You may still be living in the space while trying to sell and packing everything up to move isn’t an option- I have some ideas for that too!