We are almost at that time of year where the holiday decorations come out and neighborhoods are sparkling with lights and lawn decor. But if your home is on the market this holiday season, how do you know if you should decorate as usual or hold off? Can something as simple as holiday decorations affect the sale of your home?The answer is yes, but it's not so simple. We're breaking down the do's and don'ts of decorating your home during the holiday season without hurting the sale of your property.

  • DO NOT: Have holiday decorations up during your listing photos. These photos of your home will be widespread on sites like the MLS, Realtor.com, Zillow, and more. You want to present your home in the best way possible, as this will often be the first impression of your home to a potential buyer. Listing photos should be clean, uncluttered, and present the perfect home for year-round living, not just the holidays.
  • DO: Go with the flow of the neighborhood. If every single house on the block is decked out with lights, decorative reindeer, and inflatable snowmen, do you really want your house to be the only bland and boring one on the block? You don't have to transform your home into Santa's toy workshop, but you don't want to be neighborhood Grinch either, so decorating with a few strands of lights and a tasteful wreath will help a buyer see your home as belonging to a community within your neighborhood.
  • MAYBE: Decorate your home for showings and open houses. While we absolutely do not want to have holiday decorations in listing photos, it's not a bad idea to decorate tastefully prior to showings and open houses. Making the space a little more festive and homey could help a potential buyer picture themselves in the space, but too many decorations can become overwhelming clutter that takes away from the true value of your home.

The good news for all of you sellers putting your home on the market now is that while many buyers are waiting until after the holiday season it is a great time to catch the more motivated buyers. The Pinnacle Homes Group is here to help you find those buyers, and maybe to hang an ornament or two on that Christmas tree for you! Give us a call today.