If you are planning to or already have your occupied home on the market for the holidays you may be wondering whether or not you should decorate. As a Professional Home Stager, I get asked this question a lot during this time of year. I am no Scrooge so yes, I feel you should decorate if you feel so inclined but keep in mind MODERATION IS KEY!

Believe it or not, buyers who are looking at homes during the holiday season are probably more serious about purchasing a home otherwise why would they be out looking at properties rather than enjoying their nights and weekends celebrating or shopping?

Some quick tips are listed below to help you navigate through the sale of your home this holiday season.

Helpful Holiday Hints for Decorating for the Holidays While Selling

1. Welcome your buyers with a tasteful wreath or fresh seasonal plants or flowers in nice planters. There are adorable Rosemary topiaries for sale everywhere these days and they smell wonderful. They'll last through the winter months, be sure to keep watered and put them in full sun once in a while.

2. Pare down the excessive yard decor. As fun as it is to see at night, those inflatable blow up thingies look terrible flat on the lawn. Keep curb appeal in mind as you would if you were not selling during the holidays.

3. If you celebrate Christmas, feel free to set up ONE moderate sized tree. Multiple trees or very large trees in a small house or even if your house can handle it will take up valuable square footage. Show the prospective buyer what you're selling, not the fact that you can fit a tree in every room.

4. Keep presents out of view until the morning of. Again this takes up floor space as well as invites others to see all the gifts you have (possibly exposing you to theft)

5. Go ahead and decorate the mantle with garland and stockings. But if your stockings have family names on them, just for this year, purchase uniform, non-personalized stockings and pack the personalized ones for your new house.

6. For an open house, make sure the fire is crackling. Not only is it warm and inviting but it shows that your fireplace is in working order. Fireplaces are a good selling point.

7. Cinnamon pine cones or other wonderful smelling potpourris that are available at this time of year are a nice touch when put in decorative bowls or baskets. They add a warm, welcoming touch.

8. Remember, the buyers will be envisioning their family celebrations here one day!

9. Keep in mind, MODERATION IS KEY!

After the holidays are over, and your house may still be on the market, the best thing you can do is pack up all your decor and move it to storage. This will save you time in the long run, especially if you keep your items in closets, garages or attics (saves you the headache of having to get it all down again for the move). Buyers love closet and storage space so give your prospective buyers the gift of space. My holiday wish for you is the successful sale of your home!

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