Just Say "No" To Seasonal Decor Overload!

A recent article on Yahoo.com relayed the “tricks and treats” to combining Halloween merriment with selling a home. As noted, some buyers may not appreciate the festive décor when looking for their new home.

For example, a broker for Prudential Douglas Elliman, Ms. Teplitzky who mostly sells homes in Manhattan's high-end market relayed a story about a particular apartment which had been listed since the end of August 2006. She convinced her Upper East Side clients to clear out excess furniture in the 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom/two-bathroom unit to make it more appealing to buyers.

However, instead of less clutter, she found fake witches, cadavers and pumpkins on the floor, as well as "things that make noise and surprise you," scattered around. “Every room in the apartment -- including the kitchen and bathrooms -- oozed Halloween decorations.”
While Halloween can be great fun for some, those who do not identify with the holiday could find it annoying and distracting.

If nothing else, too many decorations can make it difficult to maneuver through the home, creating a “We didn't see the property; we only saw the decorations,” scenario and potentially loosing the opportunity. Ms. Teplitzky did ask her clients to limit the ghoulish decorations, but they were offended and refused. She explained that they kept the Halloween décor up for all of October, and reportedly the apartment sat on the market a month longer than it should have. It did finally close in December.

This “decoration overload” is not limited to Halloween paraphernalia – it can be a culprit come November and December, too!

Considering the “traditional” holiday season also includes Thanksgiving and Christmas – two more ways to bombard the home with seasonal items – those who don’t feel the same sense of spirit, or who don’t participate in particular holidays, may not appreciate the handiwork.
This doesn’t mean you have to outlaw holiday décor all together when your home is on the market, just be sensitive to the perception of your potential buyer(s).

With the sluggish housing market, there are already plenty of roadblocks to getting your home sold. Making sure holiday decorations aren't a deal breaker is relatively simple by comparison.
Some tips for holiday decorating: opt for a neutral “autumn theme” instead of “Halloween Horror” fest or a “Turkey, Turkey everywhere!” motif. Same sense of modest seasonal decorating goes for December: appreciate our culturally diverse society and realize that some might not understand the holiday, while others may find it offensive.

You CAN use your holiday enthusiasm to your advantage!

• Use trick or treating as an opportunity to talk up your home – as more potential buyers will likely be coming by your home to trick-or-treat than a month of open houses will bring.
  
• Use your creativity to design holiday-themed flyers highlighting the property’s top selling point.
  
• Host a holiday open house to suit your traditions and level of seasonal spirit.
  

Get your neighborhood involved! Even if they’re not buying, they might know someone who is.

• Invite the block over for a “recipe-swap” Pot-Luck Party just in time for Turkey Day.
• Host the next Neighborhood Watch meeting at your place and include a festive theme.
• Get the families involved with a holiday cookie decorating party.
• Pick a weekend and hold a neighborhood Toys-For-Tots drive. Announce it with a season-themed flyer, and provide your favorite holiday refreshments for those who come by.

Bottom line: be creative! A holiday “Open House” in any fashion will showcase your property, without over-saturating the home in decorations until the New Year.

By Stephanie Stanina