November, 2022
At a time of year when you’re keen to get the Christmas decorations out, it can be difficult to know just how much is too much when it comes to selling your property.
Below are some tried and tested tips on how to stage your home at Christmas time:
At this time of year, it gets darker much earlier, so ensuring you have an outside light on or a charming lantern by the door for late afternoon viewings can make a property look much more inviting.
A beautiful Christmas wreath on the door can instantly add to the allure.
Some small potted shrubs on either side of the door, if there’s room, adds instant curb appeal.
One of the things you see in almost every Christmas movie is a lit, open fire. It’s one of those Winter things that everyone loves; so if you have one, or a woodburner, make sure it’s lit for viewings or photographs to emphasise how cosy and warm the room can be.
A well-placed basket of logs next to the fire is a great touch; or go one step further and create a little reading nook, complete with a blanket over the arm of a chair and a side table with a few neatly placed books.
Whist it is key to have neutral colours on the walls, using rich and warmer shades for accessories within a room such as vases, cushions, throws, blankets, artwork, etc.
Materials can play on emotions, and textiles such as sheepskin, wool, fleece, fake fur, cashmere, velvet, chenille etc…all generate feelings of warmth and happiness.
Natural materials like wood, wicker, greenery in vases (evergreen branches, eucalyptus, holly etc), mistletoe are all beautiful additions to a Christmas home. Try some blankets in a wicker basket or a vase filled with evergreens as a centrepiece to the dining table.
Smell is one of the senses that is most likely to trigger memory; so Christmas scents and flickering light add something really special to a home at this festive time of year. Candles, diffusers, tea lights, room sprays are all good and don’t have to be expensive. Get scents such as cloves, cinnamon, oranges, eucalyptus and pine.
Keep candles out of reach in case you have potential buyers viewing with small children.
Create a cosy, winter-friendly bedroom by layering cushions and blankets beds or chairs, place sheepskin rugs by side of bed and neatly place a book on your bedside table.
Lighting can make a big difference in this room too, so some strategically placed fairy lights or candles can work very well.
In order to get the best possible price for your property, you need to create an allure to your home and increase it’s perceived value as much as possible.
If paintwork is looking scuffed or the colour is tired, it's worth redecorating. Choose neutral shades that create a blank canvas. If they see potential work to be done, buyers are a lot less likely to make offers closer to the asking price.
Depersonalise as much as possible so that potential buyers can visualise the space as their own. Remove family photos and take Christmas cards down for viewings if possible - they discourage viewers from making an emotional connection and imagining it as the space as their home.
Do your best to scale back the Christmas decorations and create a cosy feel rather than a cluttered one. Decorations can distract from the positive features in your home that you're trying to sell, so a beautiful wreath on the front door, some tasteful lighting and a nicely decorated tree is plenty.
One last note…don't put presents round the tree. Viewers may have small children who might not be able to resist!
