Oh, yes my friends it’s that time of year! Some of us have already put the tree up, littered the gravel driveway with lighted candy canes and blow up Santa’s.
Hooray! The Griswald ranch down the road has yet landed another plane! But guess what? No, it’s not they have a whopper of a power bill, the ranch is for sale? Hmmm, well their property has caught everyone’s eye, but not the way it should.
Maybe the owners need some reminding on what they want to project to the possible buyer venturing by.
When placing a property on the market one of the first questions you must always ask is, “is it the right time to do so?” However, not everyone has a choice. If you’re selling a big ranch it may need to stay on the market during the holidays. With that in mind, here are some tips to keep your property attractive to buyers while still showing some festive fun.
Sure, we all have our family traditions when decorating our homes for the holidays. As much fun as the holiday tradition of falling off the roof while stringing your lights may be, this year is not the best time. Keeping the lights to a minimum or using a smaller bulb will show you are festive while letting the house and property represent itself. Yes, we all love that blowup snow globe decoration with Winnie the Pooh inside… but not this year. Save it for the new place.
Decorate with restraint
Sidewalks, steps, stairs, and driveways, are both entry ways to the home and safety hazards. Make sure all these are
as are well lit and kept clean for your buying guests. That means no, “Well just string lights across the railing,” until you run out of cord and it becomes, “I’ll just run it at the bottom of the stairs.” Keep your potential buyers safe! Gates and arches to ranches should be well lit and inviting. By well-lit I do not mean seen from outer space.
Following holiday traditions, so do family decorations inside the property. However, your grandmas bright orange décor hanging on your tree may distract. Here is a helpful tip: look at your current home décor and colors. Try to stick with the general idea of the décor. For example, if you have a light grey wall with white furniture, opt for lighter or softer colors in your decorations, such as snowflakes or frost. Uncle Joe’s red and green beer stein with Santa on it should stay in the box this year.
Staying with the homes current decor will distract from the seasonal looks and help the buyers focus on the home. We want the future owners to ponder if their furniture and belongings will “look good “here.
Seasonal scents and other senses
Let’s talk trees. Real or artificial, we all love trees. Just make sure the size of the tree fits the room. The base of the tree (this includes your antique model train set and presents) shouldn’t take up the entire room. Buyers want to know what could fit in the room along with the tree; not just see the tree and wonder where the wall is. Lodges with high ceilings? Great! Go for the height, but watch the width.
Smells are amazing this time of year. Great easy warm scents invite the buyers to come on in and feel at home. The most important thing is to make the smells subtle. Too much spice can turn people away. Smells of pine are also amazing in log homes and ranches. Buyers entering a room with a light “Aw, it smells good in here“ is what you want to achieve.
Warmth, yes warmth. Some of us will keep the furnace down because due to all our lights, we have to save money to afford the power bill. Well, our guests like to walk into a warm, cozy living space. Usually anywhere from 69 to 71 is a safe range. Most thermostats have programming options to help with this during times of showing. It’s efficient and keeps costs down! It is also fantastic to have your fire places going when your guests arrive. This can subtly implant the thought “I want to snuggle by that fire lets buy this place” into your guests minds.
There are many more rules, but with these basic rules most of us will see moving boxes before you know it. So, as the Holidays approach just remember, it’s okay to outdo the neighbors…. but maybe wait until you’re in your new place.
Until next time. Happy Holidays and keep the squirrels outside.
Deetra Tsakrios, Field Manager