Showing Your Home During the Holidays

Less is more... and that is true especially at this time of the year if you have your home listed. I have shown property where every shelf is covered with some kind of holiday paraphenalia. You name it: trains around the tree, mantles with snow globes, wreath in every window, villages lit up, snow sprayed on window panes, Santa collections... the list goes on. I have tripped over the holiday decorations.

Instead, have a couple of tasteful decorations. Start outside. If you celebrate Christmas, put a wreath on the door and buy a spotlight to shine on the wreath. If you have window boxes, stick some greenery in the boxes. (If the dirt is frozen, you might have to drill in openings to insert sprigs.) For outside, I suggest you limit your decorations to wreath, spot light and greens unless you want to put white lights on a tree. That would be fine also.

Inside, bring the aroma of the holidays with spruce spray available at gift shops. Don't over do it. Or, just before a showing, heat some cider and put in a cinnamon stick. Add vanilla to aluminum foil and heat it in the oven to activate the smell. This technique sure takes less time (and calories consumed) than making cookies!

If you have a tree, make it a size appropriate to your home. If you have tall cathedral ceilings, this is a great way to show how soaring the spaces are. If you have a small house, get a small tree. Our house in Burlington is small and even our small tree overwhelms the space. Don't let your house look small with a big tree.

If you have several collections that you love, just pick one. You are selling a home, not a gift shop! The mantle, a side table or a coffee table is a good place for the collection.

Set your dining room table with a nice colored table cloth, and put place settings around as if you are about to entertain. It lets people feel it is their home and they will identify with the spirit by picturing themselves entertaining in your (their future) home.

Keep the mantra, less is more, and your house will look perfect for holiday showings.