If your home is listed for sale, should you decorate it for the holidays? The answer is yes. Buyers are still searching for the perfect property and those looking now are quite serious about purchasing. So, keep that house listed and get those decorations ready!

Here are some tips to get buyers in the right spirit of the holidays! Before you decorate, you should stage your house. If your living room is already piled high with clutter, your Santa figurines are only going to add to the sense of overcrowding. Go ahead and box up those extra trinkets. Next, create a cozy vibe. The less-is-more mantra of home staging may tempt you to forgo holiday cheer this year. But a few subtle touches like a bowl of pinecones, an evergreen wreath, or a pot of cider simmering on the stove can create a warm and festive feeling in your home.

Before you start untangling your tinsel, make sure your holiday collection matches your current decor. If your living room is painted a soothing ocean-blue hue, skip the clashing red garland and opt for white snowflakes or a silver glass-ball wreath. If you have an earthy color scheme, accent with rich tones like cranberries, forest greens and gold. Too many trimmings may distract buyers, but the right accessories can draw attention to your home’s best features. Don’t block a beautiful view with stick-on snowflake decals or clutter an elegant fireplace with personalized stockings.

Scale down the Clark Griswold lights this year! We all love that movie, but that much bling may distract the buyer a bit. Step away from the inflatable snowman. One man’s “merry” is another man’s “tacky,” so tone down any garish light displays while your home is on the market. (No, your neighbors didn’t pay me to say that.) Instead, use simple string lighting to play up your home’s architecture or draw attention to the gorgeous fir tree in your front yard.

A tall Christmas tree can help you show off your two-story great room, but make sure the wide base won’t overwhelm the floor space. If your living area is on the small side, save space with a skinny tree. Keep the tree decorating simple. Trim your tree in a cohesive theme with similar ornaments and lights. A few decorations can stir the holiday spirit, but do not feel obliged to hang every ornament. Limit yourself to a few hints of holiday flair but stash the rest in the basement for now. If you start to miss your Santa figurines, just remember that with a little luck, you’ll be celebrating next year’s holidays in a new home. Then you can decorate that place any way you please.

I hope everyone has survived the time change so far. It is a good time to change those smoke detector batteries too! Have a great, albeit chilly, week and remember to do good things!

Stephanie Lemley, 2021 MBOR President