The holidays are just around the corner, so it's time to fill your home with seasonal decor that creates an inviting atmosphere. While the holidays can be a difficult time to sell your home, our real estate agents have some staging tips that will impress holiday buyers.

The holiday season is a busy time of year with travel, family gatherings, holiday parties, and special events. With crunched schedules and strained shopping budgets, 'tis the time of year when home sales usually slow down. Buyers looking for Belleville homes for sale may need a little nudge to pique their interest. Staging your home for the holidays can be a great way to attract even the busiest buyers. Follow these tips to make a lasting impression this holiday season.

1. Clean and Declutter
   Before you focus on holiday staging, it's essential to clean and declutter your home. Dusty floors, stained upholstery, and cluttered shelves and countertops are never appealing, but holiday decorations added to a cluttered interior are a definite turnoff. Before the holidays arrive, do a thorough cleaning or hire a professional cleaning crew, so you have a clean slate for holiday decorating.

2. Add Some Lights
   Lighting up your home's exterior will increase curb appeal and attract more potential buyers. The holidays are the perfect time to add twinkling string lights to trees and shrubs, pathway lights to walkways, and spotlights to special outdoor architectural features. It's best to keep outdoor lights white or all one color to avoid a busy, overwhelming effect that may be an unpleasant distraction for buyers driving by the house.

3. Showcase the Tree
   Your tree can create a lovely focal point that emphasizes a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. Most homebuyers will relate to a beautiful tree filled with lights and decorative seasonal ornaments that feel like home. 

4. Decorate for the Holidays
   Home staging is all about neutralizing and paring down to make your home look larger and more appealing to buyers. Your holiday decorations should emphasize a warm, comfortable interior where buyers want to live. Think cozy quilts and throws, fresh garland with berries on the mantle, vases with seasonal flowers around the house, glowing candles and tealights, and a beautiful holiday centerpiece on the dining room table.

5. Fill the Air with Fresh Scents
   Holiday scents are a wonderful way to welcome buyers. Whether you choose scented candles, potpourri, or freshly baked cookies, buyers will feel very welcome when they enter your home. Everyone associates the holidays with smells of fresh pine, juniper, and spruce, cinnamon and nutmeg spices, roasted chestnuts, pumpkin pies, and gingerbread cookies. 

6. Complement Your Color Palette
   Before you start decorating, make sure your holiday decorations complement your home's color palette. If your living room is designed in cool shades of ocean blue, skip the clashing red garland and opt for silver garland or white snowflakes. If you have an earthy color scheme, choose decorations with accents of gold, cranberry, and forest green. For a subtle white or neutral color palette, decorations in gold, silver, or metallic will add a sophisticated ambiance.

If you're considering buying or selling a home during the holiday season, contact us for more ways to make your holiday real estate venture a complete success.