Episode 17: Does Decorating for the Holidays Help or Hurt the Sale of Your Home?

In Episode 17 of the Toe-2-Toe Podcast, hosts Jenn Murtland and Monica Weakley duke it out over whether decorating your home for the holidays helps or hurts the sale of your home. Hear why Jenn feels you should keep your holiday decorations packed and out of the way. Then hear why Monica feels tasteful decorations can add warmth and coziness to a home. 

Episode Highlights: 

• Does decorating for the holidays help or hurt the sale of your home?
• Jenn doesn’t think you should decorate.
• Holidays are fine. Jenn thinks there are too many holidays. The problem is if you decorate for the holidays and take pictures, then you have to retake them.
• Monica acknowledges that one of the challenges is balancing selling your house with living how you would normally be living in the house.
• You don't sell a house the way you live in a house.
• Monica feels that decorating is OK if it is tastefully done.
• Severely edit your holiday decor, just as you would severely edit your home outside of a holiday.
• People tend to go wild on decorating for Christmas and that has to be edited.
• Some people say decorating for the holidays makes a home more inviting.
• Jenn feels that you do not need holiday decor to make a home inviting.
• Monica suggests that tasteful holiday decor may help some buyers to imagine themselves living in the home.
• Jenn says you’re moving anyway, keep it all packed and focus on selling the house.
• The way to sell the house is to neutralize the home and make it homey but decorations are not included.
• Holiday decor is more for you than for the buyer.
• What if a seller has kids and tells you they must have a tree?
• Jenn does not think your whole life should revolve around your kids.
• In that situation, Monica would suggest putting the house on the market in January.
• Agents surveyed said that they think holiday decorating adds warmth and joy. For the most part, tasteful decorations are good.
• Monica reiterates that holiday decorations can actually help the buyer picture themselves inside the house. They can convey comfort and coziness.
• Jenn reasserts that you should not decorate for the holidays when you are selling your home. 

3 Key Points:

1. Decorating for the holidays when selling your home may not make sense. Some realtors feel that those decorations are more for you than for the buyer. 
2. Decorating for the holidays may make your home feel more inviting and warm to certain buyers. 
3. If you choose to decorate for the holidays while selling your home, do so minimally and tastefully. 

Resources Mentioned:

• Jenn Murtland LinkedIn | Facebook
• Monica Weakley LinkedIn | Facebook
• Toe 2 Toe Podcast Facebook Page