Should You Stage Homes for the Holidays?

The majority of real estate professionals encourage their clients to list their home during the holidays because, they say, the holidays can be a great time to sell a home, according to a survey at Realtor.com. So if you have a home for-sale during the holidays, should you stage it decked out in holiday-spirit and glow?

Most real estate professionals say “yes”--just maybe not in the Clark Griswold holiday-overkill kind of way.

About 37 percent of real estate professionals say they advise their sellers to display non-religious holiday decorations during an open house in order to make the home feel more inviting during the holidays, according to a survey by Realtor.com. Twenty-eight percent of real estate professionals say they advise their clients to display ALL of their holiday decorations--including the religious decorations. And then about 8 percent of Scrooges tell their sellers to tuck away all forms of holiday cheer and seasonal decorations, and keep the home staged how they would any other time of year.

For those who do recommend staging for the holidays, here are a few subtle ideas agents often give to their clients, according to the survey:

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  Photo Credit: Betty Cunningham, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Schaumburg, Ill.

  Light the fireplace.

• Update outdoor lighting and keep it bright (the shorter days means more buyers will likely drive by at night).
• Use winter scented home fragrances before an open house.
• Make the home feel more cozy through reading nooks and blankets on couches and beds.
• Set the table to showcase holiday entertaining.
• Play seasonal music in the background (non-holiday specific).

Want more ideas for holiday staging? Check out Add Some Holiday Charm to Your Listings or 11 Inexpensive, Simple Holiday Decor Ideas