As Halloween nears,
strange things start creeping up in neighborhoods across the country: Zombies
hang from trees, inflatable pumpkins pop up on lawns, and front lawns become impromptu cemeteries.
It’s an unquestionably fun holiday to decorate for, but what if you’re trying to sell
your house? Just how far can you go with Halloween decorations if you don’t
want to truly scare off buyers?
Experts say you don’t
have to forgo all festive decorations, but you do have to
choose them wisely. In general, decorations should be benevolently neutral: think
scarecrows, pumpkins, and hay bales.
Here are some decoration ideas to AVOID spooking buyers:
1. Blood and gore
Sorry, zombie fans,
but gruesome scenes of death and the undead are things to steer away from. Buyers often have young kids with them and
the last thing you want is for a child to cry and refuse to enter your home.
2. A blood-spattered front door
We’ve already said blood is a
no-no, but just in case we weren’t clear, writing scary messages
in gory-looking red paint—even something as chipper as “Happy
Halloween”—is a bad idea. It’s fine and dandy if you’re just trying to
give trick-or-treaters a fright, but to prospective home buyers, this
graffiti-style treatment just looks messy, and screams “go away.”
3. Pumpkins whose time has come—and gone
If you’re going to use real
flowers, pumpkins, and other perishable decorations, make sure to keep them
looking fresh. No one wants to see (or smell) produce that’s well past its
prime.
4. Political statements parading as Halloween decor
It might seem obvious,
but politically themed decorations are a definite don’t. Politics is a topic you don't want a
prospective buyer to have on their mind as they're viewing your home.
5. Clowns
I think it's safe to say,
given what's going on in the world today regarding terrifying clowns, I could go
to go out on a limb and say it: No creepy clowns—even if your house isn’t on the market. Talk about the stuff of
nightmares…
6. Too many decorations, period
It’s easy to get carried away
with decorations as you get caught up in the festivities, but don’t. You’re not
trying to impress buyers with your decorating skills; you’re trying to impress
them with your house, which can get buried if you’re not careful.
If your Halloween dreams have
just been crushed, fear not, you can always put out the gory decor to your
heart's content ON Halloween night. You’re
really trying to put your best foot forward in marketing your home, and that
means a foot that’s not covered in zombie entrails.
Happy Decorating!!
CRS, CDPE, CNE, CIAS, MDI, 5-STAR, SRS
RE/MAX Country
Cynthia@Cynthia-Online.com
(360) 400-3475
www.cynthia-online.com
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