Christmas is fast approaching and whilst it is unlikely to catch you unawares, given some shops have been in festive mode since late September, if you’re just about to put your property on the market there are a few pitfalls you need to avoid…
Christmas is fast approaching and whilst it is unlikely to catch you unawares, given some shops have been in festive mode since late September, if you’re just about to put your property on the market there are a few pitfalls you need to avoid…
We’ve previously covered the benefits of selling in the Winter, from hardy, genuine buyers, to reduced competition from other sellers waiting for the new year to come to market.
To capitalise on this market opportunity, Estate Agents go to great lengths to present your property as well sized, through clever use of wide angle lenses. For eleven months of the year, keeping the house tidy pre-viewing is the biggest challenge to ensuring a buyer’s expectations are met. December brings its own unique addition to the staging process - Christmas Decorations.
Christmas Trees
If you’re expecting to have property viewings over the festive period, try not to buy the tree that only just fits into the space you have allocated for it. Whilst squeezing a magnificent spruce into the corner of your living room can bring joy to your family, it can make a room look quite cramped - fine for festivities, but if you have viewings it can create an unwanted impression for prospective buyers.
Anything in your property that only just fits, even if you specifically bought it to be oversized, could make the room look smaller. A buyer isn’t going to measure the tree and immediately know that it’s ten inches taller than the tree they would usually buy - instead, you could run the risk of the living room seeming cramped.
Decorations
Whether you liberally cover your property with tinsel or prefer a more subtle dressing of your house, decorations have the potential to brighten a room, but if you go too far before a viewing they can also make a room appear cramped and busy.
Too many decorations hanging from the ceiling can create the illusion of a lower ceiling whilst going overboard with novelty trinkets on tables and mantelpieces can draw the eye away from the full room.
The number of decorations in a property directly impacts visible space - but it’s not just the quantity that can cause issues - the wrong style of decoration for your property can create a confusing first impression for a potential buyer. If you live in a country cottage, it might be sensible to opt for more traditional decorations. If you live in a stylish apartment, a minimalist contemporary feel is a sensible route to follow for worry free viewings.
Decorate the home you have - buyers will have set ideas of what a property will look and feel like inside. Don’t let your decorations burst that bubble.
Putting up Christmas decorations is a tradition in a lot of British properties - when they go up and where they go is often set in stone. If you’re going to market in December, keep in mind that your traditions are unique to you. Property owners are often advised to detach themselves from their property when it goes to market - it becomes a space for somebody else to picture themselves living in. Get the decorations wrong in December and you run the risk of muddying that picture.
Opt for subtle, in keeping with the property and a sensible size and amount of decorations and you can avoid damaging the viewing process over the festive period.
