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It&rsquo;s that time of the year when holiday decorations come out of storage, are dusted off and showcased throughout the home. Though homeowners are giddy to step up their holiday game, people with homes on the market may need to take a different approach. Showhomes Houston and San Diego owners, Shelley Barndollar and Lisa Gulliver, shared five pieces of advice for homeowners that are staging their home for a sale during the holiday season.

Take Staging Photos Before the Holidays

While your home may go on sale during the holiday season, it may stay on sale past this time of the year. So, the home should not scream, &ldquo;HOLIDAY SEASON!&rdquo;

&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t want Christmas photos of the home showing up in June,&rdquo; said Barndollar. Instead, she advises that all homeowners take their staging photos without holiday decorations and with more neutral d&eacute;cor.

Try to Defer from Showings on Holidays

While the real estate industry works 7 days a week, 365 days a year, it&rsquo;s in the homeowners&rsquo; best interest to defer showings on a holiday. While this is sometimes impossible to avoid because home buyers may only be available for a short period of time, homeowners should try to avoid holidays.

&ldquo;In the event that a Realtor schedules a showing on a major holiday, the homeowner should still accommodate them,&rdquo; said Gulliver. &ldquo;If you are in the middle of meal preparation or clean up, try your best to straighten up the kitchen and turn the stove down, and then go for a short walk to let them show the property.&rdquo;

Replace Every Day D&eacute;cor with Decorations, Don&rsquo;t Add On

&ldquo;When you are placing any new holiday decorations throughout the home, it&rsquo;s important to remember to replace them with your ever day d&eacute;cor instead of adding them to the existing d&eacute;cor,&rdquo; said Barndollar.

She goes on to explain that if you just add on to the shelf with more decorations, things will look cluttered which can make the home seem smaller. Instead, just swap out the existing decorations with small, festive accents to really dress up the home

Stage Presents, Don&rsquo;t Put Real Ones Out

During the home sale process, potential home buyers from all over are walking through the home, going through closets and checking out each area of the home. Security should always be top of mind. During the holiday season, this sense of security should be amplified.

&ldquo;You don&rsquo;t know who will be walking through your home,&rdquo; said Barndollar. &ldquo;Make sure to stage your holiday presents. I would wrap four to five different sized boxes and have them under the tree, but don&rsquo;t put your real presents under there.&rdquo;

Barndollar further explains that you don&rsquo;t want people seeing how many gifts you got and to potentially walk off with one of them.

Keep D&eacute;cor Elegant and Simple

&ldquo;As you decorate, it&rsquo;s best to keep the staging of the home in mind,&rdquo; said Gulliver. &ldquo;When it comes to tree placement and additional decorations, remember that less is more.&rdquo;

Bardonllar adds, &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t go overboard. It&rsquo;s great to have a tree and garland over the fireplace, maybe just one or two really special tchotchkes that are non-denominational and tasteful. Keep all of your d&eacute;cor to a minimum.&rdquo;

Five Tips for Staging Your Home During the Holidays

1851 Franchise

Showhomes Owners Shelley Barndollar and Lisa Gulliver talk through the do’s and don’ts of staging your home during the holiday season.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

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