Decorating for the Holidays When Your Bradenton Home Is for Sale

OMG! Dixie and I were on our morning walk in Bradenton noticing all the Halloween decorations out in full force. I am a lover of holiday decorations, but sometimes it astonishes me that there is no ability to know when you have achieved the perfect amount.

Of course, Dixie barked ferociously at the 12' twin skeletons. Then she growled at the blow-up pumpkin that was swaying in the breeze. But when we got to the main event, she freaked out. It was the house with all the spider webs and spiders. I don’t mean thin spider web netting. I mean these huge thick webs across the front shrubs, up the front and on the roof, then down the front porch. On top of the webs were spiders: small, medium, large and, yes, extra-large. I’ll admit the biggest one looked like Charlotte, but others were creepy, and I couldn’t figure out how to get in the front door.

I had a little laugh as I thought to myself, “I’m so glad that is not a house I am about to list.” I imagined pulling up to it to take listing photos thinking, “How am I going to handle this?” I know I’d have to use a little tact in the conversation. You know, start with a positive, highlight the negative, end with a positive. But let’s face it, my face would say everything. On top of that, who knows what would be hanging on the inside.

This brings me back to recommendations for your holiday décor when your house is for sale:

• In the yard: no 12-foot skeletons, no spiderwebs draped over the house, no witchy concoctions. Your house is for sale, for Pete’s sake.
• Keep it light. A few pieces do more than a house full of anything.
• Pull one or two fall colors from what’s already in the room.
• Start with pillows and throws. Free, fast, and easy to put away.
• Seasonal is best, lightly themed is fine. Buyers need to picture their own life, not visiting the Hotel Transylvania.
• Go more fall than Halloween. Jack-o’-lanterns come down November 1, and the rest carries through Thanksgiving.
• At the front door, a wreath, a clean entry, and a mat at the most. Not a cornucopia of goblins, ghouls, and haystacks.

Yes, this focuses on Halloween, but all you have to do is swap out spiderwebs for Santa globes and Hotel Transylvania for North Pole. You get the gist. If you’re wondering how I get a home ready without renting furniture, I wrote about that here.

Remember, it’s for one year. Next year, you can go crazy at your new home. Just sayin'...