If you are selling your home for sale over Christmas you may think you and your family will need to miss out on any Christmas cheer in the home this year. But that is not the case at all.

While we advocate simple styling when preparing your home for sale, there are ways to keep it simple and stylish while still incorporating some festive season cheer.

Tip No. 1 – less is more
The first rule is to keep it simple. If you normally love to go all out and deck the halls as well as every other part of your home with Christmas lights and decorations, you will need to cut back this year if you are on the market.

A beautifully decorated Christmas tree, a festive centrepiece on the dining table and perhaps a welcoming wreath at the front door would bring some Christmas spirit to your festive season Open Homes without cluttering your home.

Tip No. 2 – A subtle Christmassy aroma
Research has shown that pleasant scents help sell and unpleasant smells have the opposite effect. A tip when selling over the festive season is to create a subtle Christmassy aroma in your home. You could bake some gingerbread or shortbread biscuits, burn a festive candle or have a real Christmas tree.

Scents evoke memories and the festive season conjures up happy memories for most people. Ideally you would want potential buyers to imagine making happy memories in their new home.

Tip No. 3 – curb your desire to light up your home
When selling, it’s best to let the normal street appeal of your home sell it rather than the light display you take pride on each year. It can be a distraction for many buyers.

Tip No. 4 – Keep it classy
This tip is similar to keeping things simple but it goes a step further. We suggest classically elegant decorations (keep the inflatable Santa for your next home).