Spooky season is upon us, and the country is gearing up for ghosts and goblins to take over.
But does Halloween have an effect on the real estate industry? Yes, it does. Big time.
If you are selling your home or about to sell your home, there are some specific suggestions real estate professionals have regarding Halloween decor and overall celebrations of the holiday.
To start, do not put up any Halloween decorations until photos are taken and the listing is posted.
“My recommendation is if the home is not listed and the photos have not been taken, don’t put anything up,” said Samara Poché, a realtor with Compass in New Orleans. “Halloween decor does not live well in photographs.”
“The best thing you can do is to get the photos and marketing of the home done before you decorate if you are set on doing it,” said Joshua Holt, CEO & Broker at Holt Real Estate Team powered by PLACE in Madison, Wisconsin. “You don’t want those photos to stand out because the decor will date the house if it doesn’t sell right away.”
Once the listing is posted, there are some different opinions regarding how Halloween decorations should be handled.
Poché said, “I truly feel that having any kind of extra decor takes away from showing the house because people could end up focusing on something that’s not important, like a bowl of candy or a big spider on the front lawn, instead of the home itself.”
Jules Zaphire, real estate professional at the Pantiga Group, suggests sellers stay away from Halloween decor altogether. He is licensed in New York and Connecticut.
“There are people who are going to be offended or not like the holiday, which can be a turn-off. There are potential homebuyers who will not even enter the home if they see Halloween decor,” Zaphire said.
Greg Geilman, managing partner at DOMO Real Estate in Los Angeles, agrees.
“When a buyer walks in, they want to be able to envision themselves in the home, so we always recommend depersonalizing their homes. Unfortunately, Halloween decor falls under that category,” Geilman said of the advice they give sellers.
Holt said the best strategy is to make the home appealing to a wide variety of buyers.
“The potential buyer should be able to picture themselves in the home, and if they don’t embrace Halloween, the decor might be a distraction and could deter them from seeing the true value of the home,” he said.
Wendy Martorano, realtor with The Yackley Group, United Real Estate in Chicago, steers sellers towards fall decorations because some religions are opposed to Halloween.
“You want to appeal to the masses, so it’s best to go with Fall decorations,” said Martorano. “Think pumpkins, maybe a scarecrow. Mainstream fall decor works best.”
For sellers who want to decorate for Halloween, she recommends only putting up something outside.
“If potential homebuyers see decorations they don’t like, then that’s what they associate the home with. It doesn’t matter how beautiful a house is, a decoration can ruin it.”
One stipulation that also seemed consistent across the board is that if sellers are dead set on putting up Halloween decorations, it is best to avoid the gory options.
“Avoid anything gory, animatronic, or scary like a haunted house because some people don’t like that,” said Jake Bluvstein, realtor with RE/MAX Partners in Columbus, Ohio.
“Think if a kid that is eight or nine years old came to your house, would they be okay with the decor you are putting up?” added Zaphire. “If someone has to look past the frightening setup, then they usually get distracted from the true value of the home.”
One descriptive word comes up often as far as the types of decor sellers should use, and that is “tasteful.”
“I think you can decorate if you keep things tasteful, simplistic, and inviting,” said Holt. “Just work within the guidelines that are recommended to achieve the goal, which is to sell the home.”
Bluvstein said decorating with a light touch is fine.
“Seasonal decor can make a home feel warm and inviting. Think pumpkins, fall candles; this type of decor is popular, so it could help buyers imagine themselves living there, which is the goal. You can be festive without going overboard,” he said.
But keep decorations to a minimum, especially scents.
“Everyone has different preferred scents, and in the Fall, a lot of people do sweet caramel or vanilla,” said Bluvstein. “Some people love it, but some people also hate it. Keep all smells on the neutral side so you don’t accidentally turn any buyers off.”
Another thing to keep in mind is that although some people may buy a haunted house, if you are a seller in a home where a murder or crime has been committed, there is usually a stigma that comes attached, which can affect a home’s value.
If sellers find themselves in this situation, Roy Condrey, founder and CEO of www.DiedInHouse.com, suggests avoiding all Halloween decorations across the board to play it safe.
“If your house is stigmatized, then definitely avoid Halloween decorations. This is when a house has a negative reputation that could affect its value when it’s time to sell. Some examples include if a death or crime occurred on the property,” said Condrey.
