Bringing the Outdoors In: Taking Advantage of Fall as You Prep Your Home for Sale
By Keith Loria
As the fall season marks its arrival with cooler temperatures and shorter days, bringing the outdoors in and taking advantage of fall décor is one way home sellers can set their house apart from the rest. While you don’t want to go overboard, you can have some fun while incorporating fall themed items into the mix. Create a festive scene right on your dining room table with a fall-inspired floral arrangement in an eye-catching polished copper or silver container or even an apple basket. Mix in a few berries or branches to bring a bit of nature into the scene. Decorators recommend adding plaid or a fall-colored fabric for use as runners, simple throws or pillows. If you want to kick it up a notch, replace solids by adding materials featuring a Moroccan vibe in plum, bronze or gold for a luxurious play of color. “Bring a taste of the outdoors in with distressed wood pieces like log vases or birch-themed pedestals to display candles or flowers,” says Michael Sullivan, an interior decorator in Fairfax, Virginia. “You can incorporate twigs, branches and berry stems for an organic look.” Corn is another great decorating item that home sellers can take advantage of this fall. It can be placed in a bowl, hung up in a design or used as the centerpiece of a display. A wreath on the door is another decorative element that can add character to an entryway that may normally be plain or basic. Individual silk leaves can be scattered on tables, leaf garlands can be strung across a staircase banister and a leaf wreath can serve as the focal point of a mantel when hung on a wreath stand. “Accentuate the home with a splash of harvest colors of yellow, orange, gold, green, wheat and brown,” Sullivan says. “These hues will add a sense of warmth and comfort to your interior, which can get buyers interested.” Outside, seasonal finds are aplenty with mums, kale, pumpkins and gourds. Creating an eye-catching fall garden in the front of the house is always a welcoming sight for prospective buyers. Just remember to rake the leaves regularly. The last thing you want a buyer to see is a lawn full of leaves, conveying the message that a lot of time is going to be spent raking during the fall. Halloween decorations can create a festive look as long as you don’t go overboard. While a few carved jack-o-lanterns, ghost lights and witch hangings will get people in the spirit of the season, you don’t want the house overflowing with fake cobwebs or monster cutouts lurking in every room. Leaving Halloween cookies on the counter during home showings is also a great way to get people in the right mood as they walk around the home. |
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