I pulled up to a Grand Rapids listing last November and the front porch had three inflatable turkeys, a plastic skeleton and a wreath from the previous Christmas. The house was great. The photos would have shown a yard sale.
Every fall and winter, sellers ask me the same question about real estate photography in West Michigan: do I leave the holiday decorations up or take them down? Here is how I handle it.
Why holiday decor changes how a listing reads
Listing photos stay online long after the holiday is over. A home that goes live in October with pumpkins can still be showing them in January, and buyers notice when the photos don't match the calendar.
Decor also pulls attention away from the house. A buyer scrolling through photos should be looking at the kitchen, the layout and the light. They shouldn't be looking at your inflatable snowman.
What I tell sellers to take down
Anything loud, large or personal comes down. That means inflatables, animated figures, themed signs, stockings with names on them and any decor that covers a window or a doorway.
Religious and political items go too. Not because they are wrong, but because the goal is for the widest range of buyers to picture living there.
What can stay
Subtle seasonal touches are fine, and they can make a home feel warm. A simple wreath on the front door, a bowl of apples on the kitchen island or a few pumpkins on the steps all read as welcoming, not cluttered.
My rule is simple. If you could remove it in under five minutes and nobody would miss it in the photo, it can stay. If it takes over the frame, it goes.
The Christmas tree question
A full tree with a pile of gifts under it is the hardest call. It takes up a corner of the living room and makes the space look smaller. It also dates the photos fast.
If the listing goes live in early December and you want to keep a tree, keep it small, keep the lights white, and keep it out of the main wide shot. Better yet, take it down for the shoot and put it back after. I can shoot the living room in about ten minutes.
Book your fall and winter listing shoot. Book a Listing Shoot
Lights, snow and short days
Michigan fall and winter shoots come with their own problems. The sun sets early, the sky is often gray, and bare trees can make a yard look flat. I cover the timing side in my post on the best time of day for listing photos in West Michigan.
White string lights on a porch or in a tree can look great in a real twilight shot, which is an extra $150 on the Essential package and included with Showcase and Signature. Colored lights are a different story, since they fight with the color of the house.
Shovel first, decorate never
Snow is the one seasonal item I want to deal with before I arrive. Clear the driveway, the front walk and the porch steps. A clean path tells buyers the home is cared for.
The National Association of Realtors publishes research on how sellers and agents prepare homes, including staging, and it is worth a read if you are weighing how much to do before listing: https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics
Plan the shoot around the calendar
If your listing goes live right before a holiday, tell me when you book. I can work around your schedule, and delivery is next business day, so you can pick the shoot date based on the house and not the deadline.
If you are an agent, send your client a short list a few days ahead: inflatables down, small wreath stays, tree optional, walkways clear. It saves everyone time on shoot day.
If you are listing this fall or winter and want a straight answer on your specific house, call me at (616) 258-4578. I'm happy to look at a few phone photos first.