Some home sellers use the holidays to showcase the warmth and character of their home to potential buyers. But they need to be careful not to cover up their home’s finest attributes with their festivity.

Read more: Rules for Tasteful Holiday Décor

A recent article at Houzz provides some of the following tips for holiday decorating when your home is for sale:

Watch the size of the decorations. Displaying large multipiece holiday decorations on your fireplace, for example, may cover up this important selling feature. Ask yourself: Does this piece positive showcase the space, light, and charm of the room? Or does its large size distract from it? This includes the Christmas tree. Owners may want to choose a smaller size when they’re selling because larger trees and decorations can make a room appear smaller, notes Houzz columnist Neila Deen.

Don’t block the light. Make sure the holiday décor doesn’t cover up any natural light from windows and doors. Sure, owners love to display their Christmas trees in front of windows so you can see it from the outside. But they need to realize that they could be covering up a picturesque window as well as making a room appear darker. Instead, place the tree far away from the window so that it isn’t blocking any natural light from flowing in.

Coordinate colors. Keep the holiday décor in line with the room’s overall color-coordinated design. If the holiday decorations clash with a current color scheme, don’t use them. Metallics – gold, silver, or copper -- are a good way to add holiday décor accents without fears of clashing. White also can be a good choice. Consider swapping out multicolored tree lights with sparkling white lights for a more elegant choice, Deen notes. 

Source: “The 7 Do’s of Holiday Decorating When Your Home Is for Sale,” Houzz (Nov. 26, 2016)