Nearly a quarter of homebuyers say Bah Humbug to Christmas decorations during the viewing process

Nested, the modern estate agent, has revealed how decking the halls could impact the sale of your property this festive season as nearly a quarter of homebuyers believe tacky decorations cause a bad first impression and half would rather view a home as a blank canvas.

Nested surveyed over 1,000 UK homebuyers to gauge their thoughts and feelings on Christmas decorations when viewing homes during the Christmas period.

Nested found that either tacky external Christmas decorations or lights, or decorations that weren’t to a buyer’s personal taste, could put you on the back foot when selling. 23% of buyers said that a distaste for Christmas decor would create a bad first impression when they went to view a house they were considering purchasing. 

They were less bothered about internal decorations, although 20% still stated if they weren’t to their taste it could still create a bad first impression. 

Regardless of whether or not they liked a seller's taste in Christmas decorations, 47% of buyers stated they would rather view a home as a completely blank canvass with no decorations at all. 

However, 18% did state that they could be more inclined to submit an offer if they did particularly like the Christmas decorations. 

Head of Commercial at Nested, Alice Bullard, commented: 

“Christmas decorations and lights are arguably one of the best parts of Christmas and many of us choose to get in the festive spirit by dressing our homes both inside and out. However, they’re certainly an area where tastes can differ drastically and this is an important consideration to bear in mind if you do have your home on the market this December. 

Much like a vibrant colour of paint or abstract style of furniture, a potential buyer may not share your taste for Christmas decorations, or even celebrate Christmas at all, and this could potentially put them off when they do come to view.

It’s always advisable to present a completely blank canvas when looking to see and so if you are struggling to find a buyer, you may want to leave the decorations in their boxes until you’ve moved. 

That said, we are all in need of a great Christmas after last year and with so many buyers still flooding the market, we say go for it. The chances are you’ll find a buyer who loves your home even if it’s lit up like a Christmas tree.”

Survey of 1,022 UK homebuyers carried out by Nested via consumer research platform Find Out Now (10th December 2021).