Selling in October? How Halloween Decorations Could Make or Break Your Home Sale

It's officially October, and Halloween is just around the corner.

For those with their house on the market this month, there's finally been a turn toward a more buyer-friendly market nationwide, though conditions vary widely by region. In the South and West, inventory is 4.3% and 9.3% higher than pre-pandemic, respectively, giving buyers more options. (In contrast, the Midwest and Northeast still trail pre-pandemic supply by 40% and 51.1%, respectively.)

So, if you're selling, finding ways to stand out to buyers is crucial, and for some, this may beg the question: Will Halloween decorations help or hurt your chances of selling your home?

The truth is, festive touches can make a house feel cozy and welcoming, but they also run the risk of overshadowing what really makes your home shine.

Wondering whether to go festive or hold off? Here's how to make the call.

Can Halloween decorations help you sell your home?

Tasteful decor like a few pumpkins, leaves, or a wreath can definitely help sell a home, and I recommend most sellers do a bit of light decorating to match the season.

Some helpful suggestions include colorful mums or string lights to make a house seem warm and inviting, especially in cooler regions like New England or the Midwest.

Families with children need to be able to envision their family not just living in the house, but living on the street. If other homes are decorated and your listing is tastefully included, it can mean a lively, active, and engaged neighborhood, a high priority for most young families.

Additionally, since listings tend to cool in fall, seasonal decorating may help a home stand out in listing photos, as long as it's not too holiday-specific.

MLS photographs taken in the fall should be done prior to decorating for any season. This way the photos won't need to be redone when Christmas arrives and the house is still on the market. 

The potential downsides of decorating for Halloween

But if you're not careful, over-the-top Halloween decorations could narrow a property's appeal to just families or Halloween enthusiasts.

That's why I recommend the concept of 'less is more'. 

Halloween decor can sometimes take attention away from the home’s best features.

Some buyers might wonder if the Halloween decor is meant to cover up problem areas.

You don't want a buyer questioning whether or not a spider web is hiding a cracked wall or peeling paint, which would be a major ethical faux pas.

Other buyers might find a bunch of Halloween decorations gimmicky or off-putting. So no haunted houses, okay?

Some buyers I have worked with in the past have responded poorly to homes with overly spooky or cluttered displays, but others have responded very well to soft Halloween and Fall decor.

Don't allow your decorations to steel the focus from the architecture and flow of the home.

Sellers should avoid anything that's polarizing, including gore, animatronics, or heavily religious-themed Halloween decor.

I was selling a two-family home a couple of years ago during Halloween, where the tenants decided to wrap caution tape around parts of the home and put fake blood handprints on the glass slider. It did not help us sell the place whatsoever.

The do's and don'ts of decorating 

Halloween decorating certainly isn’t required when selling a home in October, but strategic and restrained seasonal staging can enhance a buyer’s emotional connection when done right.

Here are a few do's and don'ts for decorating during a sale:

• Do use neutral fall colors like creams, rusts, and deep yellows.

• Don't blast spooky sound effects.

• Do add understated, natural elements like pumpkins, gourds, and corn stalks.

• Don't put out decorations that are violent, gruesome, or gory.

• Do add some minimal, warm lighting to contribute to that welcoming atmosphere.

• Don't blow up massive inflatables that dominate the yard.

• Do leave Halloween-specific decorations out of listing photos to make them timeless.

I hope this clears things up a little. This goes for decorating during any holiday while selling your home.