GetAgent surveyed the nation's homebuyers to find out how much is too much when it comes to dressing our homes with some festive cheer and just which decorations could deter buyers when it comes to your chances of selling.
The survey commissioned by GetAgent found that a quarter of us (24%) would be deterred from viewing a home listed for sale, if it had an over-the-top level of outdoor Christmas lights and decorations when they arrived to view it.
23% would also be put off if this over-the-top approach to Christmas continued within the home when they entered to view it.
As many as 38% of potential buyers said that if they were deterred from viewing a property during the festive period, they wouldn’t bother returning after the festive period to give it a second chance.
As a result, overdoing it on the decorations during the Christmas period could be disastrous for the nation’s home sellers as it could scupper their sale, with the number of buyers entering a cooling market already falling in recent months.
So what decorations are best to avoid exactly?
Well, GetAgent found that the number one deterrent for UK homebuyers were decorations in sexually suggestive positions, followed by those making rude gestures such as hand signals.
A blow-up snowman or Santa can be the next most detrimental decoration to your sale, with big flashing wall-mounted Christmas lights also falling out of fashion, along with life-sized reindeer and a sleigh, fake snow and festive-themed front door mats.
Fairy lights, whether they be multi-coloured or the more neutral white, were the least biggest turn-off to potential buyers.
Colby Short, CEO and co-founder of GetAgent.co.uk, commented: “There’s no harm in getting into the Christmas spirit and for some, a drive around the local area to check out the brightest and best Christmas light displays is as big a part of Christmas as the turkey itself.
"But if you’re in the process of trying to sell your home, you may want to think twice before you deck the halls with Santa in a sex position or a big inflatable snowman.
"Selling at Christmas is no different to any time of year and you have to remember that not everyone will share your particular tastes, or sense of humour for that matter.
"A blank canvas works best when it comes to attracting potential buyers and if your home is covered in Christmas decorations, it can be hard for them to get a true sense of the property.
"This will almost always work against you and could see you scupper the sale of your home, particularly in the current market now that buyer demand levels are starting to subside.”
