The holidays can be a difficult time of year to sell your home. However, if the home you're selling happens to be in Myrtle Beach, you have the advantage of a high number of holiday visitors coming to enjoy time with family and friends during the off-season. If you are looking to capture the attention of those holiday visitors and make your home into *their* next home, we have a few do's and don'ts of holiday home staging to help you make your home a place where buyers will want to make their own holiday memories.

DO make sure you have already decluttered and staged your home before adding any holiday decorations. If your home already feels cluttered, adding that set of snowman figurines to the fireplace mantle will only make the clutter feel overwhelming to potential buyers.

DON'T use holiday decorations in colors or styles that clash with the general decor of your home. While you may love your glittery purple holiday tree with neon ornaments, it may look off-putting next to your butter yellow wall color and caramel leather sofa. Consider your decor and use decorations that complement and draw attention to your home's best features.

DO leave the nativity scene packed away for next year. Keep decorations neutral and non-religious so all potential buyers feel comfortable envisioning themselves living in your home. Stick with icicles, pinecones, candy canes, and evergreen decorations for a seasonal touch everyone can appreciate.

DON'T get the biggest and tallest holiday tree you can find. While a tall tree can demonstrate a home's vertical space, a large tree base can take up too much area of the room, making it feel small and cramped - the opposite effect entirely!

DO keep it classy and simple with outdoor lights. Use simple string lights to highlight architectural features on the outside of the home, or show off elegant landscaping. Give the inflatable snowman and blinky-lighted reindeer a year off.

DON'T forget to keep it classy and elegant inside as well. Use small string lights to highlight indoor features like archways or a bit of mistletoe to entice potential buyers into that fantastic bonus room. Save the personalized stockings and handmade tree ornaments for next Christmas and stick with classic bulb ornaments or simple garland that matches your home's decor (see above).

Armed with these (not so) secret holiday home staging do's and don'ts, you are well on your way to getting your home onto buyers' "must have" lists this season! Oh, and one final item... DO keep Santa's waistline in mind and go with the oatmeal raisin cookies this year (Mrs. Claus insisted we include that one). Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas from the team at Century 21 Broadhurst!