Holiday Decor Can Catch a Buyer's Eye 
Tastefully done holiday decorations can be the eye candy that captures a buyer’s interest, says Lee Ralph, an associate with Coldwell Banker North Tampa (Fla.). 

“We even negotiated a contract on Christmas Day last year,” Ralph says.

Ralph suggests using elegant themes and warns against over-decoration. “That may keep the buyer from being comfortable and able to visualize the home as their own,” Ralph says.

Designer Rick Davies, co-owner of Lafayette & Rushford Home, a home decor store in Dunedin, Fla., makes these suggestions:

· Work with what can’t be changed. Work carefully with the color, style, and age of the home.

· Consider proportions. Don’t put a huge wreath on a tiny door.

· Light the way. Simple pathway lights are a gracious way to greet potential buyers.

· Be subtle. Choose contemporary colors, including bright greens, lemongrass, golds, and ambers. 

· Natural is in. Natural-look and organic materials are in vogue, including berries, artichokes, moss, twigs, acorns, and feathers.

Source: St. Petersburg Times, Terri Bryce Reeves (12/04/2010)