Quick answer: If you can, photograph the home before decorating or after the decorations come down. If the decorations are already up, keep a few simple touches and pack away the rest: inflatables, extra lights, piles of gifts and anything blocking windows. Listing photos often stay online long after the season ends, so neutral rooms age better, and neutral photos also keep the listing clear of fair housing questions.
Homes are listed year-round in Tampa Bay, so some will be photographed in the middle of the holiday season. Decorations make a house feel lived in and cheerful in person. In listing photos, they can do the opposite: hide the room, date the listing and distract from what a buyer is actually trying to see.
None of this means a home has to look bare. The goal is the same as any other time of year: show the rooms, the light and the features clearly.
Why holiday decor matters more in photos
A visit lasts an afternoon. Listing photos can stay up for weeks or months, and they’re often shared, saved and revisited. A living room full of decorations looks festive in December, but the same photo seen in February can make the listing feel older than it is.
Decorations also take up space. A large tree can hide a corner of the room, garlands can cover a mantel or stair rail, and stacks of gifts can make a floor look smaller. Buyers use photos to judge size and layout, so anything that hides those details makes their job harder.
If the home stays on the market past the season, plan to replace any photos that show decorations. Our guide to when to update listing photos covers seasonal changes in more detail.
Best option: photograph before or after decorating
The simplest approach is timing. If you know the home will be listed during the holidays, schedule the photos before the decorations go up, or wait until they come down. The photos then work for the whole time the listing is active, with no editing or reshooting needed.
If the decorations are already up
Many sellers live in the home while it’s listed, and taking everything down isn’t always realistic. A light edit usually works well. Keep:
- A simple wreath or plain greenery at the front door.
- One small, tidy arrangement on a table or mantel.
- Seasonal touches that don’t hide windows, floors or architectural details.
Pack away or move out of frame:
- Inflatables, yard figures and large lawn displays.
- Strings of lights draped over furniture, railings and windows, along with their cords.
- Stacks of gifts, shopping bags and boxes.
- Stockings, banners and signs with family names.
- Anything in front of windows, doors, fireplaces or built-ins.
A large tree is the hardest call. If it fills a corner the buyer needs to see, it’s worth moving it to a smaller room or taking it down for the shoot. If it sits out of the way, keep the decorations on it simple and make sure it isn’t the first thing the eye lands on.
Keep listing photos neutral
Federal fair housing rules apply to how homes are advertised, including photos. HUD’s advertising rule (24 CFR 100.75) makes it unlawful to publish an advertisement for the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, and it specifically includes “words, phrases, photographs, illustrations, symbols or forms.”
Holiday decorations aren’t banned from listing photos. But religious displays and other prominent personal items can raise questions a seller doesn’t need, and they add nothing to a buyer’s understanding of the home. Keeping photos neutral is the simplest way to avoid that. Agents should also follow their brokerage’s and MLS’s own photo policies.
Outdoor lights and twilight photos
Exterior holiday lights can look striking at dusk, but they tie the photo to one time of year. For a twilight cover photo meant to last, the home’s permanent lighting is the safer choice: porch lights, landscape lights, pool lights and interior lamps.
If the lights stay up for a twilight shoot, check that every strand works and that cords and timers are out of sight. Sunset also comes earlier in late fall and winter, which leaves less daylight for exterior photos and moves a twilight session earlier in the evening. NOAA’s Solar Calculator lets you look up sunrise and sunset times for any location and date, which helps with planning.
Vacation rentals: show the stay guests will get
Guests can browse a rental listing in any season, so holiday decorations in the main photos can confuse someone planning a spring or summer stay. Photograph the rental as guests will normally find it, and only show amenities guests will actually receive. If the property does offer seasonal decorating, it can be mentioned in the listing description without becoming the cover photo.
Holiday photo checklist
- Schedule photos before decorating or after taking decorations down, if possible.
- Keep a few simple touches; pack away the rest.
- Clear windows, doors, fireplaces and stair rails.
- Remove inflatables, lawn displays, cords and timers.
- Put away gifts, bags, boxes and items with family names.
- Keep religious and personal displays out of the frame.
- Use the home’s permanent lighting for twilight cover photos.
- Check sunset times and plan exterior photos earlier in the day.
- Replace any holiday photos if the listing stays active after the season.
Holiday decorations are part of what makes a house a home. For listing photos, a lighter touch lets buyers see the house itself, and the photos keep working long after the season ends.