My house is on the market, can I still decorate?

If your home is on the market during the holidays, you might wonder if it's appropriate to still put up holiday decorations. As long as they are not overwhelming (think Addams Family ghoulish or the Griswold's Christmas light extravaganza), you should feel comfortable decorating as you like. You can think of it as temporary staging for your home – use the same care and attention to detail as you would for the rest of your home.  Animated coffin at the front door?  Probably a bit much. Several carved, lighted jack-o-lanterns? Just fine.

If Halloween has snuck up on you again, there's still time to get your pumpkin carved before next week. In our lovely, moist weather we don't have to worry too much about our jack-o-lanterns drying out – just getting moldy!  And then there are the inevitable fruit fly invasions, slug attacks and random squirrel gnawings. So remember to check your pumpkins frequently and remove them at the first sign of rot. You want to create a nice first impression at your front door.

Here are a few websites with tips and ideas for carving your masterpiece:

Pumpkin Carving 101

Extreme Pumpkins

Better Homes and Gardens