Christmas is just around the corner. For most, this season is filled with mince pies, gift giving, and quality time with family. However, for homeowners, estate agents, and vendors, the festive period represents a hidden opportunity in the property market.
There is a common myth that the property market “sleeps” in December. The data tells a very different story.
Did you know property searches surge by 26% on Boxing Day? While everyone else is eating leftovers, millions of buyers are on Rightmove and Zoopla looking for their next dream home.
Don’t miss the biggest traffic spike of the year! Below is our Guide to Christmas Staging, packed with tips on balancing festive decor with selling space, the secret to perfect winter lighting, how to create the dream lifestyle that buyers can’t resist.
What is the “Boxing Day Bounce”?
If you are thinking of waiting until spring to list your property, you might want to reconsider. According to data from Rightmove and Google, Boxing Day is consistently one of the busiest days of the year for online property searches.
Factual insights from the last festive season reveal just how active the market is:
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Search Surges: Rightmove reported a staggering 26% increase in new properties listed on Boxing Day 2024 compared to the previous year.
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Buyer Intent: Enquiries sent to estate agents jumped by 20% on December 26th.
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Traffic Spikes: Visits to property portals nearly doubled (+84%) between Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
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The “Golden Window”: Unlike typical days where searches peak between 4pm and 7pm, Boxing Day browsing becomes a prime evening activity, with engagement peaking between 8pm and 10pm.
What does this mean for you? Millions of prospective buyers are sitting on their sofas, full of Christmas dinner, scrolling through listings on their phones and tablets. They are planning their “New Year, New Home” resolutions. To capture this captive audience, your property photos must be nothing short of spectacular.
As experts in property photography, we understand how to balance festive cheer with professional staging. Below is our guidance on how to prepare a home for a Christmas photo shoot that converts browsers into buyers.
1. Keep Decorations “Elegant, Not Excessive”
We all love a home filled with Christmas spirit, but there is a fine line between “festive” and “cluttered.” When selling a home, the goal is to show off the space, not the ornaments.
If a room is packed with tinsel, garlands, and large inflatables, the camera will struggle to find a focal point. Over decoration can make even a large room feel claustrophobic and small, two words you never want associated with your property listing.
Top Staging Tips for Christmas Decor:
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Select a Cohesive Theme: Avoid a mismatch of sentimental ornaments. For the photoshoot, stick to a sophisticated palette like Silver & White or Gold & Deep Green. These colours photograph beautifully and suggest luxury.
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Tree Placement is Key: A Christmas tree can add height and drama, but it shouldn’t block the flow of the room. Ensure it doesn’t obscure a key selling point, such as a bay window or a fireplace. If your tree takes up more than 1/4 of the floor space, it is too big for the photo.
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Lighting Control: While fairy lights are magical to the eye, they can cause “flicker” or exposure issues for professional cameras. Please ensure all tree lights are static (non-flashing) and set to a warm white tone rather than multicoloured.
Expert Insight: Think of your home as a boutique hotel lobby during the holidays. It should feel warm and seasonal, but tidy and spacious.
2. Maximising Light in the Darkest Months
Winter photography presents a unique technical challenge: lack of natural light. With the sun setting as early as 4:00pm in the UK, we have a limited window to capture your property’s best side.
Dark rooms on a listing are a major turn off. They subconsciously tell the buyer the house is cold and uninviting. To combat this, we need to flood the property with as much light as possible.
How to Prepare for the “Light” Fight:
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Curtain Call: Open every curtain, blind, and shutter to its maximum width. You want to frame the window, not cover it.
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Sparkling Clean Windows: Winter weather brings rain, sleet, and grime. Dirty windows block a surprising amount of daylight. A quick clean on the morning of the shoot can brighten a room by up.
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The “All-On” Rule: Turn on every single light in the house, ceiling roses, wall sconces, bedside lamps, and under cabinet kitchen lights. Even in the daytime, this mix of natural and artificial light creates a warm, inviting “lifestyle” look that buyers love.
3. Selling the Dream Lifestyle
In Scandinavia, they have a word for the feeling of cozy contentment: Hygge. During the cold British winter, this is exactly what buyers are craving. You aren’t just selling bricks and mortar, you are selling the dream of a warm, safe haven.
Staging for Maximum Coziness:
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Fireplaces: If you have a log burner or an open fire, please have it lit for the shoot. The orange glow of a fire is a powerful visual anchor in a photograph.
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Texture is Everything: Soften hard surfaces. Drape a chunky knit throw over the arm of a leather sofa. Place fluffy cushions on armchairs. These textures add depth to photographs and make the viewer want to reach out and touch them.
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Candlelight: Place a few high-quality, unlit candles on coffee tables or mantels. (We prefer unlit for safety, unless specifically directed by the photographer for a twilight shot).
4. Christmas Clutter Chaos
Clutter is the enemy of property photography. During Christmas, the clutter factor triples. Wrapping paper, piles of cards, advent calendars, and extra boxes can destroy the clean lines of a room.
Before our team arrives, we expect vendors and estate agents to prepare the home to ensure a clutter free space.
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The “Present” Problem: While a few beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree look nice, a mountain of presents looks messy. It hides the floor space (which makes the room look smaller). Limit it to 3-5 perfectly wrapped boxes for the shoot.
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Christmas Cards: Rows of cards on shelves, hanging from strings, or taped to doors create “visual noise.” They distract the eye. Please remove them for the duration of the shoot.
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Hallways: Winter means bulky coats, muddy boots, and scarves. A hallway is often the first internal shot a buyer sees. Clear it completely. The coat rack should be empty or have just one stylish jacket to show scale.
5. Curb Appeal: Nailing the Exterior Shot
The “Hero Shot” (the main photo on Rightmove) is usually the exterior. In summer, we have green lawns and blue skies. In winter, we have bare trees and sometimes snow on the ground. We need to work harder to make the home look appealing.
Outdoor Staging Checklist:
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Garden Tidy-Up: Rake up dead leaves. They make a garden look neglected. Hide the hose pipe and ensure the wheelie bins are completely out of sight.
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Twinkle Lights: A subtle string of warm white lights around a porch or a bay tree can look stunning, especially if we are shooting at twilight. It adds a premium feel to the property.
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The Front Door: A fresh, real wreath on the door adds a pop of green and red that contrasts beautifully with brick or stone. It signals that the home is loved and cared for.
Note for Estate Agents: If the weather on the shoot day is torrential rain or overcast grey, don’t panic. Lens Media editors can perform Blue Sky Replacements in post production to ensure the lead image is bright and attractive, regardless of the British weather.
6. Telling a Christmas Story Through The Lens
As professional photographers we don’t just shoot wide angles; we look for details that tell a story. These are small, staged areas that help the buyer imagine living there.
Try setting up these scenes:
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The Dining Room: Set the table for Christmas dinner. Use your best plates, polished glasses, and a simple centrepiece. This helps buyers visualise hosting their own family gathering next year.
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The Kitchen: A clean kitchen is vital, but a sterile one is boring. Place a wooden board on the counter with a festive loaf of bread, or a tray with two mugs of hot chocolate and a bowl of gingerbread. It adds a “human element” without the mess.
7. Why Professional Photography is Non-Negotiable
With the Boxing Day rush bringing millions of eyes to property portals, iPhone photos simply won’t cut it.
Property photography is technical. It requires balancing the high contrast between bright windows and dark interiors. It requires wide-angle lenses to show the true size of a room without distorting it.
The Lens Media Advantage:
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Higher Click-Through Rate (CTR): Listings with professional photos receive significantly more clicks than those without.
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Increased Perceived Value: High quality imagery makes a home look more expensive and well maintained.
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Faster Sales: According to industry statistics, homes with professional photography sell 32% faster on average.
Homeowners Checklist
To help you get ready, we’ve put together a quick and simple checklist:
| Area | Task | Why it matters |
| Living Room | Remove personal photos & excess toys | Buyers need to picture their family, not yours. |
| Kitchen | Clear all countertops (toasters, kettles) | Shows off the maximum workspace size. |
| Bathroom | Hide toiletries & towels | Creates a spa like, hygienic appearance. |
| Garden | Hide bins & rake leaves | “Curb appeal” is the first impression. |
| General | Replace all broken bulbs | Bright homes sell faster; dark homes sit on the market. |
Are you ready to get your property on the market before the 26th December rush?
Selling your home at Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, if staged correctly, your home can look its best during the festive season. It is warm, welcoming, and full of emotion.
By following these tips, clearing the clutter, maximising light, and using data backed strategies to catch the “Boxing Day Bounce” you are setting yourself up for success.
Are you ready to get your property on the market before the 26th December rush? Contact us today to book your professional festive property photoshoot.