Halloween is creeping around the corner – it’s time to start hanging up bats and spiders, carving out Jack-o’-lantern smiles, and sprucing up your home for the spookiest season of the year.
When to start decorating
As with all holidays and seasons, timing your decorations right will help you and your neighbours get the most enjoyment out of them.
Most people start decorating for Halloween within the first two weeks of October, and while it depends on personal preference, decorating as early as September could result in you getting bored of your spooky surroundings before Halloween rolls around.
Save your best decorating tricks and treats for the start of October so you can enjoy them all the way through to November.
Halloween decoration tips
- Choose a theme. Tie your spooky items together with colour or character themes to create a scene in your home that’s both bewitching and beautiful. From vampires and mummies to witches and clowns, a cohesive theme can make your shopping easier, and the fun elements will fit in more harmoniously with your home.
- Incorporate DIY and easy crafts. For a more subtle and rustic look, use natural items such as pumpkins and cotton wool for decorating. This way, you can get the kids involved, save some money, and reduce plastic waste.
- Amp up the scare factor. As Halloween is all about fun frights, consider creating a dramatic set-up either indoors or outside using staple Halloween decorations such as skeletons, scarecrows. and ghouls.
- Create a spook-tacular entrance. Illuminate your front door, ready for dark nights. Hang seasonal reefs and garlands, place carved or painted pumpkins on the doorstep, and scatter flameless LED candles and lanterns around the entrance to emit a spooky glow.
Trick or treaters
A rise in trick or treaters is expected this year, and if you’re planning on welcoming little ghouls, goblins, and ghosts to collect their treats, it’s important to make sure there are no tricks on your front doorstep.
Clear the walkways of trip hazards such as cords, cracks in the concrete, and decorations that clutter the way. In the rush to come ring your doorbell, someone could trip over.
Be sure to decorate safely this year when creating your bewitching entryway, and don’t forget to have a fun costume ready for answering the door.
Do not disturb mode
Halloween traditions aren’t to everyone’s taste, and if you and your pets aren’t fans of knocks on the door, there are ways to prepare your house for no visitors.
There are plenty of “Sorry, no trick, no treat, no thanks.” posters online which can be printed out and stuck on your front door, or even a handwritten note will do the trick.
Avoid leaving festive decorations outside on Halloween night, as these are usually the indicators that trick-or-treating is welcome.
To make your house appear vacant, keep the car off the driveway by parking nearby or in the garage, turn the lights off for a few hours and close the curtains – this could even be the perfect opportunity to cosy up and watch a spooky movie!
Halloween parties
Autumn is the best time to host a cosy gathering – whether it’s indoors or around the firepit – the dark, atmospheric evenings make the perfect backdrop for entertaining at home.
Prepare for a Halloween party by setting a date and time and opting for a weekend date if necessary to minimise disturbance. Use the season as an opportunity to show off your baking and decorating skills, plan out seasonal party games, and set up a spooky Halloween playlist.
Are you looking for a new home this season or ready to sell yours? Contact Martin & Co today.
