Many homeowners around the Chicago area think the best Christmas present they could receive would be a full-price offer on the home they've been trying to sell. For just that reason, many sellers may be tempted to go to special lengths to attract buyers during the holidays.

But that can be a classic mistake, contends Jim Merrion, regional director of the RE/MAX network in northern Illinois.

"Layering on lots of holiday decorations inside and outside the house is one way to attract attention, but not necessarily the best way," he said. "For holiday decor, restraint is the best approach. It's not that a seller shouldn't decorate for the holidays, but you don't want the seasonal touches to obscure the intrinsic appeal of the home."

The flip side of too much holiday decor, he said, is the impulse among some sellers to take their home off the market during the holidays because buyers are less active.

"It's true that fewer buyers are active during the months of November, December and January than at other times of the year," Merrion acknowledged, "but those buyers who are in the market usually are quite serious about finding a home quickly. Remember, it may take only one showing to generate a sales contract."

So what should sellers do to improve the chances of getting an offer in their Christmas stockings?

1. Select and place your Christmas tree carefully so that it doesn't overwhelm the room.

"A tree that is too big for the room it's in really creates problems by making the whole house look small in comparison," says Paul Wells, broker/owner with RE/MAX of Barrington. "If it's my listing, we spend time talking about the tree. I urge my sellers to make sure their tree fits comfortably in the room. A tree can look relatively small out at the Christmas tree lot, but then look huge when it's in their house."

2. If you have traditional Christmas decorations that you want to display inside your home, think about putting away some of your non-holiday things so that rooms don't look cluttered. In the room where the tree is placed, consider removing some furniture, rather than just rearranging it. You want home-shoppers to get a good look at things like room dimensions, traffic patterns and window views.

3. Use Christmas decorations to draw the attention to the strongest features of your home. If you have a beautiful mantelpiece, use an eye-catching decoration to highlight it, but don't hide it under a layer of garland. Instead, use the garland to frame windows that offer a nice view of the yard or the skyline.

4. You may love to sit in your family room with the tree illuminated and most other lights turned low, but that isn't the best way to show your home. Winter tends to be a dark time of year, so keep plenty of lights on inside the house when buyers are coming, and leave the drapes or blinds open, especially during daylight hours so that the home seems as bright as possible.

5. Sharing a little holiday hospitality with buyers can be a good strategy, especially if you plan to hold an open house during December.

Michele Rossi of RE/MAX Accord in Bloomingdale recommends roasting almonds with a sugar cinnamon coating. "The smell is intoxicating, not to mention that it tastes wonderful, too," she said. "We will wrap the almonds in cheese cloth and tie with a festive ribbon to give out to buyers who stop in. We will also be offering a cup of hot wassail made with a great old recipe."

A final thought for sellers at this time of year, said Merrion, is to avoid making buyers feel like they are intruding. "Even though you are celebrating the holiday season, convey the impression that you are serious about selling your home," he said.

"Keep the front walk clear of ice and snow, and make sure the kitchen and baths look their best for showings," he said. "You probably won't see that many buyers at this time of year, but those you do see are great prospects, so do your best to impress them."

Here are some easy ways to help prevent pipes from freezing from www.ProtectedHome.com:

••Insulate any pipes in your home's crawl space, attic and outside walls. When the temperature drops below 20 degrees, pipes without adequate insulation are very susceptible to freezing.

••Seal any leaks that allow cold air inside where pipes are located. Look for air leaks around electrical wiring, dryer vents and pipes. With severe wind chill, a tiny opening can let in enough cold air to cause a nearby pipe to freeze.

••Do not set your thermostat any lower than 55 degrees. A lower setting may keep the air near the thermostat sufficiently warm, but that allows the air where the water pipes are located to drop below freezing, particularly along outside walls, near windows and under cabinets.

••Disconnect garden hoses and use the indoor valve to shut off and drain water from pipes leading to outside faucets.