Few of us look for a circle around a date in our calendar to see if we've arrived in the holiday season.
It's triggered by images, sounds, and surroundings. It might be the twinkling of lights or the moment your neighbor adds their beautiful homemade wreath to their front door.
Decorations matter; getting your Suwanee HOA in the festive spirit is a great way to unite the community. But it's worth getting things right, so read on for five ways to set some HOA holiday decorating guidelines.
1. Set Timescales
It's possible for decorations to look beautiful but still look wrong if homeowners fail to put them up at the correct time of year.
So, when putting together some guidelines for homeowners, make sure you provide rules on dates for adding and removing the decor.
Ideally, this should start around 30 days before the holiday season begins, and homeowners should remove the decorations no later than 15 days after. That ensures the whole community enjoys a festive atmosphere without anything looking out of place.
2. Provide Holiday Decor Rules on Lighting and Noise
Bright lights and repetitive noises can irritate homeowners and lead to complaints to the HOA board. Festive decorations risk falling into this category of becoming a nuisance.
You can counter this by offering some guidelines to homeowners. For example, you could ask for lights to go off after 10 pm so they don't disrupt people trying to sleep. You could also set noise limits to avoid disturbing neighbors.
3. Set Rules on Common Areas
While you may want to encourage homeowners to decorate their properties with festive items, you don't want residents decorating communal areas.
This can lead to disagreements and become a safety issue, such as if a decoration blocks a pathway.
Be specific in your HOA rules about where homeowners can't place decorations. That list of banned locations should include sidewalks, driveways, communal gardens, and in front of security cameras.
4. Make Sure It's Safe and Not a Fire Hazard
Don't let festive decorations become a hazard in your community. Set rules that ensure your decorations protect your community's safety and fire regulations. Make sure you ask for HOA decoration approval so you can inspect them.
For example, lights must not be a fire hazard, and electrical circuits must be used correctly to prevent overload.
Homeowners should correctly secure overhead decorations to ensure they can't fall on someone. And you should ban any flammable materials.
5. Set Size Limits and Suggest a Theme
Festive decorations can look stunning when they align with a community's aesthetics.
However, that can unravel if homeowners have a blank canvas that allows them to add any size, color, or style. Avoid this by setting size limits on decorations.
It's also worth offering a theme for community holiday decorations. It can be fun to have homeowners compete for the best interpretation of that theme.
Creating Festive Fun With HOA Holiday Decorating
Things always feel more festive when beautiful decorations surround you. Use these guidelines to ensure your HOA holiday decorating makes the most of this fun season.
PMI Reliance has a professional and responsive team that can support your association. Browse our services to learn more about what our housing association experts in Suwanee can offer.
