If you celebrate Christmas, you know there's nothing like putting up a live Christmas tree for the holidays. Your home is filled with wonderful, fresh scents, and your family can't wait to decorate the tree. Our real estate agents know that a live Christmas tree adds beauty to any home, so we have five tips to keep your tree looking fresh throughout the holidays.

1. Purchase Your Tree from a Local Farm
   During the holiday season, you'll find an abundance of Christmas tree lots, as well as trees at nurseries, garden centers, and home improvement stores. These trees were likely shipped from out-of-state locations and may not be very fresh. Chopping your tree down at a local tree farm will ensure freshness, but if you can't, keep these freshness tips in mind:
   
   
   • Choose a tree that's been in a shady location.
   • Look for a healthy, green fresh tree without any brown needles.
   • Run some branches through your hands to make sure the needles are pliable.
   • Shake the branches to make sure the needles don't fall off.
   • Lift the tree several inches, drop the trunk to the ground, then look for falling green needles. A lot may indicate the tree is drying out.
     
     
2. Trim the Trunk Before Taking Your Tree Home
   When purchasing a live Christmas tree, the seller should make a fresh cut straight across the bottom of the tree trunk to get rid of dried resin that keeps the tree from absorbing water. When you get the tree home, if you're not taking it inside right away, place the trunk in a bucket of water in a cool area like an unheated garage or shed protected from freezing temperatures, rain, and wind. Before you bring your tree into the house, cut another inch off the bottom of the trunk to make sure the tree can absorb adequate water to stay fresh.
   
   
3. Put Your Tree Up in a Safe Place
   A live Christmas tree creates a beautiful setting in Berlin and Bretton Woods homes for sale, but it can also create a fire hazard if you don't put it in a safe place. To prevent a fire, you should follow these safety tips:
   
   Buy a sturdy tree stand that will hold at least one gallon of water. Check the tree's water level daily and add water when the level gets low:
   
   
   • Make sure the water always covers the bottom 2-inches of the trunk.
   • Lower the temperature in the room.
   • Add a humidifier to the room.
   • Keep the tree away from heat sources like fireplaces, radiators, and air ducts.
   • Buy tree lights with UL safety ratings.
     
     
4. Take Your Tree Down Before It Dries Out
   To prevent a fire and a messy house, take your Christmas tree down before the branches dry out. Waiting too long can leave you sweeping up dead pine needles or clogging up your vacuum cleaner. Some homeowners leave their trees up through New Year's, but that's only a good idea if your tree is still fresh without falling needles. Dragging a dry tree out of the house can create big cleaning chores.
   
   
5. Dispose of Your Tree
   When you're ready to dispose of your tree, you have several options: You can recycle it through your local sanitation program, turn it into mulch for your garden, or start your own compost pile. Whatever you do, don't attempt to burn your tree outside. Christmas tree needles are extremely flammable, and fire can spread quickly to your house and other nearby structures.

If you're thinking about buying or selling, contact us about available properties and prices in neighborhood communities.