Whether it’s your first or your 50th Halloween in your home, it’s always an exciting time to get your home and family ready for the holiday!

With decking out the front yard, finding the perfect costume and collecting the best candy on many people’s October agendas, it’s time to start thinking of your Halloween game plan.

We’ve got some tips to help make this a Halloween to remember with decoration ideas, costume options and more. Let’s dive in!

Decorating your home

First things first, you’ll want to set a game plan for decorating the inside and/or outside of your home for Halloween. Let’s check out some ideas for both areas:

Deck out your landscaping

If you already have some landscaping in your front yard, use it to your advantage! Try using your bushes to show off some spiders and spider webs. Line your front walkway with some spooky lights to set the mood. Or you can even use your front yard as the backdrop to a spooky pirate scene for people to look out for on their drive-by!

Paint your pumpkins

Not sure about carving your pumpkins this year? Try painting them instead! You and your family can still show off your personal style but in a new way! This could help you avoid the mess of carving your pumpkins and even be a more kid-friendly option so they can be involved, too. All you need are some paint and brushes, and you’re all set!

Utilize your garage

If you have a garage and like spooky things, you might want to consider turning yours into a haunted house. You can make it as scary (or tame) as you’d like, and it’s usually a big crowd-pleaser for the neighborhood. Plus, you can have your family and friends help out with operating your haunted house so it’s ready to go for Halloween!

Get creative with your windows

Ever heard the saying: “Windows are the eyes of your house?” Well, whoever coined that phrase may not have meant it literally, but you certainly can take it that way on Halloween! Making your windows look like eyes could be the perfect touch to make your home look spooky. You can even make them at home by grabbing some poster board and markers!

DIY projects

To bring some spookiness to the inside of your home, try to get crafty or use some things around the house to spook-ify the inside! Colored paper can really be your new best friend when it comes to decorating. Try cutting out some bats to stick on your walls, make some fun Halloween paper garland or even some paper lanterns. This can be a simple and easy way for the whole family to take part in decorating your home!

Deciding on a costume

Whether you get invited to a last-minute Halloween party or you just don’t know what to dress up as, it’s nice to have some easy ideas on hand. Let’s look at some options with stuff you probably have lying around your home already!

• Ghost: Have some old sheets lying around? They can help make the perfect ghost costume! Plus, you can go the traditional route with a plain white sheet, or you can be a groovy ghost in a patterned sheet. Just make sure you cut out some holes for your eyes!
• Rosie the Riveter: We’ve probably all heard of her or at least seen her picture, but this can be a simple and easy costume idea. Just grab your denim or blue top, some jeans and, of course, a red bandana!
• Scarecrow: This is always an easy and recognizable costume. Find yourself some overalls, a plaid shirt and a straw hat to get you started! You can even top it off with braids and some freckles drawn on your face.
• Smarty-pants: This punny costume is sure to get some laughs at the Halloween party! All you need are a pair of pants and some Smarties candy. Simply glue the Smarties on your pants (we recommend using glue dots or something that won’t damage your pants), and you’re good to go! If you want to add a little more, you can carry around a book and put on some glasses!
• Disney Princess: If you’re a Disney fan, try finding some clothing in your closet that resembles the classic Disney princess outfits. This could be a purple top and green bottoms for Ariel, a blue dress and an apron for Belle or a purple dress and a frying pan for Rapunzel!
• Minnie or Mickey Mouse: Speaking of Disney, Minnie or Mickey Mouse is another great and easy option! A black shirt, red skirt or pants, yellow shoes and, of course, some mouse ears can be the perfect look! Plus, it can make for a great couple's costume if you dress up as Mickey and Minnie together!
• M&Ms: Looking for a costume the whole family can take part in? With lots of different colors, M&Ms can make for a great option. Just find some plain colored T-shirts and put an “M” on each! Also, make sure you get a group picture all together for the scrapbook!
• Bubble tea boba: If this is one of your favorite drinks, why not dress up as it for Halloween? Try using a white or tan dress and attaching some pom poms at the bottom to resemble the boba (pro tip: you can use safety pens for easy removal). Then, grab a paper towel or toilet paper roll to use as the straw. This can be bobby-pinned to your hair or attached to a headband!

Candy game plan

One important decision you’ll want to make before you get to Halloween night is your candy game plan. Are you planning to stay at home and hand out candy to trick-or-treaters? Or are you going trick-or-treating yourself? Either way, let’s discuss a few tips!

Handing out candy

Make sure you’re adequately stocked up for the trick or treats with a variety of candy. The amount you need probably depends on how big your neighborhood is or how many trick-or-treaters will come by your house. If this is your first Halloween in your home, you might want to ask your neighbors how many people they usually get on Halloween. (Also, make sure to get some candy you enjoy, too, because if you have leftover candy, you’re more likely to eat it!)

You’ll also want to figure out how you want to hand out the candy. Are you going to have it inside the door so you can watch TV or read a book while you wait for trick-or-treaters? If so, you might want to double-check that your doorbell is visible and functional.

Or do you want to sit on your porch or driveway to hand out the candy? If so, make sure you plan ahead for seating. Simply pulling out some lawn chairs can help make this a little more comfortable so you don’t have to be standing all night. Plus, having some spooky music playing can help keep the Halloween fun going all night long!

Going trick-or-treating

If you’re planning to go trick-or-treating yourself, it’s best to map out your route before you go. If your neighborhood has streets that are known for giving out full-size candy bars, for example, you might want to hit that street first before they run out. Plus, if you have little kids, knowing your route ahead of time can help you avoid walking too far from your home or car.

Also make sure you choose the right “treat pail” to hold your candy in. If you aren’t planning on collecting too much candy, the general treat pails or pillowcases will do the trick. But if you think you’ll be collecting a lot of candy, something like a reusable grocery bag or something with handles might make it easier to carry (remember, candy can get heavy).

Ready for a spooktacular Halloween?

No matter your Halloween traditions, this is a time for you and your family to make some fun new memories in your home. So whether you're aiming to make your home the scariest on the block or make counting your candy a tradition at the end of a long night of trick-or-treating, we hope you have an amazing Halloween in your home!

Have any questions or thinking of buying a new home? Reach out to a Movement loan officer near you to discuss your options!