When Is The Perfect Time To Start Putting Out Your Halloween Decorations?

It's almost that time of year again, the infamous fall season when summer ends, the weather cools down, and you're getting ready to cozy up and watch Hocus Pocus with a pumpkin spice latte in hand. Perhaps the best part of fall is when the spooky All Hallows' Eve decorations come out to play, and watching "31 nights of Halloween" on Freeform becomes a part of your nightly routine.

Deciding when to start decorating your home for Halloween can be tricky. Retail stores don't help the case since most begin displaying spooky decorations as early as August, according to Yahoo. However, companies only do this to encourage their customers to shop early and purchase more items from the store, thus increasing revenue.

Even though buying decorations in August is the new norm, when to display them around your home is still the million-dollar question. For example, you might want to switch out your harvest decorations for Halloween pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins for a short time and then bring them out again in November. Or, maybe you prefer to start with faux cobwebs, spiders, and inflatable witches to kickstart the fall season in your home. If you're itching to start but don't know when the appropriate time to decorate is, we've got you covered with the best time and a couple of backup options.

The first week of October is the perfect time to start transforming your home, especially if you have harvest decorations in the mix. You can start on the first day of the month and get through your entire interior and exterior, or break up the first few weeks to decorate parts of your home slowly. Either way, it'll be ready just in time for Halloween. And really, breaking out the skeletons, ghosts, and spooky signs is safe anytime in October.

Even though starting to decorate early can be exciting, you'll want to hold off on buying pumpkins. The tricky thing about decorating with real pumpkins is that if you put them out too early, they can get moldy and rot from being left out all day in different kinds of weather. Decorating with faux pumpkins, then switching them out with un-carved pumpkins a week or two before Halloween will prevent this from happening.

Of course, carving pumpkins is the classic Halloween tradition. Christmas Central suggests buying local to get the best looking pumpkins and gourds, and waiting until a couple of days before Halloween to carve them. That way they'll stay fresh and keep their shape instead of falling over from wilting.

Many folks count down the calendar days until they can bring out their Halloween decorations. On the other hand, others go by feel, waiting until the first slight cool breeze arrives to make the excuse to hang a bat or two. Bloggers from Sunnydaze Decor claim that once the weather changes from unbearable heat to chilly, and the leaves start changing color, that's your green light to get started with the spiders and witch cauldrons. Of course, that could be the last couple of weeks of September or the first couple of weeks of October, depending on where you live.

If you decide to bring out the harvest decorations first, when it comes time to decorate for Halloween, you'll be able to merge everything together. Sunnydaze Decor offers tips and tricks to mix your spooky embellishments right in with your harvest celebration. For example, including black and orange accents, such as candles or black vases with a flower bouquet, adds a subtle touch of what's coming at the end of the month. In addition, incorporating colorful string lights such as green, orange, or purple into your front yard, or lining your walkway with pumpkins can enhance the Halloween spirit.

You'll know you're safe to go full gas on the Halloween decorations when your neighbors bring out their own. If they're displaying their flying witches and setting up their graveyard tombstones, that's your best sign that it's time for you to start transforming your yard with giant scary inflatables and strobe lights.

If you're new to the neighborhood, considering how extravagantly decorated your neighbors' homes are can give you an idea of how far to go with your own. If a few folks enjoy having the scariest looking house or minimally decorated house, join in with the rest or stand out. If you're not a fan of haunted houses that could terrify some kids, it's best to speak up. According to The Chicago Tribune, if you notice your neighbor's home is too scary for children, talk to them about it. Agree on decorating in a minimally horrific way, or take your kids to the house during the day, so they can see it's not real.

If you're eager to transform your home into Halloween early, bring a minimal amount of decorations out first. It only takes a few pumpkins or cobwebs to give your home a subtle touch. Then, once October rolls around, you'll be free to dust off the boxes and hang up the rest of your holiday supply.