Ordered a fake Christmas tree - Mistake?

[CappuccinoChocolate]

On Jan 2nd I pre-ordered a lovely looking, but a bit expensive, artificial Christmas Tree with lights. I've just been browsing the Christmas pages on the Country Living website and now feel regret.

My thinking when I ordered was although the husband and Dd like a real tree, all the details and decorating is left to me. Plus I thought pre-lit would be a great idea.

I failed to take into account the fact that I adore a Nordman Fir.🙄It's due to be delivered end of August and I think I'm going to have massive regret.

Has anyone transitioned back to an artificial tree after literal years of buying fresh ?

Did you regret it? Did it make life easier?

I suppose it pushed me into getting my new build loft boarded for extra storage at least.

Any thoughts on artificial trees and making them look fab?

CappuccinoChocolate

If you regret, can you cancel your order? Or if just recently arrived, can it go back?
If not, I am sure someone will be along with some excellent ideas

After years of real trees, I opted for an artificial one with built in lights, and have never regretted it! So much easier and looks great xx

I went back to artificial after a few years of fresh. I enjoyed choosing a real tree and the scent in the house, but I found the rest a real faff.
Artificial is much easier, however I'm not keen on generic cheap artificial trees. The one I have now is good quality and looks very real.
Could you cancel the order and try a cheaper artificial one to see how you get on? Then invest in better if you get in with it.

Well you could always have two? One in a bedroom? Hallway?

Yes that's true @MeAgainAndAgain I could have a small potted in the Kitchen diner. We are in a standard three bed semi though.

Thanks @Clawdy and @yarnwitch. This is the tree and I got it even cheaper as pre-ordered. It's not Balsalm hill level expensive so perhaps this is a good chance to try before a Balsalm hill purchase. Reviews are good at least.
https://www.christmastreeworld.co.uk/the-6ft-pre-lit-ultra-mountain-pine

We keep our old artificial tree in the box and a few times put it up when it very busy Christmas period with lots of illnesses etc etc. No one noticed the difference and our Christmases were still very festive with less hassle about watering and finding needles everywhere. So I’m in the camp : either is good. It’s much simpler and cheaper to use artificial tree tbh, and they do look nice.
If you can’t cancel, just put it up in years when you are busy and in a hurry and buy a real one from time to time when you are fancy a change.
Also you could buy a small real tree in a box for the garden, keep it there and decorate for Christmas. Its my secret dream but our garden is very damp around Christmas time so we don’t use it anyway. We don’t have patio or anything like this either.

@CappuccinoChocolate it’s beautiful!

I did fresh for years until we got a dud that was so dry I was afraid the house was going to burn down. We took it down almost immediately after opening presents.

we have done artificial ever sense. I don’t love them, but I do like that cleanup is easy and I can put the tree up early in december

Got an artificial treee last year with inbuilt lights. The lights are an absolute game changer.

I also liked telling people I put up my Christmas tree in September ( to make sure it all worked) . 😁😁😁 I like Christmas but not that much

Ooh that’s a nice tree. Keep it.

Yes, I shall have to test it out as soon as it arrives! So I'll be putting it up in August /September lol.

Thanks all. I'm remembering all the pine needles and the clean up. I'll have to find some of those scented tree hangers to replicate the pine tree smell.

Our house is too warm for a real tree and we have two fabulous artificial ones which are great.

It looks lovely! Those are the kind I like with the proper pine needles rather than just green tinsel style branches. I think it will look very realistic, and if you're happy with the size and the lights then I can't see any advantage of a real one over this.

Thanks all. I'm remembering all the pine needles and the clean up. I'll have to find some of those scented tree hangers to replicate the pine tree smell.

Don't do what I did!
The famous year when I had to wash the Christmas tree...
It was a natural tree, but didn't have much smell. I bought a bottle of The White Company Fir Tree fragranced oil. I used about one third of a bottle across the branches.
The effect sort of sneaked up, and it was like an explosion in a disinfectant factory. We could not stay in the same room as it. I had to get a cloth and wash the branches.

We're having a fake tree this year, because last year's beautiful real one ended up causing a £6,000 vet bill for two major surgeries, a CT scan, ultrasound, and goodness knows how many rounds of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories, and five months of trauma when our dog managed to get a needle embedded in her flank.

Yes ...thanks... that is exactly the kind of thing I would do!

We've got a fake tree, I like it - I feel sorry for real trees cut down and brought inside to dry out.

We've had it over 20 years and it still looks fine - it's 'the tree', part of the family tradition.
I wouldn't mind a real one outside.

Real one for me. It’s in a pot out in the garden but only small, about 5ft and has had a good prune to shape it ready for Xmas. I’ll keep bringing it in until it gets too big to move and then may think about a pre lit plastic one.

Well if it's a BalsamHill one you will probably still be waiting for it in December - for them to cancel your order 10 days before Christmas. Or was that just us ?

I love a real tree but I also love being able to put the tree up early, not having to go shopping for one every year, not having to mess about with the lights, and not having to dispose of it after Christmas

Last year we bought two mini trees in pots which I put either side of the fireplace. Put them outside in January and watered them and they are still thriving - so that's us sorted for another year.

I will have a bit of a dilemma this year actually. Normally we put our decs up around the 15th December and bring them down 6th January . This year we will be going away on 27th December - which we've done before but always returning around 4th Jan - but this year we won't be back until til much later in January . Doesn't feel right to be taking them down on Boxing Day - although I'm aware that some people do.

Oh gosh that doesn't sound like a merry Christmas at all.

Hope you're dog has made a full recovery and is ok now

Personally could not imagine anything worse. I love the whole ceremony of going to a tree farm to choose a tree, chop down and put it up at home. Love the smell, don’t mind the needles. It’s the magic of having a real tree inside that makes Christmas to me. Don’t care about the presents, just the tree and the food.

My adult child s (weirdly) allergic to deal Xmas trees, so we have a very good, and expensive fake.

My child, who is producer of the look of the tree (though I am the director. I'm the one who sits and says things like "there's a bald bit here") says the trick is in the "fluffing" of each branch before you start decorating.

I have that tree in the 8ft unlit. It's gorgeous. A really nice shape too. Unlike the Balsam Hill ones which all look too triangular to me.
I think you'll be pleased with it. 🎄