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Wednesday, 25 November 2020

North Pole, eat your heart out! Inside $2.2 million New Jersey mansion packed with Christmas decorations - including 81 wreaths, 20 nutcrackers, 38 Santa figurines, and 30 trees

 The North Pole may technically be way up in the Arctic Ocean, but New Jersey might just be home to the next closest thing.

In Colts Neck, New Jersey, about an hour drive south of New York City, sits a 5,420-square-foot home that looks like a regular mansion from the outside — but inside, it's a Christmas-obsessed wonderland, packed to the limit with Santa decor, wreaths, nutcrackers, angels, and nativity scenes.

Located at 1 Rivers Edge Drive, the home is currently for sale for $2.2 million and has, unsurprisingly, been earning quite a lot of traffic on Zillow.

North Pole, NJ! A New Jersey home is earning quite a bit of attention on Zillow thanks to its over-the-top Christmas decor ¿ which is set up year-round

North Pole, NJ! A New Jersey home is earning quite a bit of attention on Zillow thanks to its over-the-top Christmas decor — which is set up year-round

Home sweet home! Brother-sister owners Janet and Christopher Munger are selling the 5,420-square-foot home at 1 Rivers Edge Drive in Colts Neck, New Jersey

Home sweet home! Brother-sister owners Janet and Christopher Munger are selling the 5,420-square-foot home at 1 Rivers Edge Drive in Colts Neck, New Jersey

Sure does! They wanted their home to 'embody joy, happiness, and warmth' and promote the 'goodwill toward man and love' of Christmastime year-round

Sure does! They wanted their home to 'embody joy, happiness, and warmth' and promote the 'goodwill toward man and love' of Christmastime year-round

Jingle bells everywhere! All in all, the house has 81 wreaths, 60 swags, 30 trees, 20 nutcrackers, 38 Santa figurines, 14 nativity scenes, 115 religious statues, and a whopping 238 angels

Jingle bells everywhere! All in all, the house has 81 wreaths, 60 swags, 30 trees, 20 nutcrackers, 38 Santa figurines, 14 nativity scenes, 115 religious statues, and a whopping 238 angels

Took some time! They've collected pieces for years ¿ and when they would visit the San Francisco Music Box Factory store, they'd 'buy them out'

Took some time! They've collected pieces for years — and when they would visit the San Francisco Music Box Factory store, they'd 'buy them out'

Big place: The 5,420-square-foot home has four bedrooms, five baths, a gym, and a heated pool

Big place: The 5,420-square-foot home has four bedrooms, five baths, a gym, and a heated pool

The house has four bedrooms, five baths, a gym, and a heated pool — but it's not exactly the home's features that are drawing in fans.

Brother-sister owners Janet Munger, a retired school superintendent, and Christopher Munger, a manager at General Motors, have filled the home with Christmas decorations, which can be seen in images of the home listing. 

The entryway alone looks like the entrance to a Christmas theme store, stuffed with life-sized Nutcrackers and nativity statues.

It's green as far as the eye can see, with Christmas wreaths and trees decked with ornaments — and two giant stockings hang from the staircase.

Other rooms are equally overflowing, with much of the furniture obscured by the Christmas decorations packed inside.

The dining room is festive and floral, like a Christmas jungle, and even rooms where the Christmas spirit is absent are decorated to the nines with flashy decor.


Festive! The entryway alone looks like the entrance to a Christmas theme store, stuffed with life-sized Nutcrackers and nativity statues

Festive! The entryway alone looks like the entrance to a Christmas theme store, stuffed with life-sized Nutcrackers and nativity statues

All year! The decorations spill over into several rooms of the house and stay up no matter the season

All year! The decorations spill over into several rooms of the house and stay up no matter the season

Janet said: 'Holidays were special events at our home for all team members and their families. Santa's wonderland was established in each room throughout our house for all families, including their children and grandchildren'

Janet said: 'Holidays were special events at our home for all team members and their families. Santa's wonderland was established in each room throughout our house for all families, including their children and grandchildren'

The dining room is festive and floral, like a Christmas jungle, and even rooms where the Christmas spirit is absent are decorated to the nines with flashy decor

The dining room is festive and floral, like a Christmas jungle, and even rooms where the Christmas spirit is absent are decorated to the nines with flashy decor

Christmas kitchen: Even the kitchen is done up with leaves and plenty of greenery

Christmas kitchen: Even the kitchen is done up with leaves and plenty of greenery

'The house isn't real life: it looks like an FAO Schwarz, it's a fantasy world,' Chris said. 'It doesn't look like a home, but it is a home. It just becomes part of you.'

'The house isn't real life: it looks like an FAO Schwarz, it's a fantasy world,' Chris said. 'It doesn't look like a home, but it is a home. It just becomes part of you.'

All in all, the house has 81 wreaths, 60 swags, 30 trees, 20 nutcrackers, 38 Santa figurines, 14 nativity scenes, 115 religious statues, and a whopping 238 angels. 

'Chris and I have always wanted our home and both of our work environments to embody joy, happiness, and warmth,' Janet told Digg

To that end, they've collected pieces for years — and when they would visit the San Francisco Music Box Factory store, they'd 'buy them out.'

'Holidays were special events at our home for all team members and their families. Santa's wonderland was established in each room throughout our house for all families, including their children and grandchildren. These were memorable times for everyone,' she went on.

'There's just so much kindness, love and generosity and warmth,' she told Patch. 'It's people caring for each other and loving each other, and that's what I always try to bring about and promote with all the children I taught.  

'Wanting that love to be shared — just like now at Christmastime, we speak of goodwill toward man and love. That's the way I always wanted it to be, that it could be, that people could show their better side. I try to make our home as well as the school, a model of that. A beauty that everyone can enjoy, everyday.'

On the market: The home is currently listed for $2.2 million as the brother and sister try to sell to move to Florida to live closer to their brother

On the market: The home is currently listed for $2.2 million as the brother and sister try to sell to move to Florida to live closer to their brother

Must be nice! The heated pool in the backyard is lacking a Santa theme, but it's still a fantasy

Must be nice! The heated pool in the backyard is lacking a Santa theme, but it's still a fantasy

'My sister has a unique passion,' Christopher said

'My sister has a unique passion,' Christopher said

'At the end of the day, we had wonderful memories, but the house can't hug you,' Chris said. 'The house can't love you. The house is what you make of it. Home is what you make of it'

'At the end of the day, we had wonderful memories, but the house can't hug you,' Chris said. 'The house can't love you. The house is what you make of it. Home is what you make of it'

Work out: Amenities include a heated pool, a sauna, and an incredibly spacious gym

Work out: Amenities include a heated pool, a sauna, and an incredibly spacious gym

'My sister has a unique passion,' Christopher added. 

'The house isn't real life: it looks like an FAO Schwarz, it's a fantasy world,' he said. 'It doesn't look like a home, but it is a home. It just becomes part of you.'

Before the house was leaving social media users amazed, it was just guests who would have their jaws on the floor. 

'I never had children, and my brother Chris and his significant other Suzie never had children. So all the children that I taught became my children,' Janet said. 'The staff members, the teachers, all became family. These are always the treasured moments that will always remain with me.'

'They'll come in and it would be Christmas every day,' she said. 

Now, they're hoping to sell the New Jersey home to move to Florida to join their other brother.

'At the end of the day, we had wonderful memories, but the house can't hug you,' Chris said. 'The house can't love you. The house is what you make of it. Home is what you make of it. Hopefully, we have that inspiration and feeling in any house we live in.'

They plan to take some of the Christmas items with them and will donate the others.  

Cozy: Even the rooms without Christmas decor have a lot of red and green

Cozy: Even the rooms without Christmas decor have a lot of red and green

An adventure of a house! The bathrooms, like this one, are certainly unique

An adventure of a house! The bathrooms, like this one, are certainly unique

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