Too scary? Here’s a guide to not get overly creepy with your Halloween decorations

It's officially the start of September — which means it's more socially acceptable to start breaking out the Halloween decorations and getting more into the fall spirit.

Residents have already started getting a glimpse in various stores of what will soon be saturating their neighborhoods, from prized pumpkins and goofy ghost inflatables to 12-foot-tall skeletons to guard your dwellings.

However, some have noticed an uptick in extra scary houses appearing on their streets. Decorations, such as bloody organs littered across lawns, realistic corpses hanging from trees or mannequins of monsters positioned at the front of the door, have caused concerns from parents of young trick-or-treaters and officials who patrol on All Hallows Eve.

Is there such a thing as too scary Halloween decoration? For those not want to cross a line, here's a guide on what to consider when choosing your ghostly adornment and hanging it about.

Also want less-spooky Halloween films? Get un-spooked: Halloween movies that won't give you nightmares, Where to watch them

Plan ahead with your decorations and theming

Before making the trip out to Halloween Headquarters or scouring the internet for decorations, game plan ahead of time what items you think would be best outside your home. It's easy to impulse buy the gallons of fake blood, life-size rats and the pop-up clowns in the moment but taking a moment to know what vibe you're going for might make it easier.

Homeowners can also consult their neighborhood HOA to see if there's any specific rules on decorations or how much of your lawn you can decorate.

Planning ahead also will help those decide the level of horror that is the best fit for the neighborhood. Are the fog machine and giant spiders enough or can your town's trick-or-treaters handle extra spooky surprises?

Ask yourself: How gory is 'too gory?'

In a survey of 1,250 Halloween decorators in the United States, Angi's List found that roughly 73% of respondents were okay with gory decorations, even if they chose a more family-friendly route for their own decorations. Florida also joined 21 states in opting for the more scary haunted house vibes.

Yet, can residents go a little too far with the blood and guts?

It's typical to have skeletons and some ghouls with eerie looking faces throughout the yard but hyper-realistic rotting flesh and scenes depicting crime scenes can make many uncomfortable. The goal should be for those to be scared, but safe when visiting your home for seasonal treats.

Be careful with how others might interpret your Halloween decorations

Certain decorations might be light-hearted or funny as you're coming up with the idea but might not end up being perceived well by others in hindsight.

A 'Peeping Tom' decoration was recalled and pulled of Home Depot shelves in Canada due to seemingly "promoting violence towards women." Decorations that feature political signage or racially charged messages end up shared all across the internet.

NPR also pointed out the complicated history of hanging dead bodies from trees, nothing that after the Reconstruction era in the late 1880s that hangings started to become a frequent tool of violence used against black communities in the South. While others might see just a scary skeleton hanging from a tree, the impact of lynching imagery can be startling to others.

Overall, experts advise to choose Halloween decorations that won't start any arguments or will not be viewed in an offensive way.

"People with creepy lawn decorations love that shock value; they're trying to get a rise out of people," Lindsey Perper Davanzo, LCSW, a therapist specializing in parenting and families and author of The Feelings Friends, told Country Living. "And that's their right. But if a decoration is going to cause chaos among your neighbors, it's best to avoid it."

Avoid having authorities called over your Halloween decorations

Last year, a hooded body hanging from a noose in a tree terrified residents inside a Marietta, Georgia, neighborhood. Over 1,000 miles north in Tennessee, neighbors called 911 about a man's bloodied body trapped beneath a garage door.

Except both of these turned out to be decorations that were a little too realistic.

See why these decorations got in trouble Dead 'bodies' and fake fire: These Halloween decorations were so terrifying, people called 911

Be careful letting your creativity run a little too free and making decoration that might trick your neighbors into thinking you got into some trouble.

Leave the scare actors at Halloween Horror Nights, don't scare trick-or-treaters

We've all seen the pranks videos of adults in costume sitting super still while holding a bowl of candy. Waiting for an unsuspecting group of kids to walk up before jumping up to scare them.

Maybe hold off on becoming the actual decoration and potentially traumatizing some kids for internet clicks or a quick laugh. Leave that for the professionals at the theme parks.

Be cautious of your Halloween decorations causing a distraction

It's easy to get into an accidental fender-bender when you're staring at a decomposing witch on someone's lawn.

This doesn't just go for the extremely decorated haunted houses — everyone should be careful to not distract trick-or-treaters and motorists on Halloween. While some do take pride in hosting their own holiday event, keep track of how many people stop to stare at your decorations and avoid it getting too big.

Halloween tips for those who don't like scary decorations

Can you stop someone from putting up a display you find offensive?

No, you cannot. Police don't have the authority to enforce removal of decorations even if they're found offensive.

If you own a home or a condominium that is part of an HOA, residents have officially and legally agreed to follow the rules established by the HOA board. Consult your HOA if there are decorations that are offensive.

How can you prepare yourself and your kids in case you see disturbing decorations?

Since really spooky costumes and decorations can be overstimulating for some kids, experts recommend parents to start preparing for Halloween early to reduce anxiety.

Before Halloween, parents can try spending time showing kids the decorations and images they might see while out trick-or-treating. A great way to do this is to visit the Halloween aisle to look at masks, costumes and decorations in small doses and in a safe environment.

Other tips include planning out your trick-or-treat route ahead of time and talking them through their fears of what they might see.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Halloween decorating guide: How to avoid being "too scary" for holiday