Guest Poster Kristina Phelan | Lawnstarter
While it is always important to stage your indoor living space before you sell your home, many homeowners forget to do the outdoor areas as well. These outdoor spaces, whether in the front or back of the house, are often the first thing that potential buyers notice. A well-staged outdoor area is often a peek into what the inside of the home is like. Consider these five tips for staging your outdoor living space this year:
1. Arrange a Conversation Area
Many outdoor living spaces have enough space to create some conversation areas. This usually includes outdoor furniture arranged like an indoor family room. Seats can face each other while end tables can help enhance the atmosphere. Potential buyers who enjoy being outdoors can imagine themselves using the space of their home in the future. While new outdoor seating will help stage the outdoor areas of the house, you can still do a lot with a mix of chairs and benches, as well.
2. Get Rid of Clutter
There is a delicate balance between decorating and overdecorating. One of the easiest ways to start staging the outdoor part of your home is to clean up the area. Look at the outdoor sections of your home in a new way and bring along a trash bag with you. Rake out leaves in the corners and get rid of cobwebs that could be hanging around from last year. Remove decorations from last season and consider decorating in a way that could be relevant year-round.
3. Upgrade Outdoor Lighting
Outdated exterior fixtures can quickly diminish the value of your home. One of the easiest ways to instantly give your home an upgrade is to replace outdoor lighting fixtures with more modern pieces. Consider matching the finish of a new light fixture to other colors of your home like the paint and trim color. While fancy lighting may be ideal, a mix of function and overall beauty is essential to use to light the outdoor space well.
4. Power-Wash Hardscapes
A quick way to provide an instant upgrade to the overall look of your home is to power-wash hardscaped areas. This annual chore blasts off dirt and grime off of bricks, stones, and concrete areas of the outdoor living space. Homeowners are often surprised at the amount of build-up that happens over a year or two. Power-washing the area, or hiring a local lawn care company to do it for you, is a great way to stage your outdoor living space.
5. Include Additional Storage
Many outdoor areas benefit from the addition of storage options. Those homeowners with young families would especially benefit from added outdoor storage that will stay with the home. Things such as a ball and toy storage areas help not only corral items but also entice other young families to consider purchasing your home. Added hooks can hold other items, such as regularly used tools and garden equipment. Hanging garden hoses on an exterior wall of the house also helps create a tidy overall look.
Some homeowners may already have a well-staged outdoor area, while others need some extra help. No matter what the state of your outdoor living space is right now, there are many ways that you can rearrange the space for optimal showings — and a quick sale.
