Simple Tips for Outdoor Home Staging
If you are considering putting your home on the market for sale you will read lots of advice (including right here) about staging the inside of your home to better attract and entice buyers. But just as important is staging the outdoor living space attached to your property as well, however big or small it might be.
Although outdoor staging is harder to achieve in the winter months (and no one would actually expect it) if your home is open to potential buyers in the spring, summer or autumn then it is just as important as indoor staging.
There has been a trend over the last decade to spending more and more time at home, but outdoors, and it is crucial that potential buyers can see the potential that your home offers in this respect. Not sure where to start? Here are some top tips for outdoor home staging:
Deal with Stained Concrete and Driveways
You may not notice the staining that has built up over the years on your driveway or concrete pathways but you can bet potential buyers will spot it right away. The easiest, and most efficient, way to deal with larger staining is to invest in professional powerwash. However if you only have one or two spots to deal with (where a car once leaked oil for example) you can go the DIY route.
All you will really need in this case is a bucket of warm water with a dish detergent added, a brush and a little elbow grease. Most household detergents are very good at breaking up oil and you won’t be adding any harmful chemicals to the environment.
Get Steps and Siding in Shape
Again a good power wash is the best course of action to deal with grimy siding, steps and stairs. But do be careful. If the pressure is too high you could crack siding and it’s possible that steps could be damaged and maybe even have their functional safety impacted as well. Leave this job to the pros, they know how just how much pressure is enough.
Create a Warmer Welcome
The entrance to your home is one of the very first chances you will have to make a great impression on potential buyers and so however much space you do or don’t have, make the most of it. Invest in a new front door, or at least make sure that the one you have is properly painted and finished and ensure that your house number is clearly visible. Add a welcome mat, a potted plant, a small chair, in fact, anything that makes the entrance seem more inviting and attractive is a great idea.
Set up a Scenario
If you have a deck or patio think of it as an extra room to showcase and stage it accordingly. That means adequate seating and lighting (even if you won’t actually need it when the home is being shown) and you can even consider setting a ‘scenario’ by placing coffee cups or wine glasses on a table to suggest that this would be a great place to dine, entertain and relax, great images to place in a potential buyer’s mind.