Okay, so your house is on the market and you’re preparing for a showing, making sure you’ve covered all your bases. Washed the floors? Check. Took down all personal photos? Check. Staged each room? Check. You’re all set to go, and you’ve done everything you can to present the best and most marketable version of your home possible, right? Wrong—you forgot about your outdoor space!
Taking the time to make your backyard as approachable and attractive as possible is just as crucial for securing a buyer as the interior staging process! After all, your home’s outdoor living space is just as much a part of your home as the living room or the kitchen; don’t let it fall to the wayside.
Use these tips and our superior staging solutions to make sure your prospective buyers are fully convinced that your house is their future home. As soon as they step into your expertly arranged backyard, they’ll already be planning their housewarming barbecue!
Clean it up
Start your outdoor staging process the same way you started your interior—with a deep cleaning! Don’t ruin all the hard work you put into shampooing your carpets and Lysoling your countertops with a chaotic backyard. An outdoor mess is just as off-putting as stained bedding would be in the master bedroom.
Remove dirt and dust from your patio, walkways, stairs and any furniture you may have. Be sure to get the cracks in the sidewalk leading up to your porch and the crevices of the window ledge. Hose down the concrete, or if you’re tackling years of grimy buildup, you’ll want to pressure wash those stubborn layers. Knock down cobwebs from your eaves and remove any dead plant growth from your garden beds. Replace your porch light fixtures with updated ones or at minimum, give your current ones a thorough cleaning.
Declutter your outdoor space by packing up any toys, gardening or landscaping tools, and anything else that tends to make its home on the lawn. Don’t just shove everything in the garage either, because your buyers will want to see that too!
Refine the landscaping
Break out the lawnmower, weed wacker, and the hedge trimmers, because landscape presentation is everything when it comes to creating a polished and inviting outdoor space. Weed the garden and yank out the dandelions growing in the walkway cracks. Use a fresh layer of mulch in your beds. You want potential buyers to view all aspects of your home as well-maintained and in tip top shape. Concentrate around your patio, garage, and fences.
Plant bushes and flower beds to liven up your backyard and add some character to the scenery. Spread new mulch over any tired looking area of dirt, adding in some greenery to fill in empty areas.
If you’re not a gardener, don’t worry! Use window boxes, planters, and potted plants on the porch and patio to infuse the space with an inviting, lush feel—even in the winter. Remember to aim for dense and energetic (stick with three colors!), but not overwhelming and crowded.
Furnish your backyard
Highlight the possibilities that a home with outdoor space offers to make your house stand out to prospective buyers. Furnish your patio, deck, porch, or any areas that allow you to naturally incorporate furniture and décor. Put out a bistro table and chairs with a vase of flowers on top, or if space allows, a patio dining table or a conversation set of a love seat and chairs!
Stage your space with neutral pieces—and a few pops of color via accent pillows and décor as well as pots of plants—so that buyers can envision their own style and project it onto your enticing setup. That means you’ll have to ditch the lawn gnomes and garden flags too.
If your backyard is mostly just lawn without a lot of concrete, you can still place a set of chairs with some accent pillows and an ottoman to show it off as a cozy spot to read. Or think about investing in a fire pit with a few chairs to show the potential of the yard for hanging out after dark. Be sure not to pack too much stuff in your outdoor space, as you want to leave enough room to emphasize the size of the yard and the opportunities that go along with it.
Staging your home is a comprehensive process, and it’s important to make sure you don’t miss any of the finer details—like creating a charming and eye-catching backyard space. Make the process ten times easier by hiring a reputable and experienced staging company to ensure every aspect of your home is well taken care of! Contact Red House Staging and Interiors today so we can get started on preparing your home for the market!