You don’t have a millionaire budget to make your yard shine!
I’ve talked a lot about staging on the blog. I’ve shared suggestions for just about every room in your home from the living room to kitchen, to unfinished basement and beyond. Since summer is quickly approaching, today I thought we could turn our attention to the outside of the home. First impressions are always valuable. Help buyers remember your home when they come to look it over by putting some effort into staging your yard.
Front Yard
Create a Welcoming Entrance
Every buyer is going to enter your home through the front door, so this area because part of staging your yard. After all the pollen has settled (will that ever happen?), give your front porch a good wash to wipe away any dirt and cobwebs. If your front door is looking a little worn, try giving it a fresh coat of paint. To make the entrance inviting try hanging a wreath on the door or setting out a small table with a potted plant and welcome mat.
Fresh Cut
Maintaining the front yard can bring a positive impression to the buyers. Keep the grass trimmed and check out all the trees and bushes in your front yard to see if they also need some attention. Adding fresh mulch to the any flower beds can make them look new. Just a life lesson: Don’t put any bags of mulch on your sidewalk. If they get wet, the water from the mulch bags will stain the sidewalks and it’s not always easy to get off.
If you aren’t into gardening that’s ok! You can add a few pops of color to the landscaping by placing a hanging basket or some pots with some easy to grow annuals like these in your yard. Best of all, you can take the baskets and pots with you to your new home.
Back Yard
Declutter
That seems weird to say, but if you have kids then chances are you have toys in your yard. Pick up the toys and evaluate the condition of any larger items like playhouses or trampoline that you have in the yard. If they are taking up a lot of space or are in poor condition, then you may want to remove them to better showcase the outdoor space when your are staging your yard.
Create living areas outside
Think of your backyard as additional multi-purpose living space. Create a relaxing spot under a tree with a hammock. Put an outdoor dining table and chairs in another area. Worn metal furniture that spend all year outdoors can be make to look like new with a fresh coat of spray paint. Leave a large open space perfect for playing. If you have a patio or deck remember to keep the furniture on it on scale with the space. You still want buyers to be able to move around the area without tripping over furniture when staging your yard.
Check the exterior of the home
Take a look at the outside of your home. If you have siding it may need a wash. You can hire a professional company to wash it, but if there are just a few areas that need to be addressed, a soft bristled broom and some cleaning solution works well.
Update Light Fixtures and House Numbers
You can increase your yards appeal by updating any outdoor lighting. On a budget? We bought a simple metal light fixture to replace the one by our deck and simply spray painted it black to match everything else.
Check the house numbers too. You can spray paint faded ones or grab new ones.
Following these simple tips for staging your hard will help make it more appealing to buyers without breaking the bank. Since summer days are warmer and longer, the chances of buyers spending time investigating this area of your home is greater than in the summer, so putting some extra effort into this area will be beneficial to you.
Get more home staging tips for every room in your home here.
