PROPERTYSPARK ARTICLE

4 Ways Having An Outdoor Living Area Attracts Home Buyers

With inflation continuously on the rise, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to find a home buyer in today’s market. The rising cost of staple goods is making people super conscious of big buys like house purchases. This means home sellers should now go the extra mile in impressing any leads they get their hands on.

But how exactly? Well, having a well-maintained outdoor area is one way. That’s because it’s usually the external appearance of your house that meets the buyer’s eye and sets the first impression. So in this post, we’ll discuss 4 ways an outdoor living area attracts home buyers. 

Let’s get started!

4 Ways An Outdoor Living Area Attracts Home Buyers 

Most home buyers are looking for a visually pleasing house. Since the outdoors sets the first impression, it’s best to begin understanding your buyer from this aspect and attract them with the same.

Below, we’ve listed four things that a home buyer seeks in an outdoor living area. If your property satisfies these needs and expectations, it’s likely to appeal to a good amount of quality leads (i.e., people who are ready to seal the deal). We’ve also included some tips on how to improve your outdoor living area to meet these requirements.

1. Boosts Curb Appeal

An outdoor living area can significantly boost your property’s curb appeal. Curb appeal basically refers to the overall exterior of your house and includes:

• The architectural style of your property
• Color & quality of wall paint
• Front door
• Landscaping (lawn, trees, and plants)
• Lighting 
• Other additional features like a porch, pool, fire pit, or Trueline’s patios and pergolas

As a rule of thumb, you want to have a super welcoming curb appeal. And that doesn’t necessarily mean fancy, luxurious, or freshly done. 

You can enhance the curb appeal of your house simply by conducting a deep-cleaning session. Make your house appear neat and clean by scrubbing the front door and windows, power washing the siding and walkways, and clearing the algae around water sources. You can watch this video on professional deep cleaning of home exterior to get an idea of the areas to cover when cleaning.

Apart from cleaning, you can enhance the curb appeal of your house by adding some solar or LED outdoor lights. They’re inexpensive but make your house appear attractive.

While you can also add furniture, you can also use retaining walls which can make your outdoor area look unique. You will however need to get the right equipment for your retaining walls, such as retaining wall steel posts. Retaining walls hold back soil so you can make more room for your living space (or customize how exactly you want your outdoor area to be).

2. Increases Living Space

An outdoor living area increases living space, which makes having it one of the most effective ways to attract home buyers. That’s because everyone likes more space, whether it’s indoor or outdoor. 

At the same time, you don’t want to crowd your outdoor living area because it can drive away buyers. So, think about the currently available space and see if there’s anything you can discard or declutter. You might also want to add movable tables and chairs to your outdoor living area, as they provide a seating area and structure. 

If your budget permits, it’s also a good idea to add a fountain or a patio if you don’t already have one! 

And in case your outdoor area is limited, you can consider an elevated desk. The elevated section of the deck can be used for seating purposes, while the area below can serve as a playing area for children — both excellent selling points you can talk about with potential buyers. 

3. Provides Space For Hosting Guests 

When speaking of outdoor space, is there a difference between your own living space and guest space? Not necessarily. But there’s still a point you need to think through: do you reside in a luxury neighborhood?

If so, potential home buyers will be seeking separate outdoor spaces for their family and their guests. Or they might want to have fancy features like a four-season outdoor living room. 

You can read this guide on how to maximize luxurious outdoor living space if you want to sell your outdoor living area as a great space for hosting guests. 

4. Improves Quality Of Life 

Home buyers will readily buy a house that ups their quality of life. And one way to meet this expectation is to have a green outdoor living area.  

Research suggests 62% of people claim that a lush garden makes a property more appealing. And about 57% of people are willing to pay more for a green garden. 

Why? Because they get to breathe in the fresh air and feel more positive. Plants also tend to reduce stress levels, improve the sense of well-being, and support cognitive health.

Hence, we recommend working on enriching your outdoor living area with visually appealing plants and trees. Some of the easiest to maintain plants are Sweetbay Magnolia, Inkberry Holly, Virginia Sweetspire, and Hydrangeas.

End Note 

By now, we hope you have a detailed understanding of how having an outdoor living space attracts home buyers and what you can do to optimize it. However, we recommend taking the opinion of an experienced realtor before making any investments in your outdoor living area to ensure you get the best returns. Good luck!