PROPERTYSPARK ARTICLE

Home Staging Secrets: How to Stage a Home’s Outdoor Space for a Quick Sale

Declutter the Exterior

The home’s exterior is the first area a buyer will look at, so first impressions are vital. If an exterior is carelessly cluttered, it shows no effort was put into making a home presentable for purchase. Unwound hoses lying in the grass, newspapers in the driveway, and trash near the front door are all common examples of exterior clutter, and they have no place in a home staging. Trash bags shouldn’t be lying out; place them in their appropriate bins or out of the way. Remove any trash, litter, or excess mail on the ground. Dead leaves, flowers, or branches should be removed and tossed out. Any animal waste on the lawn should be cleaned up, even for pet-friendly buyers.

Trim Overgrown Plants

If exterior doors or the home’s perimeter are hard to access due to overgrowth, it can turn off potential buyers. It can also make it difficult for inspectors, utility technicians, insurance agents, or buyers to inspect the entire property. Overgrowth can damage a home’s exterior and invite unwanted pests around or near the property, deterring some buyers. Make hedges, trees, and flowers cleanly cut and neat around pathways, porches, and home perimeters. You don’t have to remove your plants or gardens; you can just make them neat enough to access the entire home and its features.

Replenish Ground Cover

Ground cover, such as mulch or gravel, can fade and break down with age. A simple, fresh mulch or gravel coating can make a huge difference in a home’s appearance, making the exterior landscaping look brand new. You can find cheap, close options matching the home’s existing pathways with quick trips to local home improvement stores. If you’re asking, ‘But how do I specifically find 2B stone near me in time?’ Don’t worry! Many local (or online) stores have gravel and mulch to match even the scarcest materials.

Touch Up Paint

The entryway door sees a lot of use over the years of a home’s occupancy, and it’s only natural for dirt, sunlight, and traffic to fade, scratch, or chip the door’s paint. To attract buyers, consider touching up the door’s paint or painting it a fresh, new color. If your home’s exterior or siding colors have seen better days, consider giving those features a touch-up as well. A fresh coat of paint can make even the oldest homes shine and showcase potential.

Organize the Garage

If your home has a garage, it’s likely cluttered. Organize items into bins or shelves to make the garage appear larger. Buyers will want to see the garage’s floor space, and clutter can make that difficult. Consider removing any spiderwebs or bug carcasses, as garages love to host those. Make sure lights and garage door openers work if applicable. Putting effort into the garage space of all places can show that you mean business.

Remove Pests

Bugs, animals, and pests are a natural part of a home’s exterior. You don’t have to exterminate every creature you see, but it’s time to get rid of that wasp’s nest near your porch light or the spider family hanging from your mailbox. You want every part of your home’s exterior to be safe and accessible—you don’t want to send interested buyers running for the hills with bees on their tails. You don’t have to kill anything if you can safely relocate critters to the outskirts of your property, but be careful with venomous, biting, or stinging creatures.

Add or Organize Furniture

Organize the furniture to showcase potential. Have chairs and couches face a fire pit for an entertainment space, or arrange lounge chairs around the pool. Give them a quick clean with a hose to remove any superficial stains. If your exterior space doesn’t have furniture, consider adding a simple chair to a porch or a table to a patio to bring life to your outdoor space. Outdoor rugs, wind chimes, and throw pillows can accentuate any part of the home’s exterior nicely.

Include Tasteful Decor

If you have tacky, offensive, or political signs in your yard, consider putting them away to create a neutral ground. Tasteful decor, such as windchimes, fountains, or garden gnomes, can make a home appear more inviting instead of political affiliations, cuss words, or vulgar statues. Subtle and neutral is critical in most home staging cases.

Clean Exterior Features

The longer a home is lived in, the more the exterior can fade and grow stains. Wear and tear is normal, but you can clean your home’s siding, driveway, porch, and exterior furniture with a hose or a power washer session. Quick sprays of water or cleaners can bring older features back to life and emphasize curb appeal. You don’t have to scrub every inch with a toothbrush—just make the place shine again!

Remove Broken Equipment

If your yard has a decades-old, faded, broken playground or a falling-apart lawnmower, consider finally taking them to the trash curb. Broken items are useless to you and only clutter up a space. Cleaning up broken items also shows that you’re dedicated and care for the home. You’d be surprised how much space you have when removing unwanted or broken items, even in your yard.