Perfect exterior home staging is just as important as creating the perfect atmosphere inside of your home. Curbside appeal is one of the most crucial criteria to consider when placing your house for sale, since it can really help to create a positive first impression on a prospective buyer. However, all the outdoor spaces on your property are valuable in winning over interested parties who come to view your home.
When asked about the importance of exterior spaces, most buyers rank the great outdoors as being almost equal to interior space when deciding on which home is right for them. Not staging your yard, pool, patio, deck or terrace is a real shame, since these features often stand out in the minds of potential buyers and can truly make or break a lucrative deal.
This resource section provides comprehensive coverage of all the most effective outdoor home staging tactics.
Reasons for Exterior Home Staging
Of course, I always emphasize the importance of staging the curbside appeal of the home, including the front yard and entranceway. However, all the outdoor features of your home will have a considerable impact on buyer impressions and can make or break a sale, in some cases.
You can not change the size of your outdoor spaces, but you can certainly enhance their aesthetic appeal. Remember that good home staging is all about making the most of what you have, while masking the aspects of the property which are less than ideal.
Most of the common issues with outdoor spaces can be easily fixed. These issues typically include overgrown trees or shrubbery, poor roof condition, poor external paint or siding condition, worn or cracked pavement, driveway or walkways, lack of privacy, crumbling fencing or simple neglect. Remember to always consider that many families are looking for an idyllic fully staged backyard and this feature alone might sell your home.
Easy Exterior Home Staging Solutions
I have already covered the basics when it comes to preparing the front of your home to convey a positive first impression in my curb appeal resource section. To optimize the other outdoor areas of your home, here are some staging tips and strategies which might work well for your property:
Replace any missing roofing tiles.
Make sure gutters are clean and firmly attached to the house.
Make sure the paint or siding on the outside of the home is in good repair. If the color is undesirable, consider replacing it, as exterior home color can be a real deal breaker in some instances. Learn more about DIY exterior painting.
Check all the shutters and windows to ensure that they are clean and in good working order.
Do not keep garbage cans lying around the property. Keep them covered in the garage, or better yet, confined to a dedicated shed.
Make sure trees, shrubs and grass are trimmed and healthy. Remove and replace damaged or dead plants and flowers. Clean up the entire yard so that no debris or garbage remains anywhere on the property.
Pressure wash the exterior of the home and all paved areas. Fix cracks in pavement or resurface badly damaged areas of walkways or driveways.
Replace any worn or rotted woodwork on the home, garage or shed.
Make sure that all the exterior lighting and electrical connections work well.
Exterior Home Staging Tips
The outdoor areas of your house can often be completely refurbished and staged by the homeowner with a bit of time and effort, and luckily, at a very low cost:
Planting fresh flowers is a great way to brighten up a yard.
If you have outdoor living areas, such as a terrace, patio or porch, make sure to stage these, as well.
Set a table for a pretend outdoor meal and make sure to include all the plates, utensils and glasses in bright and colorful colors. Use Velcro or double sided tape to secure these items to the table.
Do not forget candles in appropriate outdoor holders, especially for evening showings and open house events.
Take advantage of selling features, such as a nice view, exceptional landscaping or a lagoon-like pool, by making sure these features get prime attention from potential buyers.
Do not leave toys, tools or unnecessary items on the lawn or anywhere in view on the property for a clean and organized look.
Bonus tip: Doing the hard work yourself will save most of the prohibitive cost of a professional yard makeover.
I can teach you to become an expert stager with the help of my peer-acclaimed book: Learn Home Staging.