The staging area most people forget about – outside!

When you’re ready to sell a home, staging is always a good idea. But there’s one space often forgotten – outside! Outdoor living and entertaining areas are high on home buyers’ lists, so we’ve rounded up a few tips for maximizing your outdoor appeal.

The first thing you need to do for patios, decks and any outdoor space is declutter and clean. Store or give away furniture you don’t use, toys, lawn care and gardening supplies, and anything else that makes it hard to walk around your property or makes the space feel cramped or busy.

Thoroughly clean lawn furniture, freshen up cushions and pillows, and get rid of all cobwebs, dead leaves or anything else in corners, around furniture, or stuck to light fixtures. Make sure all landscaping and other outdoor lights are in working order as well, and timers are all functioning correctly.

Finally, remove all weeds or dead plants from landscaping or containers and replace with fresh, colorful seasonal flowers and plants.

Now it’s time to have some fun staging your outdoor areas. Many home buyers will be considering the potential of your outdoor space for entertaining, play time, or just relaxing after a long day. That’s why it’s important to make the outside of your home as appealing as the inside.

Creating outdoor living areas

Homebuyers want to be able to use their yards, patios and porches as extensions of their home. Staging areas outside to function like living rooms, dining rooms, entertainment areas, and even kitchens puts a spotlight on the potential of your home’s outdoor space.

Arrange furniture and add extras to create the ambiance you desire. For outdoor cooking or dining areas, set tables with linens, plates, silverware, glasses and fresh flower arrangements. Create cozy seating areas by adding pillows and cushions to armchairs places ready for a group to sit and chat. Add a center or side table with coasters, wine glasses and candles to make it more functional.

For small spaces such as balconies set up a bistro table and chairs with a coffee set, newspaper and flowers for early showings, or stage it as a cocktail hour for later showings.

Speaking of later showings, if home buyers will be touring your home at dusk, set a welcoming tone by turning on all landscape and decorative lighting, placing flameless candles on your table settings, and lighting gas fireplaces or firepits. (Always be sure to check with your Realtor about any open flames for safety’s sake.)

Whether you’re selling your home, or just want to freshen up the home you love and live in right now, I hope you’ve found some fun ideas you’re excited to start working on. Setting the stage both inside and outside your home for sale is a great way to show home buyers the potential of your home and motivate them to start enjoying it as soon as possible. Have questions, need a free home value assessment? I’m here to help at 703-593-6320.