Home staging, or prepping your home for the real estate marketplace, applies to both outside and inside your home. Upping curb appeal can have a big impact on how your home is viewed. The exterior of your home and surroundings it the first thing that a potential buyer sees; outside is just as important as the interior of your home. When planning to revitalize the outside of your home, you want to keep in mind the front yard and the back yard.
Home Staging
- Get rid of clutter- Pack away as much of your personal items as you can to de-personalize the home. This includes kid’s toys (the buyers may be empty nesters or not have children), baby pictures (can keep one vacation picture so the buyer can see themselves in this lifestyle).
- Clean home- Nothing is worse than stepping into a house that does not look clean or smells funny. Make sure you do a complete clean from top to bottom, including wiping down baseboards and dusting all lighting fixtures.
- Furniture- Although we may think pushing the furniture against the wall makes a room look bigger, furniture tends to look better in groupings and away from wall. You can move furniture between rooms! The aim is to make your house as functional as possible for living with the best flow.
- That “Junk” Corner- If you store junk in a corner or area of your house, no potential buyer wants to see that! Put it in the garage or storage and make a reading nook or working nook with a desk.
- Home lighting- Most homes don’t use the correct amount of lighting to properly illuminate a home and show it’s best potential. Increase the wattage of bulbs in your lamp and fixtures; typically, you need 100 watts of light for each 50 square feet. Make sure to include the 3 types of lighting Ambient (overheard lighting), Task 9reading light, pendant), and Accent (table & wall)
- Making a Room Bigger- To make a room look bigger, paint it the same color as an adjacent room; this helps the eye visually keep continuing giving a feeling of more space.
Learn How to Increase Your Home`s Value
Front Yard Landscaping
- A Little Paint can go a Long Way- Paint the front door, trim, and shutters with a fresh coat. Outdoor paint should be about $30/gal; keep in mind to properly prep all surfaces.
- Update Your Mailbox- A new mailbox can cost as low as $20. Make sure you stay in regulation with your city.
- New House Numbers- Match your new house numbers to the finish of your external light fixtures. Make sure you can see the numbers from the road!
- Plant a Tree or Two- A tree or two brings great charisma to front yard landscaping. Consider the type of tree, what it needs as far as sunlight and water, and how much it will grow before plants go in the ground.
- Replace Exterior Lighting- If you can’t buff up and touch up those older wall sconces, consider some new lights to match your shiny new house numbers.
- Pressure Clean- You can definitely pressure clear your driveway or sidewalk, but did you know you could pressure clean the exterior of your home. Ask a professional’s advice before you start, but pressure cleaners can be rented for as little as $50/hour.
Backyard Landscaping
- Line paths with lavender- Lavender smells great, adds a pop of color, and is a hardy herb to put with being by a path.
- Sitting Area- Create an extra space outside that feels almost like another room. With a few pavers, some chairs, and a small table, you can create a little getaway for reading a book, or chatting with your friends.
- Climbing Vines- Vines lend a whimsical feel to a back yard. Just plant them in the ground and drape them over an archway, or up a trellis on a wall. You can even find ones that flower at night with sweet aromas!
- Clear Up- Sometimes, it just comes to down to taking a look and putting in some manual labor. Mow the lawn, weed the flower beds, and make sure the driveway and sidewalk are free of clutter.
- Mulch makes it all look neater- When in doubt, mulch it out. A bag of fresh mulch tidies up flower beds, and gives your yard a visual shape up.