Staging Outside

Whenever we hear the word "home staging" we tend to think about the inside of a home.  I visited a new Client this week to give her advice on what to do to sell her home faster.   When I gave her my thoughts, I mentioned what she needed to do on the outside of the home.  She was taken back a little bit and said that she hadn't considered that. 

It's spring and in Minnesota, sometimes that means things outside look a little dirty.  In this particular case, I noticed that most of her mulch was gone, her grass was flattened down, her asphalt driveway was showing it's age and her paint on her trim was worn in spots.  I suggested that her driveway be seal coated, the trim touched up with paint, a little bit of mulch laid down and the yard raked.  I know that when you live in your home every day, you don't always notice these things….and everyone's yard looks bad right now.  But, not everyone is trying to sell their home.  And, remember that the absolute first impression a potential Buyer gets is from the outside of the home. 

You typically don't have to spend much money on staging the outside of your home.  In this case, she is going to do the work herself.  She'll probably invest a couple hundred dollars and create a much better view of her home.

Here's a checklist I've used before:

Consider:

• Buying a new doormat
• Putting out some fresh flowers by the front door and on the back patio or deck
• Spreading out a thin layer of new mulch

While this is a drastic example, you can see how much cleaning up your property will make an impact on the look of your home:

Stand back when you're done and see how your home compares to the rest of the neighborhood.  You want to impress a Buyer and cleaning up the outside will make that happen!

Jeri Pischke, Tender Heart Transitions – Email – Website