subject: Yard Staging For Home Sellers [print this page] Once the sole domain of home interiors, yard staging is becoming increasingly necessary for sellers who want to maximize the chances of selling their house quickly. Heres a likely scenario: Youve decided to sell your house only to realize that your yard is a visual sore point. Even though most buyers focus on the interior of a home, an inviting outdoor space is now considered a must-have for discriminating home buyers. However, theres no need to jump into an expensive and arduous landscaping project. Perhaps all you need is a little yard staging! The following tips will get you the best bang for your buck when it comes to making your yard look its best for showings:
Now more than ever, people expect a lot out of their outdoor space. People no longer want just a yard comprised of a flat patch of grass, no matter how green and lush it is. These days, homebuyers want their outdoor space to be a place to entertain, a safe play area for the kids and an area to lounge around and relax in. Even if you have a small yard, it is possible to create separate well-defined, usable outdoor spaces.
The best way to help buyers see your yard as a place for all these things is to stage it properly. Begin by purchasing an inexpensive fabric gazebo from any home improvement store and place two chairs and a small table underneath. Before a showing, throw a cushion on each chair and add a couple of pretty glasses and a pitcher to the table for good measure. If you have a barbecue, place it nearby to make the area appear to double as a good place to entertain. For the childrens play area, get an attractive container like a rain-proof wicker chest and put your kids toys in it, place a blanket on the ground next to the container and toss a couple of toys or a ball neatly onto the blanket. Even if all of these three areas are located within a very small space, chances are they will be able to imagine their own family and friends happily occupying the space, which is exactly what you want.
If youre feeling ambitious and have a little more time and money to invest in yard staging, try sprucing up the area with a few extra touches. To add color, buy some large planting pots and create a container garden with flowers and ornamental grasses surrounding the gazebo or sitting area. To create ambiance in the case of an evening showing, hang some small patio lanterns or place some electric candles in hurricane vases around the perimeter of the yard but take care to do it tastefully and neatly. Finally, adding a small water feature like a fountain can go a long way to creating a tranquil and restful setting that will make every buyer who visits your yard want to linger a little longerand eventually stay forever.
If you are a seller who wants to make sure that you are showing your house at its very best, yard staging can help you do just that.
