5 outdoor staging tips for selling your home this summer

To enjoy the longer days of summer, many homeowners see warmer temperatures as a signal to update their gardens and backyards. New flower beds and vegetable gardens, comfortable outdoor furniture, and festive string lights are updates that could work for any home. If you are thinking about selling your home soon, that’s even more of a reason to give your exterior a little TLC. Agents talk about what’s called curb appeal or outdoor staging to take these outdoor updates to the next level to attract potential buyers. While you could hire a landscaper and a professional home stager to do the job, there are strategies to make these updates on your own. With a few trips to the home improvement store or the nursery, your property will get a fresh outdoor look to enjoy all summer or in preparation to sell it.  

1. Declutter your front yard…

The most crucial step of any outdoor staging job is to declutter your front yard. Weeds, overgrown shrubs and trees, and excess potted plants have to go. You’ll also want to be sure that greenery blocking windows is trimmed back to let in an optimal amount of light. If you don’t already have a tidy front yard, the goal is to create a clean slate so you can then add greenery as a way to highlight your home’s best features, rather than detract from your home’s exterior.

2. … Then spruce it up!

You’ll also want to repair anything broken, cracked, or peeling. Areas to focus on are walkway pavers, a mailbox, house numbers, and if you have the budget, getting a fresh coat of paint on your home’s exterior. Bare spots on a lawn can be filled in with mulch or rocks — if your lawn is not well maintained it’s a good idea to go this route as potential buyers may not want to take over the cost of lawn maintenance. 

3. Add some colour

Real estate agents talk about how colour psychology can evoke positive emotions in potential buyers at sale time. Here are some worth considering: Blue is associated with trustworthiness, white is calming, red is energetic, and yellow is warm and youthful. You might consider adding white, yellow, or red flowers, and using blue as an accent colour for paint.

4. Paint your front door

Another place to put colour theory to work is for your front door. If you don’t have the time or the budget to paint your entire house, painting your front door can give it extra energy. Red is a classic for any home. Yellow or blue can make a bold statement and black is a choice if you want to give your home a modern touch.

5. And don’t forget your garden!

Focusing on the front of your home is important, but it’s also important to pay some attention to your backyard or garden. Make sure the lawn is mowed and is clean and neat. Again, you can add life to your garden with some potted plants and garden statues. New comfortable furniture can give potential buyers an idea of how they could enjoy their new home. Here are some more ideas on worthwhile investments to make to your garden for an even better sale!

Here’s a valuable infographic that will help shed light on the subject…