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Spring appears to be here! And with spring comes prime selling season. People like to move in the late spring / early summer for several reasons. First of all, the weather is mild. Secondly, if moving across school district lines, families with children like to move during summer break so that their kids' lives will be disrupted as little as possible.
So on this beautiful Saturday, I have the desire to go outside and begin my annual spring clean up, in preparation for all of the gardening to come. As well, I am preparing my own home for sale, so now is the time to get stuff done.
As a professional home stager, I am often asked by my clients how to stage the outside of a house. And my answer is not quite so simple. I always begin with "First impressions count!" and curb appeal cannot be underestimated. After all, if a potential buyer is turned off to your house by the outside, they will not be impressed with the inside, no matter how perfect your house is!
That said, here is a checklist for outdoor home staging:
- Pressure wash your house; if your exterior paint needs touch ups, do them... if your siding needs repairs, do them
- Have your windows professionally cleaned (both inside and out)
- If necessary, paint exterior doors and garage doors
- If necessary, install new outside lighting (this can be done for a reasonable cost from Home Depot or Lowe’s), and make sure that the lighting fixtures match the style of your house
- Place new, colorful doormats in front of every exterior door, including the door from the garage into the house
- If you have a front porch that is large enough to accommodate a chair and side table (think wicker), then place one there
- Add splashes of color with pretty potted flowers. If you have a place to hang baskets, then by all means, do
- Re-seed bare patches on your lawn, and once gardening season begins, place decorative edging around your garden beds and use wood chips in the beds
- If your house numbers are dingy or barely visible, replace them (or at least take them down and spray paint them in a color that contrasts the house color)
- Rake dead leaves and remove dead fallen branches
- Make sure that all exterior lighting has fresh light bulbs
- If your storm door needs to be replaced, then do it
- If you have a basketball hoop attached to the exterior of your house, remove it
Although this list may seem daunting, it is well worth it if you are motivated to sell your home. And the ROI (return on investment) can be huge. It can make the difference between a quick sale and a house that sits on the market for months. And even if you aren’t selling your home, this is a great refresher for the exterior of your home. After all, who doesn’t like to come home to a really pretty house?
 Neil Bindelglass is a professional home stager in Saratoga Springs and owner of Let Me Organize You. He is an expert article contributer on the topics of Saratoga home staging and home organizing.
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