Staging can have a huge impact on your home sale. The right staging can help buyers picture themselves in your space, which can ultimately help you sell your home faster. On the other hand, less-than-ideal staging could drive potential buyers away.
And that includes how you stage your outdoor spaces.
Failing to stage your outdoor space properly could make it harder to sell your home. So, if you want your home sale to go as smoothly as possible, there are some things you should avoid when it comes to staging your outdoor areas.
A recent article from realtor.com outlined outdoor home-staging mistakes that could turn off potential buyers—and make it more difficult to sell your home—including:
- Skipping furniture. If you have an outdoor space, you want to stage it in a way that allows buyers to imagine themselves spending time there. It’s hard to imagine spending time in a space with no furniture, so if you don’t already have furniture in your outdoor space, be sure to outfit it with at least the basics, like a table and some chairs or a sofa set.
- Leaving the space too cluttered. A backyard full of toys, tools, and other items is fine when you’re living there. But if you’re showing your home, too much clutter can make would-be buyers think that the outdoor area is too small or lacking storage space—which can make them think twice before making an offer. If you’re going to sell your home, make sure to clean up your outdoor space and get rid of as much clutter as possible; the more streamlined the space, the better.
- Not cleaning dirt and dust. You clean the inside of your home before you show it to buyers. So why should the outdoor space be any different? While there’s no need to go crazy cleaning your outdoor area (it is outside, after all), you will definitely want to sweep any walkways and patios and give outdoor furniture a wipe down to remove any visible dirt and dust.