Outside

Exterior Home Staging

Curb appeal is critical to the outside. People will prejudge your home - good or bad- as soon as they drive up. They may even drive on by.

De-Clutter and Depersonalize

• Use Large Moving Boxes to clear out birdhouses, chimes, decorative items
• Pick up children’s toys, lawn and gardening equipment, and pet droppings
• Leave only stationary swings
• Put cars in garage and remove other autos
• Get rid of old flower pots and construction materials
• Remove Barbeque, charcoal equipment, and excess furniture

Deep Clean and Repair

• Touch up paint, hose it off, or paint the whole house if peeling or fading. Look at new homes being built to find a nice neutral color. Repair broken boards on decks and porches and stain, paint and maintain as needed
• Nail down shingles
• Fix loose gutters Repair broken fence and paint if necessary
• Clean shutters and windows
• Clean and brighten any fixtures
• Trim overgrowth especially if blocking windows or view of home
• Mow, fertilize, edge
• Remove dead plants and snip off dead flower heads, leaves, and branches
• Sweep all decks, sidewalks, porches, and patios and keep swept
• Clean debris and moss from roof and gutters
• Rake and weed flower beds
• Trim branches around roof
• Clean and sweep paved driveways—rake, weed, or re-gravel driveway
• Children’s toys should go in one area
• Clear any drainage grates

Home Stage Extras

Take it to the Bank TIP #1 – Flowers are a great way to add color.

Annuals such as Petunias, Impatients, and Pansies are inexpensive flowers that have lots of colors. This will do wonders to your curb appeal and should contrast well with any greenery you have in your yard.

Also, remember to plant twice as many because you don’t have time to let it fill in.

• Mow yard weekly
• Add and freshen mulch or bark
• Hose down the concrete to freshen it up
• Place flowers or lush greenery in a pot and place in a hole– you can lift out the spent plant and replace when necessary.
• Repainting doors and trim makes house look crisp and in good condition and it’s one of the least expensive things you can do to dress up a home
• Update hardware or fixtures if necessary
• Add a bench or three piece vignette to show the usefulness of the space
• Stepping stones are nice but stay clear of the decorative types

Remember all your hard work will pay off when you sell your home faster and the inspection comes back with the repairs already complete!