In today's market, it is critical to play up every asset of a home to give it the fullest advantage over the competition. Early summer was a very productive and busy for me! The homes we had the pleasure of staging, and the home owners we worked with, are second to none. But I find myself knowing that the outdoor areas of the home were a little short changed.
As home stagers are aware, staging the three season porch, decks, or any patio adds so much visually to the home. It extends the living areas of the home, as well as provides a wonderful view off of family rooms, kitchens, and rec rooms, etc. Anywhere there is a slider, there is an opportunity to extend the living area of the home. What does this equate to for the potential home buyer? Besides the look and feel of a wonderful home, they remember it visually as more square footage living. It's a win-win. So why do these areas remain so neglected? I find that homeowners do not want to spend money on staging the areas that they themselves did not utilize, or used for storage of outdoor toys, etc. To keep staging costs down, clients often choose to stage only the main areas of the home. And I, for the most part, agree. However, in this short summer season, these areas are "main areas of living". They are an asset to the home, and need to be shown off.
My solution to this dilemma? I want to be absolutely certain that the home shows "everything" in it's best light for the open house. I now offer open house prep as a service, which includes bringing in the chairs, umbrellas, plants, and palm trees, along with a fun tub of ice waters on the deck or patio for the potential buyers to enjoy at the open house. Since additional rentals may not be in the staging budget, I bring them in for the day, and bring them home in the evening. Homeowners have now experienced the potential for these areas, and purchase plants, etc. on their own to spruce things up a bit. Since many of my staged homes are vacant, I don't need to worry about leaving my inventory outside a vacant home. I offer the open house prep for the first scheduled open house after staging for free. Other wise it's a very nominal fee, depending on the number of areas to stage up for the occasion. Photos are taken, and may be added to the MLS listing to enhance the marketing efforts as well. It is well worth the nominal cost to enhance every asset of the home, and guarantee an awesome first impression!
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