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By Charlene Storozuk, Dezigner Digz
Sadly, summer is officially over. However, if your home is currently on the market, now is not the time to bring your outdoor living space to an end for the year. If you do that, you’re taking away one of the selling features of your home.
At one time, buyers were just looking for a decent-sized yard. Today, on the other hand, they are reaching beyond just the basics. Buyers want attractive outdoor living spaces that they can use for both entertaining and relaxing. The longer you can keep this area set up for showings with outdoor furniture and accessories, the better.
Which one of these photos looks more inviting to potential buyers?
You guessed right -- the photo of the staged outdoor space. Can you see yourself dining al fresco, curling up in a wing chair with a good book, or sitting by the fire with a cocktail?
The staging of this patio created three separate living areas within the space. In fact, each of these separate areas portrays a different lifestyle vignette; the goal being to present a certain level of comfort to potential buyers.
Sure, the photo of the patio after it was de-staged shows a great space, but you must go beyond that to capture your buyer and demonstrate how to maximize its potential.
If your outdoor space has a gas fireplace or gas fire pit, on a cool autumn day go a step further and light it for evening showings. Set out coffee mugs or wine glasses by the fire, along with a couple of blanket throws and you’ve just created a scene that will catch buyers’ attention and make them remember your home.
It’s all about making your home stand out among all of the competition and become the home that potential buyers talk about. So don’t put away that outdoor furniture just yet!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Charlene Storozuk is the owner of Dezigner Digz, a professional home staging and interior decorating company based in Burlington, Ontario. Her work is featured in the book FabJob Guide To Become A Home Stager, 2009 edition. Sheserves as regional vice-president, Canada for the Real Estate Staging Association and is a past recipient of the North American Leadership Award for her work as founder and president of the Halton & Hamilton-Wentworth RESA Chapter.
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