Pizzazz pointers

Home-staging tips to spruce up the exterior of your home

When putting your Okanagan home up for sale, you have to sell it to a prospective buyer three times.

• Once online
• The second time when they drive by 
• The third time when they come inside to take a look at what they will be purchasing

If what they see outside is not encouraging, they will probably keep moving.

Research has shown that the overall return on investment for landscaping is only seven per cent, so you definitely don’t want to go crazy. However, staging your home the right way, both in and out, is a sure way to sell your home in less time for more money.  

Here are five tips for staging the exterior of your home that will not break the bank and will give a substantial return on Investment when selling your home.  

• Lawn:
• This is a simple fix. If you water, cut and regularly trim your lawn, use a fertilizer, utilize a weed-control program, your lawn will look nice and green. Watering your lawn while it is for sale is imperative.  
• If your lawn is not in good condition, you can totally re-sod the area. If you lay the sod yourself, and pick up the sod from the turf farm, the cost isn’t as huge as you might think. It's totally worth it.
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• Doors and Lighting:
• Your main entry should be attractive and appealing. Try a new coat of paint on the door, with a modern, in-style colour. Make sure you choose the colour that goes well with the rest of your home.
• Add a pot of flowers for colour or, during the winter, use an urn with greenery.
• If your door and lighting are old and in need of urgent repair, do so or completely replace them.
• Add a bistro table and a few chairs if you have space on your porch. New or used, the price is justified for the return.  
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• Gardens:
• Make sure a prospective buyer sees a well-kept, low maintenance property. Clean up all the weeds, trim your flowers and add coloured mulch.
•  If your garden is scanty or non-existent, make sure the flowers, shrubs or trees that you add to the garden give it a professional and a well-cultured look.

• Driveway:
• Your driveway is one thing a buyer can see from the main house. You don’t want potential buyers to be turned off with an ugly access. A nice concrete sealer or a blacktop slurry will help make older driveways sparkle.  
• If the driveway is gravel, consider paving. If this is not in the budget, a well-placed load of nice, new gravel can make all the difference for showing purposes.  
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•  Decks and patios:
• If you have a deck or patio that is looking a little under the weather, ensure you power wash and stain it. Adding flower pots around the deck or patio will make it more attractive and hide any minor imperfections.  
• If your deck and patio are in poor repair, repair or replace them. Any home inspector will alert a buyer to an unsafe or faulty deck. If you have nothing occupying the space in your backyard, create an outdoor space for entertainment purposes. Buyers are attracted to fun, well-utilized spaces.  

For more information on how to prepare your home for showing, both inside and out, contact your Okanagan real estate experts, the Salt Fowler Team at RE/MAX Vernon at [email protected] or 250-549-7258, and Just Add Salt!

 

 

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.