10 Tips to Perk Up Your Yard for Sale

                                                                                         

When selling your home, it's important to remember outdoor staging is almost as important as indoor staging. Just as you want to create a favorable first impression, inside your home, curb appeal can attract buyers when you least expect them.

When I had my last home up for sale, I was outside gardening when someone drove up and asked me about the house. He proceeded to go home, collect his wife and family and bring them over for a complete inspection, and subsequently purchased our home. I believe this buyer's mind was made up before he toured the home. In a similar circumstance, I saw a picture of our current home on the internet and decided this was the house for me.

Keeping this in mind, never underestimate the power of curb appeal and its ability to market a home. Here are 10 tips to keep in mind for staging the outside of a house. Most of this is common sense and requires more elbow grease than cash investment.

1. Just as with the inside, clutter on the outside of a home is a definite "no, no". Tidy the sidewalk and find a home for garden tools, kid's toys, garbage cans and recycling containers.

2. Add eye catching splashes of color by using hanging planters and containers. Draw people's attention to the area's you want them to see by creating a positive first impression.

3. Mulch, mulch and more mulch! The best way to make a garden appear professionally landscaped and well maintained is with a thick layer of mulch. Use it to hide weeds, and create borders around trees and shrubs. Choose from colors such as green, brown, red, and natural cedar chips.

Mulch can also be used to create easy walkways, just add a border and stepping stones.

4. Keeping the grass well mowed. Not only does short grass look neater, the trimmed weeds are hidden and prevented from flowering. You may consider having artificial grass installed in areas where natural grass doesn't grow well. You'll be shocked at the overnight transformation into a lush, green yard.

5. Edge the sidewalks and remove any weeds growing between the concrete.

6. Not only should the driveway be cleared of clutter, but cleaned of stains and unsightly spills as well.

7. Do whatever it takes to make your front porch shine. Touch up the paint on the railings, steps and front door if necessary. A poorly maintained porch gives the impression that the entire home has been neglected.

8. Wash all the windows, soffits, windows and gutters.

9. Pressure wash the deck to make the wood look like new.

10. As important as it is to add new plants, be objective about the existing trees and shrubs in your garden. Anything overgrown should be trimmed back or removed.

About the author:
Joshua Sloan is an experienced San Diego real estate agent. Visit his site at SanDiegoRealEstateBuzz.com for help with finding new San Diego County homes for sale or visit the 4S Ranch real estate page to browse homes for sale.

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