Selling your home can be an exciting yet stressful endeavor, especially considering that the property market in the United States has become increasingly competitive despite the recent pandemic. You may think that putting your property up for sale as is, as soon as possible is the best way of closing the deal. It’s often, however, the extras that can push your home over the finish line while earning the highest possible selling price. This doesn’t refer to a simple cleaning or straightening of picture frames, but the staging of either your whole property or the key areas, including the yard, living room, kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms. (1) 

To further paint the picture: if the house next door is also up for sale or auction and (for the most part) is identical to yours, staging your home rather than leaving it as is with a few dust bunnies in the corner and Aunty Gladys’ unsightly but sentimentally-valued vase on the counter, may allow your home to sell faster and at a heftier price. This is due to the common concept of buyers imagining themselves in a house—making their coffee and sitting outside on the patio reading their favorite book—before making an offer. Your neighbors may enjoy their knick-knack-littered lounge room with items only holding meaning for them, but onlookers may find it hard to imagine their lives surrounded by the clutter. This is where the importance of “staging” comes into play, especially for an area such as your backyard which should, ideally, provide residents with the opportunity for relaxation as well as entertainment. 

Read on discover the ins and outs of staging and how it can add value to your home. 

What is staging? 

“Staging” refers to the process of effectively showcasing and accentuating your home’s best assets in order to spark the interest of prospective buyers and drive up the final sale price. This not only involves setting your home up in a depersonalized manner so that anyone can feel at home, but also minimizing, repairing, or removing your property’s pit-falls. (2) 

Some imperfections may add character to the space, however, eyesores, dangerous features and/or impractical layouts may drive more families away than they will lure in. Choosing to enhance your yard with Neighbor Furniture, or taking the time to redo the decking may prove more beneficial than simply ignoring your broken patio chairs and rotted flooring. After all, staging is about optimizing the property in a way that appeals to diverse audiences, in hopes of receiving a decent (or more than decent) offer. 

Is staging your yard really worth it? 

If you question the validity of staging, it’s wise to put yourself in the prospect's shoes and see your house from their eyes. According to a “2019 Profile of Home Staging” report, published by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 83% of buyer’s agents revealed that staging can aid in prospect’s visualization of their future in said home and therefore, lead to a timely sale. 

Buyers will often window-shop for a while until they come across a space that pours a warm sensation throughout their bodies like a cup of milky Earl Gray tea. A house with poor lighting, unemptied trash cans, mismatched outdoor furniture, dying plants, and an unpleasant odor that no one can seem to identify, will most likely fail to intrigue the minds of those starry-eyed house hunters. If you struggle enough to enjoy the confines of your own home, how can you expect fresh eyes to visualize its potential? 

Is there evidence backing the possible “value-boost”? 

Staging your home is considered a very lucrative process. If beautifying your backyard and helping shoppers feel more welcome isn’t enough to convince you, the financial benefits of doing so may. According to the aforementioned NAR report, 25% of buyer’s agents and 22% of seller’s agents highlighted that the offered price for a home can increase by up to one—five percent if it’s been staged, in comparison to those that haven’t. (3) 

The 2019 HomeLight’s “Top Agents Insight Survey,” however, revealed that 50% of agents posited a value-boost of up to 10% if a home is effectively staged. 92% found that the practice was beneficial as a whole in selling the property, and 83% revealed that it can help properties sell faster than non-staged houses. (4) 

Why is staging the yard important? 

You may think that the interior rooms are worth all of your effort, however, your yard areas are just as important. Your front yard is, after all, the first component of your property that potential-buyers will see. Backyards also hold great value to prospects and can sometimes make or break a deal depending on how the space is laid out. If your yard is left unruly and littered with poisonous weeds and fruits, your prospects may call it quits with the idea in their heads that they’ll be unable to manage it. 

If, however, your outdoor spaces are refined, trimmed, weeded, furnished and inviting, the value of your property is more likely to spike. They’ll also be met with the pleasant image of drinking their favorite wine on an elegant swinging chair or planting vibrant flowers in the freshly prepared flower-beds. 

Visual aesthetics are just as important, if not more so, than the practicality of features upon first glance. The instant feeling one gets upon stepping into your garden may determine their final decision. That’s why it’s vital to ensure your yard is on its best behavior—filled with fragrant flowers, defined walkways, and hidden nooks for optimal peace and comfort.

It’s also important to understand the difference between decorating and staging. Decorating a space in your preferred style with pots and unique water features may lead to a level of personalization that not everyone appreciates. Staging, however, is about improving the basics and ensuring the space leaves enough room for others’ imaginations to run wild. This may force you to ditch, or temporarily replace, the religiously-influenced six-foot statue by the pool for a more basic yet still appealing decorative piece. 

Final thoughts  

It’s been suggested that staging your yard will not only attract more prospects but also help you sell your property faster, and at a higher price, than those that aren’t staged. With careful consideration to detail, you should be able to tidy, revamp, and re-structure your home in a manner that kicks it to the top of the market’s “most wanted” list. 

References: 

1. “Wow! U.S. housing market sizzles, despite pandemic”, Source: https://www.globalpropertyguide.com/North-America/United-States/Price-History

2. “12 Tips on How to Stage Your Home for a Quick Sale”, Source: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/mortgages-real-estate/08/staging-home.asp

3. “2019 Profile of Home Staging March 2019”, Source: https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/documents/2019-profile-of-home-staging-03-14-2019.pdf

4. “18 Helpful Home Staging Statistics From Our Survey of 900 Top Real Estate Agents”, Source: https://www.homelight.com/blog/home-staging-statistics/