Backyard Staging

Backyard Staging

First things, first: the cleaning. Chances are if a house has been vacant for a while, things in the backyard landscaping probably need some TLC.  Trim the hedges, make sure it's getting mowed regularly, and of course clean out any grass or weeds in the flower beds.  Some properties may have been REALLY neglected, but in my experience, CLEANING was all it needed.

Example: the backyard where my daughter was renting was horrendous. But it was so big, it was too overwhelming for her to do anything about it. That's where I stepped in. Out of all the work we did to that back yard, 80% of it was cleaning.

Here's a before pic of the concrete patio in the very back of the yard. Totally unusable:

Not sure if you can tell from this photo but there were two giant rolls of metal fencing material on the concrete, along with several inches of dirt and weeds covering most of the patio.  I had the fencing hauled off (Freecycle! So it was put to good use) and took a weed eater to the concrete to get all the dirt and weeds off the surface. After it was edged, I cleaned it off with the garden hose sprayer.

I had two outdoor chairs and an outdoor table (Freecycle again!) and this was the end result:

Price of this project: $0.00!

Now if I owned this house, this would be the perfect spot for a Pergola! I would repair and do a decorative concrete treatment, stone edging and more landscaping. String white lights and maybe even add a fire pit, wouldn't that be cool?

Here is another perfect example of a patio just teeming with potential. First: cleaning. Always. Suggested staging ideas:

• planters on each side of the back door
• a 5'x7' indoor/outdoor rug ($35-$200 depending on where you shop)
• ask if you can paint the door (optional, but would add so much)
• a small bistro table set (Freecycle, thrift store, or buy new.)

Here's an idea for the painted door. It even looks cute from the inside!

This wicker outdoor bistro set sells at www.target.com for $170:

And here's a cute idea for the 2 planters. If you know someone handy with building boxes, this could totally be a DIY project:

Expenses

Now you might be cringing at the thought of buying things for your staging needs. Keep in mind, these things belong to you and will be returned to you after the sale. You can use these things over and over, house to house and they will more than pay for themselves. 

Tip:  When not being used for staging, bring this stuff home with you. If it's furniture, use it! If it's containers of plants, decorate your own porch or interior of your house.  I have been known to take things out of my own home to stage a property!  As long as it's in good shape, make use of it. Just remind the agent to mention to potential buyers that the furniture and landscaping containers don't come with the house. Anything you put in the ground stays, obviously. ;)

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