Backyard Retreats Are A HOT Selling Feature
Summer is just around the corner and by now the barbecues have been dusted off and the outdoor furniture has been set out for your enjoyment, unless you are planning on moving and you wonder if it should stay packed away. The answer would be NO.
With the recent recession and the fast pace that we live in more and more people are looking to their backyards as their sanctuary. A place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life that does not take too long to get too (unless of course you have a ginormous backyard) or cost a lot of money.
When it comes time to sell the backyard is an important element not to be overlooked. We talk a lot about curb appeal in home staging which draws the buyer in and your backyard can be the icing on the cake to the whole feel of your home.
It is one thing to be perplexed on how to decorate the inside of your home, it is another thing to know how to set up your backyard so here are a few ideas to get you started. Think of your outdoor space as another room. The walls are the fences and the back of the house. You can divide this area into “zones” for different uses. You will want one for eating, one for food preparation (your barbecue), one for relaxing which may include a fire pit (if your area allows for it) and possibly one for the kids to play in, depending on your target market.
Adding plants in containers can be a great way to achieve an appealing look. You then can take the pots and plants with you to your new home. This adds an additional layer to your yard, especially if it is bare. So if you are starting from scratch there is a way to dress up the space without having to leave the money you spent behind. You just have to be creative in how you present the area, similar to the inside of your home.
I want you to think for a moment of the last time you went to the garden centre. You smell the fresh air that surrounds the area, you see so many beautiful colours in the plants and lawn furniture, the sounds of water features and you are transformed to a place of relaxation and escape. Something we all need to experience now and then.
Your mind starts to think of all the possibilities for your backyard and your wonder what it would be like to have the yard of your dreams. Maybe an area to hang out and snooze or a place for family and friends to gather and even a place for your kids to play countless hours of activities and imaginary games.
Your visitors too can be taken down the path of what could be when you plant the seeds of a desirable lifestyle or environment. Creating a space that a potential buyer wants is a powerful trigger. It taps into their emotions and this is essentially how we buy – on what we want, not necessarily on what we need.
If you have difficulty planning a transformation for your yard you can hire someone to do it for you. If this is not in your budget you could take pictures or a general outline of your yard to the garden centre and ask for some help. You may even have a neighbour or family member that has a green thumb or know how when it comes to backyard design. Ask them if they could guide you in what is necessary to make your backyard a place that anyone would want to spend time in.
If you leave your backyard empty it creates the same feeling as the vacant home. The atmosphere is cold, uninviting and the potential buyer can see all that is wrong with the area instead of focusing on all of the possibilities. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, just enough to give the buyer an idea on how to utilize the space that your property has to offer.
If you have spent any time preparing the inside of your home you don’t want the outside to feel unfinished or the forgotten spot. It is understandable in the winter time to not pay as much attention to the back, but when it comes to the warmer weather the outdoors is where it is at.
Tags: backyard, backyard escape, backyard retreat, garden centre, home selling, outdoor space, selling your home, vacant home, zones
