Getting bids on your client’s home is a great feeling for home stagers – it means your designs are a hit! And when it comes to staging homes, there’s nothing more important than curb appeal. After all, it’s the first impression buyers get from a home!
So what are the easiest ways to ruin your client’s sale? By destroying curb appeal, of course.
If you want to bring in bids for your home staging clients, avoid these 8 ways to shatter curb appeal!
1. Color Clashing
Surprise, surprise – color clashing is first on our list! And yes, we’re also talking about complementary colors. Not that complementary colors are bad per se, but when you’re staging a home for sale you want to keep colors understated. Too many bright or strong colors can be jarring to potential buyers. If you’re trying to add a little color to the exterior, use varying tints and hues of the same color family. Limiting bright colors to specific areas, like window shutters and doors, will make the whole house pop without overwhelming your buyers.
2. Weather Stains
A big no-no for home stagers is leaving weather stains on the outside of a home. It gives off the impression that the house hasn’t been well-cared for over the years (on the outside, at least!). We know that it’s not easy to remove weather stains, but people will be able to tell if you at least tried. Removing dirt and grime from the exterior of the house will make it look 10x better, even if there are a couple of stains left over. Just do your best!3. Cracked Paths
No, we don’t mean sidewalks – you can’t really help that! What you can do is fix up the path leading to the front door. If the first impression your buyers get is a wobbly, broken path, you won’t be off to the best start! You may need to get your hands dirty (or recruit a contractor), but it will go a long way in making the whole home feel welcoming and cared for. You don’t need to splurge on new concrete either – basic blocks will do just fine.4. Desolate Lawns
A clean, manicured lawn is what everyone thinks about when it comes to home staging – but that’s not the only thing to consider! Some areas are more prone to drought and low water supply, and wasting water isn’t taken lightly. Your location as a home stager will dictate how you go about fixing up your client’s yard. If you’re not able to bring the grass back to life easily, spend your time elsewhere. Clean up any weeds on the lawn, add outdoor décor, or start building a garden. A garden brings life to your client’s home – literally. Planting an assortment of flowers is the best way to bring color to the front yard!
5. Jungle Fever
On the opposite side of a barren lawn, there’s the other extreme: an extortionate amount of plants. Although some clients prefer their lawn to be a garden oasis, it can throw off potential buyers. They want to focus on the house instead of the plant life! Bushes and plants will keep the front yard interesting. Just be careful not to overdo it! A couple of shrubs mixed with planted flowers is plenty for one home.6. Stubborn Steps
A difficult problem to correct, but one that makes all the difference in a buyer’s experience. Broken or invisible steps will throw off potential buyers. They’re expecting a sturdy step, or no step at all – any deviation from these options can make them feel unstable. Fix the porch steps, and if they are hard to see (or are different heights) add a color stripe to save your buyers from an embarrassing fall! Buyers are always on the lookout for things they’ll need to fix, and this is one area that you can nix right away.7. Boring Porches
If your clients are lucky enough to have a porch, capitalize on this! Leaving the porch empty drains life from the entire home. Buyers should be able to picture themselves relaxing on the porch on a bright summer’s day. Clean up the whole area – wash the floor, paint it, and add outdoor furniture. This makes buyers feel comfortable walking up to a new home!