When people look at a real estate listing to buy a house, often the first thing that they look at is the pictures. To have the best chance of selling your house, you’ll want to make sure that you stage not only your home but your backyard as well. Staging a home and its surrounding landscape allows potential buyers to see the full potential of a space. Here are a few tips to help you stage your backyard so that it looks as welcoming and appealing as possible to potential buyers.

Clean Everything

The first thing that you should do when staging a backyard is to clean it. No one likes seeing a picture of a messy yard. When you clean it, make sure you do things like mowing the lawn, clearing out any kind of debris like twigs, rocks, and branches and plucking out any dead flowers. If you have any pets, chances are their toys are scattered about, so be sure to pick them up. Furthermore, if your pet has a dog house, it’s best that you remove it. Last, remove overhanging tree branches and give your shrubbery a trim so it’s not an overgrown mess. Doing these things will help the potential buyer be able to better see what their lives could be like in this backyard rather than seeing all the remnants of your life in it.

Consider What’s Trending

Before you start staging your backyard, it’s important that you look up what’s trending first. That way, you can market to the right people and boost the likelihood of making a sale. However, keep in mind that trends can go out of style randomly, so it’s crucial that you act fast. Among the outdoor design trends, historic casual is expected to be popular next year. Also, try not to go overboard with a trend. There needs to be a balance between style, comfort, and simplicity.

Make the Necessary Repairs

If you have anything in your backyard that needs to be repaired, fix it immediately. Fill in any cracks that you may have in your patio and make sure to resurface your walkways. If you have a deck, power wash it to get rid of any lingering debris. If your deck has any peeling, you should add a coat of stain. Don’t forget to take a look at your fence. It may need to be repaired or repainted. You’ll know that your fence needs to be repaired if the wood is rotten, a few of the boards are damaged or broken, or the connections holding your fence together are loose.

The appearance of your backyard can be the determining factor of you making a sale or having to move on to the next potential buyer. Use your imagination and see where it takes you!