Ed Westwood Says Expense of Staging Homes for Sale is Worth It
As the residential sales market has grown increasingly competitive, the act of staging a home for resale has become more popular. Home staging, which expertly plays up a home’s strengths and downplays its weaknesses, focuses primarily on interiors. A potential buyer’s first impression, however, is made long before he or she crosses the threshold. That is why landscape staging is equally important. In fact, the exterior and the surrounding grounds can ultimately encourage or deter someone from exploring a house further. To coax buyers inside, the landscape must wow them. Patrick O’Connor, an agent with Premier Properties of Southwest Florida, recommends that homeowners take the time and make the necessary investment to create curb appeal prior to putting their homes on the market. “In today’s real estate market it has become an important tool in marketing a property.” A well-landscaped, well-maintained yard is eye pleasing and inviting. More than that, though, the art of landscape staging supports the best features of the home, and when properly executed draws a visitor’s eye to the most attractive details. It is an artistic undertaking that in some cases employs the same techniques that set designers use to create backdrops for plays. It’s all about focusing the audience’s eyes to the things you want them to see, while diverting attention away from the areas where the cast is preparing for the next scene or moving props. Since time is of the essence when preparing a home for sale, a landscape architect can make a quick assessment of what works and what does not among the existing landscape, concentrating their efforts on eliminating the negative and accentuating the positive. An older home, for example, might require the removal of overgrown shrubs and the pruning of mature trees in order to allow more light and create more openness. The trick is to remove what makes sense without losing privacy. When the landscaping is trimmed back proportionally, it will naturally complement the property. Modifications to the landscape however are not strictly reserved to plantings. Hardscape elements like changing the fabric on the patio furniture, upgrading the pool tile, or adding flowers in decorative pots can also make a noticeable difference. Any alterations made outside the home, work best when they create a cohesive design with the home’s interior. The property needs to flow inside and out. For instance, an effective tactic is to carry a view from an indoor living space through a window which makes the living area feel much larger and more connected with the outdoors. A crucial component in landscape staging is taking into account the views that can be seen from inside the home, since most prospective buyers spend the majority of their time inside the house. A poor view of the neighbor’s satellite dish or air-conditioning unit from the master bedroom, for example, can distract from the interior ambiance. Equally dissatisfying would be a view of the neighbor’s garage doors from the kitchen. These are easy to fix with a little creative landscaping. The biggest misconception among homeowners is that staging is a costly item, but it doesn’t have to be. GardenBleu staff members work within a budget that provides the most value for the expense. Realtors attest that the extra cost is typically well worth it, as it usually produces a higher selling price for the home. “Staging is a very important piece of the puzzle,” says Patrick Dearborn, a real estate agent with John R. Wood Realtors. “If done correctly, the property should showcase a lifestyle, in the case of Naples, one of elegance and relaxation. Effective staging helps create this in the property and in the potential buyers’ mind.”
News Articles
· August 15, 2011 ""Bonita & Estero Magazine’s" article on Gardenbleu & Ed Westwood "
· July 11, 2011 "You Tube Link!"
· December 14, 2010 "Gardenbleu Landscape Architecture Hires Sabrina McCabe"
· December 14, 2010 "Gardenbleu Landscape Architecture Hires Aaron Denton"
· March 05, 2010 "Beware of White Fly Damage to Ficus Hedges"
· February 28, 2010 "Ed Westwood Says Expense of Staging Homes for Sale is Worth It"
· January 19, 2010 "GardenBleu Hires New Designer"
