These home improvement projects will make your patio the coolest feature of your home.
Nothing beats having a patio when the weather starts to warm up, and if you’re looking to put your house on the market, it’s a feature that might just tip the scales for a potential buyer. By taking necessary steps to maintain and improve this space, you’ll be giving your house that extra feature that might get you an offer over a similar house down the street.
Don’t Forget to Finish
Thoroughly clean your patio and seal the surface with a glossy protective coating that can handle the weather in your area. In addition to preventing damage, this will give your patio an attractive, finished look.
The last thing you want is for a buyer to ask for additional repairs as a contingency of the sale, especially when most wear and tear can be prevented by taking simple measures. This is a cheap and easy single-day project that can save you a big headache in the long run.
Work on the View
You probably don’t need to do a major landscaping overhaul to get your backyard into shape. Don’t underestimate the power of details that, at the very least, will make the area look like a great blank canvas, like pulling weeds, re-mulching areas, and getting plants manicured.
Add Some Décor
Subtle decorations can make the area seem like a much more livable space to potential buyers. A couple of hanging baskets and potted plants will make a patio more inviting without cluttering it. Put them in places that are out of the way, and make sure they’re not obstacles.
Aim for classic and comfortable with your patio furniture, and if you’re going to be showing off your patio to potential buyers, avoid plastic and/or mismatched furniture. Stick to a theme when you’re considering fixtures and decorations, with color, material, and style.
Light It Up
While you might have a flood light that brightly shines down on your patio space for safety, this isn’t what potential buyers want to see. Powerful lights like this tend to ruin the ambience of the area. Instead, try to add more subtle lighting, such as string or rope lights, if people will be visiting in evening hours.
Consider Making Additions
Additions like planter boxes, awnings, fire pits, and built-in benches take a significant amount of effort and money to install, but are attractive features that will add value to your home. Having space to entertain is a high priority for many buyers, and a patio that is already well-equipped for those activities is a big draw. These features will be memorable as they consider all of their options and prepare to make an offer.
More Quick Tips
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- Choose your focal point. Arrange your furniture so that potential buyers are looking where you want them to be while they’re checking out your patio. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the buyer–where do your eyes go first? If you notice you can’t help but look at the garbage cans you’ve tucked in the corner, do something to change that.
- Define your boundaries. Make sure it’s clear where you patio ends. Use furniture and decorations to create a visual division between your patio and the rest of the yard. Adding form and definition to the space will feature the patio as an asset rather than a standard addition to the house.
- Mind the details. If potential buyers are floating around, tuck that grease covered grill away, and pull anything that looks remotely like a weed. Make sure nothing is stopping visitors from seeing the patio’s full potential.
Regardless of what your budget is, by bringing new life to this space, you’ll be creating a feature for your home that will pay off when you’re ready to sell.
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