Cindy's Blog

As we move into spring, and the spring buying season (yes, even when the market is not great, there is still a spring buying season, and it appears to be starting right about now), outdoor spaces become more and more important to buyers, and the nicer the weather is, the more important it becomes. But what if you want to put your house on the market, and you don't have any outdoor space to speak of?? What are you supposed to do??

First of all, get off the sofa, put down the Wii, and get to work! You really can create a total transformation with relatively little money and a reasonable amount of work (money and work being an inverse correlation- if you want to pay someone to do everything, obviously, it will be less work, and more money.)

It doesn't have to be an elaborate Japanese garden, a terrific party deck, or flagstone patio either, as beautiful as they may be.  

If you don't already have a deck or patio, it's not usually a good use of your time or money to put a new one in. If you do have a deck or patio, the first thing you should do is clean it. Sweep, and depending upon the material, you probably want to powerwash, seal, or possibly stain the surface.

Make sure you have some sort of furniture on the deck or patio- even if it's relatively basic, just a couple of chairs, table, etc. That really makes a difference as far as making it feel welcoming and truly like a "living area".

If you have plantings already out there, make sure that they are well trimmed and weeded, and if you don't have any color, this is a great place to spend a couple hundred dollars. Fill in your perennials with some bright, blooming annuals, or any sort of flowering plant, and it will really add some "pop." If you have a deck, etc., put a couple of the flowering plants, or even potted lush greenery, around on that as well. Again, it adds to making it feel like a true outdoor living space, rather than just a backyard.

Obviously, you want to keep your outdoor areas nearly as clear as those inside, and make sure you've raked, weeded, picked up debris, put away lawn care implements, etc., and refreshed your mulch (another great place to spend your money- tip: get dark mulch, as it looks much more crisp and new than some of the other types you'll see.)

If you want your garden area to be a little "greener" (figuratively, perhaps, rather than literally) you could also use some small pebbles, and make walkways or more natural areas that need no water, and little weeding, but still have a terrific, and very zen, look.

Remember- the best way to think about an outdoor living space is to treat it very similarly to an indoor one- clean and neat, cozy and comfortable, with some bursts of color. You don't, though, need to spend thousands to get it that way (at least for most homes.).