Winter Staging Tips 2023

Leslye Fligor
Weston Neighbors Article for January, 2023 Edition

Winter Staging Tip – Exterior Staging visually extends your living space and can
create memorable vignettes

It’s January and Winter 2023 has arrived! Whether you are sprucing up your
home for selling or for simply enjoying, home staging goes far beyond the interior
and extends to the exterior. For example, if your home is small, exterior staging
can create visual rooms and give the feeling of additional space. If your home is
large, staging your exterior can help to establish cozy and intimate spaces.
The Facts: Data indicates that although the months of June to November are
busier months for realtors, homes listed in the winter months sold faster than
those listed in the spring. Additionally, sellers can net more above asking price in
the months of December to March than they can in June through November.
Buyers who face the cold and snow to find a house are typically highly motivated
buyers and not “Just looking!”
Furthermore, staged homes spend 90% less time on the market than those not
staged. An area often overlooked in the wintertime is the backyard, and when
staged properly, can have a very powerful and positive impact on connecting with
buyers. The front of your home is about creating a positive impression while the
backyard is about creating possibilities.

Tip #1: Clean Up
 Always begin with cleaning up! A clean and tidy patio or deck creates the
impression that the entire house is well-maintained. Remove dead leaves
that have accumulated since your fall clean-up and be sure to discard any
plantings that are not in season and looking fresh. Remove any décor that
may reflect a past holiday.

Tip #2: Declutter – let’s begin with a clean-slate
 Remove any furniture and planters that you do not use in the winter and
store them elsewhere. Relocate toys that are used only occasionally.
Brooms, shovels, and ladders are best kept in a garage or shed.

Tip #3: Stage your outdoor space
 The goal of outdoor staging is to awaken the desire to envision entertaining
there. This can be created with artfully placing hardy winter furniture such
as wrought iron in a grouping designed for conversations to occur. Don’t
be afraid to place your grouping away from the house. Place it in an area
where you want your eyes to go… near a pretty cluster of trees, or an
opening in the landscape that may lead somewhere. This furniture
grouping now attracts attention to a special space that otherwise may have
been overlooked.
 A Solo Stove or fire pit adds potential excitement as it evokes an image of
outdoor gathering and entertaining. A small amount of wood next to your
stove or pit suggests that it is ready for the homeowner to get the party
started!

Tip #4: Add color and texture
 The addition of texture and color to your staging vignette will create an
inviting atmosphere, even if you’re enjoying it from the warmth of your
back patio door. A welcoming space can be changed seasonally by simply
changing the colors of your accessories. Instead of using a random color
palette, your exterior accent colors should connect with the colors used in
the interior room that leads outside. If the interior room has a touch of
orange, then expand on this and use orange as a bold exterior splash of
color. Be sure to try to bring the color all the way to the conversation
furniture grouping with cushions or heavy pot, so it all ties together and
unifies the spaces.

 Furry blankets and throws are very popular, and buyers love the Nordic
look and cozy feeling. Outdoor carpets are relatively inexpensive, require
no maintenance, and can unify a space.
 Winter greenery in pots is beautiful and adds texture and naturalizes your
setting, however, be certain to remove any hints of past holidays such as
gold or red glitter accents, and anything plastic or unnatural.

Tip #5: Add lighting
 Multiple sizes of lanterns grouped artfully on the ground and on tables are
both attractive with their warm winter glow and serve as additional
lighting. Be sure to get lanterns with flameless candles that are made for
both indoor and outdoor use, are battery operated, and have a remote
control to turn them on and off from inside the house. Hanging multiple
strings of contractor lights that drape over your conversation area
enhances the setting. Just make sure they are secured properly for high
winds. Whether entertaining outdoors or sitting inside your house, turning
on lanterns or hanging strings of white lights at nightfall creates a dreamy
and desirable winter scene.
Remember, fewer homes on the market translates into less competition. Take
advantage of this opportunity by making your home stand out from the rest by
staging your outdoor backyard space and creating a visually appealing and
enticing oasis for buyers…and for you and your family.