I Asked a Stager How to Transform My Outdoor Spaces — And Got 6 Basically Free Ideas

As a writer who covers real estate trends, I know full well that the Zillow Zestimate on any home should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, it’s just an approximate value in relation to the current market. That doesn’t stop me from taking a glance at my own Zestimate from time to time, though. I did recently, and nearly fainted. I knew values were up in my area, but sheesh. My husband and I have put moving plans on hold for a while, but this has me thinking that maybe we should start packing.

But how much would my home go for? And is there any way I could up the value of my space? In a wave of motivation to improve my space overall, I reached out to Ana Cvetkovic, principal of Rowhome Design, a Philadelphia-based home staging and interior design firm. Why not get some staging tips if we do decide to list in the near future? As it’s summertime, I asked for advice on increasing my curb appeal and overall yard space. I sent her photos, and she sent back some really useful tips. 

We line up our trash, recycling, and compost pails alongside the house behind our gate. Cvetkovic suggests hiding them somewhere else for an open house, or at least for the listing photos. (No worries there; it’s a personal pet peeve of mine to see an otherwise beautiful house marred by a blue recycling bin in front.) 

We also have a random footstool, an umbrella base, and some folded-up lounge chairs on our patio that Cvetkovic said we should get rid of — easy-peasy. She also recommended ditching a small bin that holds our furniture covers. Even though it’s nice and neat, she says, “If I see a storage bin [outside], I’m going to think, oh, there isn’t enough built-in storage in the house.”

I was thrilled that Cvetkovic liked our small but tidy yard, and she encouraged me to keep it that way. She liked the dark mulch in the little circle garden we have in front of my house because it adds visual appeal. She suggested that we add some bushes or greenery to cover up the foundation in front of the house for even greater curb appeal. 

I’ve long heard that a new front door can do wonders for both curb appeal and resale value. But Cvetkovic told me all I have to do is repaint mine if I want. We have beige vinyl siding, so she suggested a bright color. Honestly, I haven’t thought about doing anything other than black or a deeper brown for the front door, so perhaps this summer I’ll have some fun browsing the paint aisle. Right now, I’m drawn to blue. 

She recommended mowing the grass at an angle to make the yard look larger. Because we hire a landscaper to do that, it’s worth an ask when the time comes. 

The one fly in the ointment is some yellowish/brown spots on our front grass. I’m still trying to get a handle on just how much water our grass needs, especially because we have long bouts of rain followed by extreme heat here in New York City. I’ve often thought about installing a sprinkler system, but for the size of our lawn it doesn’t make much financial sense.

Okay, this one is totally on me. We have these ugly numbers on the mailbox, but none on the actual house. I had bought one of those personalized iron plates with our initials and our number on it when we first moved into the house, but it was so heavy and we were afraid to attach it to the vinyl siding, so it’s just propped up on our front steps. I need to find a pretty but lighter set of numbers that attach easily. I’m on it! Maybe I’d go for something a little more vintage at heart. I’m checking out Etsy! 

Our bumpy driveway desperately needs a redo, but it’s way too pricey of an investment for us right now, and especially if we sell our home. I came up with what I thought was a brilliant idea to place a car in the driveway during open houses to distract from the pavement, but Cvetkovic says no — sellers might make assumptions, good or bad, based on the owner’s car in the driveway. Fine — bumpy driveway it is. I guess I’ll have to hope that would-be buyers will be happy enough to have off-street parking.

We hire someone to do this for the outside of our house every year or so, and I know this is a must-do before selling. But instead of just the house, Cvetkovic suggests doing the concrete patio and the walkways for a nice, clean look everywhere. 

I’m a bit bored with our traditional table, chairs, and umbrella setup. I was surprised to hear Cvetkovic say it was just fine to keep, but she recommended that we add a hammock to create the “oasis” in the backyard that buyers look for. Because we are sticking around, she suggested that if I were in the mood to splurge, we could upgrade our patio furniture. 

“You always want furniture that’s a degree more luxurious than the house,” she said, adding that this goes for interior staging, too. “You’re creating this ideal image for people,” she says. “You want people visiting the house [and saying] I’m absolutely going to spend all my time out there.”

Outdoor staging might have different components from indoor staging, but it’s still about creating a space that buyers crave.