E TERIOR
02.
HAUGEN PROPERTIES MAG.
•
SUMMER 2013
WWW.HAUGENPROPERTIES.COM
Photos by: Matt Callahan, Callahan Photography
X
LEAVE
YOUR LIGHTS
ON
BEFORE
AFTER
Though it may sound strange, outdoor photography should
be done in the evening. The reason for this is that in certain
times of the day you loose detail in shaded areas. Other helpful
exterior staging tips include: Start with an outdoor area rug to
cover up a boring concrete patio. Then add some outdoor furniture
pieces – whatever you have room for: a dining table, chairs, chaise
lounges, sofa, loveseat, coffee table and/or side tables.
You can find good deals on outdoor furniture during mid to late summer
at your local home improvement stores. You can even find good deals
at stores like World Market. If you’re on a tight budget, you might try
borrowing pieces from friends or family while your home is on the market.
Add some bright, colorful outdoor pillows and cushions to the furniture. You
may even want to purchase a market umbrella to shade your outdoor table or
place the umbrella between two chairs or chaise lounges for shade. A brightly
colored umbrella always makes the space look fun and inviting! Accessorize the
outdoor space with flower pots filled with seasonal flowers. If you have a nice
BBQ grill, leave it uncovered, so potential buyers can really picture themselves
outside grilling on the patio!
If your home already has an outdoor living space or outdoor kitchen, then
you are already one step ahead of your competition! An outdoor kitchen
addition can increase the value of your home, and bring upwards of 130%
return on your initial investment. Others have even reported as much as
200%
return on initial investment. Regardless of the return on your
investment you will also have the bonus of the “enjoyment factor”!
Nearly two-thirds of architects are seeing increased demand for
things like outdoor kitchens and fireplaces, according to an
American Institute of Architects (AIA) survey. “There are no
longer these hard divides between how folks are living inside
and outside,” says Kermit Baker, AIA’s chief economist
and a senior research fellow at Harvard University’s Joint
Center for Housing Studies.