In today’s real estate, the allure of outdoor living has transcended mere property features into an absolute buyer lure for homes and apartments. Almost 2/3rds of the population confirm their increasing desire to spend more time outside their home in comfort. The hot news is home buyers are prioritizing outdoor areas for relaxation, recreation, and socialization, when deciding on house purchase; 39% said they will pay more for larger gardens.

Real estate experts say well planned outdoor living areas can add as much as $20,000 to the value of a house. Beyond the obvious features a buyer wants inside the icing on the cake are outdoor spaces designed to lure the desire for al-fresco dining, imagining relaxing after work, entertaining friends, and family; as well as being able to provide space for the wellness and fitness of the whole family.   As mentioned before these rapidly evolving trends will impact traditional staging work and pricing.

Let’s look at some trends you need to be aware of when deciding on what furniture to bring to support the function of a dedicated space.

1. Seamless Indoor to Outdoor Transition:

   Starting with flooring, deck experts are seeing an increase in demand for a consistent aesthetic with indoor flooring and decking materials. Barette Outdoor Living InstaDeck® are tiles which snap together, creating a free-standing ground level deck in a few hours. No screws needed.

   Alternatively, the wood-look, waterproof porcelain tile is durable.

2. Peace & Tranquility:
   Zen the moment – interestingly as people spend more time outside doing activities they would normally do inside (like watching TV/Movies) the increased noise pollution for the neighborhood increases exponentially too. Creating a peaceful sanctuary for the buyer most likely to purchase the property is a smart stager strategy. Including strategies to reduce the clamor of city life, close neighbors, and activities a buyer may want to do in their own yard -takes thought.

3. One of the best and most ecofriendly ways to reduce traffic noise & create privacy is by planting hedges, with a fence and plants. Adding a water feature is also a great white noise barrier. Fountains and waterfalls close to seating areas are fabulous noise filters.

4. In addition to seamless indoor-outdoor flooring and vibe, a huge saleable factor is continuity, creating cohesion in your styling using materials, texture, and peaceful color palettes. Textured throws, dreamy pillows and a rug on the floor all add to the subliminal ambiance. People are desiring high performance fabric options and because of technology and development you can now find outdoor fabric which feels like cashmere and linen. They are amazingly resilient, which is especially great with pets and kids.  Retailers have also noticed, with the uptick of spending more time outside, people  investing in timeless, high quality furnishings vs disposable & trendy. Summer inspired rattan, cane, wicker, seagrass all made a comeback with the advantage of weatherproofing. Adding billowing white gauzy drapes with the quintessential Boston fern (if you have some shade) will add to the quiet, timeless ambiance
5. Classic, discreet color palette for garden beds:
   is especially important for the front of the property. The first impression must be huge and send the most positive of impressions. A restrained color scheme looks more expensive than a hap hazard mixture of bright colors.  Various shades of green, gray green, white and pale pink, lilac or blue. As much as many think hot colors like red and orange are great for curb appeal -they actually raise the blood pressure. Calmer paler colors are pleasing to the eyes& brain while lowering stress levels. TIP: Be sure to have the sellers edge all the beds. Either will metal edging or use a spade to get crisp, neat edges.  It s one of the simplest things that makes a huge impact. Year round appeal can be provided with boxwoods and cedars for lush texture. Trees add huge value if well maintained. If you are lucky enough to have a big shady tree on the property be sure to add a chaise for cool napping. The tree canopy is at least 20degrees cooler than exposed areas. Shade trees also protect the house from wind and keep it cooler in summer.
6. With 82% of homeowners interested in outdoor innovation (NKBA, 2023) and a $154.4 billion worldwide smart house industry (Statista, 2023), smart solutions are becoming a growing trend in patio design. Covered porches, four season rooms and from motorized louvers to integrated LED lighting, cooling porch fans technological advancements are transforming the way we interact with and enjoy outdoor areas.. Floor-level windows extend the horizon by carrying sightlines out to the expansiveness from inside out.   Retractable glass walls and black window frames instantly pull the eye, making the property look chic.  Here the Magic Window Wall™ – the only four-season-rated product like it in North America – turns an outdoor dining space into a year-round gathering hub, with maximum ventilation, thermal blinds and an integrated bug screenBoth Canada and USA have federally funded Home Energy efficiency grants to upgrade windows and worth looking into. Skylights are also being integrated into many parts of the home where natural light is needed,
    as well as unique approaches to cross ventilation and nature viewing as seen here in this cute pool house .
7. Everything illuminated I love the uplighting in the trees, but even more adore the way trees have been planted in the center of the cedar deck. Lighting is high on the desired wants of new buyers, even if they are solar and white string, they just add the magic fairy dust people want. Landscape lighting can not only help with perceived property  value, it also improves the usability of space after dark. Remember about 40% of buyers drive neighborhoods after dark. Include some technology with smart lights and remote controls.
8. As mentioned, wellness is huge, Yardzen reported, that internet searches for the garden home sauna has risen 45%.   The structures are organic in shape and color, easy to access and maintain during any season. Plug into household electricity and you are ready to roll. Staging wise you would roll towels, some garden and vacation inspired magazines with water bottles.
9. Green thumbs are trending too! Those planters could be hosting tomatoes, herbs and lettuce. In the quest to live more sustainably AND save money people are eager to grow their own produce. Staging with a few gardening items to inspire rustic nostalgia would be a trug, a trowel, some heirloom seed packets with a roll of jute garden twine.

10. Adding to the noise pollution filters would be the simple addition of windchimes. The sounds of gently tinkling bells with the water feature add to the relaxation equation.  We all know some can be annoying; what material wind chimes are made of is the main factor affecting their sound. Each material produces a unique sound. Metal makes a clear, sharp and strong sound, bamboo will make a gentle soothing sound. For a rich harmonious sound look for a variety of tubes/pipe lengths. Longer ones will produce deeper tones while the shorter ones can be “tinny”. The best type makes a sound that enhances the overall ambiance of the space. The thinker the tube the richer it sounds. Woodstock chimes have a sound room: https://chimes.com/pages/sound-garden

11. Wind chimes are used in Feng Shui to create a soundscape inside and out.  Windchimes are really unique because they are played by the wind, which is created by the sun. So, they are basically solar powered – you do not need any batteries or anything. You can create your own sound bath, which is often done with gongs but can be done with wind chimes as well.  Wind chimes definitely reduce stress. Music lowers your blood pressure, and it relaxes your muscles – just sit and do your own experiment and listen to the chimes. You’ll feel the difference in your mind and body.”

12. Speaking of Feng Shui: don’t miss this opportunity to learn from an incredible Feng Shui maestro Fern ______ she had created for us a specialized training for stagers to get property sold! Learn more here:

Benoit Properties say, the investment in outdoor improvements yields substantial returns, indicating a positive correlation between outdoor space upgrades and property appreciation. Properties with well-designed outdoor spaces not only command higher market values but experience faster turnover rates. Outdoor amenities contribute to enhanced curb appeal, enticing prospective buyers and rentals if the property is an investment for vacation rental.