Outdoor trends that emerged during the first two years of the pandemic continue to develop and enhance play, curb appeal, and healthfulness.

Key Takeaways:

• Homeowners can divide their yards into separate, functional, quasi-rooms for organization and as an extension of indoor living.
• Drought-tolerant native plants have higher survival rates in their climate and attract pollinators, butterflies, and birds.
• Shade from trees provides climate control for homes and yards.

After the pandemic began, many homeowners planted vegetable and herb gardens to avoid supermarkets or to start a new hobby. Gardening offered safe exercise and stress relief in fresh air versus indoor gyms.

Then came the surge of pools as another avenue for outdoor recreation when many people curtailed travel. However, the number of requests for pools resulted in long waits for installation, sometimes beyond a year. Costs for in-ground pools also soared, says Sacramento, Calif.-based landscape designer Michael Glassman. 

Now, as the pandemic enters year three, gardens and pools are still popular, but homeowners are stepping it up a notch. Many are creating an extension of their home outdoors, with more purposeful areas to work and socialize.

“Most of my clients want ‘everything,’ including pools—indoors and outdoors—oversized swim spas, hot tubs, kitchens, mini orchards, vegetable and herb gardens, putting greens, and bocce ball courts,” says landscape designer Laurie Van Zandt of The Ardent Garden Landscape Design in Huntsville, Utah.

Others want more land for privacy, which is the case for many of Angela Mayfield’s clients in Charleston, W.Va. “They want at least a half-acre to enjoy with children and pets,” says Mayfield, an agent with Better Homes & Gardens. This trend is also reflected in a recent Harris poll commissioned by the TurfMutt Foundation, which found nearly three-quarters of home buyers say a spacious yard is at the top of their list.

Whatever yard projects homeowners decide to take on, what matters most is good design and installation, says Joe Raboine with Atlanta-based Belgard Residential, which manufactures concrete pavers and retaining walls. Southampton, N.J.-based landscape designer Steve Chepurny of Beechwood Landscape Architecture and Construction, adds a third essential: good organic compost soil.

With spring at our doorstep and the buying season heating up, here are some outdoor elements real estate pros can mention to their home shoppers.

1. Providing a better view.

As the work from home trend continues, more landscape professionals are receiving requests for gardens that clients can savor from inside. Evanston, Ill.-based landscape architects Ryan and Claire Kettelkamp have received two requests this year from clients who want to have a pleasant view from their home office window.

“The birds become their co-workers, and one client asked for bird feeders,” Ryan says. Sometimes, all it takes is a big window with few or no mullions to bring a garden into focus—inspired by the worldwide View From My Window Facebook group that started during the pandemic, Glassman says. Good lighting with LED bulbs also allows for night views while paring energy.

2. Working in fresh air.

After two years of working indoors, more homeowners are itching for a new home office—and as the weather warms up, they’re venturing outdoors. To make an outdoor workspace functional, Kettelkamp recommends a Wi-Fi booster. Landscape architect Marc Nissim of Harmony Design Group in Westfield, N.J., also suggests outdoor electrical outlets, a comfortable worktable and chair, a pergola or pavilion for protection, and a TV and speakers if warranted.

An accessory dwelling unit is another option for those who want a more structured work area in their yard that offers some privacy, says Paul Haden, founder and owner with son Jack of C2 Collaborative Landscape Architecture in San Clemente, Calif, who says California has made ADU approval easier.

3. Planning a pool.

Despite costs doubling and tripling in some areas, interest in pools continues. The most sought-after style remains a classic rectangle, which Nissim refers to as a “Hamptons look.” It’s considered best for swimming laps and fitting with an automatic cover. Other homeowners prefer custom in-ground gunite designs. More affordable options include vinyl, fiberglass, or shipping containers, which may shorten the installation timeline.

Pool lighting has become a more integral part of modern landscape design—sometimes with lights floating in the water, says Greenwich, Conn.-based landscape architect Janice Parker. Coping is key for underfoot comfort with Nissim preferring bluestone or marble, often interspersed with grass. An adjacent spa or “spool”—a larger version of a spa but not pool size—allows a different kind of water enjoyment, Glassman says.

4. Seeking less maintenance.

Many homeowners are asking for easy-to-maintain hardscape and landscape materials that afford them time for other pursuits. Examples abound: A steel overhead cover requires less care than wood. Though it can be expensive, faux wood such as Durawood doesn’t require painting, and lightweight aluminum can substitute for wood. Masonry posts in stucco or brick also need less care, Glassman says.

Many hardscape floor choices also don’t require repainting like wood does or the removal of moss, which is a problem with bricks. Larger format pavers require less grouting and are easier to install, helpful now with a labor shortage in some markets, says Raboine. For this reason, Chepurny favors porcelain tiles. “They also reflect a clean, contemporary look and are available in large format sizes,” he says.

Nissim offers the caveat that many communities limit how much impervious hardscape can cover a yard since it may increase water runoff and flooding. Another way to pare upkeep is with an irrigation system managed from an app or by water sensors.

5. Focusing on entertainment.

As homeowners look to return to regular socializing, their outdoor spaces may prove the best option, says Parker. “Before everyone wanted to entertain indoors to stay away from bugs and inclement weather; now everybody wants to entertain outdoors to stay away from unhealthy indoor air,” she says.

The trend is to separate outdoor spaces into functional, quasi-rooms. Depending on budget and area size, a cooking zone might include a grill or more bells and whistles such as a pizza oven or fireplace with an Argentine grill to cook on an open fire, says Kettelkamp.

For outdoor relaxation, Parker says more clients request “fun” furniture with built-in illumination, fire pits, fans, and water misters. Nissim also sees the use of more bistro lighting, strings installed on their own electrical system that create an instant party look. There are also more “toys” that stay outdoors, from ping-pong tables to big-screen TVs, Chepurny says.

As part of the trend toward healthfulness, an area of the lawn may be set aside for meditation and yoga, says Raboine. Nissim had a client ask for a labyrinth to walk. To avoid pests, Patrick Abbott of the green company, Ecoshield Test Solutions, recommends fogging or misting treatments and mosquito buckets rather than harmful pesticides.

6. Incorporating sustainability.

With garden professionals emphasizing climate control and biodiversity, there’s greater interest in using drought-tolerant native plants that have a higher survival rate in their climate and attract pollinators, butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. “There used to be a mindset that you had to give up your garden to do the right thing but now there’s recognition you can have it all,” says Haven Kiers, assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of California, Davis.

San Clemente, Calif.-based landscape designer Jodie Cook is seeing a more maximalist, biomimicry approach that imitates nature through diverse plantings rather than the former monocultural repetition of a single plant. “It’s healthier, more attractive, and uses less water,” she says. To achieve this, she recommends a garden feature with 70% native plants and 30% other choices and replacing the lawn with permeable concrete pavers, decomposed granite, pea gravel, or other surfaces pervious to water. Cook, who focuses on ecological design, says artificial grass isn’t a wise substitute since it’s bad for sustainability because it can’t be recycled, it creates urban heat islands, and it removes live plants that absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Besides choosing low- or no-water plants, Cooks says the amount of water needed can also be cut by harvesting it from rooftop water collection systems and reusing it via swales and rain gardens, which eliminates municipal water irrigation.

How sustainable gardens look varies by climate and site. In Van Zandt’s high-desert area, she often designs it to blur a property into its surroundings by strategically placing boulders, creating winding paths around existing native trees, and mixing native materials—from grass seed blends to ornamental grasses, perennials, and shrubs like sage and red twig dogwood. In the Northeast, Nissim says he might use low rustic, pea gravel paths, hardy, deer-resistant allium millennium, and deer-resistant carex groundcover.

7. Personalizing beyond plants.

Plants aren’t all that’s showing up in gardens. Jim Charlier, an avid home gardener and co-author of GardenWalk Buffalo: A Celebration of Urban Gardens, says many of the gardens on his city’s annual July residential tour—the largest nationwide and about to celebrate its 27th year—incorporates art, pottery, statues, and quilts to personalize spaces.

Cook also sees homeowners incorporating antiques and statuary in surprising ways for placemaking. Some choices may also reflect a client’s heritage, a trend Van Zandt has made. For a client of Greek ancestry, she designed a modern landscape with classic statuary and a tiered fountain.

8. Bringing in added structures.

Screened porches are hardly new but have become more popular since they eliminate the presence of annoying bugs while offering outdoor enjoyment. Modern designs use unobstructed screens, motorized shades, sometimes heated floors, and even heated furnishings, says Parker.

Chicken coops let homeowners experience farming. “Once you taste fresh eggs, there’s no going back,” Parker says. However, not all communities allow these animals in yards, so homeowners should inquire, Nissim says.

A greenhouse lets plants thrive in a controlled environment. Prefab kits are replacing pricey custom designs, and can be outfitted with a sink, vent, fan, mister, and even a chandelier, says Glassman.

9. Watching for new ideas.

Homeowners should talk to their local nursery staff who know what grows well in the area. Also, advise clients to wander their neighborhood to see what’s thriving. Tell them to keep their eyes open for new trends. The pandemic has spurred entrepreneurs to create pop-up plant nursery trucks, the equivalent of food trucks, that drive through neighborhoods, Kiers says.

10. Developing a budget as costs soar.

Designing a garden has become a costly undertaking as costs rise. Van Zandt says plant and material prices have shot up 20% to 30% over the last year. “Just about any landscape I design seems to start at $60,000,” she says. “Throw in a greenhouse, Corten steel beds, fencing, a bocce ball court, or a gas-fired pit or fireplace, and it really goes up.” Nissim is seeing the same price escalation in his New Jersey area and says concrete has climbed 20% and a fireplace now may cost $25,000 or about five times more than a fire pit. Raboine has seen costs at his paver manufacturer business climb by one-third.

Many experts suggest homeowners set aside 10% to 20% of their home’s value for outdoor work and ongoing upkeep, which means a $500,000 house might call for between $50,000 and $100,000 on yard improvements, excluding a pool.

One of the best ways to control a budget is to work from a master plan. Van Zandt says she generally charges between $1,800 and $3,800 for a design depending on project size and complexity. Once it’s bid out to contractors, if too high, work can proceed in phases. Less costly products can be chosen, such as gravel rather than stone for a patio or smaller rather than large mature plants, shrubs, and trees, she says. Sprinkling native seeds is another way to start affordably, says Kiers. “They are so much less expensive than full-blown plants, and it’s healthier to start that way,” she says.

11. Understanding the value of trees.

Trees are a vital part of the landscape, giving scale to a home’s architecture and offering fruit, color, and drama, whether a single tree or grove, says Glassman. When buyers move in, suggest they reach out to a certified arborist to assess the health of existing trees, prune and feed them, and advise on new ones to plant based on soil and light. Trees should never be planted too close to a house to stop branches falling on its structure, animals from using branches to enter a home because the roots can spread and cause damage. Trees also help provide climate control since their canopies can shade a house, outdoor areas, and shade-loving plants, such as dogwoods, ferns, and azaleas, Glassman says.

Kiers says it’s smart to buy smaller trees that will remain healthier and grow faster rather than big pot- or root-bound trees, which can girdle or strangle the trunk as the tree grows. In drought-prone areas, she encourages homeowners to continue watering their trees even if they must curtail watering their lawns. “They need some deep watering to survive,” she says.

12. Shared spaces change, too.

More efforts are underway to provide outdoor spaces beyond yards. Landscape architects Paul and Jack Haden are working with developers and city agencies to create Wi-Fi-friendly “tech pods” in public parks, allowing people to work outdoors in a sheltered space with a laptop—and bring along a cup of coffee and maybe a dog.

“Many of these parks are maintained by private funds, such as one in Playa Vista,” says Jack Haden. The tech pods can be used by one or several people, he says.

The Hadens, a father-and-son partnership, also have designed master-planned communities that take greater advantage of outdoor space in new ways. Playing golf surged during the pandemic as a socially distanced outdoor activity. But in prior years when the sport had waned, some golf course communities switched out their fairways for other uses. The Hadens redesigned a plan for Miralon Palm Springs, turning the 309-acre site of an abandoned golf-course community—which failed during the Great Recession—into an agrihood with developer Freehold Communities.

Wellness real estate has also grown—now a $275 billion industry, according to 2020 data from the Global Wellness Industry. Wellness is a particular interest of C2 Collaborative. The Hadens replaced the golf course with open space and added a trail system using decomposed granite for walking and bicycling.

Unlike many of the other 200 or so agrihoods sprouting up nationwide, which include variations on agricultural produce, the Hadens’ more novel decision was to plant 7,000 olive trees and set up oil refineries. “We learned after doing a water analysis that olive trees require little water. They also help deflect wind and produce fruit that can be converted to oil on-site,” says Paul Haden, CEO. “Some of the oil will go back to residents and some will be sold, helping to reduce homeowner association (HOA) costs.”

There will also be traditional community and vegetable gardens, a clubhouse, dog park, yoga lawn, pools, bocce ball, and 1,150 modern-inspired, energy-conserving residences constructed by three builders. About 30% of homes have been built and sold, and phase two’s landscape amenities are expected to be completed by 2024.

“You can live well and be well in the same location,” says Jack Haden.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Homeowners have been spending more time in their backyards since the pandemic began. For a growing share of owners, it’s become a new hobby or a place to relax. Sixty-nine percent of Americans recently surveyed say that doing yard work—either maintaining it or adding or updating features—is one of the ways they like to relieve stress these days, according to a Yards Study from Harris Poll.

“Over the last few years, families have used their yards more than ever before, and the Harris Poll indicates a vast majority of those who have a yard plan to invest even more in their yard in the coming year,” says Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation, which was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute with a mission of teaching others how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.”

The TurfMutt Foundation offers the following tips for maintaining or enjoying a lawn or landscape this spring:

Plant more, early, and often. Adding trees, bushes, grass, and flowering plants can be a good yard investment, but they often take time to grow. Plant early as recommended to enjoy the benefits faster. Remember the golden rule of backyarding: right plant, right place. Location, maintenance, sunlight, and watering needs should all be considered, along with your climate zone.

Consider the full picture. Your yard is an important part of the connected ecosystem, and adding flowering plants, trees, and shrubs gives wildlife and pollinators food and shelter. Check your climate zone for landscaping options that support the birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife that call your neighborhood home.

Care for your yard properly. Only water when necessary. Overwatered grass gets lazy, growing roots in a horizontal pattern. With less water, grass sends its roots deeper—vertically—seeking water. By working harder, grass does a better job of sequestering carbon and releasing oxygen. Install watering solutions like smart controllers on irrigation systems that help conserve water while maintaining your backyard.

Also, find the just-right length to cut your turfgrass—typically between 2 and 3 inches, according to the TurfMutt Foundation.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Home staging is all about arranging furniture and enhancing the setup of decor to help present a home in its best light. But some real estate pros are turning to “white boxing” for certain properties—the complete opposite of home staging. White boxing is about removing everything from a property and showing an empty space of just bare floors and white walls.

For homes that are not in the best shape—whether damaged, neglected, or aged—white boxing can be a good strategy, Kimberly Jay, a broker with Compass in New York, told Apartment Therapy.

After all, “staging these kinds of homes is like putting lipstick on a pig,” Jay said. “Buyers know the home needs a gut renovation, so price accordingly.”

Jay has used white boxing for some high-end homes as well, even for units in brand-new luxury buildings. Sometimes a completely blank canvas allows buyers to better visualize designing the space to their preferences.

But some buyers may need help imagining where everything would go. Also, sometimes an empty room can look smaller than if it were finished. It also can feel less welcoming.

“Furnishing a home typically gives the eye perspective and helps a prospective buyer see how a room can be laid out,” Steven Gottlieb, an agent with Coldwell Banker Warburg in New York, told Apartment Therapy. But “if the seller’s stuff is an eyesore or creates too much clutter, it can hurt the sale, as the buyer might be distracted and can’t imagine their own things in the space.”

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Sowers may bring flowers, but they also might cause flooding in basements, crawl spaces, and weakened foundations. Here’s how to help homeowners prepare and prevent that.

Key takeaways:

• Enlist expert inspection and advice from a company trained in water issues.
• Take preventive measures, like adding a sump pump, and make sure to keep up with regular maintenance.
• Learn what the signs of water damage look like to mitigate problems should they occur.

Heavy rains in spring, as well as the last melting snowfalls of winter, present a couple of distinct downsides: the potential for exterior and interior water damage to a home.

Water that seeps or gushes in may cause foundation cracks and walls to cave in, and while this may happen year-round, homes are more susceptible to this damage in spring when the amount of water may be excessive.

Installing wide gutters and downspouts or having them pitch away from a home can help prevent damage and the need for expensive repair, including mold remediation.

While having infrastructure work performed is hardly as appealing as renovating a kitchen, bathroom, or deck, ensuring a home has a stable foundation sets the stage for future renovations. It also ensures homeowners can live within their space without concern for the consequences of water intrusion, like damage to a home’s mechanical systems and contents in the basement or crawl space. 

Christopher McLaughlin, divisional sales manager of Groundworks, based in Virginia Beach, Va., articulates seven critical steps that his company recommends to protect foundations, waterproof basements, and control moisture in crawl spaces.  

Have a Specialist Perform an Inspection

Home inspectors do a good job of providing an overall evaluation of a home, McLaughlin says. However, they may be more skilled at noticing something awry, such as a cracked basement foundation wall, than at offering a solution when it comes to certain problems. That’s when it becomes useful to hire a water or foundation specialist to make a recommendation and do the work. Otherwise, a homeowner may find the problem is like a snowball rolling down a mountain. “It gets bigger and bigger until it’s corrected,” he says.

Add a Sump Pump

If a home has a below-grade area, the basement may have ground water enter. Hydrostatic pressure—what any fluid in a confined space may exert—can cause water to push on foundation walls, damaging them and allowing water to seep in, McLaughlin says. Installing a sump pump system removes the water and carries it away from the home. Depending on the size of the basement, more than one pump may be necessary. The general rule of thumb is that a pump is needed for every 100 linear feet, McLaughlin says. Homeowners should also invest in one that runs continuously; some don’t, he says.

Yearly, it’s smart for homeowners to have an expert change the pump’s check valve, which ensures that water won’t return at the point of exit, and clean sediment from the pump to keep water flowing smoothly. A back-up generator for the house or the pump is recommended in case the power fails during an emergency. A company that specializes in water and foundation issues can assess the home’s structure and recommend what horsepower the pump should have.

Clean Gutters and Downspouts

The build-up of leaves and other debris can stop water from flowing off a roof and away from the house. Most homeowners should have gutters and downspouts cleaned at least twice a year—after leaves have fallen before winter and once snow has stopped in spring. An expert can advise if your gutters and downspouts are wide enough and draining water far enough from a home—ideally, 15 feet, so water doesn’t pool around the foundation and cause damage. Standard downspouts are 2 to 3 inches, while some measure up to 6 inches wide.

Install Flood Sensors and Vents

A flood vent is for homeowners whose houses have only a crawl space and lie in a high-risk flood zone. An expert can swap the crawl space vent with the flood vent, which turns on its side, allowing water to pour into the crawl space rather than be forced inside, potentially causing damage to the foundation. A flood sensor is an alarm that alerts homeowners to leaking water from a mechanical failure in a crawl space or basement.

Learn the Signs of Water Damage

Traces indicating a problem may appear on the exterior or interior of a foundation. Homeowners should also pay attention to water that sits outside their home, which may slowly seep in. Inside the home, owners should be aware of efflorescence, a crystalline salt deposit that can form when water remains over time. Cracks in a basement wall may also indicate additional problems in the home’s support system due to moisture in floor joists or piers causing weakening. Bowed walls may also indicate a water problem that needs prompt attention.

The solution to any of these problems is not to paint walls with a waterproofing solution, since that’s a Band-Aid and the problem will worsen over time and become more expensive to fix. Instead, they need a good drainage system installed—possibly drainage tiles—and the sump pump.  

Raise Utilities and Storage Above the Ground

If the basement has a furnace and other HVAC equipment, homeowners should be sure these systems are raised off the ground in case waters enter the space. The same goes for storage boxes with files, any memorabilia, or out-of-season clothing that may be stored in the basement. McLaughlin always stresses to homeowners that carpet or hardwood flooring should never be used in a basement because moisture can easily damage them. A better choice is luxury vinyl tile planks.

Adjust as Needed for Sloping

Sloping land can cause water to run toward a house rather than off the property. The addition of a gravel bed may help filter or slow the water. A French drain may redirect it away from the foundation.

Spring flooding is inevitable, but in most cases, it doesn’t have to cause issues for homeowners. Recommend that homeowners take some or all of these steps when they move in or when they can budget for them, to prevent costly and time-consuming damage.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

Many developers believe that turnkey homes—high-end, furnished, predecorated homes that allow buyers to easily move in—are what home shoppers want nowadays. The trend is taking root in places like Hawaii and California and in many second-home resort communities.

Rob Kildow, director of sales and principal broker for Hualalai Realty, told Mansion Global about the growing appeal of turnkey residences in his market in Hualalai, Hawaii. Fully furnished residences will sell within days at or above asking price, he says.

“When our residents sell their home, a buyer from a smaller property here buys it and moves into the bigger space,” Kildow says. “They leave the smaller home fully furnished while they create their new residence. I then have a three-page waiting list of buyers interested in that smaller property.”

Kildow told Mansion Global there’s a “clear trend toward single-family, ‘want it now’ homes. Psychology always provides different sales drivers, and the pandemic pushed buyers on the fence to buy—in some cases ‘sight unseen.’”

A home fully furnished and decorated may have fewer surprises for a buyer. Also, during the pandemic, furniture and construction materials have faced supply chain bottlenecks that have made getting materials tougher.

Silversands Villas on the island of Grenada, Calif., is selling fully furnished homes that also feature original artwork that stay with the homes. Kandace Douglas, a real estate sales and marketing director at Silversands Villas, told Mansion Global the development is embracing the luxury “move in now” mentality that more buyers appear to be exploring.

“Turnkey homes offer peace of mind and instant enjoyment—while avoiding construction costs and labor force issues presented by today’s economy,” Terri A. Haack, president of Rancho Palos Verdes, a resort along the Southern California coast, told Mansion Global. “Time is priceless.”

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission

The business of home staging is under transformation. Though physical staging has long dominated the market, virtual staging is quickly becoming a go-to option, but whether it’s the better option depends on several factors.

Key takeaways:

• Staging helps highlight a home’s space and architecture and appeals to the broadest buyer market.
• Virtual staging is coming up quickly, offering a lower cost, more flexibility, and a shorter timetable than traditional staging.
• Help sellers decide which option is best for them by looking at factors like budgets and timetables.

When Barb Schwartz introduced the concept of home staging in 1972, inspired by her background in theater, the idea was novel.

Instead of having buyers view rooms as homeowners had lived in them, salespeople removed any contents—from art to furnishings—that cluttered, dated, or personalized spaces. This purging made it easier to see a home’s architecture and scale. New buyers, it was thought, would have an easier time envisioning themselves in the space.

The concept gained a following, as well as sophistication in process, and led to a profession of trained specialists. With their arsenal of furnishings, baubles, and art, these specialists made a job of staging homes to sell. Sellers usually paid for the service, since many staged listings sold faster and for higher dollars than those not staged.

Staged homes continue to sell well, and the service is in great demand as a result. In the National Association of REALTORS® 2019 Profile of Home Stagingpdf, one-quarter of buyers’ agents said that staging increased the dollar value offered by between 1% and 5%.

When Demand and Competition Increase

Nowadays, staging has become almost de rigueur, and professionals with the skills are experiencing an uptick in business. Professional organizer Amanda Wiss of Brooklyn-based Urban Clarity added staging to her repertoire and has seen her business grow by 80% over the prior year.

An increase in the demand for staging also translates into an increase in higher expectations from the clients. To stay relevant in a competitive market, stagers have come to spend more time and money to fashion staged rooms that outdo one another. What’s more, stagers must have a well-rounded and working understanding of what’s necessary to fit a property’s architecture, location, and trending decor. From clean contemporary to mid-century modern, and farmhouse, stagers need to know it all, says Beth Franken, broker-associate with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Chicago, who earned staging credentials from industry trainer ASP.

The increased competition has also spurred stagers to charge more, sometimes 8% to 10% of a listing price, though this varies based on the work involved.

Wiss recently staged a listing in the New York City area with multiple bedrooms and charged in the mid-$20,000 range, and just like when the staging trend originally picked up steam, sellers are still paying for the service.

The Rise of Virtual Staging

Of late, staging has evolved to include the digital realm. Now, rather than physically staging each room in a home, virtual staging allows a company to use a program to map out the home and choose proper furnishings for the space. The increase in the virtual option is due in part to a few factors, including:

• Advances in technology that produced more realistic results
• The influx into the marketplace of millennials, who are more comfortable shopping online than any previous generation
• The pandemic, which made looking at homes online more popular to keep everyone safe

More companies specialize in virtual staging nowadays, allowing salespeople or homeowners to pick from an expanding library of design choices. Want a mid-century modern room with Herman Miller furniture? Check. How about a modern Italian look? No problem.

In some cases, stagers digitally remove furnishings or decor like wallpaper. To make it clear to prospective buyers that the space might not look exactly as it does in the virtual staging, however, salespeople attach a “virtual design” disclaimer, so there’s no misunderstanding.

Cost-Friendly and Adaptable

Virtual staging offers flexibility new to the industry. The time saved over using a truckload of furnishings also makes it more sustainable, says Atlanta-based salesperson Christopher Matos-Rogers with Coldwell Banker. The price skews far lower than physical staging, spurring more practitioners to pick up the tab as part of a marketing budget, says Ilaria Barion, founder of Barion Design.

Since 2005, Barion has staged more than 50,000 properties and is focused on the luxury market. She switched from working as a physical to a virtual stager in part because of the specific needs required in the luxury space.

“Unless you’re going to spend a lot of money, the rental furnishings may cheapen a property’s look. The cost of luxury home staging has skyrocketed. It also takes time to assemble the furnishings,” says Barion. The sheer number of people searching for homes online—95% of home shoppers, according to a reportpdf from Properties Online—makes virtual staging a useful option.

Also, on the plus side, she’s found that virtual staging allows “you to do amazing things and fast—move in a baby grand piano, for example.” Her company charges per photo, taking into consideration the size of the room. Clients can expect prices from $49 to $399. If furnishings need to be digitally removed from the space, it charges between $20 and $90 per image. Additionally, and unlike in physical staging, Barion’s company typically delivers within a few days.

Thanks to virtual staging, Barion also offers a special custom staging service from scratch. With this service, she offers renderings, and she can offer an express service that’s less expensive for small dwellings.

BoxBrownie.com, an Australian digital staging firm that also performs photo edits and redraws floor plans, charges even less—$24 per virtual image with a turnaround of 48 hours for a new design. It will remove images within 24 hours. The firm, the pitch battle winner at NAR’s inaugural Investment, Opportunity & Innovation Summit in 2018, also has a large inventory of photos in different styles, says Tabitha Thomas, general manager.

Some companies work both ways, as does Atlanta-based No Vacancy Staging. The company charges $39 per virtual photo if the salesperson or homeowner opts for self-service. If they seek advice, the cost is $60. It also offers a two-business-day turnaround and can provide an online quote and contract within 15 seconds, says co-founder Krisztina Bell. As different spaces in a home take on greater importance, it stages them, too, such as more outdoor areas, Bell says.

Virtual staging also offers the advantage of presenting variations on the same space to show flexibility. Throughout the pandemic, buyers have wanted to see that a space might function as a home office, classroom, or gym.

Choosing the Right Staging Option

While its popularity trends upward, not everyone’s convinced that virtual staging is always the best choice. Some experts recommend studying a potential hire’s portfolio to see if they offer adequate digital choices and professional quality software and photos that accurately portray dimensions, perspective, and scale, Franken says. “Some images look fake,” Barion says.

Conversely, some digital versions are so persuasive that, after seeing photos online and later entering the home, buyers are disappointed by seeing empty rooms or the seller’s furnishings instead.

“It may initially raise buyers’ expectations and set them up for a let-down when they see rooms in person,” says Kristie Barnett, whose Nashville firm, The Decorologist, runs in-person and online staging seminars through her Expert Psychological Staging firm.

In contrast, she feels that traditional staging makes spaces appear larger and more valuable. “Done properly, it puts the emphasis on the selling points (the architecture) rather than the decor, and helps buyers know how their furnishings will fit by seeing how comparable items look,” she says.

Which route to go may also depend on the age of potential buyers and how they like to shop, says Chicago commercial interior designer Mary Cook of Mary Cook Associates. Cook has merchandised thousands of model homes and apartments for discerning builders and developers of residential properties.

“Many millennials are very comfortable shopping for a home or apartment using virtual reality, digital renderings, or virtual walk-through renditions online, and even buying without stepping foot inside. But that’s very different from how many boomers like to purchase. They want to see rooms and furnishings in-person to know what works,” she says.

For example, she cites the repurposing of the Tribune Tower in Chicago, which transformed from offices to condominium residences. “Initially, the developer opened for sales before the model units were complete. Potential buyers were interested, but once furnished models opened, sales quickly accelerated. It made a huge difference for the older age group buying to see how rooms might be used, including turning a massive foyer into a gallery,” she says.

Salesperson Franken had a similar experience taking over a condo listing in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. It was virtually staged and sat unsold. Franken decided to use contemporary furnishings she collected to physically stage the home. “I charged the seller $2,700 and dropped the listing price $6,000. It sold within four days,” she says.

But those like Bell of No Vacancy Home Staging say there’s room for both approaches. “Virtual isn’t meant to replace home staging but [to] offer another option. Both have evolved and will continue to do so,” she says.

BONUS: Starting the Conversation

One of the toughest parts of the staging process is starting the conversation with sellers. It’s not easy to ask that they remove all or some of their objects to make space for new furnishings, especially if they’re still living in the space. “Many are still reluctant, and you have to be careful never to say anything that’s insulting or seems a putdown of what they own,” says salesperson Beth Franken.

Instead, she suggests using stats and stories to share how staging can help before listing a house. “You can’t put something on the market twice,” Franken says. Staging expert Kristie Barnett agrees. “First impressions are felt, not thought, and take place almost instantaneously when someone enters a property.”

Both also suggest pointing out simple staging ideas that a salesperson or homeowner can do on their own:

• Get rid of what won’t be moved to the next home.
• Use hangers that match.
• Remove about 60% of the items from closets and bookshelves.
• Declutter glass-fronted cabinets and counters in full view.

“The eye needs to have an uninterrupted take on a room, and too many things, patterns, and colors distract,” Barnett says.

Showing photos of staged homes makes a significant difference, says salesperson Christopher Matos-Rogers. He uses his area MLS to pull up examples of other listings in their neighborhood that demonstrate how much better a well-staged, well-photographed home presents and performs. “Helping people see the difference is everything,” he says.

More ideas to share are in NAR’s 2019 Profile of Home Staging:

• The median dollar value spent on staging was $400.
• Twenty-eight percent of sellers’ agents said there were slight decreases in the time on market when a home is staged.
• All rooms don’t need to be staged, but the most common to stage are the living room, dining room, kitchen, and owner’s bedroom and bath.

National Association of REALTORS®
Reprinted with permission