Staging Your Home For The "Green" Buyer

Homebuyers are becoming more environmentally aware and tend to be favorably influenced by homes with “green” features. Home staging in general helps buyers feel comfortable with the idea of living in the home. While a home will not sell solely on its green attributes, you can use these ideas to stage your home to appeal to buyers with an environmental conscience. Even buyers who are not as concerned about the environment appreciate features that save water and energy costs.

Highlight green features.

Let your agent know about the green features of your home. Significant ones can be included in the MLS property description and on flyers. Make a list of all the features along with their benefits. Here are some possible items to include: low-toxicity paint, bamboo floors, photovoltaic electricity generation, insulation, recycled content carpeting, occupant-sensing light controls and energy-efficient appliances.

Display green products.

Present a consistent image by including environmentally-friendly cleaning products and items labeled organic in your cabinets. Buyers do peek.

Avoid strong chemical odors.

Smells from a new vinyl shower curtain, new paint, new carpet, strong cleaning solutions can give a buyer concerns about the indoor air quality. You want buyers to notice that your home looks fresh and clean, not to smell it as soon as they walk in.

Decorate with real not artificial plants.

In addition to being renewable, live plants help clean the air.

Don’t hide the recycling bins.

Recycling is a fact of life in Manhattan Beach, where we have separate collection containers for yard waste and recyclables. Show that your home provides space for an attractive recycling center.

Think green for home improvements.

If you are planning to make improvements to your home in order to sell, consider using environmentally friendly products for floors, paint, landscaping and such.

Remember eco-friendly landscaping.

If you have solar landscape lighting, native plants, a water reclamation system, a composting area or the perfect spot for a vegetable garden make sure the buyers know. If you are planning to fix up the area around your home before selling, think beyond sod to make your home stand out to green buyers.