11
Aug

Going Green with Home Staging

More and more people are being conscious of their impact to the environment and going green. That cause-and-effect thinking can also rely heavily on what kind of home you have. Although it can be a smaller, niche market, more and more homebuyers are considering buying green homes. This also in turn means that sellers should maybe factor in this consideration and should be ready when prospective homebuyers ask when about how green their home is.

Reasons for Going Green

Going green through home staging can be at equal parts simple and complicated. It really also depends on what definition of green you’re looking into.

Lower energy costs

The first reason why a homebuyer could be looking into going green could be due to energy costs, which means your process of home staging can include purchasing energy-efficient appliances and LED lighting to demonstrate that your home can easily be turned into a green home. Also consider checking if you have good insulation and weatherproof windows. Speaking of windows, it would be good if you have a lot of natural light streaming in your home – it not only looks better and gives the space an airy feel, but it also demonstrates the need for less lighting during daytime.

Health concerns

Another reason for going green could be for health reasons – becoming organic and making sure that a home uses non-toxic materials. If that’s the case, when you clean and declutter your home as part of the home staging process, make sure to use environmentally friendly cleaning products that are natural and free from chemicals. These cleaning materials can be put “on display” inside an easily accessible closet in the bathroom or kitchen. Homebuyers usually like opening and checking out things in a home for sale, and they may chance upon this.

Also, consider if you have carpets, which can be an unpleasant experience for allergic people. Another way to home stage your home in a green way is to put on a fresh coat of paint where it’s needed, but go the non-toxic way by using a low-VOC paint that also won’t make the air inside smelling like chemicals.

Sustainability

Lastly, going green may also mean a bigger reason for buyers, which is going for something more for sustainability. This one is a little bit tricky and also depends on how your home was made. Usually these kinds of buyers look into having their own homes made or something that was already considered as sustainable in the onset, with building materials being sourced locally and having the least amount of carbon footprint.

Even landscaping can come into play here, as some green homebuyers would even check out if the plants in the house surroundings are mostly native plants and those that don’t require too much in terms of water.

Photo credits: StockMonkey.com