Because home buyers today are keen to get the most house they can for the money they spend, emphasising your “extra” living space is a great way to capture their attention. Your exterior spaces are really additional living/entertaining space and making the most of them can net you a bonus when it comes to sale time. Of course, properly preparing all the spaces in your home prior to listing is essential.

Giving your deck a facelift can be done in just a few steps that only require a weekend, some elbow grease, and a trip to your local home improvement store.

Inspect and Repair:

Your first step in refurbishing your outdoor living space is a thorough inspection. Look carefully at any part of the deck that is in direct contact with the ground, such as the posts, stair stringers or joists that are at ground level. Look for decay or insect damage – it doesn’t matter how pretty the deck is if it’s not structurally sound. You don’t want your deck to collapse in the middle of a dinner party. Check to see that the connections between the deck and the house are solid for all the same reasons.
Inspect railings carefully to ensure that they are secure. Look for nails that have worked their way up and out of the floorboards and railings. Either hammer them back into place or replace them with screws. If you find damaged boards, replace them.

Clean:

Just in case you didn’t get the memo, decks require a good cleaning once each year to keep them looking their best. You’ll be working with concentrated chemicals so wear protective eye covering. You’ll also want to protect nearby plants and shrubbery. You can buy powerful cleaners that won’t destroy your greenery, but it’s a good idea to give your plants a clear water shower after the deck has been cleaned.
You can make your own deck-cleaning solution – this one is recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory as plant-friendly and it’s does a good job on mildew and dirt.

• 1 litre chlorine bleach
• ⅓ cup powdered laundry detergent that contains no ammonia
• 3 litres warm water

Mix these ingredients in a large bucket, then brush the cleaner onto the deck using a broom or other medium bristled brush. Rinse the deck thoroughly and allow to dry completely. If you and your home staging professional don’t consider a new coat of stain is necessary to complete your deck’s property presentation Sydney treatment, you can end the project here. If, on the other hand, you want to make a stunning statement, go on to the final step.

Finish with Finish:

A semi-transparent stain is the best choice for older timber. Old timber can be dry and very “thirsty,” so, depending on the condition of the wood, you may need more than the usual three coats. Semi-transparent stain soaks into the wood, allowing the grain to show through, and gives the wood a consistent colour even if you’ve had to replace a few boards. It’s also formulated to withstand the sun’s damage over a longer period of time.

A paint sprayer is the preferred method of applying stain to a deck as rollers and brushes will cause the stain to roll through the gaps and down the cracks. Spray a thin coat of stain on the deck first, and then use a roller or brush to even out the coating to help the stain to dry uniformly. The second and third coats should be applied before the first coat is thoroughly dry. Use a four-centimetre brush to touch up the exposed ends of the boards to finish the project.

Let your new buyers know that annual cleaning of the deck and applying a new coat of stain every other year will keep the deck looking sensational and inviting.

Remember, sellers; the appearance of the exterior of your house is very important to the process of selling your property. Playing up your additional living space is an effective way to add value to your home. When it comes to property presentation Sydney, your home stager will applaud your initiative when you take the time to rejuvenate your deck, and buyers will reward you with extra cash at closing of the sale.