{"id":11518,"date":"2019-07-31T17:11:45","date_gmt":"2019-08-01T00:11:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=11518"},"modified":"2026-04-08T11:11:07","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T18:11:07","slug":"how-to-hide-garbage-cans-outside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-hide-garbage-cans-outside\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Hide Garbage Cans Outside So It Doesn’t Ruin Your Curb Appeal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether they\u2019re bright blue, muted gray, or classic metal, those garbage cans and recycling bins out front can torpedo your curb appeal<\/a> before buyers even set foot in your house. Add the icky smells and other associations with garbage<\/a>, and buyers might crinkle their noses just by the sight of the cans alone.<\/p>\n

\u201cThink of yourself as a buyer looking at a house. How would you feel if there was a garbage can there? I don\u2019t think I\u2019d feel too good,\u201d said top performing real estate agent Pete Veres<\/a> of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here, we\u2019ve rounded up several ideas for hiding garbage cans when you\u2019re selling your house. (Naturally, these work for recycling bins, too.)<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"how<\/a>
Source: (Randy Fath\/ Unsplash)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Work with your fence and the layout of your property<\/h2>\n

Veres points out during his initial consultation spots to hide garbage cans outside in the fenced backyard\u2014someplace \u201cas discreet as possible\u201d but also easy for sellers to move the cans for trash pickup.<\/p>\n

A lot of his clients\u2019 homes have side-gated entries, where the house\u2019s or garage\u2019s wall tucks in a bit, and wooden fences. Behind the fence and against the side of the house is better than out front.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest thing we try to do is eliminate the garbage cans from being seen at the front of the house, and then if there are people walking around the house, put [them] in a location that\u2019s not going to block a view or block a feature,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"how<\/a>
Source: (Luis Yanez\/ Pexels)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2. Put the bins in the garage, then get them out of sight<\/h2>\n

The garage is another option, especially for showings and for photos that your real estate agent might use to show your property at its best.<\/p>\n

Stowing trash cans in the garage\u2014once they\u2019re empty, of course, so that they don\u2019t stink up the place\u2014has the added benefit of giving the impression that the house is spacious, said Julie Dana<\/span><\/a>, an interior decorator since 2002 and owner of The Home Stylist, an interior decorating and staging business in the Buffalo, New York, area<\/span><\/p>\n

Potential buyers tend to think \u201cyou must have an issue with storage if you have to have things out.\u201d (That\u2019s why she tells clients to stow their kitchen and bathroom trash cans in cabinets under the sink or in a closet.)<\/p>\n

That said, you don\u2019t have to look at the cans in the garage, either.<\/p>\n