Real estate agents have long known how important staging and curb appeal can be to getting the right price or even to selling a house. Now Cleveland-based Safeguard Properties is rolling out a product to help prevent the blighted look of boarded-up windows. “Artistic boarding” is a simple product that can be affixed to plywood boards to make them look like window frames. The company has received positive feedback from a pilot program to test the product.

“Safeguard appreciates the positive response that local governments have offered in connection with the Artistic Boarding pilot program,” said Robert Klein, Safeguard’s chief executive. “We anticipate that these cost-effective boarding options can greatly enhance the communities’ perception of the industry’s commitment to neutralizing vacant blight around the country.” The negative effects boarded properties have on communities throughout the country can be devastating and far-reaching, the company said. The new product addresses the problem of trying to minimize the number of vacant and abandoned-looking properties, while protecting the integrity of a particular property. Feedback from the pilot program suggests that artistic boarding enhances the curb appeal of vacant properties, and can change the face of neighborhoods. It can help revitalize communities blighted with vacancy and preserve valuable housing stock, the company said. Safeguard Properties says it is the largest privately held field services company in the country, with more than 700 employees and a nationwide network of subcontractors to provide superintendence, preservation, and maintenance functions.