Staging Your Exterior For Sale

Front Door Entrance

• Front entrances are often one of the first thing prospective homebuyers notice. Give an old door a fresh coat of gloss paint to refresh the entire front of the home. For an energized look, choose a color that pops against the exterior in hues -- such as berry red. Select black or gray for a more traditional appearance. Flank the door with tall, potted topiaries to give additional height to the door area. Place a fresh doormat on the floor in a simple monogram design. Complete the entrance with a seasonal door wreath to welcome guests in an inviting way.

Exterior Landscaping

• Keep the area around your home manicured perfectly when the house is on the market. Flower beds should be weed-free. Plant seasonal annuals near the front of the home to highlight the entire exterior entrance. Choose flowers in a color scheme that coordinates with the outside hues of the door, siding and shutters for a cohesive appearance. Lay down fresh bark mulch in all the landscaped areas to bring visual prominence to the beds and create a clean look to the home exterior. Add a water feature among the plantings to add a relaxing sound to the landscaping.

Home Lighting

• Incorporate several layers of light to the exterior to bring attention to different areas. Add decorative sconces on either side of the front door to illuminate the entrance. Choose styles such as updated brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze. Note the style of the home when selecting light fixtures for a professional result. Place solar landscape lighting behind the plants and flowers in the front of the home to highlight them during night-time hours. Place electric candles in the windows of a traditional-style home for a welcoming touch that is reminiscent of colonial days. Wire a pole lamp, and add it to the front landscape bed to add height to the gardens and the home exterior as well.

Front Porch

• Highlight the front area of the home by adding accents to the front porch. Porches come in all sizes, so make the best of the area, no matter what the measurements. Amplify large wraparound porches with white wicker furniture pieces for a Victorian home or bronze-metal for more modern homes. Use new, bright cushions and pillows on the couches and chairs for a neat, updated look. For smaller porch areas, add a stylish outdoor chair with a matching table. The smallest of porch areas could be made more attractive with a small decorative table with an arranged seasonal display of small pumpkins and gourds, wooden birdhouses and nests, small potted geraniums or a large lighted snowman.