(Part 3 of my series on http://www.icantremember.org/familyhome/category/home-staging/…)

Improve the house itself in order to stage it:
The exterior of the home should be in good condition. Pay attention to the small details when you stage your front yard. Clean the glass and shine the metal on exterior light fixtures. Not only will clean light fixtures give better light for visitors at night and make your home a safer place to visit, but this will make the house look better during the day, too. Power wash driveway and walks. And keep walks swept!

The path to front door should be highlighted, not concealed. Stage your front yard by emphasizing the entrance to the home. Trim back bushes and limb up trees if necessary to clear a path to the front door. The focal point of your staged front yard should be the front door, not the garage door. Emphasize the path inside, not features that slow you down like the mailbox. Unless flowers around the mailbox will draw eye up drive and walkway to the home or will make visitors better notice your home from the street, do not accent the mailbox with bright colors. The object of staging your front yard is to make your home seem welcoming, and draw visitors into it.

When staging a front yard, pay attention to the entrance to the home. Is the front stoop big enough? If not, expand it with pavers. Potted plants, a fountain, or a statue can highlight the entrance. Paint the front door and add shiny new hardware: kick plate, doorknocker, and house numbers. The appearance of the front door affects how people perceive your home, so stage it to look it’s best.

Finally, decide whether your object in staging the front yard is to welcome visitors to your home or to sell your house. If the object is to sell your house, take another look at the front yard, and remove any personal touches. If the object of staging your yard is to welcome visitors, now is the time to personalize. Your staged yard is already the best on the street—now make everyone know it’s yours by adding those personal decorative touches. Whether you are moving or staying forever, staging your front yard will make your home seem inviting and well kept.