When selling a home, many owners choose to “stage” their house: removing all clutter and bringing in furniture that will appeal to the widest swath of buyers.

But in the process, they often forget to stage the outside of the home. This can be a critical mistake.

“Failing to update the look of your home’s exterior can cause buyers to get a bad first impression when they initially arrive to view your home,” notes RisMedia’s Housecall. “Whether your audience are luxury home buyers or you are selling your starter home, staging the exterior of your home will have a major impact in the sale of your home.”

Where to begin? Here are some tips from Housecall:

Clean outside windows and screens. Dirty windows and screens cause homebuyers to wonder what else hasn’t been maintained on the property. Sparkling windows and screens are a must.

Tidy flower beds and walkways. Nothing gives a worse first impression than flower beds filled with weeds and walkways obscured by overgrown bushes. Pull weeds, trim bushes, replace dead plants and freshen up the landscape overall.

Wash the exterior. Over the years, dirt and cobwebs accumulate on lights, porches and brick or siding. Spruce things up with a power wash. (Consider hiring a professional for this, as inadvertently using too forceful a water stream can cause damage.)

Change tired door fixtures and address signage. Replacing a worn-looking doorknob or buying modern address signage can make a subliminal difference to buyers. This small touch can have a big impact.

Assess patio furniture. Sad-looking couches, wobbly tables and dirty chairs on a patio speak of homeowner neglect. Better to put such items in storage and leave the patio uncluttered than to give this impression.

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