10 Outdoor Staging Tips for Selling Your Home

What if your yard could do the selling for you?

Most real estate agents agree: curb appeal is essential to sealing the deal in a home sale. A well-maintained exterior not only makes a memorable first impression but can also influence a buyer’s perception, ultimately helping to sell your home faster and for a better price.

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“It’s really important to maximize your outdoor space. People want higher quality furniture and higher quality design,” says Kiel Wuellner, Senior Creative Director for Los Angeles-based Vesta, which specializes in interior design and staging for luxury homes.

“Anything they do indoors, they want to do outdoors too. Ideally, you want soft seating areas, a dining space, a lounge area, and a place for children to play.”

A survey of over 750 HomeLight real estate agents found that outdoor spaces are the second strongest selling point among home features in 2024.

If you’re selling a house anytime soon, follow these outdoor staging tips.

1. Create a welcoming entrance

First things first: it doesn’t take much time or money to add some sizzle to your entrance, whether you’re selling a handsome colonial with a grand wrap-around porch or a modest townhome with a sliver of concrete stoop.

“You want to give them that warm and fuzzy feeling from the moment they pull up to your house,” advises Megan Toll, a top-selling agent with the Kevin Toll Group in Pennsylvania.

Start with a deep cleaning to banish dirt, moss, and cobwebs. Then focus on these key areas:

Front door

You pass through it every day and probably don’t give it a second look. But buyers will. If your door’s paint is peeling or faded, give it a fresh coat.

Tried-and-true neutrals like black and white are safe bets for any type of home. Or make a statement with a bold red or cheerful yellow. Loose or rusty hardware is also a buzzkill. Clean, tighten, and replace yours as needed.

Toll advises flanking your revitalized door with a couple of plants in pots or hanging baskets — she likes ferns — then laying down a pretty new mat, “A fresh mat says ‘welcome home.’ Just be sure to keep it generic.”

Lighting

Instantly elevate your entrance with a new light fixture that matches your home’s architecture, like a Mission-style lantern for your Craftsman or a sleek rectangular sconce for your modern masterpiece. In addition to adding a wow factor, good lighting improves your home’s safety, too.

Seating

If you have room, place a small bench or a pair of Adirondack chairs on your porch. “We have all our sellers add a couple of matching chairs with pillows to their front porch, and maybe some seasonal flowers, if they have the space,” shares Toll. “It really helps create a good vibe for potential buyers going inside for a showing.”