The following is a guest post form Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage agent and Previews Luxury Specialist, Michelle Serafini of La Jolla, CA.

Selling your home in today’s market means appealing to the way people shop and see products. Think of your home as a product, and think of the first day it is on the market as your home’s product debut. The house needs to not only sparkle but create a feeling that will linger in the minds of the potential buyers.

Most people think staging your home means just the inside. Not true. Actually, the part of your home that many people remember the most is what the outside looks like. So for first time sellers week, we’ll break out my staging secrets into two parts: the exterior and the interior. For this post, let’s focus on the outside. Here are 6 tips to make that outside of your home ready for its close-up:

1. Go around the perimeter of the home and remove all garbage cans from sight. Discarded wood scraps, extra building materials, tools, you know…all those items that you saved for the “project” or “just in case” need to go. You would have to toss all that before you move so do it before you even go on the market. Think of a trip to the dump as one of the least expensive staging tools available!
2. Check your gutters and roof for dry rot and moss. Make sure they are clean, repaired and operational.
3. Examine your yard. Remove dead plants, weed all planting areas, prune bushes and trees and put down fresh mulch. Keep plants from blocking windows.
4. Plant seasonal flowers to bring color to your yard, create outdoor spaces that set the tone for outdoor living, even if you are in cold climates, the outdoor spaces can extend the living area of a home, use that to your advantage.
5. Clear patios and decks of all small items, such as little planters, flower pots, charcoal, barbeques, toys, etc. Stage these areas with furniture and plants that give a visual of an outdoor oasis, tranquil garden space, or added entertaining area for the home. In other words, create outdoor vignettes that let the buyer’s imagination run wild with the possibilities your outdoor spaces offer.
6. Check the condition of the paint on your home’s exterior, especially the trim and the front door. Touch up as needed to give the house a tidy and well-kept look.

Click here to read Part 2 of the 6 Staging Secrets.