Beyond Curb Appeal: Staging Your Entrance and Entryway

If a home has good curb appeal, plenty of buyers can be expected to arrive at its driveway. What they see as they walk up to and through your door could be a different matter entirely. There are a lot of staging missteps that can hamper a house's appeal, but these staging tips help home sellers clinch that excellent first impression.

Rethink the Entry Door

A lot of experts encourage home sellers to think carefully about any big improvements right before they sell, because they may get into more debt for them than what's earned back in resale value. Happily, the entry door can be an excellent investment. The main entry door gets used more heavily than other aspects of a home’s exterior, and it is also expected to hold up against the elements. An older door can look weathered or beaten in ways that cannot be hidden by a fresh coat of paint. If the entry door is getting on in years, consider replacing it for a bit over a thousand dollars with the likelihood of earning at least 90 percent of that back.

Improve Outdoor Lighting

It is easy to rely on the natural lighting of the outdoors to continually put a home in the right light for buyers. However, some houses need that extra wattage to show off the best parts of its exterior, especially for those early-morning or late-night showings. As an added plus, this improvement costs very little and can be energy efficient. Most porches have a light with a single bulb, and it is just enough to find the way to the keyhole. Add lighting that hangs from the eaves to help people see the detailed stonework on exterior walls. Lights installed near the pavement can feature interesting landscaping on the grounds. Just make sure that none of the bulbs shine directly into a visitor’s face.

Give Eaves a Regular Refresh

Like the entry door, the eaves take a beating and can really show it. The nooks and crannies of the eaves tend to harbor spiders, wasps, or even birds. Make it a point to keep the eaves fresh and clean before every showing, so that a potential buyer never has their first impression tainted by cobwebs or spiders. If a new coat of paint for the exterior is not in your staging budget, at least plan to repair and repaint the eaves and exterior surrounding the front door. Remove chipped paint and replace damaged siding or roof shingles.

Form an Indoor Lighting Strategy

The best-lit front step can still open up into a dark foyer, if the interior lighting is not sufficient. When making plans to replace the entry door, consider purchasing a door with a built-in window. It will look more modern and add a burst of natural lighting. Since spaces shouldn't to be difficult for buyers to navigate, keep lighting options off the floor. Create a combination of bright ceiling lights and softer light bulbs in wall sconces. The effect will vary the colors of the space and reduce the shadows that any one light casts on the walls or flooring.

Get Rid of Visual Clutter

The entryway has a couple of problems for creating clutter. First, it can be beneficial to paint the idea that the home's entryway is ideal for people to bring in coats and bags and hang them up. This requires the use of some storage options, and they may take up floor space. Second, while showing the home, sellers may choose to put in a small table with relevant information about the home and business cards for your real estate agent. When adding something to a relatively small space, keep the visual clutter of the room under tight control. If the first thing buyers feel when they walk in is claustrophobia due to a big coat rack, table, and fresh flowers, the intended effect may be ruined. Keep it simple, and add only a light touch to make it work.

Select Neutral, Clean Colors

Some sellers are still living in the home as they sell it, so an important focus will be to ensure the entryway is as easy to keep clean as possible. A lot of people paint their walls white to appeal to buyers, but this may not be the best idea. White shows dirt and dust much more readily, and people will bring in plenty of both every time they walk through the door. Opt for a soft cream, light gray or other neutral color that will be easier to keep clean on a daily basis.

A lot of effort goes into the curb appeal of a house, and sellers can benefit from their entryway continuing the beautiful effect.  By following these staging tips, sellers can excite buyers about investigating their homes and potentially making a sale.