Tips to stage your home’s exterior

Most sellers know that curb appeal is critical to attract potential buyers. Patchy brown grass, overgrown bushes and cracked walkways detract from a great first impression, which is impossible to recapture.

Today, because of the surplus of listings in many markets, the competition to make one’s home win out versus another’s is stiffer. No single factor creates the appeal, and there’s no percentage of the home’s value to recommend investing in curb appeal, since so much depends on the condition of the yard and the home’s facade, says Chris Cipriano, president of Cipriano Landscape Design in Ramsey, N.J.

The best strategy is to focus on a mix of landscaping that reflects current trends, be sure everything is well-maintained and that the exterior of the home also is kept up to snuff.

For example, today’s landscaping has curved and asymmetrical lines rather than anything too boxy and square, says Julie Dana, co-author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Staging Your Home to Sell” (Penguin Group, 2007).

Adds Arnie Pellegrino, owner of Long Island Elite, a landscape construction company in Rocky Point, N.Y., “Neatness counts most. Edge all beds, fertilize the lawn, add fresh mulch.” When finished, stand at the curb and pretend that you’re a buyer arriving for the first time. You’ll know in a New York nanosecond if you still have work to do.

One caveat: Don’t confuse landscaping improvements that you make to sell your house with those that you make once you move in to enjoy it. Some may be the same but others aren’t.

You shouldn’t, for example, construct a swimming pool just for resale. In general, include features that make sense for your home’s listing price and neighborhood, so you don’t overdevelop it,” says Kurt Shippy, president and principal landscape designer at Custom Images Landscape Design & Development in San Clemente, Calif. Some additional pointers:

Create a Luscious Lawn

A good lawn is as important for the outside as clean, well-maintained, carpet is for inside. The lawn should not have patchy brown areas, should always look like it’s been watered and fertilized and should be regularly mowed, says Gabriele P. Campbell, designer and principal of DF Campbell Ventures Group Inc. in St. Albert, Canada. If you need to plant grass seed, consider rye grass, which is inexpensive and germinates quickly, says Cipriano. If you don’t have an in-ground sprinkler system, don’t install it for resale.

Accentuate Accordingly

A few large, healthy trees give a house — especially a recently constructed one — a mature look. If a house doesn’t have any, Shippy recommends planting a few with a 60-inch container, or a 15-foot-tall tree.

So much depends on the size of the front yard and house, but a few big trees show an established look, he says. It also shows that you cared enough to invest some dollars rather than just save money and plant a stick, he says.

Be sure that some of the trees are shade trees that screen the house from hot summer sun. Bushes also can add shade. Again choose the size according to the size of the house and yard.

When it comes to existing trees and shrubs, be sure you eliminate dead limbs and prune branches and leaves so that buyers can see the house and all its parts clearly, says Mark Nichols, president and CEO of Organic Growing Systems in Alpharetta, Ga.

Another advantage of trees and shrubs is that they can be used to delineate property lines.

Flowers with Flash

A mix of flowers in a mix of colors is the best way to perk up a yard. “Bright reds, purples, whites and yellows appeal to buyers,” says Jim Remley, author of “Sell Your Home in Any Market” (AMACOM, 2008). And remember, he adds, “The choices are not about you but what buyers prefer.” Campbell favors perennials over annuals, since they return.

Shippy likes to plant flowers under trees and at the corners of a house rather than in huge beds. While others might prefer the big beds, almost everyone agrees that seasonal choices work best since they cut costs, and drought-resistant or xeriscape flowers and plants conserve water, particularly if you live where there’s a shortage.

One important caveat is to avoid over-planting flowers, since you don’t want your yard to resemble a shopping center.

The Right Way

Any cracks, missing slate tiles or bricks in your driveway or along your walkways need to be fixed. If the cracks in a driveway represent more than 50 percent of the total area, you might be wiser resealing the entire area, says Dana.

You also can make these pervious surfaces stand out with some simple tricks. A concrete driveway can be stained a soft color that complements the home. If you need to install a new walk, be sure that the material works with the color and style of the home.

Shippy also likes to make any walk or path a bit circuitous to create a sense of adventure, then place something wonderful at the end such as a sculpture or large planter.

Turn on Bright Lights

Illumination offers many pluses — to highlight trees, walkways, water features, flowers and the house itself, as well as to make homeowners feel more secure when home or away. Today’s low-voltage lamps are so small that they won’t distract from the natural beauty at hand. Work with a lighting designer or knowledgeable landscape designer for best results.

Odds & Ends

Camouflage air conditioning units within a fenced area or behind bushes and invest in a new mailbox if yours has peeling paint.

Be sure house numbers look new rather than tired, and the same goes for a flag and its pole, if you have one. And don’t forget to be sure the exterior of the house looks perfect with a good power washing for the facade, freshly painted shutters and front door, and that downspouts and gutters in top condition, says Nichols.