So you are considering selling your lake house. It may be scary in these tough economic times and you may need to consider staging your lake house to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers and to get the price you desire. Staging your house is the act of setting up your house in such a manner that it is appealing to potential buyers.

It is very effective to stage both the inside and outside of your lakefront house. These are 3 tips to make the exterior more appealing:

1. Go stand on the street to see what clients see when driving up to the house. Be aware that any negative impressions they get outside the house (landscaping not maintained or non-existent, peeling paint, etc.) is just going to make them think that the house itself has not been well taken care of. So even if you have spent the time and money to fix up the interior, it would all be wasted if the clients get a bad first impression as they drive up to the house.

2. While the Realtor is trying to open the lock box to get the key, the potential buyer is evaluating the area around the front entry of the home. Does the area show that the owners have keep the home clean? Are the plants around the entry dead or overgrown? When they look in the corners will they see spider webs or hornet nests? Take the time to clean this area and make sure if reflects nicely on the rest of the lake house.

It will pay dividends to make the effort to clean and make the surrounding area look nice. Why not go ahead and put a fresh coat of paint on any furniture or accessories.

3. Don’t forget the backyard. While that might not be part of the potential buyers first impression experience, if the lake is visible from the house it will certainly make a lasting impression. Pull up weeds, water plants, do some sweeping or raking and maybe even purchase new furniture or accessories (plant pots, bird houses, etc.). If a dock is present, has it been cared for? Are there weak or missing boards that need to be replaced?

Another tip that should not be overlooked is to think of yourself as the prospective buyer that is seeing your lakefront house for the very first time. If there are things that you would like changed, it is likely that others will feel the same way. Try to make your house look the best.

You may have to make a small investment in staging your home’s exterior, but you’ll recoup your investment when your lake house sells. By staging your house properly, you’ll shorten the period of time your home is on the market and get most if not all of your asking price.

Hubert Miles is the founder of Waterfront Houses USA, an internet marketing service that provides Lakefront Houses For Sale and Lake Houses For Sale available in the US and Canada.