Springtime in Atlanta. Grass is greening up, flowers are popping open, trees are budding out and house shoppers are emerging from their winter cocoons to see what's on the market.

What they see from the street may be the deciding factor on whether they walk in the front door.

Karen Pate (ENLARGE)

Flower beds in front lawn filled with seasonal color. Very inviting. Overhead structure at the door? Topiaries on either side of front door? Remove storm door? Repaint front door? Resurface steps with steppingstones? Large evergreen to anchor corner of house or trellis here?

clipart.com (ENLARGE)

VI360.com (ENLARGE)

AFTER

VI360.com (ENLARGE)

BEFORE

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

After decluttering, professional stager Deborah Rey (left) and real estate agent Lisa Vitello freshen up a porch in Marietta. New pillows, a pot full of flowers, a new welcome mat and an area rug vivify the home's overall appearance.

Christopher Oquendo/Special (ENLARGE)

BEFORE

Karen Pate of Jenny Pruitt & Associates reminds sellers of that old saying, "You get one chance to make a first impression. If your house isn't appealing from the street, you immediately have an uphill battle. That potential buyer may not even come inside."

Buyers have lots and lots of choices. "Buying a home is both emotional as well as fundamental," she says. "Which one rules depends on the buyer, but an unkempt and dirty home with overgrown landscaping, incorrect exterior colors on doors/shutters and improper architectural scale will turn off everyone."

Being objective about your home can really be difficult. "Sellers have to emotionally remove themselves from the process," says Pate. "They have to remember it's not going to be their home anymore. And taking care of everything that needs to be done may be more than can be tackled with a 'honey-do' list. They may need a professional to come in and help with the landscaping, cleaning the gutters, getting rid of wood rot, pressure washing the brick and stone, taking care of any other deferred maintenance. If you want to sell today, your house has to be pristine."

SPRUCING UP THE FRONT PORCH

"A welcoming front porch will make you smile and feel right at home!" says Deborah Rey, marketing director for Prudential Georgia and an accredited home staging professional. Here are her five tips for making a front porch feel welcome.

Sweep the steps and porch. Clean porch ceiling fans and replace worn doormat.

If porch is wooden and the paint is worn, consider repainting or restaining for a truly fresh, well-cared for look. Brick porches and stairs can benefit from a pressure cleaning.

Wipe down furniture and replace worn or faded cushions and pillows.

Add an attractive candleholder or other decorative item for a cozy feel.

Keep porch open and inviting by eliminating excess flower pots and other clutter.

Rey and Lisa Vitello of the Prudential Georgia Sandy Springs office recently spruced up the front porch on one of Vitello's Marietta listings. "I always bring in a professional stager as a part of my service," says Vitello. "The difference is in the details, and a professional will take care of those details that make your house stand out for potential buyers. For this front porch, Deborah got rid of the clutter — hoses, trash cans, kids' toys — and put out fresh plants in a spring-green ceramic pot. A new welcome mat, area rug and fresh pillows for the rocking chairs enhance the overall appearance of the home and will bring in those buyers."

A 'DARLING HOUSE' GETS EVEN BETTER

Pate's training as an interior designer is a great asset in her real estate business. This is her listing for a charming Cape Cod in the Haynes Manor neighborhood of Buckhead. "The homeowners have spent a fortune renovating the interior and they've replaced the sod and torn out some overgrown shrubbery. The outside looks good, but there are a few things the seller could do if they wanted the house to register a wow in curb appeal."

The most noticeable architectural feature of the house facade is the large gable and bay window. "The shrubbery here needs to be 'beefier.' I would contour the border to match the shape of the bay and back up those boxwoods with maybe some hydrangeas to give more substance to the foundation plantings. The hydrangeas would provide color in the summer and winter interest with their dried flower heads. A small trellis on the right side of the bay would allow for a vine like a jasmine or maybe a 'Lady Banks' rose, which would climb up the house and soften all that white. And there should be a large evergreen planted on the corner to really anchor the landscape."

For the front entrance, Pate suggests removing the storm door and adding containers on either side of the steps. "Nothing too fancy, maybe a simple three-ball boxwood topiary with ivy draping the planter. And how about painting the front door red to give it some pizazz? The concrete steps need to be either resurfaced or replaced with something like pavers. This is the place where you welcome people into your home. If money were no object, you might even add an overhead structure to provide a more sheltering welcome."

At the street, Pate suggests adding flower beds where the walkway joins the sidewalk. "Soften the right angles with some curved flower beds filled with seasonal color and maybe some short shrubs. That will invite buyers right up the walkway into this beautifully refurbished home."

A LANDSCAPE PROFESSIONAL'S ADVICE

Tim Stoddard of Stoddard Gardens has been sprucing up Atlanta gardens for the past 20 years. "When we're called in to help get a house ready to sell, we may just put flowers by the front door, or cut back the old overgrown landscaping. The job might involve more extensive plantings to really enhance the home's curb appeal. It all depends on the seller and how motivated they are to sell." Stoddard offers these tips:

• Everybody wants to see a tidy entry with containers and a little seasonal color. It's time to start putting out summer annuals. For sun, verbenas and asparagus fern are tough and the verbena will bloom all summer. For shade, get a good fern. "We're using a lot of a variety called 'Kimberly.' " Remember that these plants will need attention. Keep the plants watered legally and rotate them so they get equal exposure on all sides.

• If there's a lawn, it's got to look decent. It's worth putting a little effort into it and now's the time to give your lawn a boost. There's still time to reseed. Hand-water, if allowed, to keep it looking good.

• Make sure plants are in proportion to the home, and nothing looks overgrown.

• You don't want to get rid of something that has a lot of value. Know what you're looking at. If you don't know the difference between a camellia and a hydrangea, get a reference book or go to a nursery and ask. Look at your neighbors' yards. The same dozen plants are probably going to be planted there, too.

• Address any problems with drainage.

• Consider adding a rain barrel. It's a great investment that future buyers will appreciate and will help you keep these new plantings looking good.

• Don't forget to fertilize and keep up with the maintenance. "If all this seems daunting," he laughs, "call a professional."

FROM A BUYER'S PERSPECTIVE

Home stager Deborah Rey suggests you look at your house from the "curb-to-the-front-door" perspective your prospective buyers will be using. She reminds sellers, "The goal is to get as many potential home buyers inside your home as possible."

• Start at the curb. Check the condition of your mailbox and repair or replace if necessary. If the mailbox area includes flowers or shrubs, make sure they are weeded and looking fresh and trimmed. Check the view if your driveway is visible from the street. Reduce/move any clutter or distractions such as children's toys, bikes, pet items and/or gardening tools, hoses and garbage bins. Clean grease/oil spots and keep as clean as possible.

• Clean and sweep walkways leading to the front door. Replace or repair bricks or pavers. Make sure there are no safety hazards.

• Front lawn and shrubs need to be kept trimmed and neatly manicured. Make sure shrubs do not obscure front windows of the home. Remove any large trees or shrubs that infringe or close in on the front porch/door so it remains a clean, clear entryway. Check gutters and downspouts for debris and keep clean. Tend to all flowerbeds and pots to keep fresh-looking.

• Check the condition of your front door. Replace or repaint if necessary. Sometimes, you only need to replace the door handle and hardware, an easy fix that makes the door look like new. Also check around the entry for rotting wood or water damage and replace if necessary. If front door has glass, keep it clean and sparkling. Make sure the doorbell works. Check lighting at front door and make sure all bulbs work. Some greenery on either or both sides of the door can really make your home a standout.

MATURE LANDSCAPING

These before-and-after pictures of this listing in Sandy Springs show off the dramatic transformation made by a good landscaping plan. Pate says, "Hiring a professional to do the landscaping made a big difference. The landscaping that was put in is mature and lush so you don't feel you're in a brand-new subdivision home. It's a great example of how big plant material can give you instant gratification. And look how they anchored the corners with tall evergreen plants. That's great design."

The cedar shake and stone house has a casual rustic feeling that's enhanced by its rocking chair front porch. Pate says, "The wooden rockers match the shutters and just invite you to come have a seat."