Front porches and entry steps come first on our list, because every showing starts on those steps. Out back, we style patios and decks as usable outdoor rooms with seating or a dining setup. Even a corner of the lawn can hold a pair of chairs when a house has no patio at all. Every setup is sized to its space, so the area looks generous without looking crowded.

We don't handle either one, because our outdoor work is staging the spaces themselves. Staging here covers placing outdoor furniture and grouped planters where they show off the porch and patio. During our prelisting consultation, we'll point out where fresh mulch or a trimmed shrub would sharpen the front photo. Those jobs go to the seller or the trade they hire, and our staging goes in once the yard is ready.

Snow can cover an Iowa deck for weeks at a time, so we keep winter staging close to the house. In colder months, we put most of the exterior work into the front entry, with a winter planter beside the steps. Covered porches can still hold seating that looks comfortable with a throw folded over one arm. Listings that go live in spring get the patio and deck staged from the first photo.

A bare deck in a listing photo shows a buyer boards and railings with no sense of how many chairs it holds. Set with a table and four chairs, the same deck reads as an outdoor dining room with a clear size. An outdoor room a buyer can size up from a photo adds to the house, while an empty deck looks like one more thing to maintain.