When you've got a home for sale, you don't want to wait to wow prospective buyers until they step through the front door. Rather, it's ideal if those interested in buying your home are impressed starting from the minute they pull into the driveway for an open house or a scheduled showing. One way that you can make the home appear inviting is to upgrade the porch. If it's in need of a coat of paint, a cleaning, or other work, this is worthwhile to do.

However, there are several other simple changes that you can make to give prospective buyers a good feeling as they stand in this spot. Here are some suggestions.

Make the Area Welcoming

You want prospective buyers to feel welcome as they step up onto your porch and prepare to enter the home. One way to do so is to place a bouquet or freshly cut flower in a vase on a table next to the door, or place a blooming potted plant in the same area. The addition of either thing will give people a good feeling right away. You should also think about replacing the exterior mat. You don't necessarily need to buy one that reads "Welcome," but you should find one that looks clean and in good condition, rather than dirty and torn from years of use.

Replace the Porch Light

In many homes, the porch light can lack impact. Many homeowners fail to replace the stock porch light that was installed when their home was built, which can give the porch a bit of a cheap appearance. Fortunately, this problem is easy to fix. All you need to do is find an exterior light that looks better than what you currently have, and then hire an electrician to install it—or do the work yourself if you're comfortable with this type of task.

Stage the Area

It doesn't hurt to stage the front porch or your home a little. While you can hire a professional home stager for this work, you can also do it yourself. You want to give your home porch a cozy look that makes people picture themselves using this space. You can achieve this by placing a couple comfortable chairs on the porch, for example. Consider a small table between the chairs, and you may even wish to adorn the table with a couple of coffee mugs and the morning newspaper rolled up.