So you’re preparing to sell your home. Which areas should you stage?

Here’s the reality. Buyers will decide how they feel about your home within the first 90 seconds of stepping inside it. My tips to help you make a good first impression:

Photos

Hire a professional photographer. Professionals know how to create superior lighting, understand which angles most flatter a room, and have the skills to make a two-dimensional space look inviting. Nine out of 10 buyers start their search online, so capture them from the get-go.

Exterior

Curb appeal is essential. The landscaping, flower beds, and mulch must be fresh and pristine. Be sure to give your front door a fresh coat of paint.

Interior

The most important rooms to stage are the first-floor public spaces. You’ll want to stage the foyer; dining, living, powder, and great rooms; kitchen; and office. You’ll also want to spruce up the master and en-suite bath, if you have one.

I generally don’t stage the secondary bedrooms. You’ll want these spaces to be painted with neutral colors, decluttered, and decorated with gender-neutral furnishings and artwork. Buyers don’t want to repaint your kid’s hot-pink bedroom.

The entryway

The foyer is critical, especially because it is in that 90-second “hot zone.’’

Declutter

Remove the umbrella stand, the box you throw your shoes in, and any clutter that ideally should be housed in a closet or in the garage.

Clean out the closet by removing coats that are out of season. Ideally, you want half of the closet available for your guests’ coats. It’s a turnoff to see a bulging closet. Buy higher-end wooden hangers that match and hang them in the closet. Remove items that are on the floor and top shelf of the closet.

Lighting

Update the lighting in the foyer with a “transitional style’’ fixture. I recommend www.rejuvenation.com for high-quality, economical pieces.

Wallpaper and paint

Create a neutral, sophisticated palette by removing any patterned or outdated wallpaper and painting the walls a neutral tone. If grays work with your current palette, I recommend Benjamin Moore’s “Collingwood.’’ Gray tones like this are popular, fresh, and neutral.

Rug

Think the bigger the better when it comes to the entryway rug. The rule of thumb is that the area rug should be one-half to two-thirds the size of the floor. So if you have an entryway with an expansive double door, your rug should be at least as long as the two doors and several feet wide. As you are shopping, think 3-by-5 or 5-by-7 instead of 2-by-3 for this space.

Furniture

A small console table and mirror work well if your foyer can hold furniture. A table invites potential buyers in and gives them a place for their keys. A mirror adds light and brightness to this space.

Flowers

Place a vase of lilies on the foyer table for the photo shoot and for the open house. Flowers make a home smell like spring and create a warm, welcoming entry space.

Before

After/alternate angle

Kara Woods, an award-winning home staging and design professional who specializes in the luxury market, teaches at the Academy of Home Staging and serves as Northeast regional vice president of the Real Estate Stagers Association. Send comments and questions to Address@globe.com.