Curb Appeal: The Initial Seduction
The buyer drove to your house and likes what he/she sees.
Now, you want to seduce your buyer into coming inside your
house-you can do this by taking some initial, do-it-yourself steps.
So, let's get working on your house's exterior to establish that initial
seduction!
How's the Neighbourhood?
One of the best things you can do is to observe your house
from a distance; for example, as you are driving through your
neighbourhood, observe the neighbourhood and other houses in it. Do
your neighbours keep up their houses? Are you located on a quiet,
family-friendly street?
The market, of course, will dictate how well your house sells;
at the right time, you may even get more than your asking price.
However, it all depends on whether your house is in marketable
condition, in an ideal location or surrounded by other higher-end
houses.
You cannot much control your house's location; if you are in
the enviable position of having a house located in a ritzy
neighborhood or off a lake, you will not have to worry much about
getting your asking price. Many times, people buy the location as
much as the house.
However, if you live near an unsightly structure or directly off
a busy road, you may have to work with your real estate agent in
pushing the good points about the location. Is it close to schools and
religious centers? Is there easy highway access, which reduces travel
time to and from work? If so, make sure potential buyers know this.
Of course, another more sensitive issue that you might face is
your neighbours. If your neighbours leave junk in their yards or do not
keep up their property, it may be harder for you to sell your house,
because people do not want to move into neighbourhoods they
perceive as old, trashy or run down.
Unfortunately, there is little you can do on this front. If you
have a good relationship with your neighbours, you can possibly talk
to them about your situation in trying to sell the house, as long as
you handle this delicate matter with tact and politeness. (You might
even volunteer to hire a grounds keeping service to touch up a
neighbour's yard-but make sure your neighbours approve first).
Your neighbours might be experiencing rough times right now if
the head of household has been laid off.
Or perhaps the neighbours do not have time to upkeep their landscaping.
Perhaps, though, they just don't care. Because there are so many reasons
why your neighbours may not be upkeeping their houses/yards, it is a
touchy subject for most to broach.
If you cannot talk to your neighbours or you do not feel
comfortable in doing so, you might be able to talk to the head of
your neighbourhood board; check to see if your neighbours are
violating any established policies, and if so, ask the board to address
the issue.
Your real estate agent can also brainstorm with you ways to
handle the issue. Real estate agents are much like public relations
spin-doctors; they know how to describe anything so it sounds good.
Capitalize on that!
House Inspection before You Sell
If you really want to make sure that your house will be sold
without any problems, seriously consider having a prelisting house
inspection, whatever you think the condition of your house is. You
do not want your buyer to request for any repair(s) later on--or
worse--walk away from the deal based on an unsatisfactory house
inspection. Also, the buyer will probably order his/her own house
inspection and may not want to share this expense with you. Either
fix the problem areas, or renegotiate your listing price or offer
something to offset the repair costs.
Ask your agent or friends and family to recommend house
Inspectors.
You may need to compare fees as well as the extent of the
inspection. And don't forget to ask for references.
If you found any problems, either fix it or disclose. You do
not want to be sued for fraud and be liable for any financial
liabilities. The best policy is to be honest about any physical
problems with your house.
Outside Expectations: First Impressions?
Spend an afternoon evaluating your house's exterior, and if at
all possible, ask a friend (or any third party) to join you. Together,
you two should honestly, no-holds-barred evaluate what
improvements may be necessary; it helps to let your friend know that
you want his/her 100 percent honest feedback. (Definitely do not
react harshly if he/she suggests an improvement you had not
considered. Remember, you must have thick skin throughout the
entire house-selling process, and your friend is only trying to help.
Consider giving your friend a little treat, such as movie
tickets or a fresh floral bouquet, when you sell your house, so he/she
feels appreciated for the extreme honesty you needed!). It will also
be helpful if your real estate agent can join you and your friend.
First, stand outside your house, and objectively think, what
jumps out at me? The gorgeous front door? The impeccable
landscaping? Or the frail porch or run-down steps? Any loose
shingles on the roof? Sagging gutter?
Beautiful landscaping and a well-kept yard are both
positives, but if anything on the outside of your house, such as
rickety steps, looks dangerous, make a note to fix it. It is critical to
always ask yourself, would I buy this house? Chances are, you
would not move into a house that was dangerous to enter or that
would cost you an arm and a leg to renovate, especially if the seller
is asking top dollar for the property.
A fresh coat of paint or a new roof can also make all the
difference in "curb" appeal-how your house looks to potential
buyers from the outside. The colour of your house can also be a great
selling factor; is it a deep blue or beautiful hunter green in a
neighbourhood of mostly white houses? If so, a unique hue may work
in your favour in the selling process (Never paint your house an
unusual color, though, without first checking with your real estate
agent and your neighbourhood board-sometimes, there are
regulations about what colour you can paint your house). Make sure
the colour of your house matches with any detached garage, barn or
tool shed.
If you happen to have an older paint job, though, you can
always wash the house's exterior or dress up doors and window
shutters with a more modern colour. Clean the window screens and if
they are worn out, remove them. Moreover, if you have older front
doors or garage doors, make sure you replace them with more
modern ones. While the cost here can add up, spending a little
money now will help sell the house faster.
Don't re-model the house structure to the point that rather
than enhancing the appearance, it may be considered an eyesore
compared to other houses in the neighborhood.
Of course, if you live in a particularly favourable
neighbourhood, you are already at an advantage, since such properties
are always popular. But never use your house's location as a reason
to shortcut on making house improvements.
The Front Yard
Make sure your front yard kidnaps potential buyers with its
clean look and delightful, if not impeccable landscaping. Make sure
your landscaping is remarkable; plant a tree or some colourful
flowers, which can add a homey touch to any house (trees also add
to the value of property).
• Start by picking up any children's toys or miscellaneous junk
(including lawn decorations), and remove any old cars or
appliances which may be visible.
• Remove any graffiti.
• Sweep and pressure wash the walkways and the exterior of
your house, if necessary. A clean front yard area is a great
first step to luring prospective buyers!
• Trimmed grass, bushes and tree branches also enhance the
front yard. If any tree branches are touching the roof, trim
them.
• Make sure that fences are clean (no rust, worn paint spots)
and uncluttered and that gates open and close with ease.
Making repairs to a fence or gate latch are fairly inexpensive,
so do not forget to evaluate these outdoor fixtures.
• Make sure the mailbox is in good working order and that it
looks attractive. Paint it if necessary, and have any missing
bricks or cement replaced.
• Wipe clean any outside fixtures such as the air conditioning
unit.
• Plant a few colourful flowers near the front door, below
shrubs, around trees, and/or by the walkways and fence, even
if the landscaping is all rocks. Ask your local garden retailer
for inexpensive varieties such as impatiens and gardenias.
• Put in window flower boxes to create more interest. It will
add charm to your house.
• Driveways should be free of grease build-up or rust.
First impressions count, so make sure EVERYTHING a
potential buyer sees conveys the image of clean, well-to-do
hominess! And by the way, keep that car out of your house's
entrance way!
The Back Yard/Porch/Deck/Balcony
The same guidelines apply to the backyard, as well. Picking
up toys (or worse, a dead refrigerator) and any trash and making sure
the back yard area is landscaped beautifully will add to the curb
appeal.
• You should also evaluate any stationary play sets and make
sure they are in good working order. If, for example, you
invested in a sturdy wood play set when your children were
younger, and it is still in great condition, you can use it as a
bonus-selling feature. However, if you have an old metal
swing set that is on its last legs, take it down. It's better to
have nothing out there than to showcase junk.
• If you have a spa or outdoor pool, make sure it looks inviting
when your house is shown. Have it cleaned and free of any
algae or dirt, and clean the areas where you have the motor
and pool accessories. Easy fixes like this will make your
backyard so much more appealing.
• Remove any laundry hanging out to dry.
• Make sure any outdoor furniture, gazebo and railings are also
clean.
• Consider re-sealing your porch or deck for added appeal.
• Plant colourful flowers by the fence or shrubs or set a few pots of
flowering plants.
If all this sounds like too much work, you might consider
hiring a cleanup crew, although you should be prepared to spend
about $500 on such services. The advantages, however, are that
professionals can clean the front and back yard in one day, as
opposed to two or three. And with superior tools, they will probably
do a better job than you can.
Outside the Budget?
Because the outside of your house is the first glimpse of the
house potential buyers see, you definitely want it to be visually
pleasing.
Of course, some fixes, like replacing an old porch or re-roofing,
are more expensive and time consuming. But you should
evaluate with your real estate agent whether it is worth your time to
make such fixes, especially if you are selling the house below market
value or just want to get rid of it as soon as possible. (With anything
that requires a hefty price tag to fix, check with your real estate agent
before investing in any repairs).
Costly improvements do not always improve the resale value, and to make up for the cost of improvements, you will have to adjust your asking price (which
could price the house out of the market).
However, there are other fixes, such as cleaning windows
and picking up yard clutter, that are cheap and easy (if you have any
junk on a front porch or sitting in your yard, call the waste removal
department in your city. A representative can give you the phone
number for the office responsible for picking up larger items that
belong in the garbage).
Also remember that lighting is a cheap fix. Because many
house buyers drive by houses after dark, keep the attraction
consistent from day to night. Turn on your outdoor lighting in the
front and back yards. To enhance your nighttime appeal, you may
want to consider installing lighting on driveways, walkways and
around trees. You could even install an attractive light fixture on
your front porch, if your budget allows.
Overall, though, when you look at the outside of your house,
it should be clean, safe and inviting. Following is an outdoors
checklist, which can help you evaluate which improvements are
necessary. And remember--always ask yourself, would I live here?
Exterior Checklist
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AREA OF CONCERN
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YES
|
NO
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ESTIMATED
COST/ PLAN
TO FIX
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1. Is the grass neat, tidy and green?
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2. Are the flowers and bushes in good shape- watered, alive and not
growing uncontrollably?
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3. Is the rest of the
landscaping visually
pleasing (rocks, trees, water sources, gardens)?
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4. Are other stand-alone structures (car ports, clothes lines, tool sheds) in stable, attractive condition?
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5. Are there any swing sets or play sets that are in rickety condition?
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6. Are kids' bikes, toys and plastic pools visible?
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7. Is there any "junk" on your front porch, such as
furniture or appliances of any sort?
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8. Are there cars, tires or other large items housed in your yard?
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9. Are trash cans visible?
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10. Does the house's
exterior look presentable
(freshly painted, clean)?
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11. Have the windows
and outdoor shutters all
been washed?
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12. Are gutters and
chimneys clean?
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I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of this series - Curb Appeal: The Initial Seduction.
Stay tuned for part 3 - INSIDE THESE WALLS: THE NEXT SEDUCTION!
If you have any questions regarding how to prepare your home for sale call Barry today! Your Oakville & Burlington Real Estate Expert.
;)
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