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Get Them In The Door - The Appeal Of Curb Appeal

Spanish Street I love the european approach to enhancing a home. It's about personality, color and uniqueness. It is easy to be drawn down a narrow street curious to find out what is around the next corner. Colorful plants draw the eye and brightly painted doors and awnings shine against stone and stucco walls.

Home sellers could learn much from our European brothers and sisters. First impressions matter. The view from the street can determine whether a buyer will ever see the great fireplace in the family room.

Curb appeal is a powerful marketing tool! Stand on the street in front of your home. (Check for cars first!) What do you see? Can you see the front door? Is more than two thirds of the house obscured by overgrown landscaping? Do the trees in the yard overwhelm the house?

Remember, if you can't see it, you can't sell it. Grab those hedge trimmers, trim those trees and tame that landscaping! Buyers don't want to have to use a machette to get to the front door. (I'm not sure realtors would be on board with buyers carrying machettes!)

Below is an actual photo from my local MLS. . .you be the judge!

Bridge Street

Lori Gilmore
One Savvy Move Home Staging and Room Redesign
Providing expert Staging services to homesellers in Joliet, Shorewood, Lockport, Plainfield and throughout Will County Illinois.

Posted by Lori Gilmore - One Savvy Move Home Staging on 08/09/2007 12:47 PM

Comments (13)

curb appeal, home staging, selling a home, marketing a home

13 Comments on Get Them In The Door - The Appeal Of Curb Appeal

AUG

2007

great photos! In the MLS picture you almost wonder if it's an overgrown lot instead of a home. I think any buyers first impersion would be how DARK it must be inside!

how can you sell the house if you can't even see it from the street? ;) great tips!

cheers,

Cindy

I just read something today that goes along with exactly what you're saying here Lori.

It said something to the effect of (and I'm butchering this I know but here goes...)

"going house hunting is kinda like seeing a pretty face - instant attraction - whether you know what's inside or not you get excited at the prospect of finding out" (my creative license in action)

Lori - truer words have never been said. If the perspective buyer can't see it - how can the agent possibly sell it? I've even had difficulty finding a house because the front yard was so badly in need of a good manicure. How sad, but oh so true. Thanks for reminding all of us of the importance of good house-grooming.

My house almost looked like the photo above when we bought it! It had been on the market for a year and we bought it for a great price. I was so glad no one else could see what a great house it was!

AUG

2007

Like Michelle above, when we bought our beautiful 1920 Spanish Revival house, it had been on the market with 3 different Realtors for over a year and had dropped in price $100,000. You couldn't see the house from the street and it was hard to find where the front door was. I am someone who makes a living from fixing houses up, so I was able to see the potential, but I wonder how many others had driven up to this house and never even gotten out of the car.

Karen -- No kidding, I had to drive the block just to assure myself there was actually a house there!

Cindy -- Homeowners and agents need to be reminded of this fact.

Karen -- Just like dating!

Callie -- Great point, house numbers need to be visible (and even attractive) or people can't even find the home.

Michelle E -- You snagged a great deal because of your willingness to venture through the forest. . . even though you couldn't see the house for the trees! (I think there is a joke in there!?!)

MM -- So true. . . I'm sure your beauty of a home was passed over by many others. Their loss your gain.

AUG

2007

Lori-Great post! The top picture is beautiful. I know this sounds a little goofy, but you know when your on a long family drive and you look in the sky at the clouds and you see the clouds in shapes of many different things? Well, when I looked at the bottom picture all I could see is a hairy creature with the eyes at the top and a great big long nose (down the middle). Yeah, I'm thinking out loud here. LOL. I suppose nobody wants there house to look like a big hairy creature. That is sure to scare people away.

Wow, isn't it odd how many trees are for sale on the mls? I have seen many photos like this one and what is really funny is that they lead in the description with 'beautiful home on heavily wooded lot'. Are you sure it's a beautiful house, cause all I see is the heavily wooded lot! LOL!!

Julie - Scary is right! And it might even be painful getting to the front door. . .those trees look prickly!

Kimberly - Ah. . .Realtor speak! Another of my favorites. . ."Home with great potential" -- translation -- I'm selling a real pit here!

AUG

2007

I can't agree more! I just returned form 2 weeks in Europe and am still in awe of the natural sense of beauty! They set a good example!

AUG

2007

Lori - Great pictures! The Sherwood Forest house makes you wonder what the inside looks like! Thanks for reminding everyone that the outside needs to look as good as the inside.

Lori, this is so sad, it is funny! You would think, some one would think to cut back or cut down the trees! OMG!

I agree, many places in Europe are so beautiful, that you are often leave you in awe. They have curb appeal down to a science :-)

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