Top 15 Steps to Awesome Curb Appeal
A few added things to spruce up your home on the exterior:
- power wash any mildew off your home & deck
- Make sure your home is visible. At night turn on exterior lights to give a warm & welcoming impression
- Take a walk up to your front door & look at it as though you were a buyer. First impressions are key! If a railing on the steps is broken or loose, fix it. If a light bulb is burnt out, replace it. If you have to walk around a shrub to get to the front door, trim it.
- In Winter, make sure the pathway & driveway are clear of snow & ice
- Remove Christmas decorations. The holidays have long since past so put them away.
- If you have a planter out front that in the Summer is filled with flowering plants, come up with a pretty arrangement of evergreens, red berries & twigs to greet the buyers.
- Do not stick silk flowers, or tole painted forms in your yard. Tacky!
The exterior is what the buyer sees first. Make sure you avoid any objections before they even enter your home.
Most buyers are going to do a drive by of your house before they even bother to call their agent about a showing. If they don't like what they see during that initial drive by, well, they will keep on driving. You have literally seconds, maybe 7-10 seconds, to "get" them as they drive by so you've got to make the curb appeal your first order of business when prepping your house.
1. Trim all the hedges and trees, especially in front of the house.
2. Mow and edge your lawn frequently - more frequently than you usually do.
3. If it's fall, make sure you stay on top of the falling leaves situation. Fall is no excuse for a messy yard.
4. Make sure hoses are neatly stored or make them disappear.
5. Replace your mailbox if you have one, or st least repaint it.
6. Mulch everything that can be mulched.
7. Fix any loose bricks, trim, wood, gutters or shutters.
8. Touch up the paint wherever it is needed (siding, trim, gutters, shutters, etc)
9. Buy inexpensive annuals to plant to give your landscaping a pop of color. No need to go to a nursery for expensive flowers, just grab some at the nearest big-box store.
10. Paint the front door even if you don't think it needs it and make sure you've painted it in a traditional color. This holds true for shutters as well; if they are an unusual color, it is worth the time, effort and money to paint them black or another traditional color. And shop at a big box store for paint; no need to buy expensive here.
11. Polish or replace your front door knob. Again, you can buy cheap here by going to the big-box stores for a new set.
12. Make sure all your outdoor lights work and turn them on every night. Add lighting as needed.
13. Keep in mind that buyers will drive by at night and you want your house to look warm and inviting, so turn on the exterior lights and many of the interior lights. Also, keep your shades and curtains open so they can see that the house is bright and cheery inside. A dark house at night just looks creepy!
14. Make sure you have a new front door mat, and don't use one that indicates you have pets (ones with paws on it.)
15. If you have any toys or play structures that are visible from the curb, make them disappear completely (put them in a storage unit) or at least move them into the back yard.
Source: www.realestateclientprep.com
To Your Real Estate Success!
Caroline
Caroline Fitzgerald
Real Estate Client Prep
www.realestateclientprep.com
caroline@reclientprep.com
207-604-0188
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