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Staging FAQ's- What is Curb Appeal and What Can I Do?

Reblogger Nina Hollander, Broker
Real Estate Agent with Coldwell Banker Realty 179530

Selling your Charlotte area home? Thinking about selling your Charlotte area home? Then you need to think about curb appeal! Buyers often make up their minds about your home in the 30-60 seconds it takes them to walk up to your front door. There's truth to the expression that you never get a second chance to make a good first impression!

 

Check out this informative article about how you can enhance your home's curb appeal to make that great first impression that makes a prospective buyer want to buy your home!

Original content by Kathy Streib

Staging FAQ’s- What is Curb Appeal and What Can I Do?

 

If you’ve thought of selling your house then you’ve heard about staging your home, editing what you have, and making a good first impression.
 

This is all true!

And an important part of the first impression is your curb appeal, what Curb Appealthe buyers see as they pull up to your house.

Sellers... buyers begin to make up their minds before they even set foot out of the car.  

They will ooh and ahh and their eyes will light up or they might consider asking their agent if they can just move on to the next property.

Yes… your curb appeal is just that important.  But, don’t feel as if you have to run out and build a Porte Cochere or break the bank with expensive landscaping.

Below are 10 things you can do to improve your curb appeal.  

 

Curb appeal-before1.Drive through your neighborhood and see what your competition is.

Seriously, take a walk, get some exercise and look at your neighbors’ lawns.  Are you seeing green?  Are they well manicured?   This is your competition!

2.Trim any trees and shrubs that block the view of your house.

Plants grow overnight in Florida, thanks to our great weather.  Take a critical look at your trees and bushes.  Stand across the street if you need to and get the whole picture.

If there are branches that will impede a buyer’s path to your door, be sure to trim them.

3.Lawns do count.  Mow, fertilize and fill in the gaps.

Some of our lawn service companies step up their mowing during the summer, however if yours doesn’t, pay them extra to come more often.  If you have patches that are worn or missing, replace them, just as you would your carpet in your home.

4.Mulch

Adding fresh mulch is like the icing on the cake.  It pulls everything together.

5.Get rid of pots with dead plants; and remove dead or dying plants.

Some would liken this to “decluttering” (I really don’t like that word)  as you would in your home.  If you have pots whose plants are no longer among the living, then either repot them or remove them.  

If you have a 6” plant housed in a pot that is meant for a small bush or tree, remove it and put something in that is more size appropriate.

Weed out those plants that you’ve been nursing along but just haven’t made it.

6.Add some color

Even Mother Nature likes pops of color.  You can add this with some well-placed pots by the door.  Consult your nursery to find the plants that withstand our heat and if you’re near the beach.. ones that are salt tolerant.

7.Visit yourself at the front door

If you think about it, many of us never enter our home through our front doors.  We curb appeal-front doorcome in through our garage doors, and then into the kitchen or laundry room.

Walk up to your house and stand for a few minutes at the front door.

Look at the door, the hardware, the light fixture.  Why?  Your buyers will have ample opportunity to do this while they wait on their agent to open the door.

The Florida sun and salt air are hard on everything, so if it is pitted, they need to be replaced.

Clean the spiderwebs that tend to hang out by your front door as well.

Don’t forget your doormat.  It needs to be clean and fresh looking (and not say “Go Away!”)

8.Paint if needed.

Nothing lasts forever, especially things in our Florida heat and sun.  If you can’t remember when (if ever) your home’s exterior was painted, you might want to evaluate this.

9. Look up- don’t forget your roof.

Oh yes, this could be a big ticket item but better to find out now than have a sale derailed because of the condition of your roof.  And, remember, it takes up a big part of a buyer’s visual space as they drive up.

10.Pressure wash your sidewalks and driveway.

You can rent a pressure washer from your local hardware store. Give your buyers a clean path as they walk to your front door.  And, this lets them know that things have been kept up.

 

The condition of your property will go a long way in getting your home sold, and in protecting your investment.   Take a good look at your house and see what your curb appeal says to you!

 

 Kathy Streib 

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 Nina Hollander, RE/MAX Broker, Realtor

 

 

 

Broker, Realtor, MBA, GRI, ABR, SRES, CDPE, SFR, SPS, CMRS
Carolinas Realty Partners with Coldwell Banker Realty
Direct: 704-779-0813
Website: www.GreatHomesInCharlotte.com
Blog: News You Can Use From The Greater Charlotte Area
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Disclaimer:  Nothing in this blog article is to be construed as legal advice, tax advice, or financial advice.  For legal advice see an attorney.   For tax advice or financial advice see a tax attorney, certified public accountant, or other qualified professional.

 

Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Hi Nina Hollander great choice for a reblog.... all sellers should clearly understand that "the eye buys" and if there is anything NOT APPEALING, either inside or outside, that will stick like glue in the mind of a buyer....

May 20, 2015 01:48 AM
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Nina. Kathy Streib does such an amazing job with her posts, always so educational for all of us. Great choice for a re-blog.

May 20, 2015 01:50 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Barbara Todaro ~ I love that expression that you use "the eye buys." I've always said to my sellers that people are very visual. I'll have to change my language!

May 20, 2015 01:51 AM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

Nina - This was a good choice for a re-blog. Curb appeal goes a long ways towards a home buyers first impression.

May 20, 2015 02:43 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

This is an excellent re-blog selection. I also follow Kathy's blogs.

May 20, 2015 02:50 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Thanks, Troy ~ I figure why reinvent the wheel in writing something like this when Kathy Streib has done such a bang-up job already!

Troy Erickson

May 20, 2015 02:56 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Roy, Kathy Streib is a "master" in explaining her craft. Wish she worked here in my area.

Roy Kelley

May 20, 2015 02:57 AM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Nina the "first impression" is sooooooo important in everything, whether it be the first impression of us or a property, so the first impression has to as good as possible.

May 20, 2015 04:01 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi George Souto ~ that's exactly why I said in my post that you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression. Always amazes me how many people don't get that!

May 20, 2015 04:04 AM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Nina- wanted to pop in to thank you for the reblog!

May 20, 2015 12:38 PM
Tammy Adams ~ Realtor / Podcaster
Maricopa Real Estate Co - Maricopa, AZ
A Maricopa Agent who Works, Lives & Loves Maricopa

A great reblog. She has some excellent items on here for people. I hope as many people as possible get to read it. 

May 20, 2015 02:54 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Kathy Streib ~ thanks for the pop-in! And was happy to reblog. Thanks, Kathy, for providing such great material to reblog!

May 20, 2015 08:34 PM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Tammy Adams ~ Realtor Maricopa AZ ~ thanks. Kathy does great FAQs posts that people should be reblogging so that more of our clients can read them.

May 20, 2015 08:35 PM
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

Good evening Nina. Make sure that whoever cleans the roof knows what they are doing. I have seen many a roof damaged by a pressure washer.

May 22, 2015 10:29 AM
Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

Hi Michael Thornton ~ and not just damage to roof from inappropriate pressure washing, to siding as well. I have neighbors who needed to repaint their hardiplank after pressure washing.

May 22, 2015 07:07 PM