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Curb Appeal, what not to do

By
Real Estate Agent with Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860 MD594797

Curb appeal, one of the items that should be high on every seller's must-do list before they put their home on the market. There are a number of things that can be done to - at the very least - spruce up the front of the home.

Curb appeal, or better, the lack thereof, is one of the top 5 reasons why buyers may not enter a home!

What not to do

5. Don't be bland

you want your home to stand out, in a positive way, and stay top of mind. Check with your HOA, if applicable, which kind of changes you are allowed to make that will make your home look a bit different than the rest. Can you change the style/color of the front door or shutters? Are window boxes allowed? How about light fixtures? Landscaping? Add some personal touches, a pillow in your front porch rocker , a wreath on the door or a welcoming sign.

4. Don't neglect your yard

trim overgrown bushes and trees so that your house can be seen from the street. Water your lawn, rake the leaves and add a few colorful plants.

3. Don't leave anything in disrepair

is your front door hard to open and people "must jiggle the key" to unlock, please replace the lock! Make sure railings are tight, gaps are sealed, bees nests are removed, downspouts are extended and draining away from the house.

2. Don't stay in the dark

As we enter the Fall and Winter seasons, pay extra attention to your outdoor lighting. Is your porch light functioning and bright? Could your front yard benefit from some extra lighting to show off your curb appeal?

Last, but not least, my new #1 Curb appeal, what not to do:

Don't leave anything out front that does not belong there!

Curb appeal, what not to do

 

Sadly, this is a true story. I just snapped this picture last week while showing homes in 20906 Silver Spring.

I had to do a double-take as I walked up to the front door.

What in the world ...?

While I'm house hunting with my buyers, we always end up assigning nicknames to the homes we toured. It's much easier than referring to the street address.

Make sure you home will be remembered as the pretty house! You wouldn't put an offer on the crappy one, or would you?

Posted by

Andrea Bedard
Thompson Co., REALTORS®

Silver Spring, Maryland
andreabedard.com

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Comments(57)

Robert Schott & Paula Hemani
TeamConnect Realty - Orlando, FL
Your Link to Real Estate

Andrea Bedard ~ thanks for a good morning laugh  .  Can't agree with you more. Curb appeal will just take some man hours and not much out of pocket cost.

Sep 14, 2015 01:08 AM
Andrea Bedard

You are very welcome Robert & Paula! One can accomplish a lot with a bit of sweat equity.

Sep 14, 2015 11:43 AM
S. Leanne Paynter ☼ Broward County, FL
United Realty Group, Inc. - Davie, FL
Davie, Plantation, Cooper City & Weston Specialist

I don't think most sellers give nearly as much thought to the curb appeal of their house as they do to the interior, yet, it can make a big (good/bad) first impression on prospective buyers.  This is a good list of what not to do!

Sep 14, 2015 06:58 AM
Andrea Bedard

I walked into homes before that were totally bland on the outside but wow on the inside .. the buyers almost left.

Sep 14, 2015 11:44 AM
Dr. Paula McDonald
Beam & Branch Realty - Granbury, TX
Granbury, TX 936-203-0279

Oh my, where did you find that picture?  Too funny though!

Sep 14, 2015 08:25 AM
Andrea Bedard

True story Paula! Can you believe it?

Sep 14, 2015 11:44 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

I once told a client to make sure the home isn't boring, that it has appeal when you drive up. I meant flowers, she painted her door orange. 

Sep 14, 2015 11:34 AM
Karen Fiddler, Broker/Owner
Karen Parsons-Fiddler, Broker 949-510-2395 - Mission Viejo, CA
Orange County & Lake Arrowhead, CA (949)510-2395

Oh, and we repainted the door a nice neutral color later that day. Best couple hours I've spent, LOL

Sep 14, 2015 11:35 AM
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Burlington, MA
Metro Boston Homes For Sale

Andrea Bedard isn't it so important? Specially #1 - where one of my sellers have left 'junk' projection TV right on the curb of this lovely cul-de-sac home! Not to mention about the trash can in front of the garage!

Sep 14, 2015 12:51 PM
Margaret Rome Baltimore 410-530-2400
HomeRome Realty 410-530-2400 - Pikesville, MD
Sell Your Home With Margaret Rome

Congrats on the well deserved feature. Think I would call the listing agent and asked if someone for got something on the front porch. Then I would like to see his/her response in another blog.

Sep 14, 2015 01:05 PM
Cheryl Ritchie
RE/MAX Leading Edge www.GoldenResults.com - Huntingtown, MD
Southern Maryland 301-980-7566

I had to enlarge the photo on my iPad to understand. What a surprise! 

Sep 14, 2015 04:05 PM
Sharon Parisi
United Real Estate Dallas - Dallas, TX
Dallas Homes

Andrea, it's 3:00 AM and I am sitting at my desk doubling over with laughter. As Realtors, we see EVERYTHING!

Sep 14, 2015 06:04 PM
Frank Rubi
Frank Rubi Real Estate, LLC - Metairie, LA
FrankRubiRealEstate.com

Good Morning Andrea. I am planning my day and a trip to home depot for some fall plantings. I agree your # 3 is very frustrating to me when I can not open the door without some sort of effort. 

Sep 14, 2015 06:27 PM
Grant Schneider
Performance Development Strategies - Armonk, NY
Your Coach Helping You Create Successful Outcomes

Andrea - that curb appeal, landscape, garage, and front door makes a first impression for sure.

Sep 14, 2015 07:31 PM
Richard Robibero, e-Pro, ABR, SRS
Panorama R.E. Limited - Toronto, ON
Selling Your Home as if it were My Own!

I had one listing in which the landlord did not care to remove newspapers, junkmail, kids toys, from the front of the house. I told him in no uncertain terms that if you're hoping to attract someone who will keep your home in the same state of messiness by all means keep the front looking like a mess. He started cleaning up right away.

Sep 14, 2015 10:52 PM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Great list, Andrea Bedard!  Love that you included "lighting" in your list too.  Especially this time of year, it's growing in importance ...

Gene 

Sep 15, 2015 04:24 AM
Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Andrea, now this is a new one on me!  Talk about questionalbe judgement.  Bet the listing agent doesn't even know it's there!

Sep 15, 2015 12:32 PM
Sybil Campbell
Fernandina Beach, FL
Referral Agent Amelia Island Florida

Andrea Bedard, I have never  seen a toilet paper roll installed on a front porch, that is crazy!

Sep 20, 2015 05:06 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

This is very good reading for home sellers.

Sep 23, 2015 06:12 AM
Endre Barath, Jr.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties - Beverly Hills, CA
Realtor - Los Angeles Home Sales 310.486.1002

Andrea what a great post, I am here because of Frank Rubi, MBA  re-blog, I have to tell you I loved the picture at the door:)))Endre

Sep 23, 2015 02:03 PM
Debbie Reynolds, C21 Platinum Properties
Platinum Properties- (931)771-9070 - Clarksville, TN
The Dedicated Clarksville TN Realtor-(931)320-6730

Hi Andrea, My buyer love naming the houses and they talk about the bad ones even after they buy the one they love. Great advice in this post.

Sep 28, 2015 11:04 PM
1~Judi Barrett
Integrity Real Estate Services 116 SE AVE N, Idabel, OK 74745 - Idabel, OK
BS Ed, Integrity Real Estate Services -IDABEL OK

Sellers need to pay attention to this post and to their home's curb appeal if they want to sell! Andrea Bedard 

Oct 08, 2015 11:01 AM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Andrea. This is excellent and your picture seals the deal.

Oct 08, 2015 10:27 PM