Whether we are looking at a home in Orange Park, Jacksonville, or St Augustine, there is a universal truth. I can't sell your home if I can't even see it. Too often we find that homes have overgrown trees, bushes, or hedge rows. Sometimes, particularly in 1970's homes, the bushes may be even sparse because they have lived past their healthy life expectancy and are now holding on by only a few leaves.
Selling your home is all about making great first impressions
Typically when a potential home buyer is interested in the property, they have found it online. There you only have seconds to make a good first impression. The next step, often before they have even contacted an agent, is the drive by. Potential home buyers will drive by the home, in their excitement, and determine if they want to call a Realtor to see the property, or move on to the next one. They will not only be looking at the home itself, but also at the surrounding neighborhood. They'll be making a judgement on whether they want to live in that home, with those neighbors, and any other features, benefits, or negatives that may be relevant.
If the potential buyer pulls up and the house looks something like the one below, they likely won't bother making a showing appointment with their Realtor. If they do, you can bet the seller won't like the offer that they put in.
Magnolias are one of the beauty's of living in Northeast Florida. This photo screams too much work to move in. As a matter of fact, this magnolia was so overgrown that you couldn't even see the next shot.
Hidden behind the large magnolia is this lovely beast of a bush. It is blocking the current living room window, also making it dark inside.
What a home buyer thinks when the bushes are overgrown...
Buyers likely won't just consider that this house needs a good trim. They may think about things like damage to the home that can't be seen... I mean if the sellers have been this neglectful of the shrubbery, what else have they been neglectful on while living in the home?
- Have the sellers routinely changed the air filters in the home?
- Have the sellers had the AC unit serviced every six months as recommended
- What do you think the carpeting will look like inside?
- Bugs. This is Florida afterall. Overgrown lawns and landscaping almost always means bugs are making it inside.
- Have they had professionals manage any repairs, or did they use duct tape and superglue?
The above questions are aside from the top of mind question, "How much will new landscaping cost?"
Bring in the professionals to sell your Jacksonville home
Because topics like necessary repairs and changes may be off-putting for some sellers, we bring in professional home stagers to address every single listing. Having a top notch stager go room to room and make a complete written report for our home sellers allows them to know exactly what will help them sell faster, and for more money.
After the home staging consultation, the seller for this St Augustine property made nearly every recommended alteration. You won't believe the after photo.
Yes. Really. That is the same home! What a difference. Trimming the Magnolia, removing the overgrown bushes in front of the window, planting new bushes, and mulching the beds made a significant improvment. Now, our St Augustine homeowner is ready to sell. Who do you know that wants to buy?
To learn more about this home, please contact John Marro, 843-714-0208 or John@TheMarroTeam.com. you can also watch the video below for a quick sneak peek at the rest of it.
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