Preparing the Outside of Your Home for Sale
If your home doesn't look inviting from the outside, a buyer may never venture inside.
Here are some suggestions for the exterior of your home:
- Pressure-wash the oil stains from your driveway. You can also pressure-wash your front porch and sidewalks for a clean new-concrete look.
- If the weather allows, add color to the front yard by planting colorful annuals.
- Pack up any lawn décor that detracts from the look of the home. You may love that Lawn Gremlin you purchased online, but remember that the goal is to make your home look neutral in order to attract the most buyers.
- Get rid of anything that blocks pathways or clutters up side yards, back yards and patios. This includes toys, excess furniture and tools.
- Make sure that shrubs are trimmed, branches are pruned, and the lawn is manicured. Trim back overgrown bushes and trees so that your home is visible from the street.
- Keep the lawn green and trimmed, even if you have to hire a gardening service or a local teenager to help.
- Give your home a fresh coat of paint. (Most homes need to be painted every five years.) Painting exterior doors and window trim can freshen your home's look without the expense of a complete exterior repainting.
- Shine or replace worn door knockers and hardware.
- Replace or remove torn screens or damaged storm windows.
- Make sure exterior lights are working and have fresh bulbs -- some buyers like to cruise by your home at night to see how it looks.
- You want your home to look as light and bright as possible. Dirty or spotted windows drag down a home's appearance.
- Dig out and remove rotted or damaged fence posts, mailbox posts, overgrown shrubs, or damaged shrubs.
- Repair ice-damaged gutters or downspouts.
Here are few things you may want to do before preparing the exterior of your home:
•1. Schedule small engine tune-ups.
•2. Or you may want to perform the small engine tune-ups yourself. A few items you will need are:
•a. Spark plugs
•b. Air filter elements
•c. Crankcase oil
•d. Two-stroke oil
•e. Gas stabilize
•f. Fresh gasoline
•g. Lawnmower blade
•h. String trimmer blades or line
•3. Sharpen your shears, hoe, and shovel
•4. Pump up the wheelbarrow tire
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