Preparing Your House To Sell - Part 2 of 8 - Curb Appeal: The Initial Seduction

Curb Appeal: The Initial Seduction

The buyer drove to your house and likes what he/she sees.

Now, you want to seduce your buyer into coming inside your

house-you can do this by taking some initial, do-it-yourself steps.

So, let's get working on your house's exterior to establish that initial

seduction!

 

How's the Neighbourhood?

 

One of the best things you can do is to observe your house

from a distance; for example, as you are driving through your

neighbourhood, observe the neighbourhood and other houses in it. Do

your neighbours keep up their houses? Are you located on a quiet,

family-friendly street?

 

The market, of course, will dictate how well your house sells;

at the right time, you may even get more than your asking price.

However, it all depends on whether your house is in marketable

condition, in an ideal location or surrounded by other higher-end

houses.

 

You cannot much control your house's location; if you are in

the enviable position of having a house located in a ritzy

neighborhood or off a lake, you will not have to worry much about

getting your asking price. Many times, people buy the location as

much as the house.

 

However, if you live near an unsightly structure or directly off

a busy road, you may have to work with your real estate agent in

pushing the good points about the location. Is it close to schools and

religious centers? Is there easy highway access, which reduces travel

time to and from work? If so, make sure potential buyers know this.

Of course, another more sensitive issue that you might face is

your neighbours. If your neighbours leave junk in their yards or do not

keep up their property, it may be harder for you to sell your house,

because people do not want to move into neighbourhoods they

perceive as old, trashy or run down.

Unfortunately, there is little you can do on this front. If you

have a good relationship with your neighbours, you can possibly talk

to them about your situation in trying to sell the house, as long as

you handle this delicate matter with tact and politeness. (You might

even volunteer to hire a grounds keeping service to touch up a

neighbour's yard-but make sure your neighbours approve first).

Your neighbours might be experiencing rough times right now if

the head of household has been laid off.

Or perhaps the neighbours do not have time to upkeep their landscaping.
Perhaps, though, they just don't care. Because there are so many reasons
why your neighbours may not be upkeeping their houses/yards, it is a
touchy subject for most to broach.

 

If you cannot talk to your neighbours or you do not feel

comfortable in doing so, you might be able to talk to the head of

your neighbourhood board; check to see if your neighbours are

violating any established policies, and if so, ask the board to address

the issue.

 

Your real estate agent can also brainstorm with you ways to

handle the issue. Real estate agents are much like public relations

spin-doctors; they know how to describe anything so it sounds good.

Capitalize on that!

 

House Inspection before You Sell

 

If you really want to make sure that your house will be sold

without any problems, seriously consider having a prelisting house

inspection, whatever you think the condition of your house is. You

do not want your buyer to request for any repair(s) later on--or

worse--walk away from the deal based on an unsatisfactory house

inspection. Also, the buyer will probably order his/her own house

inspection and may not want to share this expense with you. Either

fix the problem areas, or renegotiate your listing price or offer

something to offset the repair costs.

 

Ask your agent or friends and family to recommend house

Inspectors.

You may need to compare fees as well as the extent of the

inspection. And don't forget to ask for references.

If you found any problems, either fix it or disclose. You do

not want to be sued for fraud and be liable for any financial

liabilities. The best policy is to be honest about any physical

problems with your house.

 

Outside Expectations: First Impressions?

 

Spend an afternoon evaluating your house's exterior, and if at

all possible, ask a friend (or any third party) to join you. Together,

you two should honestly, no-holds-barred evaluate what

improvements may be necessary; it helps to let your friend know that

you want his/her 100 percent honest feedback. (Definitely do not

react harshly if he/she suggests an improvement you had not

considered. Remember, you must have thick skin throughout the

entire house-selling process, and your friend is only trying to help.

 

Consider giving your friend a little treat, such as movie

tickets or a fresh floral bouquet, when you sell your house, so he/she

feels appreciated for the extreme honesty you needed!). It will also

be helpful if your real estate agent can join you and your friend.

First, stand outside your house, and objectively think, what

jumps out at me? The gorgeous front door? The impeccable

landscaping? Or the frail porch or run-down steps? Any loose

shingles on the roof? Sagging gutter?

Beautiful landscaping and a well-kept yard are both

positives, but if anything on the outside of your house, such as

rickety steps, looks dangerous, make a note to fix it. It is critical to

always ask yourself, would I buy this house? Chances are, you

would not move into a house that was dangerous to enter or that

would cost you an arm and a leg to renovate, especially if the seller

is asking top dollar for the property.

 

A fresh coat of paint or a new roof can also make all the

difference in "curb" appeal-how your house looks to potential

buyers from the outside. The colour of your house can also be a great

selling factor; is it a deep blue or beautiful hunter green in a

neighbourhood of mostly white houses? If so, a unique hue may work

in your favour in the selling process (Never paint your house an

unusual color, though, without first checking with your real estate

agent and your neighbourhood board-sometimes, there are

regulations about what colour you can paint your house). Make sure

the colour of your house matches with any detached garage, barn or

tool shed.

 

If you happen to have an older paint job, though, you can

always wash the house's exterior or dress up doors and window

shutters with a more modern colour. Clean the window screens and if

they are worn out, remove them. Moreover, if you have older front

doors or garage doors, make sure you replace them with more

modern ones. While the cost here can add up, spending a little

money now will help sell the house faster.

Don't re-model the house structure to the point that rather

than enhancing the appearance, it may be considered an eyesore

compared to other houses in the neighborhood.

 

Of course, if you live in a particularly favourable

neighbourhood, you are already at an advantage, since such properties

are always popular. But never use your house's location as a reason

to shortcut on making house improvements.

 

The Front Yard

 

Make sure your front yard kidnaps potential buyers with its

clean look and delightful, if not impeccable landscaping. Make sure

your landscaping is remarkable; plant a tree or some colourful

flowers, which can add a homey touch to any house (trees also add

to the value of property).

 

• Start by picking up any children's toys or miscellaneous junk

(including lawn decorations), and remove any old cars or

appliances which may be visible.

• Remove any graffiti.

• Sweep and pressure wash the walkways and the exterior of

your house, if necessary. A clean front yard area is a great

first step to luring prospective buyers!

• Trimmed grass, bushes and tree branches also enhance the

front yard. If any tree branches are touching the roof, trim

them.

• Make sure that fences are clean (no rust, worn paint spots)

and uncluttered and that gates open and close with ease.

Making repairs to a fence or gate latch are fairly inexpensive,

so do not forget to evaluate these outdoor fixtures.

• Make sure the mailbox is in good working order and that it

looks attractive. Paint it if necessary, and have any missing

bricks or cement replaced.

• Wipe clean any outside fixtures such as the air conditioning

unit.

• Plant a few colourful flowers near the front door, below

shrubs, around trees, and/or by the walkways and fence, even

if the landscaping is all rocks. Ask your local garden retailer

for inexpensive varieties such as impatiens and gardenias.

• Put in window flower boxes to create more interest. It will

add charm to your house.

• Driveways should be free of grease build-up or rust.

 

First impressions count, so make sure EVERYTHING a

potential buyer sees conveys the image of clean, well-to-do

hominess! And by the way, keep that car out of your house's

entrance way!

 

The Back Yard/Porch/Deck/Balcony

 

The same guidelines apply to the backyard, as well. Picking

up toys (or worse, a dead refrigerator) and any trash and making sure

the back yard area is landscaped beautifully will add to the curb

appeal.

• You should also evaluate any stationary play sets and make

sure they are in good working order. If, for example, you

invested in a sturdy wood play set when your children were

younger, and it is still in great condition, you can use it as a

bonus-selling feature. However, if you have an old metal

swing set that is on its last legs, take it down. It's better to

have nothing out there than to showcase junk.

• If you have a spa or outdoor pool, make sure it looks inviting

when your house is shown. Have it cleaned and free of any

algae or dirt, and clean the areas where you have the motor

and pool accessories. Easy fixes like this will make your

backyard so much more appealing.

• Remove any laundry hanging out to dry.

• Make sure any outdoor furniture, gazebo and railings are also

clean.

• Consider re-sealing your porch or deck for added appeal.

• Plant colourful flowers by the fence or shrubs or set a few pots of

flowering plants.

 

If all this sounds like too much work, you might consider

hiring a cleanup crew, although you should be prepared to spend

about $500 on such services. The advantages, however, are that

professionals can clean the front and back yard in one day, as

opposed to two or three. And with superior tools, they will probably

do a better job than you can.

 

Outside the Budget?

 

Because the outside of your house is the first glimpse of the

house potential buyers see, you definitely want it to be visually

pleasing.

Of course, some fixes, like replacing an old porch or re-roofing,

are more expensive and time consuming. But you should

evaluate with your real estate agent whether it is worth your time to

make such fixes, especially if you are selling the house below market

value or just want to get rid of it as soon as possible. (With anything

that requires a hefty price tag to fix, check with your real estate agent

before investing in any repairs).

Costly improvements do not always improve the resale value, and to make up for the cost of improvements, you will have to adjust your asking price (which

could price the house out of the market).

However, there are other fixes, such as cleaning windows

and picking up yard clutter, that are cheap and easy (if you have any

junk on a front porch or sitting in your yard, call the waste removal

department in your city. A representative can give you the phone

number for the office responsible for picking up larger items that

belong in the garbage).

Also remember that lighting is a cheap fix. Because many

house buyers drive by houses after dark, keep the attraction

consistent from day to night. Turn on your outdoor lighting in the

front and back yards. To enhance your nighttime appeal, you may

want to consider installing lighting on driveways, walkways and

around trees. You could even install an attractive light fixture on

your front porch, if your budget allows.

Overall, though, when you look at the outside of your house,

it should be clean, safe and inviting. Following is an outdoors

checklist, which can help you evaluate which improvements are

necessary. And remember--always ask yourself, would I live here?

 

 

 

 

Exterior Checklist

 

 

AREA OF CONCERN	YES	NO	ESTIMATED COST/ PLAN TO FIX
1. Is the grass neat, tidy and green?
2. Are the flowers and bushes in good shape- watered, alive and not growing uncontrollably?
3. Is the rest of the landscaping visually pleasing (rocks, trees, water sources, gardens)?
4. Are other stand-alone structures (car ports, clothes lines, tool sheds) in stable, attractive condition?
5. Are there any swing sets or play sets that are in rickety condition?
6. Are kids' bikes, toys and plastic pools visible?
7. Is there any "junk" on your front porch, such as furniture or appliances of any sort?
8. Are there cars, tires or other large items housed in your yard?
9. Are trash cans visible?
10. Does the house's exterior look presentable (freshly painted, clean)?
11. Have the windows and outdoor shutters all been washed?
12. Are gutters and chimneys clean?

 

I hope you enjoyed Part 2 of this series - Curb Appeal: The Initial Seduction. 

Stay tuned for part 3 - INSIDE THESE WALLS: THE NEXT SEDUCTION!

If you have any questions regarding how to prepare your home for sale call Barry today! Your Oakville & Burlington Real Estate Expert.