How Do I Increase My Home’s Curb Appeal by Using Buyers’ Eyes?
Okay, so you look at your home, and you think the outside looks great. The lawn is mowed, edges are trimmed, and some of your spring flowers are beginning to bloom.
But just like in the messiest room in our house, we tend to be blind to things that are out of place, need paint, or other sprucing up. We get so used to it, we no longer see the clutter or the dings in the woodwork.
How do you look at your home’s exterior? Do you stand on the sidewalk and give it a cursory once-over? Do you REALLY see the flaws that a buyer might notice?
Here’s a trick. Armed with a small hand mirror, go across the street from your home and look at it. How does it look now? Can you see curling of the roof’s shingles? Do you need to fill in some space with more flowers? Do you need mulch?
Now, here is the biggest trick! (You might get some strange looks from your neighbors as you do this step, but it works!) Turn your back on your home, and look at your home through the hand mirror. Wow! A different perspective, huh?
Do you need to trim the bush that is beginning to cover your living room window? Is the fence pristine? How do the window treatments look—dated? Uneven? Shades half closed? Look at your front door. Could it use a coat of paint? And the hardware—is it a little dull? Maybe that needs to be replaced too.
Your light fixture…do you see some rust? Time for some spray paint. Would it add some charm if you placed red or yellow blooming pots on either side of the doorway? Or maybe a cute little wicker porch set, if you have a larger porch?
The mirror trick forces you to look at your home from a completely different perspective -- more objectively, and thus, through “buyers’ eyes”. Now you are equipped with seeing things that you normally didn’t notice. Now you know where it needs to pop!
The way your home looks from the curb and the approach to the front door tells a potential buyer what could be in store on the INSIDE. You don’t want them to drive or walk away! They make a decision about your home in the first 5 seconds!
If you think a professional home stager only works on the interior of your home, you might be surprised! Their job is to make the WHOLE house say “WOW!”
Get the picture? (And yes, the mirror trick works great on your messiest room, too!)
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