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CURBING APPEAL...NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO!!! (A SECOND TAKE WITH COMMENTS ALLOWED!!!)

By
Real Estate Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30HA0800896

This is a post that I wrote a couple of weeks ago and I just now found out that the comments were blocked for some reason...have any of you heard about this happening??

I was spurred to go to my old posts to see if any if any of my older posts were comment-disabled because of a post I just read  "You Disabled Your Comments..... Why?????? " by Stacey Smith. Low and behold, the one post that I wrote and got NO COMMENTS on was this one...it had been re-blogged 3 times and the comments on those re-blogs were: "I couldn't comment because Paula disabled her comments on this post"..."What?..Why did She do that?" "I don't know but her comments were disabled" and on and on....

So, I am giving it another chance here....No matter the reason it was comment-disabled the first go-around, now you can comment away!!!

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Curbing Appeal...not something you want to do....not unless you really don't care if you sell the house! We have all heard of Curb Appeal in this business! "The first impression is the one that really matters!" Now, in this difficult economy, there are noticable differences in the way properties appear as they come on the market....This is the time to MAKE SURE that creating Curb Appeal is crucial to the outcome of marketing a home.  

What I mean by Curbing Appeal is this:MAKE THE HOUSE LOOK LIKE NEW!!!

  • Park your old collectors car in the driveway and leave it because you think it is georgous! ...No one else does!
  • Let your hedge-row and shrubs go without a trim to save money, when you have the house on the market--cut your losses and trim it now!
  • Your house needs the trim painted and you think you will wait to see if it sells first so you can afford it better!--Again cut your losses...Paint it now!
  • Your grass has grown so well this year that even the bare patches are filled in--a cut a week isn't really necessary!...Don't even think of not mowing your lawn!!!
  • The garbage cans can not wait for the lawn guy to move them to the back yard--you, do it now!
  • The weeds are really doing well too, as well as the grass is!...get rid of them now!
  • The windows got really smudged from the last Nor'easter; no one will notice...clean the glass now!

MAKE YOUR HOUSE LOOK LIKE IT IS LOVED! The things that you notice will be noticed more by the new buyer who walks by, or into your house. If you show how much your house is loved, it will sell!!! Giving a house Curb Appeal is the first and best chance you have to sell the house...

If the first thing a potential buyer sees is long grass, lots of weeds, dingy windows and garbage cans still in front of your house, they think: "troubled homeowner" ..."Can't afford to pay for the upkeep" ....."I may be able to get a real bargain here!"

 Don't even think of leaving toys in the yard or a broken fence in the yard! These are the "deal breakers" or a "bargain hunters dream". If you are selling the house for the homeowner, as the listor, you have an obligation to advise the owner to clean up or even pick up the trash in the yard yourself!.

You must make the property look like the best house on the block! ...Right down to the big basket of flowers sitting on the porch!!! SELL SELL SELL

 

NOW, GET OUT THERE AND CREATE CURB APPEAL!!! :)

Comments (13)

Roger Johnson
Hickory, NC

Well, let me be the first to comment.  Great post!  And oh so true.  Love the title "curbing appeal" because that's definitely what the seller is doing by doing (or not) those things on you list.

Oct 06, 2010 03:18 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Roger: You are terrific! Thanks for being the first to comment on this lonely post!!!...Can't figure out how it got disabled though--that is weird!

Oct 06, 2010 03:25 PM
Kristine Ginsberg
Elite Staging and Redesign, LLC - Short Hills, NJ
NJ Home Stager

Thanks for the post - I think your speaking about an old neighbor of mine - made me crazy! LOL And you're right, the first thing potential buyers see is curb appeal of lack there of - so make it good!

Oct 06, 2010 04:07 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Kristine: I think we all know the person who thinks his/her house with all it's goodies is the best thing since sliced bread---we do have a responsibility though, to inform them. I will never forget the wife of a doctor who, as sophisticated as they were and as beautiful as their home was, she would NOT take her plastic sheep (Think Sleepy's Sheep:) off the carpet of green lawn that they had...it was THE most beautiful lawn--but her sheep made you not even see it!

Oct 06, 2010 04:19 PM
Kathy Schowe
California Lifestyle Realty - La Quinta, CA
La Quinta, California 760-333-8886

Curb appeal is so important... and underrated if you ask me.  Sometimes even the smallest things will make a huge difference!  Good post and glad you  got it out there for us!  Kathy

Oct 06, 2010 06:34 PM
Ellen Caruso
Daniel Gale Sotheby's International Realty - Glen Head, NY

Some people are so it the dark on curb appeal, they get blinded by the norm or their own preferences. Realtors could help with that by giving them suggestions and your list.

Oct 06, 2010 11:38 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Kathy: Finally...it is so strange; I must have checked the box and I have no recollection---din't even know it was there...anyway, you are so right! Even the smallest things make a BIG difference>

 

Ellen: Thanks for the nod...I think that most owners need the prod too and if it is the agent who does it, so be it.

Oct 07, 2010 01:35 AM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

This is such important information to share with sellers; they need to keep the home looking it's best if they seriously want to sell!

Oct 07, 2010 01:54 AM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Barbara-Jo: I can't say it enough to homeowners; some get it, some don't...and I can almost always tell what is going to sell faster!

Oct 07, 2010 02:13 AM
Tori Toth
Tori Toth, International - Howard Beach, NY
888.667.6643 NYC & Beyond, HSR, SAR, RESA, LIBOR

Curb appeal is no easy task...it's not like cleaning up a living room...but your definately right Paula.

Oct 07, 2010 09:35 AM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Tori: You are right--the idea of curb appeal has several different interpretations, I  have found...still cleaniness is the key and most people agree with what is clean and what is not---so I give a rundown on my listings with the owner and I always point out the importance of "Clean look" and they seem to get that.

Oct 07, 2010 09:58 AM
Chris and Maria Jeantet
Shasta Living Real Estate - Redding, CA
Top Realtors in Redding CA

Some homeowners get so emotionally attached that it's hard for them to take our advice when it comes to enhancing curb appeal. What I found helpful is before we even put up a sign, I take them to see their competition, never fails!

Oct 07, 2010 02:10 PM
Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY
...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Chris and Maria: That will do it! I have done that too and it works every time--but there is still that 1  holdout who makes you so miserable because they just don't SEE it the same way as a stranger...

Oct 07, 2010 02:47 PM