I was talking with an agent friend of mine over the phone discussing the power of having a home staged to help it sell quickly. Marti is a big believer is using a home stager for her listings. She feels that it cleans up the look and gives her listings a much more ‘manicured' look. Changing the furnishings, painting, etc...all can add loads of ‘appeal' to the listing. And, having an outside eye look at things is always a good way of making sure that the over-all look that the listing agent or the home owner intended for the home is really the right way to go.
It was during this conversation that she told me about a listing she had that was perfect in every way...except the yard. After showing the home numerous times with no offers at all, she decided to do something about it. She had a landscaping contractor help her with tidying up the outside of the home...laying sod, trimming the yard, even going so far as installing landscape bricks and planting trees.
I had never heard of this concept before - staging the OUTSIDE of the home in order to help get people inside. But, shortly after this conversation, this same concept was hammered home when I discovered an article written by David Sobel, VP of Sales for Home Warranty of America www.hwahomewarranty.com. The article included a detailed list of things that agents or home owners can do to the outside of the home to make the over-all look of the home much more appealing and avoid the potential of having a buyer get turned off just because the outside of the home wasn't up to par. All of the fixes that are listed in the article are simple, cheap, and will make a world of difference. The list included:
- Paint or stain the front door and the garage door. These are the first visuals that a potential buyer will get of the home. If the doors are metal and are dented, they should be replaced.
- Any old or unused structures (storage sheds, etc) should be removed. Have the area leveled and then re-sodded so that the yard is seamless.
- Change any out-dated or non-functioning light fixtures on the outside of the home, garage, or yard.
- Fix the driveway. If it's blacktop, have it professionally filled and sealed. If it is cement, hire a contractor to fill in cracks and holes.
- Make sure the landscaping bricks are still in the right place. Bumping them during yard work can shift them out of their proper positions.
- Fill in bare dirt under large shade trees. Plant shade-tolerant plants or landscape the area with fill chips or bark.
- Put down new bedding material in all landscape and flowerbeds.
- Have the trees and bushes trimmed up.
- If the house needs painting, have it done professionally. If that isn't in the cards, have them do touch-up work on the areas that need it badly.
- If the house is sided, have it power-washed to clean and freshen up the look of the walls.
- Make sure the grass looks good. Keep everything tidy and well groomed. Keep it as weed-free as possible. If areas are especially sketchy, have the area seeded or sodded.
- Decks and walkways should be power-washed and stained or painted. Patio furniture should be in excellent condition.
Staging the home on the outside with help you get more buyers inside. The appeal that will be generated will dramatically increase the buyer's "want to see more" factor. Remember, most home buyers can not visualize even the simplest of clean-ups and potential landscape changes. And, those that can, will be looking for a reduced price and will ask for it based on these ‘outdoor eyesores'. This will also help you show the property to those that are looking for a complete home and not a fixer-upper and help get the highest dollar for the listing.
If you would like some information on how to get more buyers from www.recr.com, please do not hesitate to contact Clint Miller at 800-977-7058 or 406-329-7652. Or, contact Clint via Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.
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