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Would You Be Deceived?

Real Estate Agent with Dockside Realty VA 0225142975

March 20, 2009 12:25 PM

I have a newer listing that is really a neat waterfront house. However, if there was ever one that deceived this is the one. When you look at this picture (and when you see the house from the road) two things may come to mind.

The house looks fairly small, not exactly what one would necessarily imagine for $950,000 (and worth every penny of it) as this is at Lake Anna, VA not somewhere in Hawaii.
The house also lacks enough curb appeal for that price range. It doesn't have the look that will sweep you off your feet. (Open the front door and that's a different story.)

Give Me Curb Appeal

Looking at this house, would you have any idea that it has over 5000 square feet of living area? The photo below will give you a sense of how large it really is.

Looking Good From Behind

I've been tossing around some ideas on how to give the home some more curb appeal and shared them with the owners.

The house has so many great features I want to be sure to get people through that front door.

I would certainly love to see what ideas you might have to give it some real curb appeal.

Please feel free to share. Who knows, you may help me get this super home sold.

ALL of my marketing material has the lakeside photo of the house as the main photo. I have many other pictures of the interior and the waterfront amenities (boat shelter with two cover slips, a large covered dock and an enclosed storage/serving area).

I am desperately seeking ideas for the front of the house to give it some pizazz.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Welcome Aboard If you or someone you know is thinking of buying or selling property at or near Lake Anna, Virginia please contact Kathleen "Kate" Elim, REALTOR®.

Kate lives at Lake Anna, knows Lake Anna, loves Lake Anna, and specializes in Lake Anna area real estate.

Contact Kate at 540-226-1964 or by e-mail at lakeanna .kate@gmail.com. Be sure to check Kate's Web site http://lakeannacountry.com/.

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Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Bob...Thank you for the suggestion. I will do exactly that.

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 02:09 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Gabrielle...Yes, Bob had a great suggestion. I need to have a rider made quickly that will entice folks to stop and take a look.

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 02:13 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Tina...Potted plants were suggested to the owners and they are considering that. I also suggested shutters and perhaps window boxes (one under the windows on each side of the front porch).

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 02:15 PM

Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman

Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI

(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

I love the home! I would market from the back :) I love the fact that the front is a camouflage for the real thing. On the listing I would announce the front as "you wouldn't believe....". This is really a wonderful...I would put a flyer box out there and let them know they can view the virtual tour @

Good luck Kate! This WILL be sold ...just for these features :)

Mar 20, 2009 02:18 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Martha...I agree. That is the way to market waterfront homes. This is really a very nice home and it shows in the many pictures I've taken. I am hoping though that we can give the front some more appeal.

Congratulations on your sale last year. That property must have been beautiful.

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 02:26 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Sally...I like your suggestion, "You wouldn't believe...".

I used "More Than Meets the Eye" but I think I like your idea better. I do have a flyer box attached to my sign and I have a flyer with 30 pictures and a page listing some of the features plus other information on the house.. The back of the house is on the cover.

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 02:29 PM

Omega Omega

Omega - Glendale, CA

Hi Kathleen - Wow!!! Great info. Thanks for writing the Blog and sharing it. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Best wishes.

Cheers

Mar 20, 2009 02:31 PM

Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman

Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI

(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE

WooHoo! You already KNEW you did the skillful marketing plan :)

Mar 20, 2009 02:42 PM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

Well .. I would add a lot of colorful plants to the oustide of this house. The plants seem to be too close and not very acttractive... also is there something that can be done to the walkway up to the house -- perhaps a nice design and some brick... then you may want to "stage" the front door area and the front portch. Sue Argue who used to be on active rain was a pro at this. I think you can see some of her posts still on AR.

Mar 20, 2009 03:31 PM

Laura Cerrano

Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY

Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Kate, You got all good suggestions and especially to use the back of the house for the main picture. I love to "light" up a place and create or enhance a path with solar lights.

Mar 20, 2009 03:46 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Joan...Love your suggestions. I certainly agree about the plants and I also suggested to the owners that we need to do something with the path to the front steps. Right now there is just a line of pavers single file.

I'm going to do a search for Sue Argue to see if there might be some ideas in her posts that will give me even more ideas.

Thanks so much for yours,

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 03:53 PM

Kate Elim

Dockside Realty - Spotsylvania, VA

Realtor 540-226-1964, Selling Homes & Land a

Hi Carole...I like the idea of solar lights (we need them at our house also).

Thanks for your contribution. I'm thinking we may have a really attractive house when we get finished.

If the sellers agree to the changes I'll be sure to take an "after" picture to share.

Kate

Mar 20, 2009 03:56 PM

Kris Wales

Keller Williams Realty - Lakeside Market Center - Macomb, MI

Real Estate Blog & Homes for Sale search site, Macomb County MI

I absolutely agree with the others who have said to only use the back of the home for outside photos.

May I add though that shutters on the front windows and some lovely spring flowers in pots (on the porch and in the landscaping beds) would help with the curb appeal once people drive by and/or pull up to view it?

Mar 20, 2009 09:57 PM

Cindy Jones

Integrity Real Estate Group - Woodbridge, VA

Pentagon, Fort Belvoir & Quantico Real Estate News

You need a wider walkway coming up to the front door. From the picture it looks as if it has a narrow one stepping stone wide entrance up to a nice front porch. It means anyone coming to the front door has to do the quick step one behind the other to get to the door. For this price it should at least be as wide as the steps with some landscaping along the edges. I would also add a small bench on the front porch to make it seem more inviting along with the potted plants that others have suggested.

Mar 21, 2009 01:32 AM

Kathy Passarette

Creative Home Expressions - Mount Sinai, NY

L.I. Staging/Decorating

Kate ~ I think some color in flowers and maybe a small weeping cherry off the left corner of the house (maybe from that nursery you blogged about in the past) would add much needed color. A couple of chairs look like they would fit on that front porch. My eye keeps going to the spaces between the two windows on either side though - like something should be there. Maybe a tall thin evergreen on either side (a holly or cypress?) or just some shutters would take care of that.

Mar 21, 2009 01:34 AM

Carol Smith

Casmi Photography - Mebane, NC

Color! It needs color!!!!!

Some beds of spring pinks, purples, yellows and whites - spread out like a welcome mat. Maybe a couple of hanging baskets on the porch with some a mix of pansies and vinca - little mushrooms of color with the medium green of the vinca trailing down.

Perhaps even a nice birdbath settled into a bed of pink and white geraniums ...

Oh - this mind of mine could have SO much fun in that yard. :)

Mar 21, 2009 03:19 AM

Susan Mangigian

RE/MAX Preferred - West Chester, PA

Chester & Delaware County Homes, Delaware and Ches

What about a really fabulous walkway from the street or from the driveway with a curved EP Henry wall or something? Some lighting so that when people pass at night, it's dramatically lit up.

Mar 21, 2009 09:54 AM

Charlottesville Solutions

Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

Makes me want to take a drive and visit... I need to come see you and rent a boat on Lake Anna!

your friend in Charlottesville Virginia!

Mar 21, 2009 09:55 AM

Debi Ernst

St. Charles County, Missouri - Prudential Alliance Realtors - O'Fallon, MO

GRI, e-PRO, Broker/Sales Associate

Kate - It sounds like you received some really great ideas. Don't forget to post the "after" pictures! :)

Mar 21, 2009 02:20 PM

Penny Bogardus

Lacy Realty, LLC - Gouverneur, NY

Broker/Owner

Hi Kate,

Have you considered getting an aerial shot, maybe from the side? Remember to show the lake in the background. This would be eye catching for marketing and give buyers a better feeling for the entire property. In that price range you need to do a little something special. Also add two planters of red flowers on each side of the doorway.

Apr 10, 2009 11:27 AM

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