Beautiful curb appeal can be the secret to getting top dollar.
Does curb appeal make a difference when selling your home? As a real estate agent, I often consult sellers on what they can do to improve the curb appeal of their homes as they enter the marketplace. Making a good first impression is essential and makes a huge difference, especially in a shifting market where there is much more competition and fewer buyers. If the front of your home lacks curb appeal, it won’t matter how wonderful the inside of your property is staged. If your house looks terrible on the outside, some buyers won’t even want to see it on the inside. Let’s review a few things you can do to spruce up your curb appeal:
1. Get rid of the cobwebs. You don’t want your home to appear spooky and unkempt. Cobwebs can appear in unexpected places, lurking in the corners and nooks of your home. A good power washing will help eliminate the webs, dust, and other forms of dirt from the exterior of your home.
2. Get rid of the plastic furniture. Yes, plastic furniture is affordable and easy to care for, but it can lower your curb appeal. Catherine Mack, co-owner of the House Buyer Network, says, “If you cannot afford to replace plastic furniture with high-end pieces, it is best to store them away when not in use and until your home is sold.” This means that less is more!
“If your home looks terrible on the outside, some buyers won’t even want to see it on the inside.”
3. Clean dirty windows and shutters. As a homeowner, you probably don’t notice how the exterior windows or shutters look from the outside. But, as a potential buyer or someone passing by, they can take notice. Dirty windows can make a home’s front exterior look old and unkempt. Always take the time to clean them to get the extra added gleam to your home.
4. Clear the driveway of old cars, junk, and trash cans. Nobody likes to see a bunch of junk like rundown vehicles and trash bins in a driveway when they pull up to a property, especially not buyers. Make sure to move away cars and pull the trash cans to the side yard or garage if possible. If you have the extra funds in the budget, resealing your driveway is an easy and affordable way to eliminate oil stains and concrete cracks.
5. Spruce up the front yard with some bark. Having to redo landscaping can be very expensive. Most of the time, just throwing down some bark or mulch in areas that need attention can do wonders and add freshness to your yard.
I hope this was helpful. If you want more tips on ways to enhance your property’s curb appeal before you list, give us a call or send an email, and we would be happy to share tips and tricks, as well as provide you with a local market update. We hope to hear from you soon!
