Whether in person or online, the first thing buyers see is the view of your home from the street. How they react to this viewing is your home’s curb appeal—and it shapes buyers’ reactions to the rest of their tour through your home. That’s why perhaps the most important thing when selling your home is its exterior look—its curb appeal. Here’s how to wow buyers from the start.
Begin by looking at your home from the street. Pretend you are buyers and take note of everything they may not like. Check out the condition of the siding and the paint, especially the trim. Examine the walkway and driveway. Look at the lawn and the shrubbery. While you’re at it, walk all around the outside of your home and note anything that would put buyers off. Finally, drive past your home in both directions and see if you missed anything.
Do some pressure-washing. Power washing can make a huge difference to the look of dirty siding, decks, and patios, faded walkways, and oil-stained driveways. Rent a pressure-washer from a home improvement store, or hire someone at a reasonable cost.
Spruce up the paint. After you’ve pressure-washed the siding, touch up peeling or damaged paint on the trim and body of the home. If your home is ready for a paint job, consider doing one. A freshly painted home will be more attractive to buyers than a deduction from the sale price for the cost of a paint job.
Check out the roof. During your street viewing, give special attention to the roof—it’s a good part of what buyers see from the curb. Replace missing or damaged shingles. If the roof is dirty or streaked, have it cleaned. If it’s in bad shape, consider replacing it. Like a paint job, a new roof is more appealing to buyers than a sale price deduction for the cost of a new roof.
Feature the front door. When buyers look at your home, their eyes will land on the front door. Give it a fresh coat of paint and new hardware, or replace it if necessary.
Bring in some new touches. Installing a new front light, welcome mat, and mailbox can do a lot for your home for not a lot of money—this can actually have a big impact. Just be sure the style of the numbers works with the style of the house.
Freshen up plantings and landscaping. Put colorful flowers in window boxes and planters and mulch all beds. Trim shrubs and remove dead branches from trees. Keep the lawn mowed and free of leaves. Seed bald spots. For more landscaping ideas to boost your curb appeal, click here.
Open up the views to the outside. Raise shades and open the curtains, blinds, and shutters. Windows that invite in the light look more attractive from the street.
Ask for an outside opinion. It’s often hard to see what’s wrong with things we look at every day. Ask someone not living in your home to tell you what needs to be fixed. When you choose to work with us, this is something we’re happy to do.
For help in listing your home for the best price—and finding your dream home—please text, call, or email us today!
