FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING
When the potential buyer approaches your home in their car, they make their first decision…whether to STOP and look inside! A neat, attractive yard is invaluable to enticing a buyer to view your home.
You’ll need to use a keen eye to carefully evaluate every aspect of the exterior of your home! The outside of your home is just as important as the inside. Curb appeal can seal a deal right off the bat because the potential buyer can easily get emotionally attached to a home at the front door. If the home is warm and friendly looking and a buyer can see that the home has been well maintained and the yard is manicured he will be much more apt to forgive some imperfections on the inside as long as they are not screaming at him when he enters. This concept works both ways. If it is impossible to achieve an overall perfect appearance of your home, then make sure at least one or the other (either the inside or outside) are perfect.
VIEW YOUR HOME THROUGH THE EYES OF THE BUYER- USE THIS LIST TO GET YOU STARTED!
- Keep your yard mowed, raked, fertilized and watered.
- Remove all toys bicycles, tools, unsightly patio furniture, garden equipment and debris.
- All landscaping should be pruned and trimmed regularly.
- Outdoor furniture should look great, cleaned and painted if needed
- Firewood should be stacked neatly and out of sight if possible
- In wintertime, keep snow and ice off sidewalks and walkways
- Paint mailbox if necessary
- Ensure street numbers are legible and easily distinguished from the street
- Porches, steps verandas etc, should be swept and free from leaves and debris at all times
- Paint all entrance doors and change front door handles if necessary
- Shades and awnings should be in great condition and if not replace or remove. Remove windsocks/chimes.
- Keep trash cans out of sight of the front of the home and deodorized.
- Gates, fences and outbuildings should be clean and/or painted.
- Clean, repair or replace downspouts and gutters
- Repair, replace roof shingles if needed. Also fix any sign of leaks on ceilings inside.
- Make sure garage doors open easily and electronic eyes are installed. Paint or replace if needed.
- Paint and/or repair chimney stacks, tuck point bricks and stone, caulk where needed.
- Excessive wear on the exterior of the house might merit a new paint job.
An investment in painting your home can really make the difference between “turning on” the buyer or sending up a “red flag” about the condition of the home. You may lose buyers due to what you might consider to be an insignificant issue. If there is a lot of peeling and chalking on the outside of the home it could affect a buyer’s ability to obtain financing for your home.