Curb Appeal and The First Impression of Your Home?
Curb appeal is often the deciding factor whether a buyer will come and take a look at your house or pass it up. In fact, its often the split second decision the potential buyer will make on whether to look at the other pictures of your home on the internet if the front of the house is not inviting. Is that fair? No! But its often the case. So lets take a look at how you can make the most of your homes first impression and giving you a greater chance of attracting that one buyer for your home.
Landscaping
Keep your garden tidy and lawn mowed. Make sure the beds around the front door are neat and colorful. Add mulch to the beds and keep the trees and bushes trimmed and neat. Remove any items laying around in the garden and any broken cars, tools and implements, remove from the property to give it a good, neat and clear appearance.
Sidewalks
Power wash the sidewalks and add stones or mulch to freshen the area. Add edging to the pathways so that they are well defined and direct a clear path to the front door. If the sidewalks are cracked or damaged, its best to repair or replace them.
Front Door
Your front entry point to the home is also the focal point of your home. Paint the front door and add a new door knob and knocker. Add a new welcome mat to the area. Hang up some color filled flower baskets and if you have chairs on the porch, add some new color matching cushions to enhance the area. Often adding some flower pots onto the porch in a symmettrical pattern will give the area a good balance and pleasing comfortable feeling.
Windows
Clean the windows and paint the reveals for a fresh new look. Be sure that the blinds and curtains one can see from the street are in good repair and that all the curtains are on hooks and look even.
Lighting
Check that the light fittings are in good shape and that the bulbs are all working and clean. Be sure that the house numbers are secured tightly and painted and that the letter box is in good order and in good repair.
The Driveway
Be sure that the driveway is clean and free from vegetation and pesky weeds. If you have oil stains or ugly marks power wash them to clean them up. If your driveway is cracked it may be a good idea to repair it. Check your garage doors and restain them if necessary, check the light fitting. gutters and fascias so that they look neat and clean.
The General Appearance
The general appearance of the house view from the street needs to be perfect. Be sure the paintwork on the front of the house is neutral and appealing and check the gutters and soffits and be sure that they are in a good condition. If you have yard fencing and gates, they need to be neat and in good repair and well oiled so that they do not creek when opening and closing the gate.
If you are not sure if there is anything else that needs to be done to make your home appealing to your potential buyer then call in your real estate broker or a family member for a second opinion.
