Curb Appeal is Your First Impression

And you know what they say about First Impressions…  It’s actually true.  It is easy and common for a home buyer to say these dreadful words to their buyer agent, “Keep driving.”  And just like that, without curb appeal, your opportunity is gone.

When selling your home, it’s vital that you don’t neglect its curb appeal. First impressions make a difference to potential buyers, so it’s important to wow them the first time they see your house in person.

Clean up the clutter

You want the outside of your home to be as clean and as clutter-free as the inside of your home — help potential buyers imagine themselves in the front yard of their new house.

The first thing you should do when sprucing up the front of your house is clean it up. Put away garbage cans, bicycles and garden equipment. Clean up toys. Pare down your lawn decorations and porch furniture. Make sure you wind up garden hoses neatly. Mow the lawn and trim the grass along walkways and driveways. Rake up leaves littering your yard. Sweep the walkways and driveways.

New paint

As the seller, you want potential buyers to know that you’ve taken care of your house and their list of home repairs will be short and easy.

So, if the last time your house saw a fresh coat of paint was in the last century, it’s probably time to visit the paint store. You want to make sure the doors, windows, shutters and visible foundation areas aren’t covered in peeling, chipped paint. Make them look clean and fresh with new paint.

Freshen up gardens

Once you clear away the clutter and finish any necessary painting, you can evaluate your garden areas. You want to entice potential buyers with lush, well-maintained gardens. You don’t want to scare them away with an overgrown jungle that hides walkways and windows.

To that end, weed everything. Clear out any dead plants or bushes. Trim plants and shrubs that are overgrown. Look at your trees and trim any branches that are dead, too close to the house or too close to your neighbors’ houses. Plant new foliage to freshen up the front of your house. Put down fresh mulch everywhere you can. Add a potted plant or two to porches and stairways.

Finishing touches

After you declutter, paint and tidy your gardens, you can concentrate on the little details that will spruce up the front of your home. Evaluate your light fixtures, mailbox and house numbers. If they look shabby and dated, replace them. Put new cushions on your porch furniture. Replace the welcome mat with one that is new and clean.

Your house will have plenty of chances to shine on the inside when it’s on the market. However, if you want to keep potential buyers from jumping back in their car and driving away before they even walk up to the front door, you will need to make sure your home’s curb appeal is as good as it can be.

About Zipi Wiki

In addition to checklists, tips, and tricks, we can do one very important thing for you. We can match the very best agent in your neighborhood for you. There is no other service that can find more qualified real estate agents for selling your home than Zipi Wiki. We can also help you find amazing buyer agents. We wish you the very best with your home sale, and hope your next abode is your best one yet!