The power of a first impression
No matter what some may argue, first impressions count. This is particularly true when it comes to buying or selling a home. Many homebuyers often form their first impression of a home simply by what they see as they pull into the driveway or walk up the sidewalk. A few may not even bother to get out of their cars and come inside if they find the exterior of the home to be so unappealing.
If you are flipping houses and have just bought yourself a fixer upper home that you have spent significant time and money on renovating, make sure you spend a little extra time and energy on the exterior appearance as well. It could make all the difference in the world in terms of getting those potential buyers up the driveway and through the front door to see all the improvements you have made to the interior.
Giving the exterior of a home a face lift not only improves the odds that buyers will want to come in and look around, but it can also increase home value. To determine what exterior work your fixer upper home might need, take a walk down the driveway or stand across the street so you can get a better look of the property and its surroundings. If you do not think you can look at the house through objective eyes, grab a friend or colleague who has not seen the home and have them take a quick look and give their honest feedback.
Ask yourself what your first impressions are when you first drive up? What are the property’s worst features? How could you play them down or improve them? What are the best exterior features of the house? How can you accentuate them? As you walk around the outside of the home, make a list of everything that needs to be done to improve the curb appeal of the home.
Here are a few ideas and tips of things you can do that are relatively low cost, but that can pay you dividends in terms of making a house more presentable and appealing to a home buyer.
- Pick up all trash and debris.
- Cut the grass, pull weeds, rake and bag leaves, and edge sidewalks.
- Trim bushes and tree limbs that are near to or touching the home.
- Add a new layer of mulch or rock to the garden beds surrounding the home.
- Get rid of any clutter – garden hoses laying out, decorative lawn ornaments gone wild, decorations for holidays long gone, etc.
- Clean windows and gutters.
- Patch any holes or large cracks in the sidewalk or driveway.
- Pressure wash dirty or molded siding, sidewalks, driveway and deck areas.
- Update the door knobs and hardware and/or repair or stain the front door.
- Install a more attractive or decorative front door.
- Fix or replace window shutters.
- Repaint or replace the mailbox.
- Repair and repaint loose siding and caulk windows and doors.
- Repair any loose, torn or peeling shingles on the roof.
- Fix any loose or broken items such as trim, window screens, handrails, steps, etc.
- Add some greenery – in the summer plants some flowers or have a few hanging baskets hung from the front porch. Evergreen plants and bushes would stay greener in cooler months and draw people’s attention to them.
- Add or update exterior light fixtures.
- Check the back yard as well and address any issues there.
- Do not forget to put out the welcome mat – literally!
As you can see by these suggestions, you do not need to spend a large amount of money to increase the property’s curb side appeal. The majority of these suggestions can be carried out for relatively little money, particularly if you are able to handle them yourself.
Curb side appeal can truly boost the marketability of a property up for sale. Buyers tend to overlook the smaller issues in a home if they fall in love with it the first time they walk up the drive. So spend a little more money and take a little extra time to give the exterior of your property the extra attention it needs, to sell your property faster, and for more money.