If you are in the process of putting your house on the market considering your propertys curb appeal is one of the most important and profitable investments you can make in your house. We have all heard real estate’s old favorite adage which is location, location, location. And though that is true location won’t matter if you have poor curb appeal. Since you can’t change the location of your home you can change the way it appears on the outside to give it that WOW factor which in turn entices a potential buyer to want to see the inside of the home.
First step is to think like a buyer and make a written list of things that might raise some concern if you were buying it. This step is hard for most homeowners as they can’t see their home objectively, so it’s best to get a friend, neighbor or your Real Estate agent to do it for you.
There are 6 main factors that need to be addressed when looking at the exterior of your home.
- Exterior Paint: Check to see that the paint is not faded or peeling, if so you might consider repainting. If you don’t want to paint the entire house, just paint the trim, exterior doors, garage door and window shutters. This will make a huge difference.
- Roofing: Roofs are expensive to replace so if your roof is showing signs of deterioration it’s best to either re-roof or give the buyer a credit at close of escrow.
- Driveway and Walkways: Clean any oil stained driveways and repair any cracks. For walkways make sure there is a clear path to the front door.
- Landscaping: This is a huge factor to the first impression. Make sure the grass is fertilized and green, remove any weeds, trim the shrubs, fix any broken sprinklers and add some bright flowers that will welcome a potential buyer when they walk up to the front door.
- Clean and Organize: Wash the entire outside of the home and driveways and walkways to remove dirt and stains, clean all windows inside and out, pick up all loose items that are in the yard.
- Night View: Take a look at your home at night to see how it showcases. As most potential buyers drive by a home at night to see how the neighborhood looks at night. So make sure your home is lit up by adding timers to keep the light on or consider adding some solar light to accent the walkways. Always keep a few lights on near the front windows to add the feeling of coziness and comfort.
Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression!