Listing your house? Outside touches make better first impressions…
“88 percent of home-buyers begin the process online, looking at pictures on the listing site. Good photos and real curb appeal help entice buyers to check out your house in person. You want to make a great first impression, so don’t feel scared to make a statement! After all…you want buyers to fall in love with your house.” ~ReMax.net
Here’s a list of things you can do in a day, without big cost, to maximize road-appeal and make a great first impression:
- Dress up the front door – after all, the entry to your home is the biggest focal point! Wipe it down, sweep it, paint it. Add a kick plate, swag or a seasonal wreath to reflect the style of the house.
- Use symmetry – to entice potential buyers, compose light fixtures, plants and front-door accents based on symmetry to create welcoming and inviting visual entryways and boost the house’s curb appeal.
- Mailbox make-over – The mailbox is an easy way to accent your house. If you’re going to replace the box, pick one that mimics the style and trim of the house. You also have the option of dressing up a mail box by painting the post to match the house’s exterior color, or you can surround it with flowers and other plants.
- Outdoor lighting – Add or improve the outdoor lighting. Add some landscape lighting that points up at trees or other parts of your home’s landscape. Lighting along pathways improves the look but also adds safety and security.
- Patch up the grass – Pets, animals, weather and other events at your house can take a toll on your yard’s grass, and most buyers will notice a lawn that looks like it’s on its last leg. Cut out any dead spots and replace with sod, or, if you have time, replant with seed.
- Install window boxes and shutters – help play up windows, and can add a pop of color and visual interest to your home’s exterior. For a traditional look, choose window boxes made of copper or iron, and pick painted wood window boxes or shutter for more of a cottage feel. Either way, match the existing color scheme and style of your home.
- Renew Planters and beds – many people view poor yard upkeep as an indication of what a house may look like inside. Be sure to prune overgrowth, pull weeds, plant extra flowers and add new mulch to restore life and color depleted by the sun and harsh weather.