Curb Appeal 101

Curb Appeal 101

My mantra is “you only get once to make a good first impression”.   You want your home to have a well- cared for appearance – mailbox in good repair, street numbers clear and legible, lawn and shrubs manicured, freshly painted exterior , freshly lacquered or painted front door and well cared for hardware on the front door.  A nice outdoor mat and a few pots of colorful flowers add pizazz.  Even if the rest of the home is not as manicured, that first impression makes the rest of the home look cared for.

Often when I drive up to a home that I’ve been asked to list, I find lackluster curb appeal – shrubs are overgrown, sidewalks and driveways needing power washing, trees need trimming, paint is peeling on the front door and dirty windows.   After other agents have failed to sell a home, I stage the outside and inside and the home sells quickly. 

Windows are important – and they need to shine. Use a professional window washer if it’s a two story home or if you don’t want to put in lots of elbow grease.  Removing the window screens makes the windows sparkle.

“Sell” your home with an inviting front porch  - newly painted exterior; newly varnished front door and new hardware - preferably black, polished nickel or oil rubbed bronze are the trend.  The porch needs to be clean, clean, clean – lights (and bulbs) need to be cleaned often, and add a new mat, a few pots or one large pot of colorful flowers.   If there’s enough room (and the style of the home is complemented by) Adirondack chairs or a small table.  Remember to keep it simple and elegant.

Yes, the driveway matters.  Power washing is the first step.  Depending on the price of the home and whether the owners can afford to, if there are large cracks in the driveway, nothing looks better than a new driveway.  If cost is a consideration there are products at your local hardware store such as premixed concrete that comes in tubes to fill cracks ¼ “ and less.  Re-surfacing may also be less expensive than a complete new driveway.

Evening curb appeal also matters.  Buyers will often drive by a home to check out the neighborhood at night and you want your home to be ready when they do. Outdoor lighting is a good investment both from a safety aspect as well as aesthetically.  For nighttime showings you want your home to have a warm glow from the curb. For a low cost approach, Experiment with two outdoor lamps aimed at the home or a beautiful tree and put them on timers. I confess that I did this – and then invested in nighttime lighting.   It’s a warm welcoming look when you’re driving in your driveway at night.   Whether you plan to sell or plan to stay, this is something you should try.

Staging a home and preparing a home for sale takes some time and work, but pays off in a faster sale and better price.