You’ve finally made the decision to sell your home, and now comes the hard part: getting it ready to be shown and deemed irresistible by perspective home buyers. You know your goal is to get potential buyers in the door, but before that happens, you have to give them a reason to want to see more. Turning a passer-by into a new home owner involves some hard work, but it doesn’t have to break your budget.
Focus First On The Exterior Of Your Home
- Could the color use a spruce-up or does it need to be power washed?
- Is your front door in good repair?
- How well does your home’s exterior work with the “feel” of the neighborhood?
While every home on the street doesn’t need to look the same, it’s good to keep yours within the same range of colors as the others. You want your home to stand out, but in a good way.
The Small Things Matter
You’ll also want to give attention to some of the outside accessories such as the house numbers, the mailbox and the outside lighting. For just a small investment of your time and money, you can put a new coat of paint on the numbers and the mailbox, or replace them if they seem too weather-beaten.
Potential buyers will often drive around looking at homes in the evening, so be sure the home is well lit. Replace any light bulbs that are out, and get new fixtures if they’re broken. This is also an important safety feature that many buyers will take notice of immediately.
Driveways, Walkways and Lawn Care
Speaking of safety, an unkempt walkway and/or porch could be a deal-breaker for buyers, so take some time to trim bushes and trees, especially around the front of the home where people would be coming and going. If you have a sidewalk leading to your front door, make sure it’s clean, free of debris and safe to walk on. It should be flat and any areas that seem like they could be hazardous should be fixed so no one trips and falls.
As far as landscaping goes, you don’t have to have a lawn like those you might see on HGTV (that certainly wouldn’t hurt), but you do have to get it into the best shape possible by keeping it mowed, and free of branches, leaves, rocks and trash. If you live in a snowy climate, driveways and walkways need to be clear at all times.
Finishing Touch’s
Finally, don’t underestimate the power of plants and flowers. They can add splashes of color to your home and create a warm, welcoming feel. Spending an hour at your local nursery could make all the difference in your curb appeal, especially if your home lacks a lot of landscaping. Hanging baskets and large pots of seasonal flowers work well for a front porch. If your home doesn’t have a porch, consider a wreath for your front door. Adding some small plants and flowers along both sides of a walkway leading to your front door is another way to entice visitors because it naturally draws their eyes up the path and straight to the focal point, which is your front door. What better way to make your home seem like the place buyers want to be?
