How can you lure in those buyers with one glance?!?
Have you ever been house hunting and, by simply looking at the exterior of the house, you do not even want to go inside? Having an immediate “un-appeal” can be devastating whether you are buying or selling. As an agent, I may know the inside of the home shows much better than it’s exterior, but, more times than not, you can’t convince your buyer to to spend the time to even go inside.
So, sellers, here are some quick and inexpensive tips to help you lure that buyer through your front door and to the closing table!
-Garage Doors: Paint, stain or even replace garage doors as needed. Believe it or not, these doors can be quite an eye-sore if left unattended.
-Exterior Light Fixtures: Change any and all outdated exterior light fixtures and make sure each and every one has a working light bulb for evening showings.
-Driveway: Professionally patch any large holes or cracks in your driveway or even get the driveway re-sealed. You want to make the buyer feel that they can drive the moving truck in with ease!
-Landscaping: Update your landscaping beds according to the season if they aren’t already. Trim all bushes and trees on the lot as needed. The buyer already has enough to do when they move in, the last thing they want to do is landscape!
-Overall Home Exterior: If the house is sided, get it power-washed to make it sparkle. Paint the window shutters if needed and make sure they are not hanging crooked. Clean up any toys and equipment from the yard and store neatly in the garage for the time being.
I know some of these things might seem a bit far-fetched and unimportant, but do keep in mind that most home buyers can’t visualize these changes and slight clean-ups, and the ones who can visualize it will be looking for a reduced price. With all this said, sellers and agents have a common goal; to sell your house at top dollar and as quickly as possible, right? Making simple changes like these can make the home more appealing and inviting to everyone who comes to see it and, in turn, makes your life, the seller, much, much easier! 
Happy cleaning!
3 responses so far ↓
St George Homes || Feb 22, 2008 at 6:06 pm
As an agent I totally agree with what your saying and sellers need to realize this. I cannot tell you how many times I have driven up to a house and had buyers say to skip it because it lacked curb appeal. Many times the inside of the house that was skipped was better then the homes they went to but the buyers didn’t ever now this because they didn’t even want to go in. Anyways I just thought I would add my 2cents and hopefully reinforce in the sellers just how important it is make sure your home has curb appeal.
Ben DeBell || Mar 7, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I completely agree with the value of curb appeal. Too many homes do not sell well or quickly because they are unattractive from the outside. I like to tell sellers that the exterior of a home is the first impression buyers get – the better that first impression, the more smoothly the sale may go. It doesn’t have to cost a lot to get the exterior of a home in perfect shape, either. Many hardware stores sell “oops” paint – paint that was pre-mixed and then left by a customer who changed their minds. This often costs a fraction of regular paint. General cleaning and trimming can be completed by the seller themselves. And nurseries often sell out plants for very little – you don’t have to buy the most expensive plants to make a good impression. I would also add that adding additional lighting outside (using those little inexpensive patio lights) works well if the outside of your home is dim. A dimly-lit home looks uninviting. Also, do not overlook window treatments – many can be seen from the outside. Try to make all the window treatments the same for a nice exterior look.
www.LandscapeNashville.com || Apr 4, 2008 at 3:36 pm
I am asked all the time for curb appeal advice. My business is actually built around curb appeal for Realty Clients selling their homes. I have a curb appeal top 10 tips on my web site for home sellers.
I speak at realty meetings on curb appeal when the agents get together to discuss their deals.
If you can’t get a client out of the car in the first place becuase of the wheat field of grass or the weeds in the beds and unkempt landscaping beds then you are missing sales.
Thank you for putting this page together and if you ever need advice or help with a client or are a client please call me.
Than you again.
www.LandscapeNashville.com
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