Curb Appeal

One of the most important aspects of your home as far as selling characteristics is going to be its curb appeal. The exterior of your house will be the first thing potential buyers see, whether they are looking at it because of the for sale sign on the lawn, are being shown the property by an agent, or found an advertisement for the home online or in print (remember, ads include pictures). You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and a potential buyer's opinion of your home will determine their interest and even how much they might be willing to pay.

With that in mind, you want to make sure you maximize on the curb appeal of your property. Here are some tips to help you achieve that goal.

Tidy up! We all get a little bit lazy about our yards and what goes in them. We leave sprinklers trailing hoses out on the lawn, kid's toys all over, garden tools at the front door. Get all of these things put away out of sight, so they don't detract from the view of your property. Clean up! Cut your lawn, weed your gardens, and prune your trees. You want everything looking its absolute best for any potential buyers. Remember to put away all your tools, and take the clippings to the dump right away! Repair! Take a very close look at your home from the outside, and make a list of minor repairs that need to be done. Replace an outdated mailbox or house numbers, put in some new hardware on the doors, and be ready to apply some paint. Add some extras. Remember that a lot of people will get their first look at your property when it's starting to get dark outside. Some nice lighting can really add some wow factor; solar lights are great, lights along the driveway are even better! Don't spend too much, there are plenty of energy efficient, easily installed options available. Remove ungainly landscaping. A lot of houses have trees or hedges that the owners love, but which detract from the curb appeal. Trees which have grown higher than the roof of the house are common, and people won't take a second look at the home if they think they have to engage in a lot of involved landscaping work.

Never underestimate the power of curb appeal. It's the first chance you have to pitch your home to a buyer, even though you didn't know they were even looking!