When home buyers drive your neighborhood, or when Realtors are previewing for their clients, what do they see? You never get a second chance to make a first impression, so make sure your home has the The Wow Factor: Seven Quick Tips for Curb Appeal that makes people go “wow.” Take a walk around your property right now—front to back. Pretend you’re a prospective buyer. Do you like what you see?
Here are seven quick tips for creating a visual impression that makes them want to see more.
- Paint the Walls. Neutralize your home for buyers. Buyers have a tough time visualizing themselves living in a home that has a different design scheme than they’re used to. So make it easy for buyers by giving them a neutral color palette to work with. Fresh paint will also brighten the home, make it appear new, and mask any offensive smells.
- Create More Space. Open Floor Plans are in. Anything that opens the space and creates a sense of flow in the house is generating a response from buyers right now. Just by rearranging or removing furniture pieces, you can really modernize the look and feel of your home.
- Hire a Landscaper. Curb Appeal Counts. Mow the lawn, trim the shrubs, and cut the trees. Unsightly curb appeal can easily lower the perceived value of your home. A $400-$500 investment in landscaping can yield four times that!
- Define the Space. Remove all question marks. Undefined spaces create doubt in the mind of a buyer. And doubt can kill a sale before it even starts. Instead, make sure that all spaces are clearly defined. Remove the treadmill from the living room, convert the office back into a bedroom, and hide the toys that have been playing in the dining room.
- Clean the Bathrooms. Bathrooms can be deal breakers. It may not be economical to do a full bathroom renovation. However, it is possible to spend a few hundred dollars on a bathroom refresh. Replace frosted glass with clear glass, clean the grout, remove rust stains, apply fresh caulk, update doorknobs, replace faucets, and install a low-flush toilet.
- Spruce up the Floors. The first thing a buyer will notice. Broken tiles and squeaky floor boards can be fixed easily and make a huge difference in a buyer’s impression. Have carpets professionally cleaned and consider having tile floors steam cleaned. If the budget allows, remove wall to wall carpeting and opt for hardwood or tile.
- Hire a Handyman. Basic maintenance goes far. Repair leaks, replace rusty rain gutters, inspect the furnace, caulk the corners, replace the drawer pulls, and weed the flower beds. These kinds of repairs go a long way toward value.
As you plan your checklist, keep in mind your neighborhood, competing homes that are on the market, and your budget. Most of these How To Maximize Your Selling Price With Low-Cost Cosmetics and DIY. And even if you have to spend a few dollars for professional help, the investment will pay off by attracting more buyers more quickly.
