Curb Appeal

Most buyers look at homes online prior to seeing them in person.  If you have ever looked at homes online then been to homes, sometimes you wonder if agents actually took pictures of the same home you saw online!  Curb appeal is huge when it comes to the sale of your home, because there’s truth to that old saying “FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE LASTING IMPRESSIONS.” 

Here are a few things that can help your curb appeal:

• Wash and paint your mailbox

• pressure wash the driveway and sidewalks

• trim the shrubs as you approach the front door

• if it's springtime, put some colorful flowers by the front door, make the front inviting!

Declutter your living areas

The more you can take away from the home, the better your chances of getting your home sold the fastest.  I often advise sellers to invest in a storage unit for 30 to 60 days prior to listing their home or during the home selling process.  If you rent a storage unit, in some cases, the facilities will give you a free time period to start.  Take away things that you are aren’t using.  If it’s summer, get rid of those winter clothes and put them in storage.  A good rule of thumb to remember is “if you haven’t used it, or seen it” in a year then you should probably get rid of it!  Donations are a great way to do that – make sure you get a receipt so that you can take the deduction appropriately on your taxes!

Depersonalize your home

It’s truly hard for buyers to imagine their family living in your home with all of your belongings hanging on the walls and items placed throughout the home.  It’s important to remove things that personalize you to the home and remove those prior to taking the photos for the listing service.

Repaint bold walls

Did you have a crazy idea and paint that dining room a bold color, now you are ready to sell only to wonder should you paint it back a neutral color?  Yes, you should!  Again, it’s hard for buyers to come in and imagine their furniture in a room and how it’s going to look with a bold color and now knowing how they can make it work.  Another point of concern for most buyer is that they don’t have funds to come in and pay to have it repainted.  67% of all buyers are first time home purchasers according to the National Association of REALTORS®.  So, to get the most money possible in the fastest amount of time possible, repaint those bold walls neutral before listing.

Touch up scuff marks

Kids will be kids, that goes without saying.  Take a weekend before the REALTOR® comes to list your home and to take photos to touch up scuff marks and paint.  It typically is a weekend job; it allows for you to make those first impressions count and puts the buyers mind at ease that you as the seller haven’t let any deferred maintenance occur during your time of ownership.

Fix loose handles

NEWS FLASH!!!  Buyers will be in your home!  They will be looking through your stuff, opening all your drawers, cabinets and being nosey!  Make sure while you are touching up your scuff marks, you have a flat head and phillips head screwdriver with you to tighten up those handles on all those drawers and cabinets as you go throughout the home.  Again, we want them to see you have left, “no screw unturned”.

Conduct a smell test

You live in your home, you are used to your home.  We suggest you invite an unusual guest over (someone random that you trust), not for dinner but just to walk through your home.  Ask them to see if they smell anything funny, perhaps any odors you may be missing that you are used to.  

Clean

Although you would think this isn’t a category we should have to say, you would be surprised.  Many sellers just don’t know how to clean in preparation for their home to be put on the market.  The easiest thing to remember is clean as if your boss’ boss is coming over to visit on the day we are taking photos for the listing.  After that, we want to keep it straightened and neat.  Obviously, the cleaner and neater you keep it, the faster it will sell!

In most cases, we recommend spending the money to have a professional cleaner come in to clean just prior to listing your property for the photos so that it reduces the stress.  If you are married, gentlemen, it will be the best money you spend for your wife and you know that saying “happy wife, happy life”.

Hide any valuables

Although buyers are with their agents as they are going through your home, the agents who are showing your home have to go through a full background check to be able to have access to the lockboxes I install on your doors. I don’t want to add any temptations whatsoever to anyone. I advise you to place any values away during the time showings will be happening.  This is including but not limited to: money, jewelry, guns, or anything that can be perceived as value. The very last thing we would want you to have to deal with is someone bothering your things.

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