Curb Appeal
The first impression your home makes on a potential buyer is everything. If they aren’t impressed with the outside of your home, chances are they won’t want to go any further. Even if they do, they may tend to look at it more harshly thinking it has not been well-maintained. “Curb appeal” is a common term used for how attractive your home looks to buyers. The more curb appeal your home has, the more likely it is to sell quickly and garner a higher selling price.
With so many houses on the market today, any advantage your home has will help it sell. This is where the home with curb appeal has the advantage. An appealing home will attract more street traffic so people driving by and seeing your sign will be more inclined to stop and look. And with over 80% of all buyers using the Internet to shop for a home, you need to show them an attractive home so they’ll want to investigate it further.
Creating curb appeal can be easy and inexpensive. We’ve outlined some ways to make your home more appealing to prospective buyers.
Look Around and See What Needs to Be Done
You know how easy it is to overlook minor problems with your home. You know, the finger-smudged light switches, the weeds in the flower beds, peeling or chipped paint, etc. You probably don’t even notice them anymore but potential buyers will! Ask your Realtor or friend to take an objective look at your home to spot any cosmetic defects. Then fix them.
Be sure your lawn is mowed and the gutters are clean. Trim the bushes and fix anything that’s hanging or broken. Shine your doorknob, paint the door and clean the windows.
The first thing a buyer will notice before entering your home is the front porch. Make sure it looks inviting. Place two large planters with flowers in them on either side of the door or walkway for an attractive look. This will create a focal point, forcing your visitors to focus on one area rather than the entire home at once. Put a seasonal wreath on the door to imply warmth.
Pressure wash the house as well as the walkways. This will give them a clean, white appearance. Edge the yard for a manicured look and add fresh mulch to flower gardens. Landscape the yard or plant flowers to create a well-maintained feel to your home. If the house needs painted, do it. Nothing sells a house faster than a clean, fresh look.
Making these easy, low-cost improvements to your home will make it much more appealing to prospective buyers looking for homes in the Central Ohio area. Following this advice will help your home sell more quickly and for more money.
Need help creating curb appeal? We have local experts that we can bring in to evaluate low-cost, high impact improvements that you can easily make to send your home's curb appeal soaring sky high! Contact us today!