Creating Curb Appeal
First impressions count, especially when
youre selling your home. When
potential buyers pull up in front of your home, you want to entice them
into the house with some quick "curb appeal." After all, how well your
home shows will influence its "saleability."
One
of the many services a REALTOR provides is a plan for you to spruce up
your homes appearance before putting it on the market. Your REALTOR
will have many tips and ideas for low cost and simple fixes that will
help attract more potential buyers and sell your home faster.
The
outside of a home tells a potential buyer a lot about what they might
find inside. If it looks a little shabby, few buyers will venture
further. Its amazing what a fresh coat of paint, some minor repairs,
clean windows, and maybe a few flowers planted can do to improve your
homes appearance. Investing just a few hundred dollars on paint for
example will not only increase your homes saleability, but will add
value to your home at least equal to the cost of the paint if not more.
Your
REALTOR will likely caution you to not go overboard with major
improvements, however. Any big jobs like a new roof for example are
probably better accounted for by adjusting your price to reflect the
cost of the repairs than by doing the repairs yourself.
Often
what impresses a potential buyer is a home that has been well
maintained. So if the exterior walls, driveway, garage and yard look
dirty and untidy, thats where you need to start by giving everything a
thorough cleaning. Also take care of any peeling paint, untrimmed
shrubs, loose screens or cracked windows.
Make
your front porch more inviting by adding a couple of low cost outdoor
chairs and a nice pot of flowers by the door. Then, make your way
inside the house and identify areas that need a fresh coat of paint, a
minor repair or a simple cleaning. What can you do to improve the
appearance of each room?
Here
are some tips to make your home more attractive and inviting without
blowing your budget:
Do the
work yourself
Many
of the jobs youll need to do are things you can tackle yourself include
replacing a few roof shingles, repairing loose hinges on windows and
doors, fixing storm doors and window screens, caulking window
exteriors, and cleaning siding. If you need advice, check out your
local home improvement centre.
Clean up
the yard
Mow
the lawn, trim the hedges, weed the flower beds, remove dead tree
branches, rake the leaves, sweep the sidewalks, fix and paint the deck
or fence, plant a few flowers and do anything else you can think of to
enhance your homes curb appeal.
De-clutter
If
you have yard and construction debris piled up along the side of your
home, or elsewhere, get rid of it. The exterior of your home should
look as uncluttered as the interior. And, dont forget to include that
major breeder of clutter - the garage! You must be ruthless when it
comes to clutter. If you havent used something in a year, give it to
charity or recycle it.
Beautify
your yard
Well-placed
flowers, trees and shrubs can really make the outside of a home look
inviting. Attractive landscaping can also increase the value of a home
as much as 10 per cent. Even without major landscaping, flowers can
make a yard look beautiful. Plant them in garden beds, hang them from
railings and porch ceilings or add flower boxes to windowsills.
Inside
your home
Take
a tour of each room, noting what needs to be cleaned or improved.
Improvements may include repairing leaky faucets, changing light bulbs
or fixtures, oiling door hinges, and replacing missing or broken
cupboard handles. If you have brightly colored accent walls, consider
repainting or wallpapering these areas with light, neutral colors.
Depersonalize
Your
REALTOR will probably suggest you depersonalize your home a bit. Your
house reflects your personal taste and style and a potential buyer may
be distracted by family photos, trophies or collectables. Its best to
keep your home as uncluttered as possible and store your personal items
out of the way.
Putting
your best foot
forward
Creating
curb appeal for your home may sound like a lot of effort, but the
benefits are well worth it! With some simple ideas and the help of a
REALTOR, your home will make a great first impression.
The above article was prepared on
behalf of
the members of the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board for the
information and benefit of consumers.
April
2002
Get
Your Home Ready for Sale
Your
Realtor: Best Source for Tips to Help Sell Your Home
Tips
to Help Homeowners Plan Their Next Move
Tips
on Sprucing
up Your Home Prior to Selling
Preparing
For Your Open House
How
an Open House Can Sell your Home
Selling
Your Home? Enlist the Services of a REALTOR
Sellers:
Take Advantage of the Buyers' Market
Creating
Curb Appeal Can Help Sell Your Home
How
To Books Offer Advice
Buying
or Selling a Home? Use a Realtor
