The Importance of Curb Appeal

Home Selling Fact:
Curb Appeal Deserves
Top Priority

First, You Have to Get Detached

It's difficult to look at our own house in the same way that potential home buyers do. When we become accustomed to the way something looks and functions, we cannot see its faults. Decide right now to stop thinking of the property as a home. It's a house—a commodity you want to sell for the highest dollar possible.

Curb Appeal Exercise

The next time you come home, stop across the street or far enough down the driveway to get a good view of the house and its surroundings.

 

 

Evening Appeal is Important

Do the curb appeal exercise again at dusk or just after dark, because it's not unusual for potential buyers to drive by houses in the evening.

Lighting is Always a Plus

• String low voltage lighting along your driveway, sidewalks, and around landscaping elements.
  
• Add a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.
  
• Solar versions of outdoor lights are quick and easy to install, but only work when they receive full sun each day.
  
• Lighting that's visible through front windows should enhance the home's appearance.

 

 

Don't Forget the Rear View

Buyers doing a drive by will try their best to see your back yard. If it's visible from another street or from someone's driveway, it should be a part of your curb appeal efforts.

Curb Appeal Starters

Start with these basic curb appeal tasks:

• Kill mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof, or driveway.

• Stow away unnecessary garden implements and tools.

• Clean the windows and gutters.

• Pressure wash dirty siding and dingy decks.

• Keep sidewalks and driveways clean.

• Edge sidewalks and remove vegetation growing between concrete sections and bricks.

• Mow the lawn regularly. Get rid of weeds.

• Rake and dispose of leaves, even if your lot is wooded.

• Trim tree limbs that are near or touching the roof.

Landscaping Decisions

There are times that adding elements to your landscaping can help curb appeal, but there are also times when removing something is more effective.

Bad Landscaping Can Delay a Sale
We had a listing for a large brick house with white columns in front. Tall evergreens, planted in front of each column, had grown taller than the roof. They obscured the columns and windows and made it difficult to see the front of the house.

We suggested that the owner remove them. She trimmed them back, but they were unattractive and still kept potential buyers from seeing the true character of the house.

I sold the house to a couple who could see past the trees. One of their first tasks after closing was to yank them out of the ground, instantly boosting the home's curb appeal.


 

The Moral of the Story
Most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first isn't appealing to them. Those who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect YOU to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work.

The seller was comfortable in the house and couldn't understand why leaving the trees in place made a difference. She forgot that the Realtor has to show buyers the best aspects of a property—you cannot expect them to imagine improvements on their own.

More Curb Appeal Ideas

• If you can budget it, a fresh paint job does wonders for a dingy house. Drive around your town to find color schemes that are appealing.

• How about a more attractive front door, maybe something with leaded glass inserts?

• If you can't justify the cost of a new door, consider replacing plain doorknob hardware with something more attractive.

• If new hardware is beyond your budget, how about repainting or staining the door and polishing the hardware?
  
• If you brainstorm, you'll find that there's a solution to most problems—one that lets you stay within your budget. The trick is to find the spots where improvements are needed, then follow through to complete the tasks as best you can.

View the property from the same position as a home buyer who is doing a drive-by.

What is your first impression of the house and yard area?

What are the best exterior features of the house or lot?

How can you enhance them?

What are the worst exterior features of the house or lot?

How can you minimize or improve them?

Park where a potential buyer would and walk towards the house, looking around you as if it were your first visit. Is the path clean and tidy?

Start making a list of your positive and negative feelings about the property's appearance.

Take photos of the home's exterior. If you have a digital camera, view the color versions first, then switch the photos to greyscale, because it's easier to see problems when color isn't present to affect our senses.

 

Remember when you bought your house. If you're like most buyers, you did drive-bys of at least some houses before you asked your agent to show them to you. Do you remember what turned you off? Maybe an unkempt yard, faded or peeling paint, dirty windows?

Now that it's time for you to sell, don't make the same mistakes, because you might only have one chance to WOW! potential home buyers. Improving your property's curb appeal is one of the most important things you must do before you attempt to sell it.

Real estate agents often talk about the importance of curb appeal—that subjective, intangible quality that has buyers thinking emotionally rather than logically. We've all experienced it: you know, that singular moment when you drive up to a home and it's love at first sight. Something about it has your heart beating just a little bit faster. Perhaps it's the way the home sits on the property, or the mix of clapboard and fieldstone, the expanse of grass carpeting, the stately columns, the boisterous symphony of greenery and brilliantly colored flowers. Something calls to you and you respond, "Yes. This is it. I don't care what the inside looks like. I want it." That's curb appeal.

 

Curb appeal extends to neighborhoods as well. Meticulously maintained homes in the estate section of town enjoy solid curb appeal whereas poorly kept neighborhoods do not. Interestingly, even your neighbor's state of curb appeal can positively or negatively affect your home's. So how can you tell where your home registers on the curb appeal scale? One way to find out is to take pictures of your property from various angles. Show them to friends, family, colleagues, anyone known for providing painfully objective feedback. Find out what's appealing about the home and grounds, and what needs improvement. Take the photos to a nursery for a professional landscaper's opinion. Even more important, consult your real estate agent. A local real estate professional has experience selling homes in your area and can be a great resource. Ask the agent to walk around the property with you and view it from across the street. Develop a "to do" list to bring your home up to show condition, then brainstorm easy, cost-effective solutions.

Surprisingly, even small enhancements can make a big difference. Building on your home's curb appeal might be as easy as replacing a torn screen and planting a few flowers near the front door.

Here are some ideas to get you going.

Paint and polish. A fresh coat of paint breathes new life into a tired-looking home. If your home looks dull or suffers from peeling, cracked or chipped paint, a paint job is a great investment. Real estate agents often suggest using neutral colors such as white, off-white or gray. A point of interest: According to a survey by the National Association of REALTORS, white homes sell faster than others. Whether or not you paint, you'll want to polish the door-knocker and mail slot on the front door, as well as any light fixtures by the entry.

Go over the grounds. Mow and edge the grass and trim the trees and bushes. Also, clear away dead leaves and flowers, and mulch and weed the beds. Check to see that tree branches are not touching the home's roof or outer walls. You can spruce up the property by hanging flower baskets and placing planters of flowers in strategic spots.

Make needed repairs. Work your way through your "to do" list. In addition, see if anything is unhinged, loose or just an eyesore. Fix everything including broken fencing, windows and screens. Try the doorbell. Check stairs and railings. Test doors for squeaks and rusted hinges. Don't forget to take a critical look at the property at night. Make sure the lights work, and replace dim and burned-out bulbs.

De-clutter. Now is the time to have a garage sale, not when you're about to move. Throw out everything you can. Organize the garage and any out buildings. Put away lawn and garden equipment and tools. Tidy up the deck, patio and back yard. Clean up the barbecue area. Eliminate any "evidence" of pets, and restrict animals to the back yard when showing the home. Move extra vehicles from the view of passersby.

Clean. You want buyers to know the home has been well maintained. To make a bright impression, clean the windows, inside and out, wash down the walks and driveway, and hose down the siding. Clean outdoor furniture and cushions. Check for oil spots on cement surfaces, especially the garage floor.