YOU HAD ME AT THE CURB

Your home's curb appeal speaks volumes to buyers and dollar signs to you the seller.  This one step in getting your home ready for market is just as important as the Three D's we discussed earlier.  My goal is to get you top dollar for your home so let's get the outside of your home shining like it is in the inside.

Buyers start the process of looking at your home from the curb.  Those drive buys will determine if they want to take the next step with you. The process of curb appeal is more than putting a potted plant near the door or a welcome sign at the door. Your home will need to be shouting from the curb, come inside and look at me, I'm just as pretty in the inside as I am on the outside. 

If there's ever the question, what should I spend money on to get my house ready to sell, outside of the home is my answer. You'll either have them immediately when they drive up or not as they walk up to the door.  Here's some helpful tips to get your house singing, look at me. 

TIPS TO GIVE YOUR HOME SOME CURB APPEAL

  1.  Clean the outside just as thorough as you did the inside. Start from top to bottom. 
  2.  Is your roof in need of repair? This might be something your insurance can help you with. Call a company to see what they say. You just never know how they can help you save costs.
  3.  Paint if needed. Siding, trim, porches, fences can start to make a house look dated if it's getting worn looking.  Invite some friends over to help or hire some teenagers to do the job. A good barbecue to show your appreciation can bring a smile to your volunteers.
  4. Clean or add new updated outside light fixtures/fans.  Also make sure they have new bulbs that are nice and bright. 
  5. Gutters should be cleaned. This will help with inspection. Do touch ups if you see leaks. cracks or mold residue in and around the gutters. You might have to invest in new ones if yours are really getting bad.
  6. Windows cleaned outside and inside. This includes the screens as well. If you have any screens that have holes in them, you'll need to contact a glass company to replace the bad ones.  Bad screens say lack of maintenance. 
  7. Give the porch a good washing. I like to rent a power washer to do this. It will help with the years of dirt on your walkway, driveway and porch. 
  8. Pack up or get rid of the extra items lingering around the outside of the home. You know what I'm talking about, the kid's old outside toys, years of clutter piled up in the backyard, non working items like car parts, electronics, furniture, anything that says trash to someone coming to visit your home. There's companies that you can pay to come out and take items like these, for a very small fee. Google junk removal, there's loads of choices near you. These companies will also take unwanted items from storage and garage. 
  9. Replace front door and it's hardware or refresh with paint.  Painting a door is really easy.  There's door paint at your local hardware store.  When I painted my steel door it just took a light sand and then paint.  Very quick and easy, plus friendly on the pocket book. You can see my updated painted door and new hardware within my previous post in this series, 30 quick tips to home staging. 
  10. Add house numbers visible to those driving by or a new mailbox.
  11. Get a new welcome mat for the front door
  12. Create a conversational space on the front porch or back porch.  If your budget is small and purchasing new is out of the question there's loads of inspirational ideas on Pinterest. 
  13. Potted flowers or plants on the front and back porch are an inexpensive way to create a welcome environment.
  14. Landscaping the front yard can be as simple as adding shrubs or clearing out those that are taking over the view of your home. Pretty flowers lining the walkway or flower beds.  Add a tree for color or height if your lacking in them.  Pull all weeds, finish off with some mulch within your beds.  Mulch can really say clean and inviting to any yard.
  15. Trim those trees! Some trees can be so overgrown that you can't see the front of the house. Just lifting them up off the ground can be a magic solution to an eye sore front yard. Also don't forget to take out trees that are dead. 
  16. Grass should be mowed and manicured. If your home doesn't have grass in some places where there should be, then consider patching it up with some sod pieces. You'll be surprised, how really easy and cheap sod can be to put in yourself. Most home improvement stores carry sod for quick repairs. If you have a large amount that needs to be planted. I suggest making some calls to landscape companies or those who specialize in producing grass. I had to add about 40 feet of sod to my home when we were selling. It took about a couple of hours to place on the ground. The main thing is to keep it watered for the first 2 weeks. 
  17. Garage doors are another item to think about. If they are not working properly, then you'll have to get them fixed. Paint worn out, then fresh coat of paint is in order. Overall, just make sure your garage door is clean and fresh looking while also complimenting the home.
  18. Outside trash cans that's collected by city might need a good spray down. I'm referring to those who have to put your trash in outside bins and then move them out to curve to be collected each week. It's nice for the new home owner to have a clean bin instead of a stinky one. 
  19. Repair the driveway if the cracks are begging you to be repaired. You can get away with some cracks but if it's effecting the home's overall look or value, I'd consider repairing it.
  20. Last, step back from your home and look at with the eye of a mom checking up on her kids to see if they cleaned their room to her specifications. If you know it's not appealing or clean enough then take the time to take care of those things that need attention. If you can see it, so can your prospect home buyers.

Good Luck! I just know if you can do all of these tips, your home will be ready and it will be singing, I'm so pretty! Our next stop within this 10 part series is Smile for the Camera, please join me there. 

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