Autumn Curb Appeal
That fabled first impression is no myth, and if you’re trying to sell your home, take a half- hour to evaluate what prospective buyers are seeing when they drive up to your home. Doing that by yourself can be a lot harder that you might think, simply because it’s hard to separate your subjective experience out of the equation. This is simple to solve. Simply ask friends or acquaintances who are unfamiliar with your home to give you an honest account of their first impressions on your curb appeal. Certainly, your real estate agent is going to give you an objective appraisal as well.
Your job is to take those observations and find ways to improve the view from the curb. You should try to do everything you can to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives.
Landscaping of the space between the curb and the front door is a primary concern. Maximize by trimming, edging and weeding. Neatness counts! Minimize by removing ailing or dead trees, shrubs, bushes and other plants. If you just can’t get a decent looking lawn, perhaps resodding is the answer, or even more radical approaches like changing ground cover completely. Refresh that mulch! Deep browns and reds are so much more appealing than a dull, washed out grey at the base of your landscaping pieces. And prepare your lawn for spring now, following the guidance in this Lowes.com article.
Structurally, make sure any damaged siding, roofing or other exterior parts of your home are repaired. Make sure the front of your home is clean and attractive. A power-wash is always a great place to start, and the DIY network has some excellent tips on doing it yourself. A new coat of paint is often a good idea, but you don’t have to paint everything. Just touching up the trim, window and door frames after everything else is clean can brighten the appearance of your home.
A little color can go a long way. Carefully coordinated window treatments are an excellent accent; check out this article from HGTV for ideas. Colorful flowers just inside the windows can create a sense of warmth and depth, especially in the drab, colder months of the year. If you have a lot of decorations on the front of your house, make sure they’re clean and in good condition. You don’t want to overdo those, either. Remember, you want a buyer to imagine the home as their own, not see it as someone else’s!
Spending some time on these projects will be worth the effort when you are ready to show your house to buyers. They will be impressed with how well-maintained your home looks outside and will be enticed to see the rest. Contact me today for a consultation. I will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and help you determine the value of your home.
Page Plager and Blaise Bugajski
Property SELLutions
Ph: 770-639-SOLD
Info@PropertySELLutions.com
www.PropertySELLutions.com
Contact us today if you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Greater Atlanta, Georgia area – including North Fulton, Forsyth County, Gwinnett County, Cobb County or Dekalb County.
