Making a Good First Impression
When it comes time to sell your home looks matter and you really only get once chance to make a good first impression. Taking the time to prepare your home for the entire selling aspect is important. From the photos to the open house, your home should look its best. To help with this process, experienced real estate agents will advise sellers to consider home staging. This involves the use of rented furniture, home accessories and artwork to help you make sure your home looks it’s absolute best for potential buyers. It removes a personal feel from the home and makes it more sellable. It also helps sellers to ensure that they receive top dollar for their listing. However, when it comes to staging, it’s equally important to consider the way the outside of your home looks. Since this is the very first thing prospective buyers are going to see, here are some ways you can enhance your home’s curb appeal and make an exceptional first impression before the front door even opens.
5 Tips for Exterior Staging
1. Wash your Windows and Screens – Dirty windows and screens scream poor home maintenance and will make potential buyers wonder what other areas of the home have been neglected. Don’t give homebuyers the opportunity to think poorly of your home by not paying attention to detail. Before authorizing an open house make sure to thoroughly clean all windows and screens inside and out. Click here for help cleaning windows like a professional to avoid streaks and make sure every pane is extra clean.
2. Landscape Gardens and Clear Walkways – Next to dirty windows are unkept flower beds. Weeds, overgrown bushes and poorly trimmed trees tell visitors that you don’t have time for the little things. Take a day to garden by removing all weeds, cutting back hedges and refreshing your landscape. Or, hire a professional landscaping company to do the job for you. It’s amazing what a well-manicured yard can do to improve curb appeal. You’ll surely receive a return on your investment for this type of attention to detail.
3. Power Wash your Home’s Siding – Due to exposure to the elements, your home’s exterior can accumulate a lot of dust, grime, and even mildew over the years. This can take away from the overall coloring of your home, and give your exterior a dated look. Thankfully their’s a more budget friendly solution that doesn’t involve replacing your home’s siding or repainting the exterior. The best solution? Hire a professional pressure washing company to clean the exterior of your home. Investing in this type of professional help is highly recommended as high pressure washing can be damaging if not done properly.
4. Update Door Fixtures and Address Signage – Sometimes something as simple as a new doorknob or updated address signage can make a big difference in the appearance of your home. Rather than replace the front door altogether, give it a wipe down, a new door knob and faceplate, and some WD40 for the hinges to give it a new look without breaking the bank. Similarly, new address numbers for the front of your home can work wonders for updating the way your home looks from the street.
5. Clean your Patio Furniture – Don’t let worn out patio furniture cost you in negotiations during a sale. If you don’t plan on taking the furniture with you, it’s better to get rid of it before selling your home. However, if you do plan on moving it then take the time to make sure it is dirt free and well maintained. A quick power wash can help avoid this problem and help make the backyard an inviting place that potential buyers will willingly enter and (hopefully) never want to leave.
So, What will your Home Say?
Well maintained and ready to move-in, or neglected and needing improvement? Your exterior staging will truly be the judge.
Overall, it’s important to take the time to pay attention to these types of details and modify your home as needed. In the long run, it can help you to maximize the selling price of your home and minimize time spent on the market. Before you authorize any photos of the home, make sure to do a final walk through with your real estate agent with the mind of a potential buyer to make sure all aspects of interior and exterior home staging are top notch. If you’re looking for an experienced real estate agent in Ladera Ranch or South Orange County to help you sell your home, I can help. Contact me today to get started.