Home Seller Tips: How to Boost Your Curb Appeal

 

Improving curb appeal before listing a home for sale can help ensure that a property will stand out to buyers both in-person and online. There are many ways that homeowners can improve curb appeal. Removing clutter, maintaining the landscaping, upgrading the lighting and performing other maintenance tasks can all make the house look more attractive for people who come to see the property with little upfront investment. 

For homeowners who want to get the most money for their house at the time when it sells, these tips can help:

Banish Clutter

Clutter can make homes seem claustrophobic, messy and even poorly maintained—even outside. Removing clutter inside and outside of a house can help with buyer perception. To do this, sellers should remove tools and other various items from their yards and properly store them. Buyers will look just about everywhere when they come to a showing, so clutter needs to be cleaned out from every possible nook and cranny. If storage begins to get a bit tight, it may be time to consider tossing, selling, or storing these items in a unit temporarily. Banishing clutter takes time. Homeowners who want to do the job right must start well in advance. Holding a garage sale, giving items to charity and selling items online can help cut back on clutter. 

Maintain Landscaping

The beauty of a home's landscaping can be a big draw for many buyers. There are many ways that homeowners can improve their landscaping before listing their house for sale. Removing weeds from the yard, keeping the grass watered and mowed and planting easy to maintain flowers can make the house more desirable. Dying plants aren't very appealing, so homeowners may want to choose ones that will need a lot of attention. It's also helpful to cut back shrubs to prevent them from blocking the windows and pathways. 

It's important to keep a lawn tidy when a home is listed for sale. This involves removing yard tools after working in the yard, keeping bags of mulch put away in the garage and removing any yard waste like pulled weeds. This work must be done constantly until the house sells. 

Create Focal Points

Focal points are not only useful in interior design. A good focal point helps set the tone for any space, and gives buyers a place to rest their eyes when they're analyzing a property. Many utilize symmetry with bushes or hedges to draw the eye toward a place such as a fountain, door, bench, or garden bed. Many choose to emphasize their favorite aspect of the home's exterior, but some homes may feature two or even three features depending on the size of the home and yard.

Upgrade Lighting

Lighting is very important in home interiors and exteriors. With proper lighting, homes can look there best in the evenings and at night should a buyer drive by to take a peak. Great lighting should illuminate the front door and facade of the house, as well as landscaping features and pathways. There are various choices out there to achieve a well-lit exterior. Selling a home is all about impressions, and many potential buyers may have their first later in the day. Sellers don't have to go all out on lighting improvements, but every little bit can make a difference.

Clean Everything

Before the pictures can be taken for the listing, and before home buyers can come to see the home, everything needs to be fully cleaned. Seeing mold or mildew on the side of a home might not give the best first impression. This includes hard to reach and hard to see parts of the house like the side of the chimney and the second-story windows. Depending on the level of dirtiness (or difficulty to reach/clean these areas), home sellers may want to contact a professional to safely get the job done. 

Have Questions? Talk to a Real Estate Agent

Homeowners who want to improve curb appeal before they sell their home can find out more by talking to a qualified real estate agent. If you're a homeowner who wants to list your home for sale soon, contact a reputable real estate agent in your area today.