You may still be asking, what is curb appeal anyway? Well it’s that thing that makes the exterior of a property alluring enough for a buyer driving past your house, to stop their car or at least slow down just enough to take down the seller’s name and number. It’s that thing about the exterior of a house that makes that property attractive and marketable. And yet, as important as it is, curb appeal is one of the most important overlooked factors in selling a house. Many home sellers spend much time, effort and expense on the interior of a home and in the end they’re probably too exhausted or spent out to focus too much attention on the exterior. After all, who can resist a great kitchen or bathroom renovation? Forget the exterior you may think, once they get inside, they’ll surely be sold on buying the home, right? Wrong!
The reality is that most home buyers decide whether or not to look inside a house or to make a serious offer based on its curb appeal. You can increase the chances of selling your home almost 10 fold by spending some time working on its exterior appearance. Simple, easy to do changes can make all the difference in getting your home sold fast. Atlanta freelance real estate writer, Dana Dratch, says that in the home-selling market, curb appeal is better than cash. According to her, if you can get buyers through the front door, you've passed the first hurdle in selling your home. She too takes the view that curb appeal can often mean the difference between a house sitting for months or selling in a few weeks. She agrees with Michael Love, President of Interior Options Inc., a New York interior design firm, who says that if buyers don't like what they see outside, they may never walk inside.
But how exactly do you create curb appeal and boost the selling prospects of your home? This is an often overlooked factor, because most home sellers simply don’t have a clue how to achieve that. Simply put, it requires that you examine your home with a critical eye. It requires an objective, unbiased, unattached view. Try standing outside your property in the same position that a would be buyer is likely to be when they first get a glance at your house and then draw in closer and begin to do a careful inspection of your home. Try to examine your house not as an owner but as a would-be buyer, a complete stranger who has no history of the property or its owner. Be on the look-out for rust, mold, worn out paint, cracks in the walls, overgrown hedges and overhanging branches, etc. Position yourself on the curb side, across the street or in the driveway and see what jumps at you as being odd, out of place or needing improvement.
That being said, it's generally difficult to look at your own house in the same way that potential home buyers do. If you cannot take a detailed and objective “fly on the wall” look at your property then you may not be the best person to provide that critical assessment. It may be better to get the independent opinion of a third party. If you can’t be objective, don’t beat yourself about it. Most homeowners become so tired to their property that they fail to see the obvious, or cling onto old furniture, wall hangings and general “clutter” even when they know that doing so may hinder or delay a sale. Because of the origin or history of a certain object, they simply can’t pry themselves away. If you’re one of these persons know that this is natural but keep in mind that these things can significantly lower the offers that you receive, delay any offers or prevent them altogether. Most homeowners who finally get rid of a piece, eventually get used to the idea and sometimes wonder what took so long.
Once you’ve owned a property for a while, it really does grow on you. Overhanging branches, dirty window exteriors, unpainted railing, a broken door knob may become common place and may go unnoticed. So if you can’t be objective, then the common sense thing to do is to get someone who can. Even if you’re a surgeon, it doesn’t mean that you should attempt your own brain surgery. Sometimes it may be even better to get a third party opinion, since they pick up little things that you might probably miss altogether due to familiarity or attachment. Consider getting the opinion of your realtor, a neighbour or a friend whose judgment you trust. Choose someone who will tactfully and honestly voice their view point and provide constructive criticism.
In confronting the issue of property curb appeal, freelance real estate writer, Janet Wickell, recommends taking photos of your home's exterior, documenting the problem areas, starting with problem areas and then moving on to other things that would make the grounds or exterior of your home more attractive.
So what exactly should you be looking out for anyway? Simply put, be on the lookout for anything that creates a negative first impression, diminishes property value or the general appeal of the property. In general, anything that would make you cautious or weary about buying the property needs to be removed, mended or improved. On the other hand, anything that draws you to the property or would entice you to enter or make an offer must be kept or improved. Compare your home to others in the neighbourhood. How does your house stand up to scrutiny in comparison to your neighbour’s? Does it generally fit into the neighbourhood and enhance the general appearance?
According to Gabrielle Daniels Brennan of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Sudbury Massachusetts general focal points should be anything that creates an eyesore, as well as entryways, walkways, landscaping, garages, drains and exterior lighting, for example. Give the most glaring and detracting features or what can be regarded as eyesores, your attention first.
Start with things that pose a health risk such as mold and mildew on the house, sidewalks, roof, or driveway or termite or other insect infestation.
Remove or stow away tools, decorative elements or “junk” items that clutter the entryway, driveway, garage, porch or yard or can pose an accident risk. Clutter raises concerns about storage and cleanliness to would be buyers and every effort should be made to avoid this.
Clean and polish windows, drains, guttering, outdoor furniture, pools, ponds, sidings and walkways, and clean out cobwebs and outdoor garbage containers.
Trim and dispose of overhanging branches, pluck out old and decaying leaves, rake and clean the yard, water plants, put down fresh mulch or bedding material, mow the lawn and keep the yard well manicured, remove loose stones or brickwork, plant new but mature trees or flowers a safe distance from the foundation of the house. Don’t overlook the backyard, especially if it’s from a back street or the neighbours yard or driveway.
Repaint, re-stain, polish, fix or replace doors, windows, doorknobs and other hardware, outdoor furniture, walls, railings and fences. You’d be surprised how installing a new door can dramatically improve curb appeal. However, if this is too costly, you may instead consider just installing new hinges or a more attractive doorknob that compliments the look of the existing door. A fresh coat of paint can work absolute wonders, improving curb appeal, raising property value, and significantly increase the chances of a good offer in quick time. Moreover, very often the value derived from painting may significantly outweigh cost.
Adequate exterior lighting is another very important factor to be considered. Gabrielle Daniels stresses the importance of exterior lighting. She recommends keeping your lights on at night as this will increase its visibility to prospective buyers who are driving through your neighbourhood at night. In this way your house is being marketed 24/7. She suggests that sellers add valuable lighting by stringing low voltage lighting along driveways, sidewalks, and near important landscaping elements. This she says can also be done by adding a decorative street lamp or an attractive light fixture to a front porch.
Staging your house to sell or creating focal points is yet another great way of increasing curb appeal. Stage the tables or patio furniture in the garden, porch or deck. Find creative ways to make the yard look enticing. Highlighting outdoor living space usually helps buyers to visual themselves living in your home and entertaining friends and family. You may also create a focal point to help focus the buyer’s eyes on the most attractive part of the house or grounds.
Sexing up the curb appeal of your house may seem a difficult task at fast glance. But with proper planning, budgeting and careful implementation, it can work out to be quite simple and relatively inexpensive. Janet Wickell recommends taking photos of your home's exterior and documenting your observations and recommendations.
According to her, most buyers cannot visualize changes, and often won't take a second look at a house if the first look doesn't appeal to them. Home buyers who can visualize changes, and are prepared to make them, expect a seller to reduce the price of the house to compensate for the work they plan to do. So as a general rule of thumb anything that does not enhance or compliment the exterior appearance of your house should be removed or improved upon, while at the same time capitalizing on things that do. Curb appeal often acts as the catalyst that drives a sale, so by all means, find creative ways to maximize on curb appeal to sell your Saint Lucia property faster.
