Simple Steps To Dress Your
Home For A Quick Sale
Pricing a property properly and
using a good REALTOR® are important
factors in selling your house
quickly and maximizing your profits,
but ultimately the most important
consideration in selling your home
is curb appeal.
What's curb appeal? Curb
appeal is a synonym for how
eye-catching your home is from the
street. Making the right exterior
decor choices and performing the
right type of repairs can give your
home curb appeal that causes buyers
to stare in awe when they arrive.
Even more lucrative, making the
right type of "finishing touches"
can add plenty to the sales price of
your home.
Go out to the road and walk past
your home. What catches your
attention? The dirty windows? The
pinestraw on the roof? The weeds in
your planters? These are the items
you want to take care of. Make a
list of the things that catch your
eye and stand out. Tackle the ones
that can be remediated without a lot
of expense and make the biggest
difference in the curb appeal of
your home.
Remove the clutter and debris from
your yard. Lawn mowers, children's
toys, grills, flashing neon pink
flamingo statues... you get the
idea. Pickup any fallen branches and
rake up leaves and pine needles.
Work on the landscaping. Purchase
some inexpensive plants and flowers
from Lowes, Home Depot or your local
nursery and apply liberally. Don't
forget to put some type of mulch
(clean pinestraw, cypress chips,
rock, etc.). Mow the lawn and keep
it neat throughout the period that
your home is on the market. Sweep
off the driveway and edge any
concrete (driveway, walkways,
patios) if necessary.
Don't ignore the exterior of the
house itself. If the wood surfaces
such as lap siding or fascia and
eaves are looking rough, now would
be a good time to make a new friend
who will give you a good discount on
exterior painting. Replace any
rotted wood on the exterior of the
house -- 9 times out of 10 you
will need to replace it eventually
in order for your buyer's lender to
extend financing on the house. An
inexpensive feature that is often
missing from many homes is
decorative shutters. If they jive
with the exterior style of your
house, install them beside all of
the front windows and any other
windows that are visible from the
street.
Check all "attachments" on the house
such as front porches, patios, even
things such as corner lights and
landscaping lights. Make sure that
everything is in good shape and
working order.
If you happen to live on the water,
make sure not to overlook your dock
and related structures. Replace the
Styrofoam floatation pieces under a
sagging floating dock, seal the
planks on the surface with a
decorative type sealant, etc. In
many areas, interest in homes on the
water is generated not only by
people driving by on the road, but
also by passing boaters on the lake
or river. This is very important in
coastal markets where recreational
boating and fishing are dominant
activities. In addition, worn out
decking and rails may mislead
prospective buyers into thinking
that dock supports may be worn out
also.
About The Author
Brandon L. Boyce is a REALTOR® and licensed real property appraiser in Liberty County, Georgia with Islands Real Estate and Appraisal Company. He has been providing marketing and valuation services to property owners since 2001 and specializes in coastal and waterfront homes and property.
If you are looking for a
curb appeal program in the Charlotte area
please
call us today at 704-821-6353 or
complete our
online request form.
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