Oh, first impressions! They matter in so many facets of life. Real estate is no exception. When a potential buyer pulls up to look at you home, they are taking stock from the minute they read the house number. Here are five major ways to improve your curb appeal and prepare to make an incredible first, “WOW!
1) Spruce Up Your Landscaping
Just the term landscaping means dramatically different things to different people. Do you live on a farm? A meticulously maintained neighborhood? A Xeriscaped lot? Let’s accept that it is a very broad term, but focus on what’s important: that it looks CARED for. Is the grass mowed? Are the bushes trimmed? Even a few fresh bags of mulch on the faded older mulch can make a world of difference. Sometimes it’s worth driving around your own neighborhood (which you maybe don’t notice anymore because you’re focused on other things). Which houses have that gorgeous lot that shows that time and energy have been invested? Let that be your goal and use your own budget accordingly. This is incredibly important if you are trying to stage a house to sell.
2) A Fresh Coat of Paint
For some homes, an entire paint overhaul or stucco repair job is recommended. For other’s it is some touch up work that can make a tremendous difference. How is the color of your home? Dated or current? Is it peeling or unsightly? Can just the shutters be freshened up? Ask some friends, neighbors and paint experts for advice on what would be a neutral but smart decision to make sure the exterior doesn’t look sad.
3) Declutter
Eek! Put away the big wheel and throw away the broken pots! Yes, you don’t even notice them anymore but the rest of the world does. One or two pops of color out front may bring together the curb appeal you are striving for, but the rest HAS TO GO. We know you love your copper sunshine from Santa Fe and your ceramic gnome, but let them go on vacation for a bit.
4) Take a Look at Your Front Door
It doesn’t have to be red to pop – or it could be! But what does your front door do to welcome anyone who enters? A nice wreath? A fresh coat of paint? A new handle that doesn’t look so, well, handled? This part of the entry can pop from the street and make entering the home a joyous experience.
5) Fix Your Concrete
Once again, some concrete responsibilities belong to the city, an entire redone driveway may not be feasible, but be conscientious of the concrete. Can it be sealed, cleaned up, or swept? What can make that hard surface that we all know actually be beautiful and not a cracked, messy, eyesore? If you can improve the concrete that leads up to your home, you won’t regret it.
There are many other tricks of the trade when it comes to increasing curb appeal. Color, fresh, seasonal choices and many more tips can be shared by your agent and/or staging professional.
We have all kinds of great tips in addition to a wealth of knowledge that can help you weather you are buying or selling.
Trelora real estate serves the Colorado Front Range and Seattle Metro Area and our mission is simple: full service real estate for a fraction of the cost. When you hire a traditional agent to help you buy or sell your home, you pay that agent 3-6% of the home’s value.
When you hire Trelora, you pay 1% rather than a variable commission on the price of your home. You’ll also get best-in-class customer service, a team of expert agents who close hundreds of deals per year, a proprietary technology platform that puts you in the driver’s seat .
How can we help you?
Christopher has been been in the Real Estate industry for 8 years and has had the opportunity to close over 1,000 deals while acting as the Managing Broker for thousands more. Christopher is passionate about continuing to find ways to simplify, maximize, and serve Trelora’s clients exceptionally well and spends his time building teams to deliver high levels of service. When not doing real estate Christopher can be seen training for marathons and ultra relays with his 2 year old daughter, eating pizza, and drinking a steady stream of Diet Coke.